Butterfly leaf table questions

[Myles Moran]

I'm looking to build a butterfly leaf table. After a bunch of laying out different setups with my wife using a mix of the ground, our current table, and a folding plastic table, we have decided on a 4'x4' square table as the closed size, and we'd like 2 18" butterfly leaves to take it to a 7'x4' table. We want the legs to move with the outside sections of the table, otherwise the legs will be awkward for people when we have leaves in.

I've started looking at slides, and I'm not sure what I'll need. My initial thought was I'd want equalizing slides with the proper camber for the outside legs. This way the center section would stay centered and I can design the butterfly leaf supports/pivots so that with one flipped up it can be centered on top of the other by sliding on the pivot. But once I started thinking about it more, I wasn't sure if I could use standard slides and assume that with one section flipped the center section of the slides will slide as needed to allow one leaf to be in the up position without damaging the mounting hardware of the leaves. If that is possible, I think I'd prefer to use standard slides because the price point is a little better.

The second question is at what point should I consider a 5th leg. I've never seen one before I saw my inlaws table (it extends from 3.5'x4' to 3.5'x12' or so) and once I started looking at table sldies. I would think that the size I'm looking at would be okay with the 4 legs, but I'd rather ask than find out when its all build that I should have put a 5th leg on it.

[Chris Fournier]

I can't answer your questions but I can direct you to a discussion of the butte frly leaf mechanism which was done by Michael Fortune one of Canada's crack furniture designers and makers.

https://www.finewoodworking.com/2011...ichael-fortune

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Myles, a butterfly extension table is on my list of things to build in the near future. Another article that you would find handy is in the May/June 1992 FWW #94. The article is by Paul Schurch.

[Richard Coers]

Can't comment on the butterfly leaves, but want to ask how you came to the 4' square idea. The standard dimension for each place at the table is 24" wide. But at that thought, you can get 2 to a side but will have table leg issues with the two people on the side. But not 2 on the ends. So pretty wide on the ends for just one place setting. My table is 40x60 to sit 6.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Myles, I just checked and there are numerous videos on youtube about butterfly extension tables.

[Myles Moran]

Can't comment on the butterfly leaves, but want to ask how you came to the 4' square idea. The standard dimension for each place at the table is 24" wide. But at that thought, you can get 2 to a side but will have table leg issues with the two people on the side. But not 2 on the ends. So pretty wide on the ends for just one place setting. My table is 40x60 to sit 6.

Our intent is to seat 4 normally, and originally I had wanted 40x48. Once we laid it out we realized that going square would leave us some more room for board games when it's closed and it fit our space a bit better. If we need 6 we'd open up one leaf, and if we need 8 we'd open up both leaves. Once we get to 10 we just draw straws for the 2 people stuck at the ends of the table together.

My wife also likes having the cats hanging out in the table with us while we're using it, so the extra space gives them room to lay down.

Our current table is 60" square, and awkward to try and be seated at, but once we set it up like a 48" square we both sat at it and we're really happy with that size.

Ken- that's good to hear. I had looked through and saw a couple videos where the top portions slid out and the base didn't move, and even more videos of furniture stores demonstrating the tables. I'll have to give it a better look.

[Mike Henderson]

This isn't a butterfly table but it's an expanding table with all the expansion contained in the table. I didn't take pictures while I was building it but you can at least see the concept.

Mike

[Mel Fulks]

Mike, Thanks for letting us see an impressive number of fine pieces. Love the pergola. The swing reminds me of a
flying carpet improved by having a back support made possible by extra starch.