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  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Default Extending Dining Room Table Legs

    Hi Guys,

    Looking for some suggestions.

    I'm in the middle of building a new dining room table and have followed a plan I downloaded from the internet.
    The height of the table is 29 inches from the ground to the top, but having built the rails and legs, its looking a little low.

    Two questions.

    What height do you guys use for dining room tables?
    Any ideas of how to extend the legs. The legs are 85mm x 85mm

    Regards

    Argy

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  3. #2
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    May 2012
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    Argy,

    My dining table is 30 inches, and that is fine.

    If you want to raise it a little, you could use the same method I use for fastening the top to the frame and raise it about an inch. I fasten a 50-70 mm X 20-30 mm member to the frame and legs so the inside edge is about flush with the inside edge of the frame. Then I drill oversized holes (or slots) in this member through which I put flat head screws and washers to hold the table top in place. I recess the washers and screw heads just below the surface of this member.

    First did this on an Asian built table where the top looked like it had not been dried properly and I was getting a little warping around the edges. This allowed me to get fasteners closer to the edge of the top, and to get them all around the top, including outside of the legs. I liked it so much I continued to use it. You can rout the edge of the new member to pretty it up if you like.

    Tried to upload a sketch, but for some reason I am unable to upload pics right now.

    Another method is to put small steel casters on each leg.

  4. #3
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    Default

    And here is the sketch ...

    Table Top Fastening.jpg

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
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    Port Huon
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    Default

    Just measured an old table I'm modifying for a friend.
    Legs are 740mm and table top will be 25mm.
    Totals up to 30".

  6. #5
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    Default Extending Dining Room Table Legs

    Height sounds about right, so be careful you don't add too much to it or everyone will have their arms up around their ears as they eat! It may look low because you have quite hefty legs (sorry,the table, not you! Never seen your legs to comment...)

    To add a little bit of height I like the previous idea. Another alternative is to add a decorative timber food to the legs. Same design/profile but add it in a contrasting timber. It gives a bit of definition to the legs and looks good IMHO.

    Trav
    Some days we are the flies; some days we are the windscreen

  7. #6
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    Default

    the legs measure to 720 mm and the top will sit on that. I'm assuming the top will be 20 - 25 mm which will give me the 74mm. Ikea is standardised to 74 cm while freedom ranges from 75 to 78cm.

    I think I want around 76cm, so I like the idea of adding 20mm to the bottom of the legs. The contrast timber seems like a good idea.
    Any ideas on how to add the extra 20mm?

    Argy

  8. #7
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    Once made a table with dark timber but where the bottom 75mm or so of the legs and some other detail was timber that was so pale as to almost be white. I think it may have been silver ash.

    It was made as seen in the sketch below. The pale and dark timber were joined while the legs were still square, and then tapered after the glue was dry.

    Leg Extension.png

    Another approach is to buy or have made some circular "buttons" that are very slightly smaller in size to the leg and fasten them to the bottom of the existing legs, as seen below. If you prefer they could be square or trapezoidal.

    Leg Button.png
    I'm sure there are lots of other options.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Tasmania
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    Default

    I usually make my tables 740 to 750 high to the top to the table top. The main thing to think about is leg clearance, this is influenced by the height of the choosen chair and the depth of the rails on the table.

  10. #9
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    Default Extending Dining Room Table Legs

    I would simply glue the timber to the end of the legs, perhaps even cutting the legs shorter to allow for a decent "boot". Make sure the grain runs the same direction as the legs. Once it is dry, simply drill and dowel to improve the mechanical strength as you would be glueing end grain to end grain. Then either plane or cut it to the right profile.

    Like John said, the colour would depend on your original timber colour. I've used jarrah very successfully with tas oak for example.

    Trav
    Some days we are the flies; some days we are the windscreen

  11. #10
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    So I still haven’t finished this table, but will soon get onto it.

    I will go with the contrasting wood and add the dowl for strength .

    Thanks for all your suggestions!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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