Roadshow table closed

[Grue]

Hope this works.

Glenn

[Grue]

Thats good now here it is opening.

[DarrylF]

WOW :) Someday, when I grow up, I want to be able to make something that good :)

[Dean]

Me too... It would take me 5 years to accrue enough time to complete something like that :(
Nice work!

[bigAl]

Glenn,

That looks tremendous! I haven't seen a round extending table before, how does it work?

Great work,

Al.

[Grue]

Hi Al,

I have been looking for the answer to "how does it work" for over 6 months now. I thought it would make a good challenge for engineering studies students. I've asked the question on lots of boards, and spent a lot of time searching the net. I even wrote to the Lutyens company, who still make furniture. Lutyens' granddaughter now runs the company and they would not tell me. I would love to see the drawings done for original registration.

Glenn

[Helix]

Do you have a picture of it opened all the way?

[Eastie]

Getting the exact dimensions of the workings would take a bit of working out. The leaves appear to be tongue and grove jointed to each adjoining leaf and to the table top – thus aligning and locking each leaf once set up. Each leaf is attached to a support member – how these support members interact when retracted and is a bit of a chin scratcher but it looks as if they are not tightly supported given the need to turn them off their axis so as to lap the leaves when retracted. I’m guessing once all leaves are in place the whole top drops back down on to the frame – how it stays up is another question. If its a little more complicated than that I'm guessing its based on the principles of a centrifugal clutch - but I'm only guessing it could be done in this manner. Good luck - it appears you'll need some :)

[Grue]

No, I got the pics from the "Antiques Roadshow" mob in UK. Their "expert" identified the table as a German design on the program I saw on "lifestyle Channel". I wrote to them to inform them that the table was Lutyens piece, and asked for pics. Their reply included the pics and a thank you, letting me know that they had contacted the table's owner and informed him of my discovery. The original program was from Roadshow: Nottingham
Expert: Christopher Payne Valued on: 13 September 2001.

Lutyens is a really noteworthy architect of his day. A web search will give you more info on his other works.

The Roadshow programs are often repeated so it may be worth contacting Lifestyle channel and requesting a repeat of this one so we can all see the table live so to speak. Love to record the table segment and put it on my web site!

The top is rotated to open the table. It lifts slightly and the segments come out as in my pic of it opening. When the top is further rotated it drops down and the segments flatten. (no gaps). I can't clearly remember but I seem to recollect that you reach under the table to start turning it to close the leaves again.

On the program there seemed to be little effort required to open or close the extension.

Would be a challenging shop project.

Glenn.