Mother's Full-Sheet Cutting Table

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Finally, the folded-up table has enough clearance behind it to allow the pegboard to easily accommodate all sorts of hand tools . . . while the larger power tools can be stored in the swing-open bins below. Wood stock—from trim molding to entire panels—fits safely and unobtrusively in the almost foot-wide racks at the back.

Our shop staffers took special care to make sure this project could be duplicated by folks who have few tools. Though access to a table saw would ease the burden of making some of the angled joints, no cut is beyond the capacity of a circular saw, a coping blade, or—in a pinch—a hole saw fixed to an electric drill. Simple butt joints are used almost exclusively, and the framing members are fastened together with nails and glue, rather than screws.

You'll notice that the worktable swings out from the frame on a sliding dowel hinge pin that rides in slots cut into two guide boards. Since a 3/4" sheet of plywood packs some weight, we devised a booster made from elastic shock cords to help pull the load upward when the table's being closed. This tensioner, rope, and pulley system is completely contained at the frame's inner edges and doesn't interfere with tools or the use of the table in either position.

To some do-it-yourselfers, the bottom line is a project's total cost . . . and at just about $100 worth of new materials, this one may be a tad steep. But to other folks—particularly those industrious tinkerers who'll gladly swap dollars for square feet of usable work area—our homebuilt hybrid might be a dream come true.

Click here for a downloadable construction illustration.

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