Compact Drop-Leaf Table

What first comes to mind when you think of a dining table? Likely something large enough to seat four or more people. But folks who are downsizing to smaller spaces, newlyweds and those settling into first apartments need a place to sit down for a meal, too, without it taking up too much space. Here’s one solution: a dining table made for two. When its drop leaves are up, this compact table offers a 36" x 36" tabletop: just enough for two chairs and place settings. Swing the tapered gate legs closed and drop the leaves, and this table’s top reduces to about half its raised width.

Building the project will give you a chance to put your tapering jig to work on the table’s two-piece legs. You’ll also gain some experience with rule joints and installing drop-leaf hinges.

I built my table from maple and cherry, but which two woods you choose is entirely up to you.

Making the Legs

We’ll start by building the legs, so rip and crosscut six leg blanks from 1½"-thick stock, plus one extra that can serve as a scrap for adjusting your machine setups. (Note: I left my leg blanks overly long to reinforce the short-grain areas when chiseling the apron mortises square. It also allowed for “do-over” opportunity when tenoning for the feet.) Carefully mark the bottom ends of the table’s four primary legs for those 1/2" x 1/2" x 1" tenons that will connect the feet. They are offset and should