Replies

1. 
   David_A._Brown | Jun 28, 2001 06:12am | #1

   *
   Tell me how wide and deep you need the tops. Tell me how tall you need the stands.

   There are probably thousands of ways to hold a shelf up. If you tell me how big a shelf and how high it needs to be I'll think of a few for you.
   One warning... the stands I generally make usually draw more attention than what's atop them. ;-)

   Dave

1. 
   David_A._Brown | Jun 29, 2001 06:04am | #2

   *Still there, Richard?I've just put together a small table that might fit your request. The picture should be linked to below. Basically, it's 30" high, the legs are 12" deep, the top is 16"x36", and the center stretcher is 12"x18". I've made a multitude of tables using this technique. Almost any dimensions can be accomidated. You can obviously use a much better grade of veneered plywood if you like. This table is to hold up a plotter, and the plywood will be painted.The top is a section of partical board shelving that I got at a Menards in Iowa. It has a thin printed woodgrain pattern on 3 sides including the thumbnail front edge. I'll champher the other edges and paint the exposed edges a tan to compliment the printed grain. The base will be painted a darker color. The legs have a 1/2" through-dovetail (french dovetail) slot in the middle of their inside faces. The stretcher has the dovetail tenon on both ends to slide into this slot. Once the stretcher is slid to the slot as far as I want, I put a small sheet metal screw below it in the slot to serve as a stop and keep the stretcher from sliding down and out. The underside of the top has two stopped french dovetail slots to receive the top edges of the legs. You slide the top onto the legs from the front.This basic structure is very solid, yet will slid apart into a stack of flat boards. All planes (horizontal, vertical front-to back, and vertical side-to-side) are accounted for so there is no racking or wobbliness. The top is optimumly supported by centering it over legs 1/2 as wide. If the legs were set farther apart, the top might sag between them.If you want less sliding, the same pieces can be hinged together to some degree. Eliminate the dovetail that the stretcher slides into. Move the stretcher to the front, and hinge it to the front edge of the legs. Make the stretcher twice as wide as the legs are deep and you can then fold the legs in flat against the stretcher. With the stretcher at the front it can be used for a sign or pricelist posting spot. I'd still use french dovetails to slide the top onto the legs. They will tie the structure together and keep the legs at 90 degrees to the stretcher. The hinges would be hidden on the back side of the stretcher.Hope that helps.

1. 
   David_A._Brown | Jul 01, 2001 04:48am | #3

   *(pretending that Richard is still interested)How about:a round wood basea pipe flangea length of pipe that screws into the pipe flangeanother Pipe flangeand a round shelf?Don't like pipe? Turn the base. Turn a post. Turn the top. Still interested?Dave