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I made this table for a friend. The main wood is sapele, the hinge straps are hickory. The only metal in the table are the hinge pins. All the tenons, angle braces are pinned with wedged dowels. The hickory hinge straps are attached to the top with wedged dowels. The center (of the table top) dowel(s) has two dowels per hinge strap - these dowels are hard pinned - that is the hole in the table top is equal to the hole in the hinge strap. The two outside dowels (top & bottom of the table top) allow for table top expansion. The 'outside' holes in the hinge straps are elongated in direction with the width of the table top - with an extra wide wedges to hold the strap tight to the top. I used brass balls, which I hammered, as weights to hold the blue prints down - on the back edge of the top I drilled three holes on each side - the brass weights can be moved to the various holes as needed via carved down deer antler pins. Thanks for Looking.

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This is a fantastic piece of furniture, job very nicely done. I like the wooden hinge designs, and the adjustible top tilting mechanism. Great work.
 

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Very nicely done. Clever bits of engineering.
 

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Now thats a fancy blueprint reading table!
I usually resort to the only flat surface available, if I can find one.
 

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as a professional "drafter" in my day life I really like this project. very well executed
 

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That is magnificent work. Very complicated build, very creative design. If you did that at no cost, as a gift,, your friend is beyond lucky!

I cannot come close to making a thing that looks like that. Still, this gives me good ideas about a slightly similar thing I do plan to build some day. In my case it would simply be a standup desk, and would serve for holding a laptop as we'll as a pad of writing paper. Mine will more likely be made out of 2×4 and plywood material however!
 

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Really nice design!

I like the contrasting colors inside the reading table.

Nice Job!
 

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Thanks to 'All' for the kind (generous) thoughts. It was a 'gift'. I really enjoyed this project - my friend gave zero input to design. I did have him come over so we could establish his standing/leaning height in order to determine table top height. He knew or saw nothing until the project was completed. Again - thanks for the kind words.

Regards, Jerry
 

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This is a fantastic piece of furniture, job very nicely done. I like the wooden hinge designs, and the adjustible top tilting mechanism. Great work.

- Oldtool
Concerning the hinge - The front rail is comprised of two 3/4" pieces of sapele with a 1/4" thick piece of hickory laminated 'together' with the hinge pins and hickory hinge straps all at one time. The front rail now contained the hinge pins along with the straps. After the lamination - the tenons, of comparable size, were cut. Then the top/front edge entire length of the rail had to have a radius equal the hinge strap's radius (the end as seen from the front of the table). The ladder mechanism was a WAG that worked on the first try. I didn't have any plans - it was designed as it was built. Disclaimer - I did draw a couple of mockups of the hinge pin area.
 

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Really excellent work, love the breadboard ends.
 

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WAGs and design-during-build is my approach to everything. I don't find plans to be all that useful, and in fact they slow me down and lead me to errors. I do naturally make mock-up sketches on a note pad, of how some things go together, but not any "measured draw-rings" (as Norm would have said it).
 

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WAGs and design-during-build is my approach to everything. I don t find plans to be all that useful, and in fact they slow me down and lead me to errors. I do naturally make mock-up sketches on a note pad, of how some things go together, but not any "measured draw-rings" (as Norm would have said it).

- jimintx
my build process is about the same only rough sketches on a pad i just dont like spending time making fancy plans or sketchup drawings.this came out just gorgeous youve got a lucky friend.the wood just glows.beautiful build jerry.
 

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Thanks Again. The build as I design is because I'm not able to visualize the project up front. I admire those which posses the skill to make a detailed drawing and cut list-I wish I had that skill as I feel I would be a 'much' better craftsman If I did - regrettably I do Not.
 

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This is a beautiful drafting table! I love the sapele, and the engineering designed into it-superb work!
 

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You know I looked back at what I said concerning 'gift' - I need to clarify - nature provided the sapele, I provided the labor & my friend covered all material cost - it was a pleasure.

After looking at many of Your (all who commented here) I want to say each of you have some Very Nice projects - I'm just an old country guy-being from Oklahoma I'm going to say, 'Ya'll build some 'really' nice projects.'
 

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Very nice. I made something similar for an artist friend to stand and draw at. Very different style of work though. Very ornate and lovely sir.
 
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