What's it called and where do I get one??

[OllyK]

This may be a long shot, but there were kitchen tables around in the 60's/70's that had fold down leaves. Nothing very flash, formica covered ply if I recall. The bit of interest was that when you pulled the leaf up it automatically locked in to place. I think you had to then release a catch to put it down again.

Anybody know what on earth I'm talking about, what they are called or where I can get them from?

Cheers!

 

[Steve Maskery]

I remember them well, Ollie, we had the same. I guess they were called spring-loaded locking table-leaf stays. Trips off the tongue, doesn't it?

On ours, there was no catch, you just had to pull the knuckle down and avoid trapping your fingers in the process.

Haven't seen them for decades, I'm afraid.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Corset]

I seem to recall that Argos do a version of this. I think I bought one for a house I manage. Depending on how attractive it has to be I think screwfix sell a hinge that locks up and has a push release.
Perhaps something like this http://www.screwfix.com/prods/56422...ts/Adjustable-Folding-Bracket-400mm-Pack-of-2

 

[jasonB]

this any good

Jason

 

[OllyK]

Hell's teeth, they're a price, but yup, both of those are the kind of thing. I just want to put some fold down extension wings on the router table / chop saw station I'm planning, as a bit of a space saver!

 

[9fingers]

How about a pair of pull out dogs used in a similar way as an older style wrting desk/bureau.

Lift the leaf and slide out the supports, then drop down onto them.

Bob

 

[Steve Maskery]

Olly
I have a drop-down arrangement on my TS. There are two triangular braces underneath the flap:

Note the orientation of the hinges to allow one to fold over the other.

It uses ordinary butts - perhaps you could adapt it for your workstation?

Regards
Steve

 

[OllyK]

How about a pair of pull out dogs used in a similar way as an older style wrting desk/bureau.

Lift the leaf and slide out the supports, then drop down onto them.

Bob

I did ponder on this, but as this is going to be a router table, and I plan to have storage in it, the pull outs would have to be in the table itself potentially, or just below and then I hit problems with the router!

 

[OllyK]

Olly
I have a drop-down arrangement on my TS. There are two triangular braces underneath the flap:

Note the orientation of the hinges to allow one to fold over the other.

It uses ordinary butts - perhaps you could adapt it for your workstation?

Regards
Steve

Another one I have considered, the main issue is that I want to minimise the space taken up when packed away.

This is the arrangement I have at the moment, with the SCMS on a sliding shelf.

I want to raise the height to the same as the work benches to either side so I can use it comfortably as a router table. The shelf will be replaced with a unit. While I can route using the work bences either side as in and out feed tables, that won't work for the SCMS due to the tange of travel on it. At the moment, I have pull out shelves in the work bences at the height of the SCMS bed. Obviously if the SCMS is higher that won't work.

The cunning plan was to have two "tables" that fold down by the side that I can raise when I pull the unit out. To be honest I think that will still take up a lot of room due to how it will need to be hinged to the main table top. I suspect it could be braces like you show and have tables that are not permenantley fixed that I can slot in to place as I need them. Maybe I make a small cubby at the bottom of the unit that they can slide in to. Full width of the unity but only 50mm high or so.

Hmmm...

 

[OllyK]

Something like this

With the shelf storage shelf at the bottom and then some fold up braces on the sides that are within the overhang of the table top.

 

[LeeElms]

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