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A demilune — a half-round table meant to sit flat against a wall — is a space-saving shape right up until you need to seat six people for dinner. This one solves that with a party trick: the hinged top unfolds into a full circle, and a fourth leg slides out of the back apron to catch the load the moment it's no longer against the wall.
The fourth-leg mechanism is the entire reason to build this over a plain demilune. It has to slide smoothly under load and lock into a position that actually supports weight — dry-fit the slide and stop pieces before you commit to final assembly, because this is the one part of the build where "close enough" shows up as a wobbling table leg at dinner.
Built from plywood and MDF rather than solid stock — the arcs and slides are far easier to cut accurately from sheet goods than from a glued-up panel.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Pine or poplar, 2x2, 6 ftThe four tapered legs. | 2 each |
| 3/4" plywood, 4x8 sheetTop, aprons, apron supports, leg shelf, and fourth-leg mechanism. | 2 sheet |
| 3/4" MDF or plywood, half sheetExtra stock for the arc-shaped apron supports. | 1 each |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 40 each |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" | 30 each |
| Edge bandingCovers every exposed plywood edge on the top and aprons. | 15 ft |
| Continuous hinge (or 3 hinges)Joins the two half-round top panels. | 1 each |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| LegsPine 2x2Tapered on the outer faces. | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 29 3/4" |
| Front apron support blanksMDF or plywoodCut as a quarter-circle arc from this blank — 21-1/8" radius. Remove a 1-1/2" piece from the center of two of them for the center front leg. | 4 | 3/4" × 21 1/8" × 42 1/4" |
| Front aprons3/4" plywoodKerf the length in 1/8" cuts so they curve along the apron supports. | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 35" |
| Back aprons3/4" plywood | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 17" |
| Top panels3/4" plywoodEach panel is cut to a half-circle from this blank; the two panels hinge together. | 2 | 3/4" × 25 1/2" × 51" |
| Leg shelf supports3/4" plywood | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 5" |
| Leg shelf3/4" plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 4 1/4" × 10" |
| Fourth leg aprons3/4" plywood | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 4 1/8" |
| Fourth leg slides3/4" plywoodThese are what let the fourth leg travel out from the back apron. | 2 | 3/4" × 2 3/4" × 19 1/4" |
| Fourth leg stops3/4" plywoodStop the leg at the correct extended position — without these it can slide out too far or fall free. | 2 | 3/4" × 2" × 2 3/4" |
Buy 11 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
2 boards
2 boards
Cut the four legs to 29-3/4" and taper them on a table saw with a tapering jig or with a jigsaw. Set them aside — they get their apron supports attached in the next step.
Mark the center width line on each blank, draw a half circle at 21-1/8" radius, offset that line 3/4", and cut with a jigsaw. Remove a 1-1/2" section from the center of two of the four pieces — that notch is for the center front leg.
Drill pocket holes in each support and attach it to a leg, tapers facing inward, with glue and pocket screws.
Cut the front apron pieces long, then cut a series of 1/8" kerfs along their length so they can bend to follow the curved apron supports. Cut the back aprons straight — they don't need to curve.
Attach both to the leg/support assemblies with pocket screws.
Cut the two half-round top panels from the plywood blanks and join them with a continuous hinge (or three hinges spaced evenly) along the straight edge — this is the fold line that lets the top swing open into a full circle.
Cut the fourth-leg aprons, slides, and stops per the cut list and assemble them so the extra leg can travel out from inside the back apron and lock at a position directly under the opened top.
Dry-fit this before final glue-up. If the leg binds or doesn't land squarely under the load when extended, the table will wobble the first time someone leans on the open half.
Attach the leg shelf and its supports between the legs for extra rigidity, then bring the top assembly onto the base. Edge-band every exposed plywood edge, sand the whole piece, and finish.
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1 board
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Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →