A folding table/desk
This will be the third and final piece of furniture for my studio, and although yes, I suppose it is yet another desk; it is, suprisingly, still needed! My huge music composing/PC desk is always in use, and the folding modelmaking desk is useful for creating commissions and craft projects on; but I still needed something that I could use to produce videos with. Neither of the current desks are suitable for this purpose, so it was time to come up with a plan!
As with the studio build, and my modelmaking desk, there will also be a standalone page with jump links. For now though, I will update each part (probably only two parts anyway) as a separate blog post, partially because Blogger remains broken (I can't show additional pages beneath the header). In any case, I have no modelmaking to write about currently, and I think this table/desk design may be useful for those of you short on space like I am! I hope so, anyway.
Part 1: The Design
As with all designs, this one went through multiple versions; even upon writing this article I realised that some additional strengthening would be beneficial, as you'll see later! Some things aren't apparent until construction begins, although for the most part a simple 3D model will highlight most problem areas before you make expensive mistakes.
In any case, above all else, I wanted the desk to be:
- Simple in function/form
- Easy to build
- Collapsible
Weight, strength, and size were important of course, but my primary goal was to have something I could easily pull off a wall, extend the legs, and get straight to work with.
Above: It's always worth doing a cutting diagram, which is just another reason why I find using Sketchup so vital in this process. Not only will it allow you to move components, whilst being quick and precise with measurements, but you can also disassemble the design and lay each component flat against a template. As you can see, this means I can find the most efficient orientation when it comes to cutting out parts from sheets of ply. It's also a good opportunity to use the software to help you dimension the parts, and to write additional notes that may be easy to forget later, or that may not be apparent from an aerial view like this; for example, the rebates and chamfered edges. A final note is that I try and label every component so that I know exactly what each piece is, and where it will be located.
Since this screenshot was taken, I've added some (8, glued into 4 pairs) additional triangular pieces to support the "END (leg support)"s. Luckily, there's plenty of material left to cut these from later!
Collapsibility/Portability
With three desks in a small "studio", I knew the number one factor was collapsibility; especially when the need for this table is only on an occassional basis. The size was less important, but so long as I could fit a large diorama on top, it would be plenty; no need to go overkill here. I therefore designed the desk to be cut from two three quarter length sheets of ply (606x1829mm). The tabletop was therefore 606mm wide, and I decided upon 1000mm for its length so that I could design the legs to fold together neatly underneath.
Material Selection & Construction Techniques
Above: As with my other desks, I chose plywood for it's cheap, durable, and not-too-heavy nature. Originally I designed it with 18mm ply, but that's a bit overkill for this kind of table, so 12mm was chosen instead. That said, in the end I did decide to double up every leg to 24mm thick. The reason for this is two-fold; not only will it obviously make it sturdier, but it will allow me to fully rebate the M10 bolts (that the legs will pivot via) so that they sit flush with the face.
Above: Now, whilst you can screw into the ends of plywood, it's best to rebate components to form stronger joints (shown here in red for visibility). I have used this method on both previous desks, so it's not a difficult task, it just means you need to remember to add the rebate onto the component sizes before cutting them out! That said, not every component was rebated, only the four horizontal beams that support the underside of the tabletop (and keep the legs in place). Wood glue is used for every non-moving joint, which is surprisingly sturdy on it's own, but I do plan to secure most joints that aren't rebated with countersunk screws as well.
A Simple Design
I tend to overcomplicate things, but the essence of this design was relatively simple; two legs that interlock and fold underneath a worktop. In order to keep the legs in their unfolded position, I opted not for vertical legs, but splayed them at 15 degrees so that once they are unfolded, the weight of the table holds the legs in place and stops it wobbling. The four longitudunal beams under the worktop are kept in place by a crossbeam at either end, also at a 15 degree angle. This means that when the legs swing open, they stop against these crossbeams, serving two purposes in one go; supporting the four beams, and stopping the legs at their intended position.
As of writing this, I realised a bit of further support on these two end beams would be beneficial, so I'll be adding triangular braces at each end of the table on the outside faces of these crossbeams for additional support. Luckily, I had not rendered any of the images before writing this, so I've since retrospectively put this into the design; as can be seen below, and in the other images.
Finally, to hang the table on the wall when not in use, a slot will be cut into the tabletop, and it will simply hang on wooden pegs. Having the tabletop side away from the wall should mean that the legs won't drop open, although holes could be drilled into the side, and a wooden peg or two popped in to do this job properly, should the need arise.
Above: Apologies if the above render isn't very clear (it was taking ages, and I'm afraid that I got bored of waiting!), but you should be able to make out that the table is easily hung on a pegboard wall. This makes it a versatile bit of furniture, and being a fan of tiny houses, I love space-saving furniture!
And there we have it; the ever-evolving design for a simple folding table. The next (and final) part will show the construction of the desk. I'll also give a brief list of the tools I used to build it, so if you want to build something similar, you can!
Stay tuned for part 2...
(Questions, comments, and suggestions are of course welcome below!)
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