Galley table ideas

[fred1diver]

Hello all
Thinking ahead of the new sailing season coming up.
My wife and I aren’t big fans of the galley table on our 1972 Pearson 30, it is a drop down table hinged on the wall and it folds in half lengthwise.
The problem
Is it is very heavy and not really stable when unfolded, we added an extra leg on the folding table (dowel) what would you all suggest to make a lighter table?

 

[Foswick]

What are you looking for, aesthetically, budget-wise, and level of effort? I mean, a foam-core carbon fiber table would be lighter, but that might not meet any of your other criteria.

But, the stability might be easier to address. The shakiness I have seen comes down to two things: play in the hinges and (to a much lesser degree) the way the leg meets the floor.

Our table is attached to the wall with what I believe is called a "piano hinge" - one long continuous hinge. This means that, when folded down, there is not much play in it. Even though the legs themselves have some wiggle, that doesn't matter much because the table won't move laterally, relative to the wall, much. If you have shorter hinges, this replacement might go a long way.

Also, our floor has little brass or bronze fittings into which the legs can lock. We actually don't bother engaging them, since I don't see that they do much. I think I would might engage them if we were in really rough seas and I needed the table down, for some reason. The locks would prevent the table from bouncing up and down, in such conditions.

 

[dmax]

You can make a table from light-weight plywood covered with formica and trimmed with wood, durable and not too heavy.

 

[Timm R Oday25]

You can make a table from light-weight plywood covered with formica and trimmed with wood, durable and not too heavy.

As someone who used formica on a boat project ,I'm somewhat hesitant to agree . THe moisture from being out on the water was absorbed into the formica base . The formica swelled up and deformed . If you go this route ,very liberally soak all the wood surfaces with a generous layer of epoxy.
My replacement existed of Corian counter top epoxied to a 3/8" layer of plywood . This was then sealed with several many coats of fiberglass resin .
The table you are describing is exactly like ours . I took this oppurtunity to make a classier version with locking hinges available at the local wood working store

 

[dmax]

I have built several counters using this method, plywood was sealed with epoxy, has lasted many years with no sign of degradation. Lots of boats come from the factory with this type of counter without the epoxy. Corian is superior but very heavy and expensive.

 

[Timm R Oday25]

The Corian I used was only 1/4" inch thick . I found the weigh not much of a concern . Many local cabinet shopsell leftover Corian for $12-15 a square foot .Which is why I layered it with fiberglass . The formica on our boat is from 1981 and shows no sign of either delamenating or absorbing moisture . The formica that I bought from a local big box store surely did absorb quite a bit of moisture

 

[dmax]

Sounds like bad formica - weird. I couldn't find anyone that would sell me raw Corian when I looked, so I went the formica route - Corian definitely looks and wears better.

 

[fred1diver]

What thickness plywood would you recommend?
Having a frame on the sides will add stability and strength, I could route the edges to make a nice round over, I do not have the dimensions on the table with me, need to wait for nice weather so I can access the boat!
As for laminate, I have no issues with it, I will be redoing the galley counter, already have the laminate for that, not sure if I will have enough left over

 

[PaulK]

Problems with water absorption often come when people aren't careful with their epoxy coating, or if they use chipboard (Ikea style). Half inch ply with framing should be strong enough on a boat while keeping the table light enough to handle easily. 3/4" with a frame and hardware would likely end up quite heavy.

 

[dmax]

As Paul says, 1/2" is good - use a high quality, exterior grade plywood. Marine if you want to spend the extra dough.

 

[Timm R Oday25]

 

[fred1diver]

I was looking at a few alternatives.
I looked at the lagun table leg system
I could attach it to the starboard settee, it is simple to remove, fully adjustable and the model I am looking at, you can fold the table top, I could use it to close the starboard settee and use it as storage when sailing so that things don’t fall off when on a heel!

the table top can easy be moved to be used as extra counter when making food, just a thought
Frederic

 

[dmax]

Timm - yeah, it didn't fare too well. Here're the counters I replaced in my galley:

 

[Timm R Oday25]

Did you laminate the Formica yourself ? How is the counter top adhered to the cabinet itself ?
By the way .it came out really nice

 

[william24424]

Remove table, use an ottoman, light weight, inexpensive, and works. I put a round padded one, wife & I have plenty room, feet up reading or tray on top for eating.

 

[william24424]

 

[Will Gilmore]

View attachment 230523

That particleboard should have never seen a boat. I use to build and install kitchen cabinets, and even in a land-based kitchen, particleboard can swell. I've replaced plenty of countertops with laminate on plywood because of that. OSB is better, but still has swelling issues sometimes. Besides, particleboard is not light.

Here's a nice locking wall mount by Rockler.
https://www.rockler.com/rockler-rock-steady-folding-worktop-wall-brackets

I second the piano hinge for the folding leaf.

They have a nice clean look.

-Chill Will

 

[fred1diver]

This is the leg I am thinking about, they have a model which you can flip the table 90degrees

 

[dmax]

Did you laminate the Formica yourself ? How is the counter top adhered to the cabinet itself ?
By the way .it came out really nice

Sorry, didn't see this before - yes, I glued the formica (contact cement) to exterior grade plywood sealed with epoxy. The counter top is attached to the sides of the cabinet using cleats made from a short section of 1 x 1 teak. - in fact the whole cabinet is new and assembled with cleats which allows it to be easily taken apart. Here's a simple diagram - screws are driven where the arrows are pointing:

 

[jssailem]

I looked for a pedestal for my table. It is a lamented piece of plywood. 3/4 thick. It functions as the base of the double bed in the cabin.

Because I have a fuel tank beneath the cabin deck, I needed a pedestal that collapsed within itself. The extended height required is at least 28" from the deck and 14" when set for the bed. I found this LG-11 Modular Lifting Columns with Remote Control from a Canadian company.

Modular Lifting Column – Compact & Customizable

Explore the LG-11 lifting column with a 230-lb capacity and adjustable height range from 12.4" to 28.9". Compatible with FLTCON control boxes, it offers versatile setups and easy installation with remote options.

www.progressiveautomations.com