Table of Contents
- 1Introduction
- 2About the measurements, wood sizes
- 3The materials (shopping) list
- 4The materials (shopping) list continued
- 5The cutting list
- 6Cut, shape, and drill the pieces
- 7 Plans, the individual frame pieces
- 8Make up the smaller side frames
- 9Fix the seat support pieces to the long legs
- 10Assemble the side frames
- 11Prepare the frames for seat and tabletop
- 12Make the seat and tabletop panels
- 13Fix and seats and tabletop
- 14Adjust the backstops and fix the bracing
- 15Plans - the armrest
- 16Make and fit the armrest frames
- 17Make and fit the armrest pads
- 18Make the umbrella hole and more photos
Introduction
From picnic table to bench seatA seat that is lacking a divider. A long seat for two or more persons in one easy move.
This compact one-piece folding picnic table can be neatly folded back into a single bench seat and tucked away in a corner of the deckA flat floored roofless area adjoining a house. Timber deck: An outside floor structure comprising of posts, bearers, joists and decking boards., patio, or garden area.
This design is a remake of a very old table given to me many years ago. The old table was due for the scrap heap, so before it disintegrated and was lost forever, I decided to make another.
I had made a similar-style bigger table once before (it can be seen here), but this one is more compact and is ideal for a deck or area with limited space.
In seat-mode it can be neatly placed to one side and seat two people. When food or drinks are served it can easily be folded out to make a picnic table with a seat each side that will comfortably accommodate two adults and two kids, one adult and four kids, or five kids (subject to the kids’ sizes of course).
The structure of the thing
The mechanism of this masterpiece is all in the side frames, where the various members are cunningly assembled to allow the necessary motions that transform the unit from a single seat to a two-seater picnic table, and vice versa.
And once the two side frames have been made, it is simply a matter of fixing the seat panels and tabletop panelA sheet that forms a distinct flat and rectangular section or component. A transparent panel used to fill a framed section of a window. to the side frames, and adding the armrests.
The armrests, incidentally, also act as a brake to contain the unit from spreading out too far.
For the frame I used 5/4 x 6 pressure treated wood (actual 1.25 x 5.5). I don’t have a power miter saw so I cut each length with a circular saw then ripped into two identical pieces with a table saw. Cut the angles for each piece with a table saw. The top and seats are T&G pine. This may not hold up outside so I didn’t glue them. I can always replace them with the same pressure treated wood. If I do this I will edge dowel them together rather than use a rod or a batten as shown in the plans.
Thanks for the plans.
Reed
Beware – the cut list is converted to English units by dividing by 25, resulting in rounding errors. More accurate English units can be obtained by dividing by 25.4.