Looking for ideas/solutions

I may have asked this before; if so, apologies but if I did ask I didn't get solutions that worked for me.

I need to build a pair of sofa tables to wrap around a sectional; ie, the tables will be at right angles to each other. The distance along the long wing of the sectional is ten feet. I plan to make the tables about 16" wide and 28" tall.

My problem lies in where the tables will meet..they will have to be moved occasionally for cleaning/whatever so I need for them to be firmly joined but easily separated. I'm thinking of reducing the length of the tables themselves by 16" each and using a third piece at the juncture, 16" square and full width sides rather than separate legs (like a cabinet), but how to hook the whole works together?

I could, of course, simply screw each long table to the 16" square one but I'm looking for a more elegant way...one that doesn't make holes in the nice, expensive mahogany I'll be using. I also thought of putting a bracket on the 16" square table - I don't mind marring it - that would hook under the adjacent end rails of the long tables; with that scenario, each long table would only have legs at the outboard end. That could work but would leave the inboard end of the long tables unsupported when they are unattached; still, that's the best solution I've come up with yet.

Other ideas?

Reply to
dadiOH
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Here's one:

Go ahead and make your two tables with four legs. Fasten the square "table top" between the two using french cleats on two adjacent sides.

This will give you the flexibility you want, and make fabrication and design much easier.

The desk top attaching these two tansu cabinets with french cleats illustrates what I'm talking about.

The desktop has no legs, but keeps the two large cabinet arrays from moving:

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While I did not make any effort to hide the french cleats in this case, that would be quite easy to do with a little thought.

Also, there other french cleat solutions that are off the shelf, like some of the metal variety.

FWIW ...

Reply to
Swingman

square "table top" between the two using french cleats on two adjacent sid es.

Another 2 options: 1) For a two unit configuration, where the two long tabl es meet, diagonally, attach them together along their mating diagonal skirt s, with keyed pegs, and 2) For a three piece unit, with a corner table, don 't make skirts for the square corner, and extend the long table skirts, for attaching to the square corner table.

Sonny

Reply to
Sonny

Rare Earth Magnets, the modern bailing wire.

Reply to
SonomaProducts.com

would this work?

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or

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Reply to
ChairMan

Or make the two tables with a 45 degree end and fasten them together in any one of a dozen ways. Being lazy, I'd just use a couple of bolts and wing nuts underneath where they wouldn't show.

Reply to
Larry Blanchard

make the ends be diagonal and use the fasteners they use for joining kitchen counter tops together in a corner.

if they have to be able to be used individually, make them overlap so that the join is at the end of one of tables to abut the side of the end of the other one.

Reply to
chaniarts

See alt binaries. I think that locking joint might be the ticket.. it allows you to lock them together or pick up a piece and move them apart.

Reply to
woodchucker

How about a couple latches normally used to lock double hung windows on the inside? You could mount them upside-down on the bottom of the rails.

I would object to any type of latch that protruded or was unsightly, because you never know when you would want to use one on its own, or where the end was exposed. I move furniture at Christmas, and that would apply.

Reply to
Morgans

Thanks. That's pretty much what I had visualized for the bracket I mentioned.

Reply to
dadiOH

Thanks to all of you for your input.

The simplest would be French cleats - and I *am* considering them; the downside is that holes would have to be made for attachment. One of these days in the not too distant future I'll be dropping dead or wife and I will have to move to a death holding pen (aka "retirement home"). In either case, lots of stuff would have to be sold and holes can be a deal breaker. OTOH, how many people want 10' long sofa tables? :)

I'm also still thinking about your various other suggestions. Draw bolts too.

Again, thanks.

Reply to
dadiOH

Cool then great minds think alike ;-)

Reply to
woodchucker

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