Table legs for plant stand
January 2020

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Odd starting point here! These brackets were made (with much difficulty) from a 1X.25 aluminum bar. They are to make an attachment for the router table that is mounted on the end of my table saw. This is an idea I borrowed from the Ryobi saw I used to have. Not having much of a metal shop they took a lot of time with files, hack saw and press drill to fabricate.

(22:01:2020)

This is what they look like in place on the saw. Router bit runs between the two blocks, and the hose attaches to the shop dust system to pick up as much dust as possible.

(23:01:2020)
You can see what happened with the first pass on the round-over bit. This is the second pass on the bottom side to "round over" the edge.

(23:01:2020)

This is what the edge looks like after both passes.

(23:01:2020)
This is how the angles were cut on the legs. Probably the second or third time this guide has been used in 30 years. Even at that, the extension had to be manufactured before it could be used.

(25:01:2020)
Skip ahead a couple of days. After several hours of sanding, testing the new legs for fit before they get glued up

(25:01:2020)
The glue-up process. Lots of clamps and speed squares to hold it straight before the pin nails are put in. Note the blue speed square at the bottom front. I have a couple of these cheap (you might say they came from $1.49 day sale at Home Hardware) plastic speed squares notched so I can use clamps to hold things square for glue up.

(25:01:2020)
All legs ready for mounting!

(28:01:2020)
Mounted with 1/4 inch bolts, and wing nuts so it will come apart for storage.

(29:01:2020)
Casters in place.

(29:01:2020)
Set upright and ready to go. The right hand leg tilt is an optical illusion (I hope).

(29:01:2020)
After lowering the lights, and wrapping it with mylar "space" blanket, this is where the summer's worth of seeds are started.

(30:01:2020)
And just seconds later plant "starts" were moved into the new space. These tomatoes are a "indeterminate" sort that we found last year and have over wintered. They were VERY vigorous and grew well in our yard.

(30:01:2020)
Turns out the angled leg was not an optical illusion! When I tried to move the table to relocate it away from access to my hand power tools, it folded up crashing to the floor with tomatoes and lettuce in tow.
All this angle bracing seems to have stiffened it up and it seems to roll easily now.
And the plants all survived, they have a story to tell.

(16:02:2020)
This is where the setup sits now. Moved away from in front of the cupboards with doors. Never failed, as soon as the plant lights were set up I needed a tool from behind the doors.

(16:02:2020)
Here is the reason for all the playing around making this so it would fold up. Legs, top, bracing all stored out of the way in the ceiling of the shop till next spring.

(20:04:2020)
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