I made a solid maple drafting table for my wife some years back. I made this so it breaks down and would fit through a 32″ door. In a new house and now I have 28″ doors. There is no hardware (except drawer handles) anywhere in the table i.e. everything is glued and doweled so modification along these lines is not possible. So I’m proceeding on the path on cutting the 4×4 legs. I’m kicking myself for not thinking this one through.
2 issues:
1. Cutting the legs. I guess I see two options. Circular saw (at least 2 passes per leg would be required) or portable band saw. The band saw I know is really a metal cutting tool but thought it might provide a cleaner cut in one pass. Is there a method I’m not thinking of? Which would provide a better result? Any suggestions on how to accomplish this?
2. Joinery. Once the bottom section of the table is cut off then I must be able put put it back together, take apart, back together, you get the drift. I was thinking of using a large dowel (1″?) ( a bullet shape seems best) in each leg. I know this creates other issues like aligning 4 dowels simultaneously upon assembly. When moving the table around (on existing casters) there will be some amount of twist on the legs. Any ideas on how to put these legs back together while making it modular?
As you can see by the picture the table is just collecting dust in the garage, but the leg shot is typical of all 4.
Replies
It seems like a shame to cut those nice legs off. Can you not turn the table on it's end or back and run one set of legs in through the doorway and then sort of turn it or pivot it as you pass through?
Maybe on its back. Looks like there's a stretcher between front and back leg.
Along the same lines as DR, what if you cut out the stretchers? You could likely drill out the old dowels and replace the stretchers by half-lapping in new ones. I'd chop the stretchers before I'd cut the legs.
If there's a window you can remove the sashes from in the table's new room maybe you can fly it in from outside?
Found a better picture and it is now attached.
As far as getting it through a door or window (to get it into the room where there is space for it) is just not possible.
What is your suggestion for cutting the stretchers off?
IF you think you could get it through the door if the lower structure was open you could cut it out and work out how to replace it using something other than dowels so it could move again if it had to. Off the top of my head I'd be looking at bed rail hardware or hanger bolt arrangements. You may need to rework the stretchers, but that is nothing compared to leg surgery.
I think removing part of the stretchers is the correct thing to do. This way you should be able to turn the whole thing on its side and snake it through a doorway one pair of legs at a time. It looks like you could leave the front to back stretchers and remove the stretcher/tray and then remake or repair it in such a way as to make it removable for the next time it needs to be moved. Bed bolts might be one option.
Another vote for removing the stretcher. You have various options for reattaching it, eg, a couple of loose tenons in each side rail, cut pockets in underside of stretcher and drop it on the tenons or, cut slots in the ends of the stretcher and slide it over one eighth sheet metal (for strength) strips let into the rails or, dowel in from the rails etc.
Stretcher it is. Thanks to all.
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