Ideas for coffee table/dining table?

[cat]

I have a client who is looking for a coffee table (18" tall) that she can raise to 30" tall. It will have metal legs and frame, the top will be 3/4" MDF with hammered 20 ga. sheet that has a faux copper finish. Any ideas for this? I've thought sq. tubing (drilled) within sq. tubing with a stop and some pin for holding it tight. Is there some sort of "elbow joint" out there, etc? Thx for any input. Cat

[All-about-design]

Okay just a couple of quick questions before I get to involved in yoru design..

How will it raise & lower? Does your client want it to swing out as it goes up? Does the top when it is down have to the top when it is up? Do you want 100% steel or are you willing to use additional materials?

Okay than gets me started.. .

thanks,

[cat]

I told my client that it will take 2 people to raise and lower and that was fine. The top will be 52" by 34" and fairly heavy with the MDF. The top will lift straight up. I was planing to stay with just steel but I am open to other ideas if I can work with it. I am heading to some places today to check out the square tubing that telescopes with the holes drilled in it but I'm not sure that is the look that I want. I was wondering if there is an "elbow" that locks in position but not sure where I would find that. Hubby gets back from a business trip tomorrow so I will pick his brain also (we're both engineers). Thx if you have any ideas/suggestions. Cat

[cat]

Forgot - yes, the top is the same up and down. Cat

[fun4now]

why not just build a scissor lift center ?? similar to a ironing board or work lift ??

[Bert]

James, I'm not sure if she want's that "ironing board" effect. At the top of its height, legs would be fine, but as the client lowers them, Ithink the legs would stick out too far, may get in the way...good thought though!
All I can think of right now, is having one tube inside of another, the bottom tube of course being the bigger of the two, smaller one telescopes out and drill pins in both every 6 inches...
bert

[Steven DeMmars]

Take a look at this on Rockler's website



http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2318

[fun4now]

the ironing board was just an example of the mechanism. you could have a stationary base that would not change as it rose and lowered with every thing on tracks within the frame. she is not talking about a large lift distance and it could easily be done and hidden behind a screen below the top.
you could use a patterned fabric screen or some wood with a pattern or almost anything to hide the workings of the table.
the drawing is out of per-portion, but you should be able to get the idea.
i guess it would matter what the table is being used for. dose it need to be nice looking as its going to be in the living room, or it dose not matter as its a shop work table ?????
aether way, its just an idea, may or may not be on the right line of thought. thats cat's call. I'm just throwing out some idea's.
check out the pic.

[Bert]

James, WOW, never thought of it being made that way!
Very cool!!!
thanks for the pics, worth a 1,000 words

[fun4now]

N.P. glad to help clarify. some times we think more than we type, so it doesn't come across the right way. i should have put in a pic the first time.