# Table Top Lift Idea?



## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

Alright, I am working on this art table for a friend and I want to upload the sketchup image but I dont know how at the moment. The idea is like this picture and I'm not sure where to get something like this. Thanks. 

https://rapidshare.com/files/4221052716/Art_Table.zip
This is the Sketchup link


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

*A pic of it*


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## fixrite (Dec 1, 2010)

drafting table maybe??????


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

What exactly are you asking?










 







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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I think that he is looking for the hardware that will hold the top open.

I would probably just use a gas piston for that. Like  THIS 

George


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

Wow, reading what I posted I see the confussion. I was looking-glass for the hardware and I thought about gas pistons but would it be sturdy enough to use while drawing?


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

You're planning this as a drafting table? IE drawing on the tilted surface rather than a flat surface?

The hinges shown in that picture can be found at mcmaster carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/#furniture-brackets/=g5pzfr) or rockler or several other places. Or you could just put in good old fashioned hardwood supports that "lock" on a rail inside the table box. Either should be more than sufficient for someone drawing unless they're trying to sit on the tilted table while drawing.


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

Thanks for the link. Now that you mention it wooden supports would be nice I just cant picture it in my mind.


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

Think of a slotted rail fixed inside the table box. On the table lid you mount a hinged (swinging) arm that just fits into the slots on the rail. The rail would be like the one seen about halfway down the page in this link. (Two rails sitting on a tablesaw with semi-circles notched along their lengths.) http://www.westhillswood.com/wood-desk-plan.html

I would say I'd probably make the slots deeper and maybe give the swing-arm a bit more "pointy" at the rail end so that it's less likely to slip out when weight is put on table. The same thing could be done with square notches on the rails, which would necessitate a significantly more pointed swing arm but would also give a true hard stop. Harder to adjust with one hand doing it that way though. 

You could do a combination of the two, though, with a scooped edge on the front side (toward the tabletop hinge) and a hard block edge at the back (toward the open desk side) so that the swing-arm slides forward easily but has a hard lock when pushing against it.

The biggest benefit to doing it with wood is the rails and arms can often be made from off-cuts and they won't cost anything extra. I'm cheap, so I like not buying hardware if I can get away with it.


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

That gave me a few ideas on what I can do. The underside of the top of the table will be mdf and I dont think it will be that hard to attach a prop system to it. Ill play around in sketchup in a few and I will see what I can come up with. Any other ideas are more then welcome!


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

Anyone know what to call these? I could use them to clip the supports to the top when its closed but i cant seem to find them on rockler simply because well what do you call them?!


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

We call them broom handle clips.


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

frankp said:


> We call them broom handle clips.


You my good sir, are amazing. I thank you.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Gas piston supports would likely be too jiggly. A bracket made to adjust is a drafting table hardware.


















 







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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

I looked at those as well. I think that is probably what I will be going to get.


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