Afternoon Table Project

My grandparents gave me some fantastic chairs awhile ago when they were replacing them with newer ones that were easier to get in and out of. I had always loved the chairs and was so excited to be able to use them when we moved into our new, bigger place. We also found the most amazing matching table at Ikea. I was astonished at what a good match the color was and how similar the attachment points on the legs are.

Table Leg

Chair Leg

The only problem is that the chairs are extremely low at only about 15” off the ground. The standard table height (at least at Ikea) is 29” which is about three inches higher than what would be comfortable for eating in our chairs. So, what do you do if your wonderful new table is several inches too tall? Well, you borrow a co-worker's miter saw and chop off a couple inches.

Steve sets up the saw, using the side of the house as a stop to be sure that all the cuts would be the same length.

Steve marks the table leg.

I put painters tape around the leg where the cut will occur to prevent the veneer from cracking.

Steve measuring twice before he cuts once.

Steve finds the right bit to drill a hole for the plastic feet on the bottom of each leg.

Plastic foot in place.

Steve reassembles the table with newly cut legs.

Our fabulous (and now infinitely more usable) dining table.

The table really needed to come down about three inches, but because of the leaf folded up in the center of the table, we could only take two inches off before Steve would hit his knees. But it’s a lot better than before and we are thrilled. It may seem bizarre, but somehow having a dining table makes me feel much more grown up. In a good way.