Kid’s Pull Down Table

Instructions

1. 1Attach sides and dividers

   Attach the side and dividers as shown to the top and bottom boards. Use wood glue and 3/4'' pocket holes and 1 1/4'' pocket hole screws. Make sure to inset the dividers back 3/4''.

2. 2Add shelves

   Add the shelves at your desired height with 1 1/4'' pocket hole screws and wood glue. If you want your shelves adjustable use the Kreg shelf pin jig.

3. 3Attach the back

   Attach the 1/4'' plywood to the back of the cabinet with 1/2'' screws, pre-drill and drill into the sides, dividers, top and bottom.

4. 4Build the face frame

   Build the face frame as shown.

5. 5Build the front three frames

   Build the front three frames as shown. Be sure to use 2 1/2'' pocket holes and screws.

6. 6Notch out area for hinges

   Notch out the area on your outside frames which will become the table legs, for the hinge to sit so it lays flat on the frame. See photos for details.

7. 7Stain and Paint

   Stain and paint your pieces as desired up to this point. Of course you can wait until it is all built, but for me it is better to do it now and do touch ups later if needed. When my cabinet was finished and built, I added the legs to the bottom of the cabinet. This is important to do before you add your table top and face frames, because you will need the cabinet at the correct height for adding your face frame and table top.

8. 8Attach outside frames to face frame

   Add the hinges to the outside frames, then attach them to the face frame as shown.

9. 9Add spring hinges

   Attach the spring hinges to the face frame and the inside of the cabinet following the package directions. Close to see if it fits, and adjust accordingly.

10. 10Notch out table top

    You will need to notch out the table top around the spring hinges. Measure and mark where to notch, then cut with a jigsaw. Make sure you are aware that you do not notch too high or you will go past the face frame and cause a gap. Note the reference to the other notch in the photo, it will be covered in the next step.

11. 11Add the latch

    Add the latch and hook to the face frame and side of the cabinet.

12. 12Notch for closed spring hinge

    Once you have notched out the area around the hinge you will need to notch an area for the hinge when it closes, I went just over half the width of the board. I used a multi-tool to cut the wood, then used a chisel and a hammer to notch out the area.

13. 13Attach table top to face frame

    With all the notches done now you can attach the table top to the face frame. I countersunk 1 1/4'' screws through the table top into the face frame. It is helpful to use a clamp to avoid shifting. Then I filled in the holes.

14. 14Add middle frame to front

    • Now you can add the middle frame to the front. Use wood glue on the back of the frame and center it between the side frames, use shims to help.
    • Then secure with 2'' finish nails.

15. 15Cut wood

    Use the diagram for your plywood cuts to get all of them in one sheet.

16. 16Read through plans

    Make sure to read through the plans before beginning.

17. 17Finish as desired

    Because it was for the kids I did some fun teepee stencils on the front. Get creative with your finish! For more photos and tips and tricks on this build check out my blog post. http://www.mylove2create.com/2017/10/kids-pull-down-table.html