DIY for a Hinged Table Top

Hinged tabletops allow you to store large tabletops when not in use. They are easy to pull out and assemble on top of your existing table for dinner parties, large craft projects or family dinners. Making your own hinged tabletop requires few carpentry skills and little in the way of out-of-pocket cost. Using hollow-core doors from the local hardware store and some hinges, you can create your own hinged tabletop in a weekend.

Make a tabletop large enough to accommodate a large group of people.

Step 1

Place two identical hollow core doors on a large, flat surface, such as the floor in the garage or in a driveway. Paint the doors any color you desire. Let the paint dry overnight. Apply a second coat of paint if necessary to ensure full coverage.

Step 2

Place the dry doors on top of one another so that the length and width sides are flush. Secure the doors together by installing a piano hinge. This is a long, thin hinge that goes along the length of the moveable joint, in this case the doors. Choose a piano hinge that is the length of the door. For example, if the door is 72 inches long, use a 72-inch piano hinge. Center the hinge down the length of the doors, placing the actual hinge where the two doors meet. Use the screws that come with the piano hinge to secure the hinge to the long edges of the two doors.

Step 3

Open the doors with the hinge facing up. Place the doors on top of the table you want to place the hinged tabletop on. Center the doors on the table so the same door length sticks off both ends and both sides of the table.

Step 4

Draw a line on the underside the two doors where the existing table meets the doors using a pencil. Draw the lines on the length of the doors only, not across the width. Remove the doors from the table.

Step 5

Attach a 1- by 2-inch board on each of the two lines you drew. Make the length of the boards the length of the lines. Apply wood glue to the boards where they meet the doors. Position them so that the 1-inch side is against the table and the 2-inch side sticks out. Use one 3-inch screw every 6 inches down the length of the board to secure it to the door.

Step 6

Place the hinged tabletop back on the existing table, placing the wood strips on either side of the tabletop to keep it from sliding. Position the hinged-side up. Cover the table with a tablecloth to hide the hinge.

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