Help me find a specific piece of hardware!

[buildintechie]

Hello all-
I'm working on getting this split top coffee table I've been working on for years finished, and realized I'm lacking one specific piece of hardware.

As you can see, there is a piece of the top that can be removed. The object is to store that table piece under the bottom shelf. So the piece of hardware I'm looking for is a bracket that can be attached and hold the top...I can imagine one in my head, but can't seem to find it. The table is 3/4" oak, so it would need to be slightly longer than 3/4". I found some tiny ones for a different use, but see this link for a picture.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/hardware/page.aspx?p=40146&cat=3,43586,43588&ap=1

Anybody have any idea what I'm talking about...and can they point me in the right direction?


Thanks!!!

 

[Mike Davis]

Can't you make a set of brackets out of wood?

 

[AmishWarlord]

I agree to a nice set of wooden brackets. Make them really nice and display them under the mail level rather under that bottom shelf!

Or go lazy and just make some brass Z bends.

 

[buildintechie]

hrmm, i had not thought about making them out of wood. Would you recommend making rails or just brackets

 

[AmishWarlord]

I'd do three sets of brackets, front middle and back.

 

[buildintechie]

I like that Mitch! Good idea! Thanks!!

 

[KenOfCary]

Wood brackets will probably look better, but if you still want the metal ones. McMaster Carr has a bunch of different sizes here.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#corner-brackets/=f1ago3

If that link isn't right I just selected hardware/brackets from their left-hand menu.

- Ken.

 

[Mike Mendelsohn]

I don't know if the dimensions would allow it but I would have designed the table so the leaf (rotated 90 deg) fit between the rails and was supported by cleats.

Mike

 

[buildintechie]

Mike-
I did design it that way

 

[Mike Mendelsohn]

I guess I wasn't clear. I meant to store the leaf just under the top of the table. I would have cleats on the top rails and the leaf would slide through the opening in the top onto the cleats. Closing the top would hide the leaf.

To do this, the leaf would have to be narrow enough to fit between the top rails, that's why I mentioned turning it 90 degrees.

Mike

 

[buildintechie]

Gotcha.

I designed it with the leaf stored under the bottom shelf because the intention is to use the box for storage of magazines, games, etc. That's part of why the table opens.

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

Neither are the "rotate and store" mechanism you are looking for and both require the leaf be split in the middle, but I think you'll be able to tell by the diagrams how these two stowing mechanisms works. I think I saw an IKEA table with one of the mechanisms once. I think it would be simple and require almost no hardware to make the second one.

Table leaf stowage mechanism.

The simplest way might be to make table slides or buy them from Osborne or other supplier and make a shelf between/under them where you can manually stow the leaves sideways.

If you are just looking for the clips that mount under the top or dowel pins that mount in the edges to keep the leaves and top flush and tight you can find all types at Lee Valley and Rockler.

 

[CrealBilly]

Table hardware ---> http://www.mohawk-finishing.com/catalog_browse.asp?ictNbr=92

 

[buildintechie]

Thanks for the info all.

I already have this:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/hardware/page.aspx?p=66505&cat=3,43586,43594&ap=1

As the mechanism for the leaf opening and closing.

I've made 6 brackets out of wood to hold the middle leaf under the bottom shelf...I'll post pictures soon (and hopefully a finished product post before too long).

Thanks again.