How to Build a Small Collapsible Table

Whether you need a place for a plant or more space around the pool for food and beverages, small collapsible tables can save space while helping you serve friends and family in informal settings. These space savers are not hard to make and can be easily stored when they are not being used. This can be a fun home project to do with older children or your spouse and you will get a lot of use out of these versatile tables.

Instructions

1

Drill a 1-inch wide hole through the center of two of 2-foot-4-inch-long pieces of wood. Use a power drill to make the holes go all the way through the wood. These will be the inner legs.

2

Make matching holes in the remaining two pieces of 2-foot-4-inch wood pieces. These holes should only be half the depth of the wood and not come out through the other side. These will be the outer legs.

3

Lay the outer legs flat with the drilled hole facing up and mark 1 inch down from the top of each of the legs. Drill -inch holes into the marks.

4

Draw a diagonal line from the drilled hole up to left at a 45-degree angle on one of the legs. On the other leg, draw the same line but up and to the right.

5

Use a saw to cut out the drawn line and make a notch on each of the legs. The notched piece pointing up to the left is the left leg. The one pointing to the right is the right leg.

6

Drill a hole at both ends of the 1-foot-3-inch-long pieces of wood. The holes should each be 1 inch from the vertical edges of the wood and big enough to accommodate the bolts. These pieces are the braces.

7

Lay one of the braces horizontally in front of you. Set one of the inner legs on top of it, with the upper hole in the leg lined up with the left hole in the brace.

8

Slip a washer over a carriage bolt and insert the bolt through the leg and brace. Put another washer onto the other side of the bolt and secure it with a nut.

9

Place the left outer leg on top of the brace with the hole in the center facing down. The inner end of the notch should line up with the right hole in the brace.

10

Insert a carriage bolt through the notch and the hole in the brace and tighten it in place with a washer and nut on the other side.

11

Pull the ends of the legs so they cross each other and make an "X" shape. This is the left side of the table.

12

Assemble the right side of the table in the reverse orientation as the left. The inner leg should be attached through the right brace hole and the right outer leg goes on the left brace hole.

13

Put a small drop of glue just inside the hole in the outer left leg and cross the left side legs again into an "x." Don't get any glue on the inner leg.

14

Glue the outer right leg the same way and cross the right side legs. Insert the dowel through crossed legs on each side to connect them and stabilize the sides.

15

Stand the sides up so the braces are on top and set the 1-foot long slats on top. Arrange the slats with inch of space between each one to create the tabletop.

16

Lift each slat and apply glue to the brace below it. Set the slat down and press it into the glue firmly.

17

Let the glue dry overnight before making any adjustments to the tension in the table. If the glue is still wet in the morning, leave it until the connections are all securely set.

18

Open and close the table by pushing the outer legs away from the bolts and letting the top collapse down If any of the parts are too stiff, loosen the nuts a little until they work well.