Table Talk part 35

It's Monday, so time to crank up the old table factory again.  Molly had stated a plan to start pouring table surfaces as soon as Wednesday, which meant I had some work to get done for today.  The agenda included two main jobs- attaching the frames to the tabletops for the two large Boys and Girls Club tables, and attaching the drop leaf table to its frame.  The plan called for Molly to provide some help with the former, and since she wouldn't be arriving after 5:00, I started with the other.

Actually I started by stopping off for wood first, since I would need to build the frame before I could attach it.  And this meant I had to finally commit to how I was going to make this table.  This table had been on the list for months, but I hadn't yet settled on how I was going to extend the leaves.  This is the smallest table we are making, and I already changed from the standard design plan for this project, with legs only 1/4 the thickness as the other tables, and cutting the setback from the edge to the frame from three inches to just one.  This very narrow exterior margin didn't leave a lot of room for whatever mechanism I'd employ.  I had given a lot of thought to the problem since the summer, considering spinning, sliding, and hinged support systems.  A rotating arm would be easy enough, except that the only place to attach it would be the table top, and with its heavily routed design, I didn't know if I'd be able to use long enough screws everywhere.  I decided to go with sliders on all four sides.

The first step was to build a standard mitered frame (above), like all the other ones I made so far.  But this time I added a narrow layer to the top, a 1x2 cut to match the original frame, but with two gaps in the middle of each side.  These gaps will eventually hold a sliding mechanism also made from 1x2 wood, and when each is pulled out, it will hold up the leaf by cantilever.

However, before I could finish that Molly showed up, and I figured I should get on with the part that she'd be helping with.  These are the two biggest tables in the project, each 4 feet by 6 feet, which makes for a very heavy piece of plywood.  If I had to I could do this myself, but having a second person would make it go a lot faster, and lessen the risk of of something getting damaged.

Like the other large tables I've done, I started by placing the frame on top of the table top (carefully, as these tops are already painted), centered it and marked it with masking tape.  I put that aside, marked where screws would go, and then drilled pilot holes through the top.  Molly and I flipped the top, I applied wood glue to one surface of the frame, then carefully placed it glue side down on the reverse side of the table top, and clamped it in place.  Molly was brought in again to help me flip it all back to right side up (she was working on a project out in the hallway).  After that it was just a matter of working my way around, carefully clamping each section, then re-drilling and driving in a long screw.  Above is the first panel completed this way, along with some of the tools used in this process.  Below are photos of the second panel- driving the last screw, and then the whole thing complete.

With that done, I decided to call it a night.  I should be able to come in relatively early on Wednesday and finish the construction of the drop leaf table top, at least enough of it to be ready for pouring if Molly gets to it that day.