Cabin table finished
- Thread starter Roger Long
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I'm a bit surprised that Roger didn't paint or finish the plywood blocks for the table support legs.
It's Formica plastic laminate. It wouldn't be my first choice of color except that it's a perfect match for what was used in the boat's galley originally. The color chip almost disappeared when put on top of the old table I took into the store.
You can see the construction underneath here (scroll down a bit):
http://www.rogerlongboats.com/10ProjectPhotos.htm
They actually have three coats of varnish but the plywood is pretty light. It will be almost impossible to see them from any angle so I didn't do anything very fancy. They are also semi-experimental.
I'm not 100% sure yet. They overlap the vertical stanchion at the aft end, or can when slid pack to the normal position. The stanchion will have a whipping of 3/16" line for a cushion and there will be any eye strap under the edge of each table to hold them together against the stanchion. I haven't decided yet whether I will make a shorter hook to go in one of the eye straps or if I will bend a piece of brass or S.S. rod into a long "U" to drop into the eyes. The latter would have some spring which would hold the leaves tight against rolling and engine vibration.
What I like about the hinges myself is how narrow this table is when folded up. I installed the hinges so there is a 1/4" space between the leaves when up. This serves two purposes. One is to prevent strain on the hinges if a leaf is lifted too high. Second, things like condiment racks and laptop computer mounting boards can have a 1/4" strip of wood on the underside to lock them securely to the table at the center so they don't slide off.
You are genius. I really like your site to illustrate it all. Did you design the hinge mech yourself? Was the vertical pole already there or is that part of the new design?
Roger, Ross, I started on a new cabin table last night. It's going to be permanently attached to the bulkhead. The top is supposed to flip open. I am going to buy the flush type table hinges. How do I cut the formica/plywood so they sit nicely down flush with the table like they are inlaid? Also how do you recommend supporting the leaf that flips over?
The plywood is 3/4". Formica on all sides. The dimensions are 20"X24" closed 40"X24" open. I haven't finished any of the teak or attached it yet. Not until I find out how to do these things.
The plywood is 3/4". Formica on all sides. The dimensions are 20"X24" closed 40"X24" open. I haven't finished any of the teak or attached it yet. Not until I find out how to do these things.
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The hinges are my design and the pole is an addition. The S.S. handrail tubing was too flexible so I bought a piece of heavy wall 7/8" O.D. steel tubing from Onlinemetals.com that exactly fit inside and epoxied it in place. It's now very stiff.
Don't try to make it flush. I learned a lot for this project over at the Wooden Boat Magazine forum.
Read through this thread:
http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109350
and make it like this:
It's the only way to do it. I started out intending to do it your way but was fortunately talked out of it by a couple of pro cabinet makers over there.
I took the table to a professional shop to have the laminate applied and the edges routed. It cost me less than buying a router bit and the glue, let alone the router which I don't have.
I'm not quite sure what you mean. The table leaves are symmetrical, there is laminate on both sides. This is essential on a boat to keep them from warping with moisture changes. I also had to buy enough laminate to do both sides and then some.
Look at the link in my OP. The pictures part way down the page show the edging. It's the piece in the sketch that has the radius and is glued to the main part of the table all around. The laminate is glued on and the router then run around. My table actually as barely any vertical wood showing as the step down is just a hair deeper than the thickness of the plastic but it looks great.
Not at this point. The design of my old table precluded them and I've gotten used to doing without. I'm usually anchored and go to some trouble to find quiet spots. If it's rough enough to need fiddles, I'm as likely to just hold a plate in my hands.
If I do add fiddles, they will be the kind that have pins that go into holes that I will drill in the table. I didn't want to have permanent fiddles around the edges because a flush table is more convenient for writing and laying out large charts.
My boat's salon table doesn't have fiddles either...but it doesn't heel or roll the way your boat does. 
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