I need to raise my dining table

16 years ago

I purchased this oak dining set from an older couple who bought it new around 1950. While looking at it my husband and I crawled under it, pulled out the extension, tested the leaves, the sturdiness, the solidity, etc. The one thing we did not do until we got it home, however, was sit at it. It just didn't cross my mind, for some reason, which frustrates me as we were trying to be very careful.

Turns out it's short. The table top sits at 28" with a 3.5" apron. The kids and I can scoot under it, but DH doesn't fit. Not exactly ideal. As I see it I have two options: The first is to raise the table by putting something under the feet. I'm wondering if there were originally casters on the table as it has little metal doughnut-type rings under the feet. Casters would obviously not be pretty. I shopped a bit for something else to put under the bottom of the legs, but I didn't really find anything great. The second option I can see is to change the legs. That presents a staining problem, of course, but I've been considering painting the apron and legs black and leaving the top stained.

We don't want to sell it and start over as it has a lot of the qualities we really wanted and needed in a table.

What would you do if this were your table?

Featured Answer

furnone

16 years ago

You may be able to screw a pad foot to the bottom of the spoon foot.

Here is one from Osborne Wood Products:

Try California Dowel too: http://www.caldowel.com/products.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: Osborne Wood Products

Comments (6)

User
16 years ago
Shorten DH's chair.

Or add coasters under the table legs.

Or both---might get an inch more of clearance.
sarahmakes6
Original Author
16 years ago
I hadn't thought of coasters, or of lowering the chair for that matter. I'll check into that.
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lindac
16 years ago
That table originally had casters....hence the little donut rings. Add casters....that's what should be on there.
A set of nice wooden casters would add 2 inches to the height of the table.
It's av dry pretty table.....dont' change the legs....just add the casters that were there originally.
And when you do you will love being able to easily move it and clean around the legs.
Linda C
sarahmakes6
Original Author
16 years ago
Furnone, Thank you for the pictures. I looked at little bun feet at Lowe's but I just couldn't visualize it. That picture helps me so much. I had thought it might look very odd, but now I think there's a chance it might work. I think I'll try that first.

Lindaac,I agree with you that changing the legs is not my first choice. I've been mentally gearing myself up to the caster option. I think I'll see how the bun feet look and then just go to casters if it looks strange. I didn't really want to do that, but it's making more sense to me the more I ponder this.

Thank you, both.
brickeyee
16 years ago
Try Van Dykes Resoterers for casters.

Here is a link that might be useful: Van Dykes