I have wanted to try flexible seating for quite some time. This year I decided to jump into it by building my own flexible seating options. Here is my original post on my table design. Unfortunately, it was a complete failure. As you can see from the pictures, the whiteboard paint failed to wipe clean. Even after scrubbing with soap and water or even using Expo whiteboard cleaner, I was still able to see what had been written on the tables. While it was frustrating, I felt that it led to an even better iteration of my tables. Below you will find more information and directions for the tables that I created. Table DesignLegsTable Legs The foundation of the table was in the legs. I created the legs out of 2 x 4 studs that were roughly $3 for an 8 ft. piece. When it came time to attach the legs to the table tops, I placed a couple beads of glue in each corner where the legs would meet the table top. I also screwed two 3" screws from the top down into the leg. Table Leg Supports After attaching the legs to the table tops, I needed to add some supports to the legs to keep them from folding in on themselves. These supports were made out of furring strips from Lowes. You can get them in bundles of six for about $1 a piece. They are 8 ft long and 1" x 2". They aren't the highest quality and have some knots, but work fine for this project. I placed beads of glue on each piece that would make contact with the top and/or legs. I also used finishing nails to add additional strength. There was a horizontal support that went between both legs on the ends of the tables. This horizontal support was attached using glue and finishing nails. Table Leg Wheels I wanted each table to be moveable so I added lockable casters to each wheel. They were 2" Lockable Casters for $2.47/each from (Menards) (I had to order these online). They are threaded so I added T-Nuts to each leg that allowed the caster to be screwed in. However, I had to add two screws with washers to the edges of the T-Nuts to keep them from falling off. In hindsight, I would have bought casters that you attach with screws instead of a threaded shaft. TopsFor the tops of the tables, I began by cutting a 5/8" piece of sanded plywood into two foot by four foot sections. After getting the two foot by four foot pieces, I then used a table saw to trim the pieces down so they measured 23 1/4 inches wide by 47 1/4 inches long. This shortened length allowed me to cut the whiteboard panel in 2 ft. x 4 ft. sections. These sections were then able to be slide into some notched furring strips which I explain in a bit. To the left you will see the underside of a table top. I measured in 1/2 inch all the way around. I then cut furring strips so that they butted up to the lines that I had drawn from measuring in 1/2" from the edge. I attached these furring strips with wood glue as well as some finishing nails. You can also see in the corners that I placed a 2 x 4 that I was going to use for my legs. I traced around the 2 x 4. I then pre-drilled two holes so I knew where to screw into the legs. Legs were then attached with wood glue and screws. I used furring strips to create an edge around the tops of the tables. You can see in the picture to the left that I had grooves in each of these furring strips. The grooves allowed the whiteboard panels to slide right on top of my plywood top. These furring strips hold the whiteboard panels in place. I used a table saw to notch out all of the furring strips. I set the fence 1/4" away from the blade. I then ran the furring strip through the table saw to create my first notch. I then adjusted the fence so that it was 5/16" away from the blade. I repeated the process of running the furring strips through the saw. I did two different distances so that the notch had some play when the whiteboard panel was slid into it. Only one pass at 1/4" created a very tight fit for the whiteboard panel and didn't allow it to slide at all. I securely fastened furring strips to the two long sides and one of the short sides. I used my finishing nailer to secure the furring strips to the sides. The final short side was predrilled and then screwed into the plywood. You can see one of the predrilled holes in the picture to the left. This will allow me to easily change out any of the whiteboard panels that might get damaged throughout the year. As you can see in the picture to the left, the whiteboard panel simply slides into the channels that were notched into the furring strips with the table saw. The whiteboard panels were cut exactly 2 ft. x 4 ft. This created an overhang that would fit into all the channels within the furring strips.
1 Comment
|
Andrew FenstermakerInstructional Technology Coordinator | Innovation Coach | Google Certified Innovator | Presenter | Blogger | Adjunct @UiowaEducation | Owner @kids_f_i_r_s_t |