Drop-down Table

A few pics and some details on the drop-down tabletop shown in my last post. This was built at the same time as the overall interior remodel, when I installed the ABS panels, using stuff I had around. A lucky scrap of 1/2″ oak plywood in the shed was already almost the perfect size, and lightweight, too.

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Angled corners are always a good idea for cramped interiors.

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Made two alu angle brackets to support a slidable side rail for the table. Moving the table fore and aft is great, in either bench seat position I can slide the table to the most comfortable distance for whatever I’m doing. The rail is 1/2″ OD square steel tube, which an M10 bolt will thread right into, so the washered bolts go clean thru the brackets into the square tube, loctited before snug, creating the drop down hinge action by the tube rotating.

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Two 1/2″ ID alu channel pieces lay over the square tube, allowing the fore/aft sliding, and two swiveling catches keep those from falling off, but allow for easy removal of the table. You can see UHMW PE tape lining the channel pieces, to stop them rattling on the tube.

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The leg is angled to the table bottom, the geometry of the whole thing kind of requires it . The extension/retraction action works very easily, just grab the white acetyl sliding block and you control the brace and leg at once. Extended, the brace keeps the leg in place and makes it pretty kick-resistant. Folded, it keeps the leg flat against the table pretty well.

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I put two power points just above the sliding rail, a cig lighter port and a USB-A and C port with voltmeter. The little button turns the VM off.

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