Is there a thread somewhere about building a dining top for an existing table? (1 Viewer)

[DoubleEagle]

That's a trade secret. I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you.

Spoiler

You can't quite get the full length needed for the skirt with two 8' long cut-off pieces of plywood. Those gaps are eventually filled in with 2 filler pieces, and for this topper I used a little piece of decorative molding to hide the 4 seams.

No problem. My wife has already killed me several times.

That is what I thought. Just curious about mounting the joining piece externally rather than try to butting the insert to the kerf cut pieces. Butting together may be difficult to make look good.

 

[Irish]

No problem. My wife has already killed me several times.

That is what I thought. Just curious about mounting the joining piece externally rather than try to butting the insert to the kerf cut pieces. Butting together may be difficult to make look good.

Yep, that's what those little molding pieces are for, hiding that joint where the filler pieces butt up again the arc pieces. Even when gluing them into the channel, getting them fully lined up is tough and just doesn't look great.

 

[Flawed_Titan]

That's a trade secret. I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you.

Spoiler

You can't quite get the full length needed for the skirt with two 8' long cut-off pieces of plywood. Those gaps are eventually filled in with 2 filler pieces, and for this topper I used a little piece of decorative molding to hide the 4 seams.

Did you use edge banding on the octo-stretch table you posted?

 

[Irish]

Did you use edge banding on the octo-stretch table you posted?

Yep, on the edges of the main piece. As long as you hit the corners with some sand paper (it should feel like a solid piece of wood when you're done), I've never had an issue with edge banding. I've installed hundreds of feet of it over the years

 

[monkeydog]

My ultra simple method.

I put a table cloth over top when the topper is on, with a sheet underneath to protect the rail.

Topper comes apart in three pieces - ends have the 1x4 glued and screwed to them, with the 1x4 extending 6” past the plywood. The middle section has 1x4 in the middle and has insert nuts to screw a machine screw into that ties the table together.
This was my prototype and is rough - I need to clean up some measurements to make it better on the final version, but it served its purpose - easy to put on and take off, no damage to the rail, and functional as a dining room table.

 

[chipinla]

@alecnetwoodworks might be able to give you some guidance

 

[Taghkanic]

Is the standard height for a dining table higher than for a poker table, including the height of the rail?

Yeah, I could google that, but...

 

[Irish]

Is the standard height for a dining table higher than for a poker table, including the height of the rail?

Yeah, I could google that, but...

Yep, dining tables are usually around 31"-32" (floor to surface), poker tables play better at around 29"-30" (floor to top of rail). BUT comfort at a poker table can also be affected by what chairs you're using - if you're sitting in a cheapo plastic folding chair, those usually sit a little lower (and thus your table should be on the lower end). If you have adjustable office chairs or gassers or something higher, you can get away with a higher table.

 

[Samuel]

Not a step-by-step, but here are a few construction pics of a couple of basic toppers - both single pieces.

Stretched octagon - or vampire coffin

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And an oval, using the kerf cuts that Tony mentioned above:

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I think you should quit your day job (unless that is your day job)...

 

[Irish]

I think you should quit your day job (unless that is your day job)...

haha thank you but no, just a hobby and some occasional extra side cash

 

[namsupak]

Thanks for the pics. I have been considering doing this for a little while. I am not opposed to just buying a new table with a topper but it just seems like a waste then to have this table I use now as a backup and then I also have another folding table that I now use as mainly a backup.