Idea:
We needed a dining table for our little cabin that could sit 3 people normally and transform and seat 6 when we have company over.
We needed something that would extend our counter top space as well for our small cabin.
Sketch/Prototypes:
This was the first idea. A table with some work surface at a counter top height and eating surfaces at bar height. I decided against this for a couple reasons. The first, scale. This would make our little kitchen look even smaller. The second, we didn't need that much storage space. While it was initially a main goal for the project we quickly came to the realization that we didn't need it.
Back to the drawing board, I came up with the following. A butcher block style top with an integrated hinge for the other side of the table that could swing up when company comes over. The drawers would provide some storage space as well but it would be scaled to our kitchen.
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The design relies on a metal rod connecting both counter tops and the support for the hanging side would be a structure that could get screwed in. Home Depot 3/4" plumbing pipe would fit the bill. I want to emphasize that this is for when company comes over and when they do it's usually for the weekend, so it's not something that needs to go up and down in a matter of seconds, but rather about 5 minutes.
The Build:
I chose Maple and Cherry as the wood of choice. First I had to mill up some slats with a chunk cut out of the top.
Slots cut, ready for the pin hole to be drilled.
Laying it all out and making sure I didn't make a mistake in measurements.
The nerve wracking glue up. I had to do it inside as it was -15 degrees out. I laid down some plastic sheeting in the sun room and hoped that it didn't seep through.
Scraping glue before sanding. The shop I was renting time at had a Time Saver, but it would be all cross grain so I would have to finish it by hand.
The apron for the top was non-traditional to say the least. Everything would be connected through figure 8 clips.
Sanded to 320 grit.
Checking again for measurements. Here you can see how the tops will be assembled.
Final product:
The hinge looks pretty sweet!
Final Thoughts:
I am really pleased with how this turned out. It's to scale with the kitchen and fits 3 people for dinner perfectly. In the end we decided against filling the holes in the wood with epoxy, We wanted a non-traditional look for the table and felt that the holes added the perfect amount of character. Drawers were also left off, the decision came after we cleaned out the kitchen in preparation for installation and learned that we have more than adequate storage.
Thanks for looking!
