Removable table leg design

[steve Vandelinde]

Trying to make a vaulted game table with removable legs. Should my frame and spacer board contact the leg surface, or float away as pictured, if I plan on using hardware and hanger bolts to hold the leg on the frame? Also, I put 3 dowels at the top of the leg to insert into table arm rails to try to secure the top tighter...didn't want any hardware visible from the play area so I was going to put a bracket below the playing surface and use the dowels at the top for extra support. Bad/good idea on those?

Thanks in advance for any advice.
leg top.JPG

[Dave Richards]

What's a vaulted game table?

I think you'd want as much bearing surface as possible

How often are the legs going to be installed/removed?

Can you show more pictures or share the SKP file?

[Wayne Lomman]

Do it as drawn with the addition of a 45 degree glue block rubbed in the internal frame corner. Make sure you have a large surface area washer under any bolt heads so they don't pull into the timber. Bolt heads crushing timber are the reason removable legs loosen. The fasteners have to resist the force from an accidental kick or bump at floor level. Cheers

[steve Vandelinde]

A vaulted game table is a table in which the table top can be removed in order to play on a lower play area. This allows a longer game to stay in place if needed by simply putting the table top back in place without disturbing the game blow it.

I would only be removing the legs when moving it in to the house and if we ever need to move it out...hopefully not often.

I tried to attach the skp but it said the file size was too large...not sure how other people put theirs up

[steve Vandelinde]

I left a space between the frame and leg as well. Think that is okay? Seems like it would place all the weight through the hanger bolts.

bottom of leg.JPG

Is this what you mean? Also, any opinion on the small dowel lockers on top of leg (slide into bottom of arm rail on table top)
secured leg.JPG

[Al Launier]

A vaulted game table is a table in which the table top can be removed in order to play on a lower play area. This allows a longer game to stay in place if needed by simply putting the table top back in place without disturbing the game blow it.

I would only be removing the legs when moving it in to the house and if we ever need to move it out...hopefully not often.

I tried to attach the skp but it said the file size was too large...not sure how other people put theirs up

You can right click the file, then select resize & go from there. Or, you could open up the file in Paint, select resize, then save it as a resized copy.

[steve Vandelinde]

It's not a jpeg it's a sketcup file

[Dave Richards]

I tried to attach the skp but it said the file size was too large...not sure how other people put theirs up

Al's instructions would work for image files but not SKP files.

Probably you can reduce the size of your SKP file by going to Window>Model Info>Statistics and clicking on Purge Unused. If that doesn't reduce it enough, you can upload it to the 3D Warehouse and share the link to it or upload to Drop Box and share the link to it there.

[Dave Richards]

I left a space between the frame and leg as well. Think that is okay? Seems like it would place all the weight through the hanger bolts.

Although the top assembly isn't likely to weigh a great deal, it would be better to put the load of the top directly on the legs instead of in shear on the hanger bolts.

[Wayne Lomman]

Don't leave a space between the frame and the leg. Any load needs to bear directly on the leg, not hang from a bolt.

The angle glue block is about right. I would make it full height of the rail but if appearance is important, leave it as drawn. The way I do this job has the mounting bolts through this block and into the leg following the line of the dowels you have drawn. Cheers

[steve Vandelinde]

Thanks all for your words of wisdom.