Boys and Girls,

 

With all the great projects recently posted, I feel ashamed to present this, but being my insensitive self, I thought stuff it, go for it… someone has to make other “less impressive project” look great.

 

NO!... I didn’t make the tabletops, even though I have the UJK Parf Guide System… too many holes and I just ripped the tip off my right index finger…

lame… duck.

 

Back to the project… Quite, a few years ago (circa 2019) I bought 2 Bora Centipedes (1,219.2mm x 1,219.2mm) when they were practically giving them away at a hardware closedown sale. After opening it up, I quickly realised they were just too big to setup, however at their price I was loathe to return them and filed then in some spare spaces,

and ordered a smaller one (609.6mm x 1,219.2mm) that was setup in a permanent position in the workshop,

While it takes up space, it has been a handy workspace with half of it dedicated to my Shaper Origin (that I still haven’t used), however, the larger ones laid dormant for a few years.

After reading somewhere that someone ran a Shaper continually on a project that took nearly 30 minutes, with my still dodgy left arm I freaked out and immediately ordered their new BenchPilot.

 

It was back ordered and finally arrived last week, near 6 months later.

 

No room in the workshop, I thought I could probably use one of the dormant centipedes upstairs in my patio. Grabbed the one in the workshop, 

 

(don’t ask why I didn’t use the one stored under the bench in the patio… another l_oo_nnn_gggg story)… dusted it down and bought a Bora tabletop (609.6mm x 1,219.2mm) for it and found a convenient corner for it. Unfortunately, it only covered ½ the centipede 

and I debated just a chunk of 18mm MDF to pad it out. Looking at one of our “local” (24K away) merchants, they had a Bora tabletop without its accoutrements for $30.  Naturally I snapped it up not considering how I would attach it to the centipede.

 

With the front one secured all I needed to do was secure the second to the first and keep them together

… but how?

 

I “cannibalised” 3 connectors  from the first table 

but with only one anchor point on each leg, how to connect the two tabletops at the join?

I thought of screwing/doweling them through the sides, however, screws/holes in MDF “endgrain” is a no-no, so I considered braces using the dog holes.

 

First I cut a swag of 18mm plugs,

found their centre point,

plugged two adjoining holes,

and measure centre to centre (126mm),

In CorelDraw, I drafted out a brace with two 20mm holes,

 

and cut out one from some 6mm MDF scrap, using my laser

Tested for fit using two veritas dogs,

Amazed at first time fit… I was gruntled. Cut 2 braces and glued the plugs in with CA,

and coaxed it into a tight friction fit, used 2 dogs to test fit,

Ideal view of the single anchor point on each leg.

 

While they may seem obtrusive on the top, if they get in the way there is no reason why they can’t be mounted from underneath,

 with enough friction to keep them in place.

 
While the patio is under cover and enclosed there are enough opening to let birds in, but the dumb bastards have trouble getting out,
shit themselves all over my furniture.  One managed to spot the single tabletop the first night,

 
Unfortunately I couldn't find the traditional red and white table top cover,

so I had to settle for a conservative "waterproof synthetic",

to keep the crap off... only the foreign avian gems,

I'm just hoping I master my fear of the Shaper and get to use my new workbench after the finger heals.

Sorry for the pathetic content, but remember, I'm currently a cripple... but if you got this far, I'm sorry to inform, with the non typing crippled finger... more to come.

FOR NOW!

 

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