A folding table is a very convenient and useful item in everyday life. Many owners complain about small area their apartments, accordingly, do not have the opportunity to put a large table in the kitchen. This problem can be effectively solved by purchasing folding models. It is worth noting that they are ideal for trips and picnics in nature.
The folding table is lightweight and compact in size, which allows it to be easily folded into the trunk of a car.
Varieties
This furniture can be various forms and sizes. They differ in the shape of the tabletop (round, square, oval, rectangular), material (made of wood, metal and a combination thereof), as well as the way they are folded.
Most popular view folding tables - wooden. If you want to make it as light and easy to transport as possible, then install an inexpensive chipboard countertop.
The simplest way to fold tables with cross-shaped legs. When folded, the dimensions of the structure change, but it itself does not disassemble. In addition, there are completely collapsible products. To create them, threaded fasteners are used.
If you want to do round table with your own hands, you need to shape the tabletop before attaching it. This will greatly simplify the assembly process.
Preparatory work
If you decide to figure out how to make a folding table with your own hands, then first evaluate your capabilities. Craftsmen who do not have extensive experience should give preference to the simplest models with cross-shaped legs.
The dimensions of the table are selected depending on your own needs. It is important to consider the maximum possible load and operating conditions.
At home, it is easier to create a table made of wood. For table top the best option will become chipboard. You will also need the following tools for the job:
- Electric jigsaw;
- Level;
- Paint brushes;
- Ruler/tape measure;
- Hammer, screwdriver;
- Sanding machine (sandpaper).
The latter is recommended to be used only experienced craftsmen. Everyone else should give preference to regular sandpaper. Of course, using it will slow down the process of creating the table a little. But the product will turn out to be of high quality and beautiful.
For work you need wooden blocks measuring 2 x 4.5 centimeters. If you are planning to make a large table, you can order parts 3 x 5 centimeters. As for the length, it ranges from one to five meters.
The material is cut into pieces of the required size in accordance with the drawings of the folding table. It is advisable to use boards for the table top that are thick (at least 4 centimeters) and durable.
Assembly
To connect the bars, you need bolts and screws. Their length is selected in accordance with the thickness of the selected materials. Bolts are used to connect the legs, self-tapping screws are used to secure the footrests.
First you need to cut it out required quantity bars. It is advisable to make them a little larger in size than originally planned. The hole dimensions must also exceed the dimensions of the fasteners. For example, for M4 bolts the hole diameter must be at least five millimeters.
Each part needs to be processed after cutting. grinder or sandpaper. To extend the period of operation, they are coated protective composition(paint or varnish).
It is important to securely fasten the footrests (four pieces). They are at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the “goats” (a folding structure of legs with crossbars at the bottom). For this, ordinary self-tapping screws are used.
Each support requires three pieces. The distance between them should correspond to the size of the block from which the “goats” are made.
To understand what the finished structure looks like, find a photo of a do-it-yourself folding table on the Internet. This way you will understand what result you should get in the end.
All parts are connected using bolts. They are placed in the through central holes of the bars. It is not recommended to tighten them too much. The axle must be allowed to rotate freely. "Goats" are fixed to the tabletop due to bolted connections. Footrests must be attached to them in advance.
If you are worried that the axial mount will become loose over time and fail due to constant folding/unfolding, then use locknuts.
If you want to make a compact table, then remove the bolts that connect the “goats” and the footrests. You are allowed to pick up one or two bolts. Practice shows that it is not worth tightening the fastenings too much in these areas.
Only the footrests require reliable fastening and tightening of the bolts. This is due to the fact that they guarantee normal installation legs
Photo of a folding table with your own hands
Serving table– functional and practical solution for the home, which is designed to make your vacation more comfortable. Remember how many times during the evening you have to run to the kitchen for drinks and dishes, although all this can easily fit on such a compact and necessary piece of furniture. How to make a serving table on wheels with your own hands and can an inexperienced person do it?
Design options
The design of the product can be anything and depends solely on your taste and preferences. You can make a simple and unpretentious table, or you can equip it with many shelves and drawers, using it as an additional tabletop. The style is also individual and tailored to suit interior decoration home, it is advisable to use natural eco-friendly materials (MDF, wood) for production. In rooms with modern design Metal or glass structures would be appropriate: colored, tinted or transparent.
The most comfortable are tables equipped with wheels, since they are mobile and easy to control. A handle installed on one side will help guide the product, and various hooks, shelves and a cutting board will help make it more functional.
Deciding on a drawing of a serving table
The drawing of the serving table is the first thing you should start with in the process of making it. You can make full use of your imagination, giving the design a fancy shape, any size and color, or take it as a basis ready-made solution from the Internet. The diagram is applied to a sheet of paper indicating all the sizes of the elements, places of their attachment, and finishing materials. In the future, you should strictly adhere to these values and monitor their compliance. So that your work does not take too much effort and time from you, you should not give too much priority complex options, but will stop at a classic 4-wheel table with two tabletops and a handle. The height of 78 cm is sufficient for all occasions, as is the length of 93 cm with a width of 42 cm.
DIY serving table on wheels
When preparatory activities left behind, it's time to stock up on tools and materials. To implement your plan you will need:
- board 50 x 100 mm (frame), 25 x 100 mm (table tops), 25 x 50 mm (edging);
- paint and brushes;
- sandpaper;
- tape measure, pencil;
- circular saw, screwdriver and drill;
- sander and pneumatic hammer;
- drills and screws;
- protective mask, goggles, gloves.
IMPORTANT. The board must be extremely dry, because otherwise, after some time, cracks and gaps will appear on the surface of the countertops. As a result, the structure will become less durable and attractive.
The manufacturing process consists of the following stages:
The serving table will become an indispensable assistant when relaxing in the company of friends or relatives, watching a movie after a tiring day at work. Carefully and carefully assembled, it will become a decoration of the home, a source of pride for its owner and the general attention of guests.
You can make a serving table with your own hands using available construction stores boards and perforated metal corners. The final product will look stylish, fitting perfectly into modern kitchen. And if you have ever tried yourself in something similar, for example, done, then this project will not seem difficult to you.
Note: Since perforated corners can be of any length, you have the right to make a serving table of a height and size convenient for you. These parameters largely depend on the purposes for which this piece of furniture will be used. If, for example, it is used as a coffee table, it will be lower. But if you are planning to arrange a place where the serving table will serve as the same island, then it should be taller and larger in size.
Required tools and materials:
— 4 corners 38x38 mm, length 79 cm (for vertical corner posts);
— 6 corners 38x38 mm, length 53 cm (for short edges of shelves);
— 6 corners 38x38 mm, 90 cm long (for long edges of shelves);
— 2 shelves 90x53.5 cm, thickness 26 mm (in in this case, from laminated boards);
— tabletop 120x60 cm, thickness 26 mm (laminated board);
— 4 furniture rotating wheels with a braking mechanism;
— 4 wooden bars 7.5x10 cm, 35 mm thick for mounting wheels;
— cutting board 30x30 cm, thickness 26 mm;
- hacksaw for metal;
- bolts, nuts, washers and spring washers;
— connecting plates;
— a tool for tightening bolts and nuts (for example, a socket wrench);
— shaped cutter with a rounding attachment 6 mm;
- drill with the necessary attachments for screwing in screws, drill 3 mm;
- circular saw;
— impregnation for wood;
— screws 25 mm and 50 mm;
— drill attachment for drilling 90 mm holes;
- clamp, flat strip;
- fine-grained sandpaper;
- chisel;
- furniture fittings.
Do-it-yourself serving table: step-by-step instructions
Step 1. Cutting corners
Using a hacksaw, cut the corners for the future table to the selected dimensions. For convenience, you can secure the corners with a clamp before cutting, and place the hacksaw blade at a slight angle to the plane of the corner (as in the photo).
Note: Vertical posts can be made to other lengths.
Take the short horizontal parts of the table (corners 53 cm long). For each corner on one of its planes (sides), step back from opposite ends 40 mm each. Make a cut in these places to the middle of the corner (fold at an angle of 90 degrees). Having made a cut from each edge of the corner along its rectangular fold, remove the resulting pieces of 40x38 mm. This is necessary so that when the short and long horizontal parts of the table come into contact, there are no overlaps on which the wooden shelf will lie unstable.
Step 2. Assembling the table frame
Assemble the table frame by bolting the long and short horizontal corners to internal parties vertical corners. Do not overtighten the nuts at this stage. Under top shelf(where the tabletop will be attached) screw it to vertical posts connecting plates – two per rack. This will allow the structure to be stable during operation.
Step 3: Leveling the structure
At this stage, check that all corners are perpendicular. Measure the diagonals - they should be the same. Now you can tighten the nuts tightly, securing the correct shape of the frame.
Step 4. Adjusting the tabletop and shelves
Most likely, for the serving table that you plan to make with your own hands, you will not find shelves and tabletops in the store required sizes. Therefore, you will have to adjust their sizes yourself. To do this, take measurements, draw cutting lines and, using a clamp, attach a straight strip in the right place. Please note that the rail should not touch the cutting line, but be from it at the distance at which the saw is placed from the edge of the tool. Check everything again. Now make the necessary cuts.
Step 5: Rounding the Edges
Use a router bit to round the edges of the tabletop. Sand with fine sandpaper. Paint the finished edges with a wood stain of the appropriate color (in this case, walnut).
Note: If you chose unpainted boards to make your own serving table, you can paint them along with the finished edges at this stage.
Step 6. Attaching the boards
Center the tabletop relative to metal frame. Drill holes with a 3 mm drill bit in the places where you need to screw in 25 mm screws. Drill and screw in screws from the underside of the shelves.
Step 7: Attaching the Wheels
Using a chisel, use a chisel to make a hollow 2 mm deep and 3.5 cm wide along the long edge of the block (see photo). One side of the corner should be hidden in it so that the block adheres perfectly to the bottom shelf. Attach the bars to the shelf with 50 mm screws. Attach the wheels to the bars.
Step 8. Attaching the cutting board
Step back to the center of the table from two adjacent edges of the tabletop by 30 cm. In this place, use a drill attachment to drill a hole with a diameter of 90 mm.
Note: Do not throw away the sawn circle, but screw it onto the underside of the cutting board. Insert the sawn circle into place and watch how the cutting board rotates on the tabletop around its axis.
Cover everything wooden surfaces impregnation, which can be used to treat surfaces in contact with products.
Step 9. Finishing work
Now is the time to equip the mobile table convenient accessories. Attach them to the side or bottom of the tabletop. In this case, a paper towel holder, a glass holder, a ladle holder, a bottle opener and two metal towel handles are used. Place a bucket for food waste under the sawn hole in the countertop.
Well, your DIY serving table is ready!
How to make a serving table on wheels with your own hands
A serving table is, of course, not an essential thing, but it is so convenient when you need to bring food from the kitchen for everyone to watch your favorite show on TV or just drink tea with friends on the veranda of your dacha, and you need to bring cups in your hands to several techniques.
The dimensions of the table are as follows: height - 0.9 m; width - 0.4 m; length - 1 m.
This table is made from leftovers wooden materials. You will need two long sidewalls with a length of 0.7 m and a section of 15 by 25 mm; two short sidewalls 0.6 m long and the same cross-section; 17 pcs. connecting strips 33 cm long; two legs 87 cm long and 15 mm in diameter; 2 pcs. holders for wheels 110 cm long; handle 35 cm long; load-bearing elements of the axle and the wheels themselves with a diameter of 25 cm.
First, we select the wheels and axle for them. We cut out the elements of the table from wood and sand them thoroughly.
We assemble the frame from the sidewalls, connecting strips, supporting elements of the axle, legs, wheel holders and handles.
We fasten the parts with PVA glue and self-tapping screws. The grooves in the wheel holders must be made very precisely so that load-bearing element the axle held tightly.
The suspension axle can be made from a wooden rod with a diameter of 22-25 mm and a groove of about 28 mm can be made in the casing so that the axle can move freely.
The table drawers are made of 15 mm thick plywood. External surfaces can be decorated with wooden planks. The suspension axle must be firmly attached to the box, because it is a holder and a handle at the same time.
The screws and bolts that fasten the table parts must be recessed into the wood.
The moving axle is attached with screws to bottom side carrier strip holder.
We cover the table with paint or two layers of varnish.
