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Old 08-18-2019, 07:32 PM   #1
ajk170
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Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: El Paso
Posts: 157
Replacing the plastic table top on the 4' folding plastic tables

Hi everyone!

So we carry the 4' folding plastic table that has the adjustable height as our camp table and it serves various purposes when we camp. Since we have a '15 Outback 316RL TT and its the two of us, space is pretty good but I do like that this table doesn't take-up a lot of space. However, I hate that its a plastic top. For some applications, the plastic top is generally ok, but I use a pizza oven that has a door that removes (and is screaming hot) and needs to be set down on something that won't burn. Since I use this table as my pizza cooking area due to its perfect adjustable height, I've been looking at the idea of making a wood table top. Plus, we carry the camp chef two burner stove and when I cook on that, I usually use multiple pans and need a surface that cant be burnt as well.

So my approach is this - I'll use Kregg joints and glued butt joints(Titebond II Marine Grade wood glue) and stainless steel hardware to reattach the legs from teh original table. But since this table will fold in half, does anybody have any recommendations on how to handle the joint where the two table tops fold? I'm thinking that I put a beveled edge on the underside of the two tops where they would meet in order to reduce any binding or pinching that may occur when they fold 90 degrees into their closed position.

For the wood, I'm thinking of something cheap like poplar but hard so it's not chipped and dented so easily. To keep it light(er) I would use 1x4x8 rather than making it out of 1x2s butcher block style (though that might look a little better). I had considered using 1x4x8 cedar (and cut it down) since it could get rained on, but I wasn't sure about making the curtain since it's going to be fairly small/short (1.5" at most but more like 1"). So sipping cedar down could be an option to make the curtain. However, the cedar I'm finding at the home stores isn't finished 4 sided - although I could sand the rough part. I figure handeling the table when breaking it down really needs to be finished on all the sides to keep from splinters. Therefore I go back to the poplar idea. I also considered just using 2x4s as well and go with a more picnic table style- but that may make it a little too robust for the leg system and it wouldn't be as finished as a poplar (or any other wood for that matter).

I think a small curtain around the leg system would finish it off. Run a router with a 1/4 bead on the top and belt sand the corners to take off sharp edges.

Any thoughts on the design or potential issues I'm not considering? Thanks for any thoughts!
-Andy
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Old 08-18-2019, 07:38 PM   #2
bobbecky
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Why don't you just make a wood platform that the oven can sit on, maybe with cleats a couple inches high under it to provide an air space from the plastic table top. Would be a lot easier than doing the entire table and you would still have an easy to clean table top.
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Old 08-18-2019, 07:56 PM   #3
ajk170
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Bobbecky- I actually use a large butcher block that I made years ago that's 20x18. But the pizza oven's door can get up to 700+ degrees and when I take it off the door putts these burn marks in the DW's cutting board and she's getting annoyed with that. Plus, I recently put a cast iron skillet on the same cutting board when I took the skillet off the camp chef stove and put a nice burn mark on the board as well. Needless to say that was her last straw so now she's tired of me adding character to her cutting board. So I figure if I'm going to make another board, I might as well make the table top to our camp table. She won't care if I put burn marks in that.

I agree that the plastic is easier to keep sanitary than the wood and another cutting board would be a lot easier to make but it wouldn't look as good (at least not in my head) and I would make it at least the same size (maybe not a butcher block style) as the current cutting board but her board also sucks up a lot of counter space in the camper which she's not crazy about. She has those plastic cutting mats that take up no space and are easy to sanitize. So she prefers the cutting board to stay at home, and not get burnt.

So- I like your idea and agree it would be easier, I just think I need to go all the way with the table top. Plus we use Star San to sanitize cooking areas and cooking items so this would get thorough cleanings with that.
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