How to Make a Drop Leaf

A drop leaf can be built into any table you wish to make, to give you extra table space when you need it but without crowding a small room when you don't. Select wood according to the decor of the room. If you plan to paint the table, particle board can be used without worrying about the type of grain. If you plan to stain the table, wood veneer particle board is available that gives the appearance of solid wood without the high price. Veneer edging, which comes in narrow rolls, can then be glued to the edges.

Instructions

1

Cut four table legs 30 inches long, from wood that is 2 inches by 2 inches square.

2

Cut four supporting braces the same thickness as the legs to a length of 24 inches each.

3

Cut a tabletop 30 inches long and 30 inches wide from wood that is 1/2-inch thick. Cut a drop leaf that is 30 inches wide and 15 inches long from the same material as the tabletop.

4

Cut a small wooden beam, 1 inch high and 1 1/2 inches wide, to a length of 1 foot.

5

Lay the tabletop and drop leaf side by side. Place two hinges on both pieces 3 inches from each end. Mark the position of the screw holes with a pencil on both pieces. Drill pilot holes for the screws, then screw the hinges in place on the table leaf. Note that this is the underside of the table.

6

Place the leaf support beam in the middle between the two hinges so that it is overlapping both the leaf and the tabletop by 6 inches each. Place a square metal bracket over the beam on the leaf and mark the positions of the screw holes with a pencil. Trace the beam on the tabletop. Then screw the bracket to the leaf.

7

Place the supporting braces on the tabletop, centered on the table, each 3 inches from the edge. Place them so the inside corners of the braces touch but the braces do not overlap, so you will have room to put a table leg into the joint at each corner. Place a table leg on the corner to ensure there will be a proper fit, then trace the position of each brace onto the tabletop with a pencil.

8

Note the pencil tracing of the leaf support beam. Mark this spot on the leg brace that intersects those lines. Then cut a groove into the beam, 1 5/8 inches wide and 1 1/8 inches high, with the table saw to accommodate the beam.

9

Drill straight 1/4-inch holes 1/2 inch deep in the top edge of each brace 3 inches from each end. Drill 1/4-inch holes 1/4 inch deep into the tabletop in the corresponding locations based on the tracing you made of the braces. Measure carefully to make sure the holes will line up perfectly.

10

Put some glue into each hole of the tabletop, then insert 1/4-inch dowels, each 3/4 inches long, into the holes. Apply glue to the edge of each brace and into the drilled holes. Then push the braces over the dowels and tap them into place using a hammer.

11

Place the table legs against the braces and clamp them into position with bar clamps. Drill two holes through each leg, one into each end of a brace. Then remove the clamps.

12

Apply glue to the inside edges of each leg, and on the edge of each brace. Then put the leg back into position and screw the leg into place through the drilled holes. The screws will hold the legs into position until the glue sets.

13

Wait for the glue to dry. Place the leaf against the tabletop and screw the hinges to the tabletop. Turn the table over, lift the drop leaf, and slide the leaf support beam through the metal bracket and through the hole in the wood brace to keep the leaf open. To close the leaf, simply slide the beam back to the edge of the tabletop.