Card Table Leg Extensions

So it is the big Holiday Meal and you have more folks coming that the dining room table will hold. So you try to add on a card table to the end. But the legs on the card table are shorter and leaves the folks stuck at the end feeling like second class citizens. So when I was a kid my Dad made extensions from wood on his lathe. They were a bunch of work and it seemed like every table combination needed a different size.

I found a quick and easy way to make more.

I hope you can see the difference from our dining table and card table, 1.125". There is a tape measure on the right edge of the photo that might be cropped off. The 3-B Store yardstick is a shameless plug for my Grandfather General Store, that closed in 1955. I

So here is my easier to make extensions. I use 3/4" Sch 40 PVC pipe and 1/2" Sch 40 PVC pipe. The Sch 40 is the thickness of the pipe wall and you do want it thick. Cheap, just a dollar or two for 10 feet, but scraps are everywhere.

So the larger 3/4" pipe will be the guides that go around the table legs.

The 1/2" pipe will be the extension height, for mine I need 1.125" pieces.

The outside diameter of 1/2" pipe is 0.840" and 3/4" pipe is 1.050", why is an other story.

These are the easy parts, just cut to a convenient length, I made mine 4". They don't even need all be the same length, but they might look nicer. I'm using a stop on my Radial Arm Saw, but any saw will work, even a hand saw.

Now here is the neat trick. To make the 1/2" pipe fit inside the 3/4" the outside diameter of the 1/2" pipe needs to be smaller than the inside diameter of the 3/4" pipe. The easy way is to remove an 1/8" of the circumference to allow the pipe to collapse to the smaller diameter. You could cut 4 pieces to length and then try to guide them through the table saw, but is much easier to saw the bunch still together on the end. If you don't have a table saw it might be easier to do them one at a time in a vise.

Here you can see the four guides and the slit pipe for the risers.

Again if you have a Chop Saw or a Radial Arm Saw set a stop for your length and saw away. If you only have a miter saw and box just make careful measurements and you will be fine.

Once you have the parts cut check their sizes and that you have four of each.

This is a nifty tool that de-burrs the inside and outside edges. A pocket knife will do the job too. De-burred parts just feel better in your hands.

Here I'm using a vise to squeeze the small pipe so it will start into the larger pipe. Pliers would do the job too.

Here I'm pushing the small pipe in the rest of the way. You could do this with a hammer or mallet.

One right side up and three upside down. You can hardly see the slit in the smaller pipe.

This is the finished extension on one leg. Tip the table to add the rest.

This looks a little off, but the end of the dining room table sags a bit. So when the Holiday is over I will put the extensions in the closet for next time. Hope you find this an easy fix and a Happy Holiday Meal!