Introduction: Hexagonal Folding Table

About: Rosedale Designs

By: Dale Rosen

TDJ-20

April 2010

Step 1: Problem:

The problem is that I have a very awkwardly shaped corner in-between two chairs in the living room of my cottage. This space is in desperate need of a small table that would fit in-between the two chairs. In the past, I have had problems finding a decretive table that is small enough to fit between the chairs, and is short enough to be level with the arm-rests, and is be able to fold out to be large enough to eat on.

Step 2: Brief

I want to create a decretive table that is small enough to fit between the chairs, is short enough to be level with the arm-rests, and is able to fold out to be large enough to eat on so that I may use it when I am up at the cottage.

Step 3: Investigation

Investigation:

Q: What material will the stool be made of?

A: The stool will be made of wood, metal screws, mosaic tiles, plastic and grout.

Q: What kind of joint will be used to make the table rotate?

A: The stool will rotate on a center wooden dowel

Q: What kind of joint will be used slide the drawer in and out?

A: The drawer will slide on a wood slider held on by a plastic hook

Q: What will be used to hold the parts together?

A: The stool will be held together by wood glue, screws, and nails.

Q: How much weight, will the table support?

A: It should be able to hold about 150 lbs.

Q: How tall should the stool be?

A: 21 inches..

Q: How heavy will the table weigh?

A: The table will not weigh over 5 lbs

Q: What type of wood will the stool be made out of?

A: Finishing Plywood

Q: What is the surface area of the table?

A: 350”²

Q: Does the table rotate easily?

A: Yes. The stiffness of the rotation can be adjusted by the screw underneath

Q: Does the drawer slide easily?

A: Yes. The drawer will be able to be taken out and put back effortlessly.

Step 4: Solution:

Tool List Material List Fittings Finnish

1. -Band Saw -Mosaic Tiles -1.5” Nails -Urethane

2. -Mitre Saw -Plywood 3/4” x 21” x4’ long -1/2” Da. Dowel - 16” Long -Stain

3. -Sandpaper -Urethane - 1” F.H Screws

4. -Edge Sander -Wood glue -1” Da. Washer

5. -Belt Sander -Stain

6. -Drill Press -Wood Filler

7. -Table Saw -1/2 Da. Dowel -1” Long

8. -Wood Filler - 1.5” Nails

9. -Chisel -Grout

10. –Saw -Ceramic Glue

11. -Paint Brush -1’’ F.H Screws

12. -Jig Saw -1” Da. Washer

13. -Hand Sander -2 Plastic Sliders

14. -Rubber Hammer

15. -Clamps

16. -Pencil

17. -Pen

18. -Eraser

19. -Brush

20. -Scraper

21. -Tape Measure

22. -Meter Stick

23. -Water Level

24. -File

25. -Square

26. -Screw Driver

27. -Straight Edge

28. -Compass

29. -Protractor

30. -Planer

31. -Portable Drill

32. -Stain rag

Step 5: Cutting List

Step 6: Fabrication:

1. Sketch out the designs on the wooden plank using a meter stick, protractor, tape measure, pencil, and square. Refer to the diagrams.

2. Make the main five, 60-degree cuts on the mitre saw (triangles) according to the sketched out diagrams on the wood.

3. Use the mitre saw to cut out the trapezoids, 3 legs, and the 5 sides of the box out of the board according to the sketched out diagrams on the wood.

4. Use the table saw to separate the 3 legs from each other.

5. Mark out all of the rounded edges. Refer to the diagrams.

6. Cut out 2’’ triangles out of the corners of both of the 17’’ triangles.

7. Drill a 1’’ hole in the center of the 17.5’’ and one of the two 17’’ triangles.

8. Cut out three 0.5’’ by 1’’ rectangular slots out of each of the three corners on the 17’’ triangle without the hole in the middle using the jig saw.

9. Cut the ends of the legs on a 20-degree angle in opposite directions.

10. Insert the legs into the slots in the cut out triangle and screw them in with 2 screws.

11. Drill pilot holes and screw the legs onto the bottom of the 17’’ triangle with a hole in the center through the top.

12. Round the edges off on the 17’’ triangle with the hole in the center near the ends on one of the sides, so the table will rotate easily.

13. Cut the dowel to the desired size (according to the measurements provided on the cutting list).

14. Insert and Glue the dowel into the hole in the 17.5’’ triangle with the dowel flush with the top.

15. Drill a “half” (not very deep) pilot hole through the center of the dowel from the bottom.

16. Screw the screw with the washer to connect the table top to the base and allow the table to rotate.

17. Saw, file and sand the drawer slider to proper dimensions.

18. Nail the 5 sides of the drawer together according to the plan.

19. Screw the plastic slider holders into their proper positions.

20. Counter sink all screws and fill with wood filler.

21. Lay out your tiles according to how they are shown in the designs.

22. Glue on all of the tile’s

23. Wait for the glue to dry

24. Apply the grout over top of all of the tiles using the scraper and your finger for the edges.(don’t be afraid to get messy)

25. Wipe down all of the tiles with a damp sponge

26. Sand of any imperfections in the grout.

27. Wood-fill all holes, dents and imperfections.

28. Sand the entire stool until smooth.

29. Brush and blow off any wood dust still sitting on the surface of the wood.

30. Lightly damp the wood to bring up the grain.

31. Wait for the wood to dry a little bit and then sand the project until the surface is smooth.

32. Brush and blow off any wood dust still sitting on the surface of the wood.

33. Apply the first coat of stain to the wood.

34. Sit and let dry.

35. Lightly sand any imperfections in the first coat of stain.

36. Apply the second coat of stain to the wood.

37. Sit and let dry.

38. Paint a nice varnish finish to the wood.

39. Sit and enjoy.

Step 7: Stain - Varnish

Step 8: Mosaic Tiles

Step 9: Sliding Drawer

Step 10: Hardware

Step 11: Evaluation:

1. The first flaw in my design is the fact that I sanded off the triangle and trapezoid cuts so that the line is not smooth between the triangle and the trapezoid.

2. The second flaw in my design is that I was not very careful with the stool and so as a result, the wooden stool has some slight bumps and indentations.

3. The third flaw in my design is that I did not properly sand off all of the pencil marks within the pieces interior sides.

4. The fourth flaw in my design is that I did not sand off all of the drips stains from the first coat effectively enough and as a result, there is some small permanent stain drip located on the inside side of the legs of the table as well as underneath the top triangle. I believe that I would have paid more attention and most likely would have caught this mistake if I was not in so much of a rush to finish the project on time. I could have avoided this by organizing my time more efficiently.

5. The fifth flaw in my design is that I made the legs out of plywood instead of solid wood.

6. The sixth flaw in my design was that I left a 0.5” by 0.5” spot on the top of the table without stain. I believe that either I or someone else may have touched that spot while the stain was still in the drying process and as a result, my/their finger rubbed off the stain in that spot and/or it is an imperfection in the plywood

7. The seventh and largest mistake I made thought the entire project was that I did not check to ensure that everything on the project was perfect before applying the urethane on the table.