DIY folding table: how to make a folding camping picnic table, drawings and diagrams

Folding furniture is a great option for a home, summer house or picnic, because it does not take up much space, it can be easily folded and transported. The solution is relevant for small apartments in which it is difficult to accommodate numerous friends, relatives, nowhere to arrange drinks and food. And what is especially important - everyone can do do-it-yourself folding table. This will require very little cash outlay, patience and accuracy.

Determined with design and construction

For what reason, DIY furniture is very popular? A home-made design is much cheaper than the purchase, in addition, it can have any design you want. For manufacturing, improvised materials are used, which opens up wide design possibilities. The tables are wooden, aluminum, plastic, while they can be combined with each other.

As for the shape of the countertop, it can be oval, round, square, but it is better to opt for the classic rectangular. The main role is played by the legs, since a competent calculation of their size and reliable fixation provide stability when unfolded and ease of folding.

Which material should I prefer?

The choice of a material depends on the requirements for the table, its size and the expected load. The product must be:

• Durable. It must combine compact dimensions and at the same time withstand heavy weight.
• Easy. Its transportation should not take much effort, which is especially important for picnics, to the place of which you need to get on foot.

The ideal option, fully meeting the stated requirements, is a profiled steel pipe, which is strong, durable and relatively light in weight. Alternatively, you can use aluminum, the weight of which is even less, besides, profiles of various sizes are sold in stores. But aluminum elements have drawbacks - their cost is higher and more difficult to process (the design requires special welding, which can be difficult to find or rivets to find). Particleboard is quite suitable for a tabletop, but without proper processing of the ends, the table will not survive even one trip out of town. A worthy replacement is textolite, which is more practical, however, at the same time it costs more. Assembling a table at home from wood is the best option, because it is inexpensive and easy to process. But be prepared for the constant care of furniture and its thorough processing, without which you should not even dream of durability.

DIY folding picnic table

If a folding table is furniture that you will first assemble with your own hands, then it is better to look at simple structures. The material of manufacture should definitely choose a tree, since its processing is simple, and almost everyone has the tools for this. In addition, the cost of boards and timber is low and there is a wide variety of finishing decorative finishes.

Drawings and schemes

As mentioned earlier - the simpler the table layout, the better it is for a novice master. The drawing is the first and very important task, since it shows the dimensions of all structural elements, the mounting location and the finish. In the process of work, it will be necessary to constantly focus on it and gradually verify the results of work. You can either develop the scheme yourself or download a ready-made one from the Internet, and then “tailor” it to your personal needs.

Phased work

To assemble a simple folding and camping wooden table, you will need: boards about 40 mm thick (the tabletop is easily made of plywood or 10 mm sheet chipboard), self-tapping screws, furniture bolts, nuts, handles, and hooks. In addition, you should prepare a tape measure, pencil, sandpaper, electric jigsaw and drill. The process consists of several stages:

1. Countertop. To make it, you should cut a fragment from chipboard or plywood of the right size or cut several slats. The latter option will require the preparation of 12 wooden planks with a length of 480 mm.
2. Frame. It is assembled from 4 wooden parts (2 pieces each). 400 mm and 1160 mm), which are placed on the countertop and on each side should protrude 3 mm beyond its edges. Excess length is removed with a jigsaw, after which holes for self-tapping screws are drilled in the countertop. To ensure that all parts have exact dimensions, it is recommended to fix the structure with clamps when trimming the slats.
3. Intermediate bars. When the table unfolds, the legs rest on them. They are cut with a jigsaw 170 mm long, after which holes for screws are drilled. In order to avoid collision of the legs during opening, substrates are placed for the second pair of them, placed later between the frame and the stop bars.
4. The connection of the frame with the countertop. The components of the table are applied in compliance with the appropriate mounting locations and sizes, and then fixed with each other with screws. After installing the substrates and stops, it is necessary to drill 4 bolt holes.
5. Legs. 4 wooden blocks with a length of 730 mm are cut with a jigsaw, after which a saw cut of 15 degrees is made in their lower part, and in the upper part there is a rounding. According to the drawing, holes for bolts are drilled.
6. Assembly of the entire structure. The legs are alternately fixed in pairs, and then attached to the frame. Next, you should check their work, make sure that they open unhindered. The final step will be the fastening of hooks for cutlery or towels, as well as handles for comfortable transportation.

When twisting the screws, you need to slightly flush the caps inward for a more aesthetic appearance. As for the bolted connections, they should not be clamped too much - the movable elements should move freely. The final decorative finish is preceded by a thorough processing of the entire product with sandpaper to smoothness and the absence of burrs. Wearing a face shield and goggles is strongly recommended during work.

Suitcase table

No less attractive option, which, when assembled, takes the form of a lightweight and compact suitcase. The table top is made of plywood, which guarantees high strength, and when folded inside, you can fold the dishes or products.

Drawings and schemes

Product dimensions - an individual value and is selected based on personal preferences and the volume of the car trunk. TOAs practice shows, a folding worktop from two elements measuring 70x70 cm is enough for a comfortable stay. As in the case of folding furniture for a picnic, a drawing is first of all done with the dimensions of the elements and their mountings.

Work stages

The initial stage is preparatory. All wooden elements must be cleaned with sandpaper or a grinder to absolute smoothness. You will need:

• sheet plywood 1 cm thick and 70x140 cm in size;
• 1 bar 800x4x4 cm;
• 1 pen;
• 2 suitcase locks;
• 4 fasteners screw-screw 100x6 mm under the open end wrench;
• 4 nuts with a diameter of 6 mm;
• 2 furniture hinges;
• 30 screws 30 mm.

In addition, you will need an electric jigsaw, drill, pencil, tape measure, square, screwdriver, open end wrench, level and chisel. Further work is as follows:

1. Jigsaw plywood is cut into 2 equal parts of 70x70 cm, the beam is divided into elements for a subframe of 620 and 700 mm, and also legs of 600 mm. Both subframes are assembled and fixed with self-tapping screws.
2. Plywood is laid on the frame and fastened with screws along the entire perimeter.
3. At the junction of the frames on the back of the chisel, recesses are made with a depth of 2 mm, after which furniture hinges are placed in them and fixed with screws.
4. Holes with a diameter of 6 mm are drilled at the corners of the frame, and 4 screw-screws are screwed into the ends of the legs. Next, they need to be inserted into the frame holes and secured with nuts. After that, suitcase locks are installed in places adjacent to the frame of the countertops.
5. The assembled structure is checked for horizontalness, the fixation strength of all elements, after which the legs are unscrewed and placed inside the table, and the locks are closed. Finally, the handle for transportation is screwed.

A wooden structure that is not covered with a protective agent may soon become unusable, as it is unstable to moisture, UV rays, and temperature changes. To increase the durability of the table, it is necessary to cover it with a stain, varnish, paint or a special antiseptic composition. Particular attention should be paid to the countertop, because it is more exposed to adverse effects. In addition, the processed product has a more attractive appearance. Particular attention should be paid to storage conditions - when the table is not in use, it should be in a dry, clean place.

REFERENCE. Assembling a folding table in an inexperienced person takes about 3 hours, and the cash costs are several times lower, compared with the purchase of finished furniture. It is worth noting that at the same time, a self-made construction is much stronger and more reliable, it will make your stay more comfortable for more than one year.