Folding Stools and Tables Plan

[Keith Outten]

The handiest folding furniture I have ever seen, the stools and tables are perfect for people on the go. The stool can be carried inside the table and both can be stored behind the seat of a pickup truck. These are perfect for using a laptop computer on the go or in a small dorm room, hunting, fishing or a day at the beach.

When you drill the holes for the legs try to be as accurate as you can, if the holes are not drilled per the drawing dimention the piece won't fold. For the tops of the stools and tables you can substitute sheet materials, we have used solid lumber panels covered with Formica and Dupont Corian. The legs should be made from white oak for maximum strength. Counter sink your wood screws and cover the holes with wood plugs.

Built per the plans these are perfect for getting rid of scraps from other projects.

Beware....your friends and relatives will all want you to make them several sets of these when they see them.

The folding_stools.png file below is the cutlist with dimentions for the stool and smalll table.

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[Jim Becker]

Any chance of a teaser picture of what these things look like? I'm having trouble visualizing from the cut sheet.

[Keith Outten]

Any chance of a teaser picture of what these things look like? I'm having trouble visualizing from the cut sheet.

Jim,

I was having trouble uploading the picture, had to delete it and upload again. The second try was successfull.

I also have a large table about the size of a card table based on these same folding plans. As soon as I can find the cutlist I will upload it to this thread.
My Dad and I built a lot of these years ago. The Large table and two to four stools makes a great set for kids to color or make puzzles or for a family picnic. The small table aslo makes a great TV table or a simple table to use beside your computer to lay a book or manual.

You have been warned not to make these, they will consume your workshop for a very long time once you get started :)

.

[Marion Rood]

I do not have permission to view files. What gives?

[Jim Becker]

I do not have permission to view files. What gives?

Please read the stickied thread at the top of this special plans forum for more information on how to get access to the graphics.

Jim
SMC Moderator

[Rick Hutcheson]

I have a design for a folding table our club is using for tables by the wood lathe for tools to lay on. It is the same style as your's, mine shows an exploded view of the assembly too.

[Ralph Barhorst]

I made one of these tables several years ago and really like it.

The small dowels used to hinge the legs and top allowed too much instability in the table. (It would wobble.)

I drilled out the dowels and replaced them with these. It is now very stable. They are called ROTO HINGES.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=788&SearchHandle=DADBDDDHDADADDDGDAGBDAGEDEGBGBDFCNGCD JDEDBCNDEDDGCDFCNDIGFDIDGCNDEDBGGGEGCDADIDHDIDCGCD JDADADADBDCDADADBDDGGGPGMGEGJGOGHCAHEGBGCGMGFDADAD CDGDADADCDCDADADBDIEEEDEDEEEEEFEEEJEEEIEDEEEEEEEEE JEEEJDADADADBDFDADADADBDADADADADADADADADADADADADBD ADADADBDDGGGPGMGEGJGOGHCAHEGBGCGMGFDADADADBDB&filter=folding%20table

[Keith Outten]

Ralph,

I used white oak dowels that have been holding up real well but the roto hinges are an excellent idea. I expect you glued both sides of the hinge for better stability.

What glue did you use?

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[Ralph Barhorst]

Ralph,

I used white oak dowels that have been holding up real well but the roto hinges are an excellent idea. I expect you glued both sides of the hinge for better stability.

What glue did you use?

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I did glue both sides using Titebond II. These roto hinges really work well.

[Chris Schoolland]

Forgive me, but I have the same problem, and am so green at this I don't even know where a stickied thread might be.

CHRIS

[Keith Outten]

Chris,

A stickied thread is simply a Forum thread that remains at the top of the forum list to increase visibility. Below is the link to the first thread (stickied thread) that explains the details that are particular to this forum.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=44037

Our plans forum was created to reward those who are contributors with a forum that will accept files up to two megabytes of attachment size. All of our other forums are available to all registered Members.
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[Robert Delhommer Sr]

Keith you showed some folding tables and stools. I would love to find the plans for these, since my wife saw a couple of tables just like these yesterday at a Dutch Oven Gathering she wants me to make a couple for her. TIA
Bob

[Steve Kohn]

About 10 years ago the Boy Scout Troop I work with needed some folding tables. I took this basic design, enlisted some older scouts to help, and made 6 of these tables for the troop. We used the roto-hinges at the pivot point. However it wasn't in the budget to use solid hardwood for the legs so we cut 2 inch wide strips of 3/4 thick plywood, laminated 2 of the plywood strips together, therefore making the legs. It's been 10 years and not one of the tables has failed. We used 1/2 plywood for the top to reduce the weight and cost.

[Rob Parsons]

The Oct 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine Published a plan for this folding table. They called it a Portuguese folding table. I made three. Good project.

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/sketchup-for-woodworking-models/portuguese-folding-table

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/portuguese-table-corrections

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/portuguese-table

The original article had some dimensional errors, but PWW published corrections.

[Rob Parsons]

Here are a couple of pictures of the tables I built.

279765279766

Half inch BB plywood for slats.
Hardwood for legs.

[Mike Henderson]

That's an interesting design. But I had to find the YouTube video to understand how it works. It's not easy to understand from the plans.

Mike