i have this old table – solid oak throughout, it’s 9′ long, 30″ wide, 30″ h
– the top is 1 1/4″ thick
– it has 4″ tapered legs inset 3″ on each corner,
-a 5″ h rail all the way around, mortised into each leg
-supports under the tabletop, every 3′, mortised into the rails
-this is the part i want to get rid of-at some point someone drilled a platform- 8″ off the ground- to the legs, it’s a pain to sit at the table with this thing, it extends out as far as the tabletop itself-lots of bruised shins! now i can’t tell if it’s helping the table in the long run – but it doesn’t seem to be, the middle in bowed in about an 1″ and when i took it off (the platform) the legs don’t shimmy and if you stand on the table’s middle, they don’t splay out. the problem is- i don’t want it to bow any more than it already has. any suggestions on how to get the bow out and or how to give this massive top support without ruining it’s look? thanks
Replies
I had a similar problem with a heavy 8' extension table. I first tried to scab on wooden 1/2" x 3" pieces to the inside of the skirts (the extensions remain permanently in place).
That proved to be an unsuccessful solution. I finally resorted to attaching two pieces of perforated angle iron under the top and inside the skirts.
While not the most elegant solution, it works and is not noticable unless someone crawls under the table and looks up; an activity that might arouse an unfavorable reaction from women sitting at the table :-)
Maybe you could add a rail toward the bottom of the narrow ends and a stretcher between the rails. I built a pecky cypress patio table like that and it's been fine. I wedged the stretcher on the ends. Everyone likes it (and wants me to build them one). Good Luck, Len
(Len's Custom Woodworking)
Edited 9/21/2002 6:46:39 PM ET by LRUTHERFOR1
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