Carpentry and Woodworking - Building a portable sewing table
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cgrant
11-12-02, 03:52 AM
I want to put together a 4X8 table for laying out
curtain fabric and cutting out sewing patterns.
I have a 4X8 panel of half inch plywood which I have cut in two (each 4X4) pieces.I chose half inch attempting to keep the finished article light
in weight. I also purchased a set of metal folding
legs for this table from the hardware store. I
asked a carpenter if I could put hinges such as strap hinges on the underside of these 4X4s, so I
could fold the table in half for storing when it
isn't in use. He believes that I would have to
countersink the hinges and apply them to the top of the table instead of under the table where they should be. I would not want them on the table surface, as this would cause my fabric to get snagged by the screws in the hinges.
Has anyone an idea to suggest how I can have the hinges on the underside of the table so it would
not colapse when set up for use. I also thought
that framing the 4X4s on the underside with
2" wide strips of pine board would add thickness
on the perimeter of the 4X4s and screw pieces under where the hinges would be placed, in doing
this, it may also help to keep the plywood from
twisting or warping where it is so thin.
Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
curtain fabric and cutting out sewing patterns.
I have a 4X8 panel of half inch plywood which I have cut in two (each 4X4) pieces.I chose half inch attempting to keep the finished article light
in weight. I also purchased a set of metal folding
legs for this table from the hardware store. I
asked a carpenter if I could put hinges such as strap hinges on the underside of these 4X4s, so I
could fold the table in half for storing when it
isn't in use. He believes that I would have to
countersink the hinges and apply them to the top of the table instead of under the table where they should be. I would not want them on the table surface, as this would cause my fabric to get snagged by the screws in the hinges.
Has anyone an idea to suggest how I can have the hinges on the underside of the table so it would
not colapse when set up for use. I also thought
that framing the 4X4s on the underside with
2" wide strips of pine board would add thickness
on the perimeter of the 4X4s and screw pieces under where the hinges would be placed, in doing
this, it may also help to keep the plywood from
twisting or warping where it is so thin.
Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
the_tow_guy
11-12-02, 06:26 AM
I think you'll be okay with the materials selected, but the table will not support much weight. Here's how I would do it:
1. Take your perimeter material and attach it on all four sides of BOTH halves. Use screws AND wood glue; #8 x 1 1/2" screws should work. Don't forget to use screws at corners between the perimeter boards themselves (butt joint). Use pilot holes to prevent splitting.
2. Put table halves on floor, perimeter boards up. Attach plain hinges between the halves on the adjoining perimeter boards. Do not use the screws that came with the hinges. Get some longer ones, 1" should do, and use pilot holes. Use wood or particale board screws, do not use drywall screws. The table will now hinge in the middle and when right side up will stay open.
3. The weight of the table and whatever you are working on will put a tremendous strain on the hinges, so you are probably going to need to devise addition manner of support, like additional legs in the center (use 6 legs total instead of 4).
Other method would be to drill a couple of holes through the adjoining boards at the table center and use bolts and wing nuts to hold them together and take strain off hinges.
1. Take your perimeter material and attach it on all four sides of BOTH halves. Use screws AND wood glue; #8 x 1 1/2" screws should work. Don't forget to use screws at corners between the perimeter boards themselves (butt joint). Use pilot holes to prevent splitting.
2. Put table halves on floor, perimeter boards up. Attach plain hinges between the halves on the adjoining perimeter boards. Do not use the screws that came with the hinges. Get some longer ones, 1" should do, and use pilot holes. Use wood or particale board screws, do not use drywall screws. The table will now hinge in the middle and when right side up will stay open.
3. The weight of the table and whatever you are working on will put a tremendous strain on the hinges, so you are probably going to need to devise addition manner of support, like additional legs in the center (use 6 legs total instead of 4).
Other method would be to drill a couple of holes through the adjoining boards at the table center and use bolts and wing nuts to hold them together and take strain off hinges.