Introduction: Dual Purpose Table/walking Aid

About: Woodsman and field tutor on a week day. Life long inventor, designer, engineer for the rest of the time. From items that make life easier to items with no reason to be....other than the idea popped into my hea…

My old mum in law shuffles around the house using her sholly...(shopping trolley), I removed the cloth lid years ago and replaced it with a flat area that she uses to carry a tray from kitchen to her chair. I watched her start to struggle with having the tray on her lap and decided that I could make her life easier with a little bit of woodwork.

Step 1: The Build Begins

The build is pretty simple a few cuts of good quality ply, a piece of piano hinge and a couple of large zip ties to hold it in place.

I measured up the height of the chair arms and found that they were around 3" below the top of the sholly so I offset the hinge to suit the difference., I also put an upright at the back so that she wouldn't chase her plate off the back edge. :)

Step 2: All Done!

I gave the woodwork a couple of coats of varnish then fitted it on using the zip ties around the frame of the sholly.

I gave it to mum to test drive, it works a treat, it is nice and stable and she finds the height just right, sitting just above the arms of her chair.