Does anyone have any suggestions on how to design or where to find
design ideas for a dining room table that will expand to accomodate 20
people? I am planning about 24 inches per person plus an additional
16 inches at each end. Unfortunately, this extends the table to
something like 250 inches, much too long for a traditional leaf
design.

Looking for ideas...
Thanks in advance.

"Melvin P. Schtepner" wrote in message
...
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to design or where to find
design ideas for a dining room table that will expand to accomodate 20
people? I am planning about 24 inches per person plus an additional
16 inches at each end. Unfortunately, this extends the table to
something like 250 inches, much too long for a traditional leaf
design.

Looking for ideas...
Thanks in advance.

i've seen a table at a local danish import store where the end 3' of each
end slides under the middle part, leaving about an 8' table when folded up.
perhaps that idea, or having 2 tops one on top of each other and having a
mechanism to slide them apart, and one drops down, would work.

regards,
charlie
cave creek, az

Thu, Mar 11, 2004, 1:43pm (EST-1)
(Melvin=A0P.=A0Schtepner) queries:
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to design or where to find
design ideas for a dining room table that will expand to accomodate 20
people? I am planning about 24 inches per person plus an additional 16
inches at each end. Unfortunately, this extends the table to something
like 250 inches, much too long for a traditional leaf design.
Looking for ideas..

Depends. This going to be a one time thing? Once or twice a year?
Something you want every weekend?

If I had room for feeding 20 people in my house, at one table, I'd
like to have a table that size. Even if I had a table that size tho,
damned if I'd want 20 people in the house at one time.

One time, I'd consider sawhorses, planks, or doors, and table
cloths. Or rent several folding leg tables. Same with once or twice a
year.

Oftener than that, I'd maybe think about buying folding leg tables.
Or card tables. Put table cloths on, and look as fancy as a custom
table.

If you want to make a table, there's a variety of designs out
there. But, you didn't say what preferences you have. Me, I would
consider a few smaller tables, maybe single leg, you could butt together
to make one long table. Or mabe one longer everyday table, and several
shorter tables you could add.

You could make a 10 foot table, and have 5 foot at each end fold up
on the top, then have a fold-out leg(s) on each end to support them.
Or, a 7 foot table, and 7 foot ends, that fold up, and overlap. Or a
table 14-15 foot or so, and each end drops. All sorts of
possibilities. I'm getting tired of typing out my ideas, so I'm going
to let you start thinking.

But, If I was going to make one, so it could take leafs, I'd
probably make a center, with probably two pedestal legs, then each end
would pull out to take leafs, probably one leg on each (mabe casters).
I'd check some plans, and quite likely pirate an idea or two, and go
from there.

I haven't bothered to check, but a google search will probably turn
up some plans.


JOAT
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and the state.
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In article ,
Melvin P. Schtepner wrote:
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to design or where to find
design ideas for a dining room table that will expand to accomodate 20
people? I am planning about 24 inches per person plus an additional
16 inches at each end. Unfortunately, this extends the table to
something like 250 inches, much too long for a traditional leaf
design.

Looking for ideas...

You can get away with considerably less than 24"/person. 18"/place is
slightly 'cozy', but eminently workable.

Also, with a 42" wide table, you can easily sit two places at each end.

you want to 'expand' to seat 20, from _what_ as a minimum?

I've got a 42" wide table, that in the minimum configuration (5' long),
seats 6 comfortably. with 4 9" leaves inserted (total 8' long), it seats
14, "cozily". Two, alternating, seating plans -- one with 2 people
sitting at each end of the table, the other with only one person. When
there's only one person at the end, the people on the sides can be
much nearer the end, than when there's two people there.

The same design, starting with a 6'6" length (seating 10), would seat 20
with the addition of 5 9" leaves. with a total length of 10' 3".

The real trick is keeping things _stable_ as the geometry changes.
I used a *FIXED* leg and 'inner skirt' framework. with an 'outer skirt'
that is attached to the tabletop and the insert leaves. The primary
tabletop is mounted to the frame using _full_suspension_drawer_slides_
between the inner and outer skirts. Suitcase latch type mechanisms are
used on the underside of the top, just outside the skirt, to lock the
top/leaves together into a rigid "unit". The top _does_ move "freely"
in the long direction, when any leaves are inserted. To control this,
I put some 'friction stops' through the inner skirt, just inside the legs,
that but against the outer skirt. Basically a 'hold-down clamp' with
an extension _through_ the surface (the inside of the inside skirt) that
it's mounted to. The clamp pressures against the outside skirt, thus
preventing it from moving. Voila! stable tabletop.

Fringe benefit -- when you have 'some' of the expansion leaves in, you
can position the table-top "asymmetric" with regard to the legs, if
appropriate. This is really convenient for wheel-chair access, for
example.

"Melvin P. Schtepner" wrote in message
...
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to design or where to find
design ideas for a dining room table that will expand to accomodate 20
people? I am planning about 24 inches per person plus an additional
16 inches at each end. Unfortunately, this extends the table to
something like 250 inches, much too long for a traditional leaf
design.

Looking for ideas...
Thanks in advance.

Well I personally make my "setting" width the width of the chair plus an
inch or two, after all if you can't get a chair in there you can't seat
anyone there. make the table width wide enough to seat two ,say two chair
widths plus 2".

So if the average chair width is 2' and the table is 50" wide then each side
of the table will need to accomodate 8 people . To accomodate eight people
you will need 16' plus an additional 2' so as to leave enough space so there
is no interference with the end place settings, say 18'.

I would make separate leaves each one chair width plus an inch or so . As
far as the extension structure they can be made any length desired to
accomodate the necessary leaves, I usually make mine out of maple. mine are
usually about 3" deep and are inboard .As the general table height is 29"
then the bottom of the extenders is say 25" at most, usually comfortably
above knee height . A very good article on construction of table extenders
was in FWW....mjh

Melvin P. Schtepner wrote:

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to design or where to find
design ideas for a dining room table that will expand to accomodate 20
people? I am planning about 24 inches per person plus an additional
16 inches at each end. Unfortunately, this extends the table to
something like 250 inches, much too long for a traditional leaf
design.

Looking for ideas...
Thanks in advance.

Check out Thomas Moser's _Measured Shop Drawings for American
Furniture_. I have found that even if I want to build something of a
slightly different look, this book gives lots of ideas for design
principles and construction. It has plans for some very long tables,
made, if I remember correctly, with a combination of leaves and a
removable center section.

Depending on how small you may want to go, I like the idea mentioned
here of independent tables that can be "ganged" together to form a
long table. Gives flexibility for other seating arrangements, e.g. 4
to 6 people per table for large, less formal dining situations.

--
Alex
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