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.
QuoteHas 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
Tim, Jim's right, do the search and read for hours. :D 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.
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.
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.
2nd post due to photo limits
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
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
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.
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.
Tim : FYI, all factory salon tables came originally with fiddles!! So some PO took yours off!!
A thought
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.
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
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.
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!
Tim,
That is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. I also toyed with the idea of a small cocktail table hinged to the mast that flips up or down. There are numerous different ways to go depending on your needs and what works for you. If you regularly have sit down meals down below then some kind of table is in order. On my boat we have most meals in the cockpit and almost never on the dining table below. While I was trying different size and shape modifications, pulling out this one, installing that one it dawned on me the simplest solution for my boat was no table at all. If you're set on a table start with a cheap piece of plywood the size of the table then you can cut it down until you find the size and shape you like, then build a keeper out of your material of choice.
Kevin, I actually removed the table today and couldn't believe how much space it opened up. I think my wife still would want a table down there as we do use it from time to time, sometimes just bringing pizza out to the marina and hanging out with the kids. I like your idea of starting with some cheap lumber and trying out different ideas. I think I'll start there before I butcher a nice piece of wood!
If you get rid of your table entirely, let us know what you did/do about the hole in the floor.
Noah,
I made a plug for mine. It consists of two pieces of wood, one is an 1/8" piece of finish plywood circular cut large enough to cover the screw holes, the second is a 3/8" piece of plywood cut to fit in the big hole. The two pieces were glued together to make the plug and finished with Varathane.
Gunner,
So you have a 1/8in. rise in the floor there, not flush to the floor, correct?
Yes, that is correct. I imagine you could make a new floorboard and eliminate the holes altogether but the plug is barely noticeable and leaves the option to replace the table if so desired.