How to Make a Drop-Leaf Kitchen Table

A drop-leaf table is an extendable table that can be used for a small dinner gathering or a larger dinner party. The extensions are often added by detachable pieces that hang on the table's side ends. A drop-leaf table can be rather expensive when purchased in stores, as it is a practical and functional table. However, you can build a drop-leaf table for your own kitchen or dining room with a few woodworking supplies and tools from the local hardware store. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Place the lumber down on a flat surface and use the pencil and measuring tape to draw four table legs, each measuring 30 inches by 2 inches by 2 inches. Create an additional two supportive pieces for the table that measure 26 inches by 2 inches by 2 inches.

2

Set the plywood piece down and use the pencil and measuring tape to create the tabletop. It should measure 30 inches by 30 inches. Draw the two additional tabletop attachments, which should each measure 15 inches by 30 inches.

3

Cut out the nine wooden pieces with a table saw. Splinters and cracks will appear, so use sandpaper to smooth the sides and surfaces of the lumber and plywood. Paint or stain each piece as desired with a paintbrush. Let all of the pieces dry overnight.

4

Place the two supportive pieces on their 2-inch side and make two marks spread 10 inches apart on each of them. Drill the holes all the way through the 2-inch sides.

5

Place a table leg on a flat surface so it's standing straight up in the air. Place one of the supportive pieces on the flat surface so it is perpendicular to the leg. Place another table leg at the opposite end, so the leg covers the end of the supportive piece. The look should now be a mechanical U-shape.

6

Connect the table legs to the supportive piece by drilling two of the 3-inch-long screws into the table leg, so the screws extend into the supportive piece. Do this for both table legs. The screws should be 1 inch apart. Repeat the procedure for the other two table legs and the second supportive piece.

7

Place the two leg structures on the backside of the tabletop. Line each structure up to the opposite sides of the table side, leaving 3-inch spaces at each end. Drill the 2-1/4-inch-long screws through the drill holes you made in the supportive pieces in Step 4. Use the screwdriver to attach both the table leg structures to the backside of the table top.

8

Place the metal table sliders in between the supportive pieces spaced evenly apart. Install two sliders on each side of the tabletop. Install them using the metal table slider screws that came prepackaged with the sliders.

9

Install two hinges per attachment piece by placing them on the 30-inch side more than 10 inches apart. The hinges should not interfere with the table legs or the metal sliders, so use the table as your guide. Attach the hinges by screwing 1/4-inch screws into the attachment pieces through the hinges. Repeat this step on the other attachment piece with two hinges.

10

Line the attachment pieces up to the tabletop and install the other end of the hinges to the tabletop. Use 1/4-inch screws and a screwdriver. Flip the table right side up when completed. Test the table by raising the attachment pieces and pulling out the metal sliders for support.