Temporary Tabletop

[Chris]

Over the years I have built a number of table tops to go over existing tables to make them larger.

Construction has usually been discs of MDF or Chipboard ( often made in pieces for ease of handling ) that just sit on the existing table. Its covered by a cloth so looks are not important . This is standard practice in restaurants.

I now have to make another for my daughter and I wonder if there is a better lighter material.

Ideally a sort of MDF foam sandwich board that is cheap and could be edged.

I would appreciative of any ideas.

Chris

[Peter Parry]

I know of an 8ft x 4ft table top (made as an overlay for an existing table for when the whole tribe turns up once a year) made up of 2 x

6mm plywood sheets glued one to either side of a 1" thick sheet of Kingspan (polyisocyanurate foam) of the same size . The aluminium backing was pulled off the foam and it was glued to the ply with Polyurethane adhesive. When set it was edged with Beech. The table top was then finished and varnished. The result is a very rigid lightweight table which is usually stored in the garage roof but is easy to move around and which looks quite decent.

[Matty F]

I have made plenty of 2000x1000mm table tops from 7mm 3-ply, with

40x20 mm timber edging glued on (with the 40mm vertical). They are very light and seem to be strong enough to put on trestles. I can usually find ply sheets with damaged edges at 30% of the normal price and cut the edges off.

[Andrew May]

Unless the replacement tabletop is somehow fixed to the table won't a lightweight version be more inclined to move around? Or to put it another way isn't the weight part of the requirement?

Andrew

[Chris]

Andrew

I usually fit small blocks to the underside to register the top on the table.

Chris