Thanksgiving is the time all members of the family convene to our farm. Usually we have 16 to 20 people sitting at two tables joined lenghtwise in a large family room. The tables are long enough to accomodate all of us but quite narrow(34 inches) with inadequate space for the serving dishes. Various solutions have been suggested: 1) add a hinged 6″ board on each side to be used when needed. 2) Fasten a oak or cherry 3/4″ plywood to the top and hope the table will not tilt when one puts heavy elbows on the opposite site. 3) Build two new tables also using 3/4″ plywood with solid edging. 4)Build two new tables with a solid cherry top ( I have several 20″ clear cherry board purchased 25 years ago)., however we already have a beatiful mohagony table in the formal dining room and what I need is something utilitarian. I question the adequacy of a hardwood plywood top. Will it take the load and not warp? How close the skirt should be to the edge. What is the best spacing of the cross supporting members?
I apologize for the lenght of my inquire. I thank all of you in advance
John Cabot
Replies
What works at my house is to
1. Protect the table top from abrasion (cloth, cardboard)
2. Cover top with 3/4 t&g ply cut to 4x4
3. Screw 1x2's underneath to keep sheets together and from sliding around
4. Cover with printed fabric from fabric store (we dont have a tablecloth that large)
We have a very utilitarian table that my father built over 20 years ago and we now use with our five kids. The top is two layers of 3/4" particle board with formica top and bottom, around 48"x96". The formica has an oak grain patter. The table is edged with solid oak. This is a very durable table. During glue-up the top became slightly cupped. It is not visible to the eye; we are only aware of this because an entire glass of milk poured out on the table will stay on the table...a very useful feature with 5 kids.
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