# Cantilever table



## mailee (Nov 11, 2005)

I started work on my next commission on Tuesday. It is another hardwood job and I am using AWO for this one. the design is for a cantilever extending dinning table as the drawing shows.

I spent a full day on Tuesday machining all the wood up and ended up with this pile.

Wednesday saw a start on the build and I managed to get most of the table frame complete.

I have made a start on the 'legs' today but didn't get any photos of the work. I shall post some more tomorrow to show my progress again. 
I am also working this alongside an aquarium cabinet also in AWO and will post a WIP on this in another thread.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

That looks to be an unusual design (to my eyes) Alan.

Keep us up to date on that one........


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Alan, that is an interesting project! I've built a few cantilevering projects myself, and they are a lot of fun. Connections are critical in cantileverers and a max of 1/3 of a member's length (when properly positioned) can be unsupported = 2/3 of the member being held rigid. This also applies to the diagonal member. In your sketch it appears that your balance is good.

Aquarium stands? Cool - I've built hundreds of those over the years. Will it be for salt water, brackish water, fresh water or terrarium? I ask because I have kept many types of critters in quite a variety of settings. Salt and brackish water aquaria are the main troublesome types because of salt spray from filtration and aeration.

Here are some photos I made a couple of weeks ago in my "Snake Room". I made a proposal to do this type of work for someone else, hence the photos. These depict about a half dozen built-in reptile habitats for arboreal snakes. Also (not pictured) are numerous aquaria on roll-around custom-built structures. *I do not recommend roll-around for a water-filled aquarium, though.*

I built this room entirely by myself, except for background murals and some of the electrical. The cages have concrete floors with integral (heat) wiring. The electrical work was inspected and connected by a licensed electrician. There is a control room with all of the controls and timers for heating, humidity and lighting. Keeping reptiles is something I've been doing continuously since 1961. People drive or fly to see my collection from as far as California, Oregon, etc. I've also had visitors from Australia to see some of the more rare specimens.

Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## mailee (Nov 11, 2005)

Thanks guys. Yes Otis I have to admit i am enjoying the build on this one, I like a challenge. Those critter cabinets do look nice too. I am afraid I am not sure what sort of aquarium this will be but think it may be a salt water tank. It is a large tank measuring 54" x 24" X 27" so will be a substantial weight! hence the reason I am building it as a frame a panel construction. Anyway I won't go into the details here as I will start another post for the build on it. 
Well I got on well today and got all the legs done. I had to be pretty accurate with the mitres although a couple did give me problems.

I will have to replace that blade! I added blocks into the ends of the 'legs' to enable them to be fixed to the frame. that was trickier than it looked.

Once all the legs were ready I had a test fit of the frame.

The blocks under the legs are just to take up the space as there will be a base below them. Glad to say the angles were pretty accurate, (I was praying I can tell you!) Not a bad days work considering I was also building the Aquarium cabinet too!


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## ggom20 (Feb 1, 2012)

Pretty nice!

What's the total wheight ?

Regards.
Gérard.


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## adot45 (Feb 6, 2013)

Hi Alan, great looking project you have going there. Here's something you probably already know if you've built stands for aquariums before but maybe some other members will find it interesting, or even useful. If you multiply a tanks L x W x H then divide by 231 it will give you the capacity of the tank in gallons. Fresh water weighs about 8.0 lbs per gallon and salt water comes in around 8.5 lbs per gallon. Handy for figuring out weight loads.....David


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

My bad, Alan. When I saw 'cantilever' table, I thought 'extension' table...

The four panels on the 'table' fooled me.........

A tank that size will be HEAVY. Has the weight been calculated?


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Interestingly, on aquaria it is very rare that someone is able to determine the weight of an aquatic environment - because people seem to always forget to add-in for gravel. An aquarium that size can easily take-on 200-300 lbs of gravel within the bottom couple of inches. On something like an aquarium stand use a safety factor of 4. Also be mindful (if you have a carpeted room) that a "tack strip" can throw your setup slightly off level.
Filtration and aeration can wreak havoc with everything involved in an aquarium (salty)setup - make certain that you have glass between any lighting and the surface of the water. Formica is excellent to place on walls near saltwater aquaria - to prevent overspray from saturating wall finishes. 
Good luck, Otis


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## mailee (Nov 11, 2005)

I got all of the legs sanded and attached today. I also cut out notches for the runners.

I also got some boards jointed and in glue up for the foot. This will now have to wait until Wednesday as I am out on another job tomorrow.


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## mailee (Nov 11, 2005)

Finally the MDF has arrived for the table top so I got stuck in on this today. I got all of the sides on and in the clamps ready for tomorrow.


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## bosox (Jun 12, 2012)

Pretty cool! Nice work on that.


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## mailee (Nov 11, 2005)

Thanks Jack. Well I have just about finished the top today. After fitting the edges and breadboard ends I glued a thin section to the inside edges where the tops will meet. I also screwed and glued pieces on for the runners to attach.

Once the pieces were dry I fitted some dowels to the edges to locate each of the top pieces. Then I attached the tops to the table after giving them all a good sanding.

You can see the centre section dowels better in this shot.

There is a slight bulge in the centre of the table on the removable piece so I will see if I can level this a bit without going through the veneer! :fie:


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Hi Alan. I am a bit thick sometimes ( I blame a life well spent......). Do the ends just slide apart and the centre piece inserted to extend the table?

How will the top be attached to the frame?


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## darsev (Feb 3, 2012)

Alan,

just curious... was the cantilever design to meet some functional requirement, or just a design decision by your clients?

Darryl


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## mailee (Nov 11, 2005)

The table sections are held onto runners James. The centre section is loose and has dowels that seat it into each side to extend the top. HTH. It was a design of the customer Darryl, he brought a drawing in to show me what he wanted building. 
The table is almost finished now and I am on the finishing process.

Her is a shot with the centre section fitted.

When the centre section is not used it will be stored under the table as shown here.

I have left the table with another coat of oil on tonight and will de nib it and see what it looks like tomorrow.


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## darsev (Feb 3, 2012)

You do a lot of good work Alan, and I appreciate the work in progress shots that you post. I get a lot of ideas from that, and some have even made it into the workshop!!!

Table legs have occupied my attention on and off for quite some time, because it is the legs of the table that people keep bumping into or hurting themselves on. However if you put the legs toward the centre, you get instability in the table top. The position of the legs seems to be a trade off between stabilty of the top and toes that don't kick the legs.

Darryl


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## mailee (Nov 11, 2005)

Thanks Darryl. Glad that I have been of help to you. I Took the table round to a friends showroom today so I could take some pics for my website before it disappears.


I wonder if I will get the commission for a set of chairs next?


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## ChadPMIK (Jun 28, 2013)

A table that unique definitely needs matching chairs.


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## phillip.c (Aug 9, 2012)

Alan - lovely work.

What program did you use to do the electronic sketches?


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## mailee (Nov 11, 2005)

I use Sketchup Phillip. I find this easy to use and handy for showing my customers the design.


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## bdusten (Mar 22, 2013)

I never saw one before that is a very nice design looks great!


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## fdcox (Dec 3, 2007)

Really great design and functional


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

*Semi-private message to Alan...*

Alan, I saw this thread "floated to the top" again! I cannot seem to get this design out-of-my-mind, it is ingenious! A number of attributes about this design and execution are quite amazing. Alan, I don't send-out a huge amount of "friend requests", but I have sent one to you. I will appreciate it if you will accept my request. If there is a hold-up because of bad breath or my snake collection, please let me know. Here is my goal: I need to assemble a group of people that I share interests with - because I am an inventor and will be needing to have a group of peers who have demonstrated to me that they can "think outside of the box" and are articulate. 

Just this last Tuesday, I went into business with two partners on a manufacturing venture that I am heading-up. The product we will initially be manufacturing is one of my own invention and at this time I am unable to publicly announce it, but that should change in the next 4-8 months. I've already made an employment offer to one of the Router Forums members, who should be able to start during the product line's developmental stages. Among many of my friends here and otherwise, that individual and I have become good friends and I have learned to respect his opinions and advice. What I am attempting to do is assemble an "All Star Team" for a product line that will be marketed worldwide!

Please seriously consider this request,
Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## phillip.c (Aug 9, 2012)

mailee said:


> I use Sketchup Phillip. I find this easy to use and handy for showing my customers the design.


Do you use the free version by any chance? I'm trying to find out if it's worthwhile for me to learn how to use it if it lacks the capabilities necessary to sketch anything real...

Thanks,


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## mailee (Nov 11, 2005)

Yes Phillip, it is the free version of Sketchup. There is a bit of a learning curve to it but it is one of the easiest to get the hang of. I have used a few of the CAD programs but found this is so simple to draw in 3D and does impress the customer with scale drawings.


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Alan,

Really love the table! 
Very good set of photos and explanation to document the build, something I have a problem doing. I am always so happy when I get a project finished I forget to take pictures, I just want to get it delivered and get on to the next project. Then a few days later I I think I should have taken pictures. Like today, I spent the day in the shop and when I went back in the house I saw the camera on the computer desk.

I wish I had the room in my shop that you seem to have in yours.


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