Claremont Designs

Building a Wooden Hinge

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Shown in the series of photos below is the construction of the wooden hinge that makes the gate leg table work. It may not be obvious on a quick glance, but the table base here has 6 legs. The 4 outside legs are fixed, but the interior leg on each side swings open (like a gate) to support one leaf of the table. In the first photo I was laying out the pieces to get accurate dimensions. Measurements and plans are great (I use them), but sometimes it is easier or more accurate to just layout the pieces and mark the cuts. The second photo shows the apron with the initial cuts for the hinge. Finally I transferred some layout lines and identified where to drill the through hole that receives a dowel (to allow the leg to swing open). The final photo shows a dry fit of the piece with the leg partially open. You’ll notice that I had to add a couple of relief cuts to actually allow for the leg to pivot freely. Time for glue up and then on to finishing. As always I’ve reverted to using the table saw as my workbench.

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