this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2024
6 points (100.0% liked)

Woodworking

6215 readers
2 users here now

A handmade home for woodworkers and admirers of woodworkers. Our community icon is submitted by @[email protected] whose father was inspired to start woodworking by Norm and the New Yankee Workshop.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Noob here

I have a wooden sheet of plywood that acts as a protective topper for an outdoor bath tub (don't ask). I'm looking for a way to add folding legs to the underside that will rest in the bath tub when the topper is on, and fold out to form a table sitting alongside the bathtub while it's in use

top 6 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Does it need to be folding? What if you borrowed the leg idea from something like this?

https://youtu.be/l2C5NRS1uLE

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I'll take a look, thanks

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Hmm. If I'm visualizing this correctly, and depending on the size of the table . . .

Two pairs of legs with stretchers in between, on pivots that allow them to fold up agains the bottom of the table, slighly offset so that the legs end up alongside each other when folded instead of interfering. If you want them to touch the bottom of the tub, set them up to fold at the "knees" rather than the "thigh", if you see what I mean. The difficult part is figuring out how to secure them in the extended position. If you're okay with putting in a couple of bolts whenever you unfold, you could add a couple of supports that link the stretchers to the underside of the table at an angle (pivot at the other end again). Or you could attach a length of wood to one stretcher with a pivot and notch the other end so that when the table is unfolded, it drops over the other stretcher and forms a tight cross half-lap joint.

All this requires gluing or screwing hinges or bits of wood pierced for dowels or screws to the bottom of the table to form the pivots.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Thanks for this

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

To be clear, the legs would support the topper when it's positioned over the tub, and also support the topper when it's beside the tub? If that's the case, do the legs really need to fold away? Would fixed legs be acceptable? Or is there a requirement that the legs be foldable to provide clearance over the edge of the tub?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Apologies for lack of clarity. Currently the topper just rests upon the top of the bath, this plus some plastic sheeting affixed to the underside of the topper gives a decent protective seal from weather etc.

I'm thinking folding legs are necessary as the internal depth of the bath is only 43cm (16.9 inches) so if they don't fold it would be rather short