Replies

1. 
   daverichards | Jul 05, 2011 08:22am | #1

   A few years ago I was curious about the geometry of a draw leaf table. I worked out a basic one in Sketchup and animated it to see how it works. I'll try to find it.

2. 
   daverichards | Jul 06, 2011 09:20am | #2

   Take a look at this link.

   http://flic.kr/p/a16cAH

   Click on the Next button above and to the right of the picture to advance through the images to see the leaves opening.

1. 
   SgianDubh | Jul 06, 2011 07:01pm | #3

   Dave, you probably ought to revisit your drawings for a draw-leaf table as the mechanism as you've drawn it I don't think will work. Dowel stops aren't shown. These are fitted to the bottom edge of the diminishing risers and hit the inside face of the notched outer rails to prevent the leaves over-extending. The diminishing sliders need to extend at least a little beyond the notched rails. The centre bearer rail should be shown fixed solidly to the top edge of the rails, not as you've shown which seems to be fixed firmly to the underside of the large top; and and there should be two notched end caps fixed at either side to the underside of the table top. These notched end caps are what hold the main table top in the right location because they notch around the end of the fixed centre bearer, but they allow the top to rise as a leaf is either extended or closed.

   You can find a definitive set of drawings for draw-leaf tables in Ernest Joyce's The Technique of Furniture Making which could help you tweak your very attractively presented offerings. Slainte.

1. 
   daverichards | Jul 06, 2011 07:11pm | #4

   The drawings weren't intended to be especially accurate. They were made to roughly show how the leaves can be pulled out and retracted. The table was drawn based on photographs of an actual table but I had no need to, interest in drawing joinery or the little details such as dowels.

   Thanks for the reference. I'll have to see if I can find a copy.

   And thank you for the compliment.

   Dave