Take apart picnic table plans

[diamondtim]

Hi All,

Our good friend Obser inspired me (through his generous sharing of picnic table plans) to share this with you.

I was crusing around the internet and found these picnic table plans that looked really interesting. The table can be taken apart for storage at the end of the season! Or it can travel with you RV'ers.

The table is made from a single 4x8 sheet of 5/8" exterior grade plywood.

These plans are used by scout troops for their camps.

http://home.earthlink.net/~scouters/table.html

Hope this is of help to someone on the board.

[reese]

cool, thanks! reese

[Windy in Kansas]

That is a nice set of plans that look very doable.

Folk should realize that this is a small table which would seat four at the most.
Standard dining allows just 30 inches per person, a pet peeve of mine since I don't like to be crowded. This table has a 54 inch long top meaning that even two seated per side should be friendly folk.

Expect the folk here could readily adapt it to two sheets for a longer unit and still have the same break down for storage feature that makes it great.

Thanks

[Obser]

Great link Diamondtim. Thanks.

I've seen that table or something very similar. It seemed quite adequate and very economical, especially when portability is a consideration.

We will build one for our own use since portability is a major issue with us (our regular tables have to be left behind). I am tempted to use ¾” plywood and use an extra half sheet to allow us to make some changes that are important to us.

A picnic table serves us as a workbench much more often than it serves as a place to eat, so our considerations might be different than those of others.

First, we will increase the height of the seats by making seat level on the leg at least 17.5". The plan calls for 16.25", which makes the seat a bit low for adults. Typical chair height, which is comfortable for most, is 18" (even that is a bit low for me).

Also, the top could stand to be higher than 27.5”. Thirty inches is typical table height (and workbenches often higher). We really dislike low picnic tables and seats. (Remember visiting a first grade classroom as an adult?)

Finally, by using more material the top and seats can be a bit longer without significantly reducing portability.

Thanks again for the plan and the inspiration.

[diamondtim]

Obser,


Am awaiting your modified plans for this type of table.

Please remember that these were designed to be used by Boy Scouts (11-15 yr old boys) and may need to be modified for full size adults.

The thing that made them attractive to me is the ability to break them down to a storable size. The elements can distroy a well built table quickly.

I'm awaiting the fruits of your creative genius.

[Jan Doling]

that's just what I wanted...thanks!

[diamondtim]

Hi All

In looking at the "suitcase" tables that are sold to campers (you know, those tables that the seats collapse into the underside of the top and the top folds together into a "suitcase"). The plans provided above are comparable in seat and table height to one of those tables.

The major advantage of both tables is portability and compactness for storage, not comfort. I can see Obser's and Windy's point of modifying the plan to make the table more "adult friendly".

Let us know what you all come up with.