Salon Table

[TortolaTim]

I'm not a big fan of the large table in the salon and we never use the cushion insert for the extra berth. I was thinking of trying to make a new, smaller table so it's more comfortable to sit around. Has anyone done this, and what type of lumber did you use? I'm open to any ideas. I'm not a highly skilled woodworker, but I'm fairly handy and willing to give it a go to try to make something myself.

[Jim Hardesty]

Has anyone done this

Tim,
Start with a searching here for salon table.  Lots of reading.
FWIW I find the table on my MKII to be fine.
Jim

[Stu Jackson]

Tim, Jim's right, do the search and read for hours.    I simply cut six inches off the aft end of mine.  IIRC, i wrote a Tech Note about it, I'll see if I can find it and post a link.

[waughoo]

I remade my table (though not smaller) out of MDO, p-laminate, and new teak fiddles.  These are the same materials Catalina used.  The trapezoid shape that it is, along with the cut out for the mast, makes it hard to build a fold over table that gets smaller within the same footprint. 

I decided just to remake the table.  Mine had been lowered without the strut by a previous owner and it ripped off one fiddle and the laminate with it.  They peeled the rest of the laminate and gave it a quick sand and varnish, but it looked pretty crappy.

[waughoo]

I know this isn't showing a table that is smaller, but it is at least some construction methods that might be valuable to your process.

[waughoo]

2nd post due to photo limits

[Noah]

If you don't have time or tools but have MONEY.... Here is an option. Just swap your existing base onto this top.
https://a.co/d/cc7hiEx

[Ron Hill]

Tim : I'll guess that there are 100+ articles on modifications that owners have made to their salon tables!!

I cutoff about 7" of my MK I table, and hinged it into a drop leaf so I could have the original size when we wanted it!! It's described in a Mainsheet tech note article w/pictures. 

So you have alot of reading to do!!

A few thoughts

[scgunner]

Tim,

I made a smaller version of the table out of teak it looked great. In the course of this modification I realized what worked best (for me) was no table at all. When I removed the pedestal it opened up the salon area beautifully. Much more room to move around especially with people down below along with making the seating much more accessible. I stow the original table top so I can still make up that bed.

[TortolaTim]

Thanks for the great info! I have searched the site and read some of the old mainsheet articles. I just wanted to see if anybody has come up with anything new since those were written. My idea is either to get a sheet of teak plywood and cut it to the size and shape I want, or get some cheaper .75" ply and do a teak veneer. I'm not planning on adding fiddles either, as the current table doesn't have them and I don't miss 'em.

[Ron Hill]

Tim : FYI, all factory salon tables came originally with fiddles!! So some PO took yours off!!

A thought

[waughoo]

If you do a plywood table, you'll have to treat the edges somehow as you'd be looking at the exposed plys from the plywood.  A teak ply with teak edge banding would do the trick.

[Jim Hardesty]

Tim,
I'd suggest you get some less expensive plywood or osb and do a prototype.  May want to start with as big as you think you want then cut off a little at a time till it's just right for you.
Jim

[Noah]

Whether using teak plywood or MDO with a laminate (Formica, etc.) you will probably have to buy full sheets, and both are costly, especially the teak plywood. BUT, you'll have extra material leftover for mistakes. ;-) However, when you add-up all materials and the time/skill to build, you might take a another look at buying a completed (smaller) top. Or, as some have done, chop your table down.

[TortolaTim]

Here's the table that's currently in the boat. Someone put a lot of work into it years ago, but I'm just not a fan of it and it is quite big. It's hard to see, but the seat cushions are wider too, so it's not easy to slide in and out of the seat. I do have the original table as well, but I really like the look of the simpler undersized tables that I've seen online. If the new style "4 fold" square tables that Catalina currently installs would fit, I'd buy one in a heartbeat!