Folding table IR on a balcony or loggia is a very rational thing. You can read a book behind it. Sit with friends with a bottle of beer. Or drink a cup of coffee.

This article is dedicated specifically to folding structures. Such tables are often confused with stationary ones. In the photo on the Internet when unfolded, both the first and second ones are very similar. But if you take a closer look, the transformable table is more practical. It changes position and takes up virtually no space on the balcony or loggia.

There is only one way to fold at the wall tables on the balcony. When folded, they are pressed against the wall of the loggia. But the mechanism that is responsible for fixing the tabletop makes a big difference.

Convertible table with leg

Like all subsequent types (with the exception of tables with brackets), in this design the tabletop hangs on hinges fixed to the wall. When you lift it to a horizontal position, you simply place the leg as a support from below. And that’s it, the tabletop is holding.

The legs are often made separate, not connected to the main part. Typically, they fit into a deep hole at the bottom of the countertop. The essence of this design is that the folded table hangs as close to the wall as possible. Its device is very simple and reliable.

To prevent the support from being lost, the mechanism was improved. It was simply screwed to the bottom of the table. Such a support has, on the one hand, a hinge, and on the other, a stop. The supporting part is a recess or a piece of lath screwed to a vertical surface with self-tapping screws.

These legs can be attached to the wall. And it is fixed in the recess of the tabletop. As they say, change does not change the essence.

Table with folding support

Supports are usually a stationary thing. They have a triangular shape or close to it and work in the same way as the upper part itself - on hinges. You lift the lid and move the support to the side. Sometimes it is fixed, for example, with a dowel + recess connection. Magnets or ball fasteners also serve as fasteners.

These tables are reliable and beautiful, but unlike options with a removable leg, they are not as compact. The thicker the table top and the leg itself, the further such a table is moved away from the wall. For example, a table with a removable leg extends beyond the wall by 2-3 cm, and a table with a flat support by 6-9 cm.

This difference often plays against such a transformer.

Table with folding arms

Over the past ten years, the industry has begun to produce mechanical brackets for folding tables.

The material for them, as a rule, is iron, ordinary iron, less often stainless steel. There are usually not many colors in stores; you can find black, white, chrome-plated mechanisms. But there are a great many designs.

The table operates on brackets without hinges. Or rather, there are hinges, but they are implemented inside the bracket.

One part of the bracket is attached to the wall, the other to the table top. When the table cover is lifted, the mechanism opens 90° and locks itself. The moment of fixation is difficult to describe on paper. So let's look at the photo.

To lower the lid you need to pull it up or pull the lever. At this time, the bracket will lower and the furniture can be folded.

The cheapest brackets can stick. The lid will fold back and not fold. In this case, you have to crawl under the table to unlock the mechanism.

Mechanism on gas-filled shock absorbers

Recently, a new mechanism for creating folding tables has appeared.

Our craftsmen adapted gas cylinders from the rear door of a Niva car as a support for folding tables.

It looks something like this: the tabletop hangs on hinges near the wall. A gas-filled cylinder is hidden under it. This entire structure is held vertically either by a strap or some kind of latch.

To bring the furniture into working position, you simply open the latch. At this moment, the gas in the cylinder pushes the piston, and with it the hinged lid, upward.

This design is new and has such advantages as: compactness (the cylinder has a diameter of only 18 mm), opening speed of only 3 seconds, simplicity of design.

“Proteus” brackets for a folding table. Durable and reliable.
Made in Russia.

Unique Proteus brackets will help you quickly install a folding table at home, in the country or in a workshop. They are securely attached to any vertical surface and can withstand a distributed load on the countertop of up to 200 kg.A tabletop and a couple of brackets are all you need to install the table!
Nomenclature bracket ov comprises three types: “Proteus 4 00”, “Proteus 500”, “Proteus 600”, which are designed for installation on a table nits width 400, 500 and 6 00 mm respectively. The cost of such a table will be minimal, and the convenience will be obvious.
How do most folding tables fold and unfold? You need to bend down to open or close the stops located under the tabletop. What if a person has a sensitive lower back?
The innovative Roborex transformation mechanism used in the Proteus brackets completely changes the idea of ​​folding tables. No more bending over! To lower the tabletop, simply pull the handles located underneath and guide the tabletop down. To move the tabletop to a horizontal position, pull it up with one hand. You don't need to put in any special effort.
How to attach Proteus brackets to the wall?

On stone wall(for example, brick or concrete) the device is fixed using expansion anchors 8 x 85_M6.


On wooden wall or block - with self-tapping screws Din 571 8 x40 mm.


For any furniture made of chipboard or MDF - furniture bolts with a mustache M 8

All the necessary fasteners are on the website. Setting up a folding table will not take much time. And it is convenient to use: reliable steel profiles 2 mm thick will withstand any kitchen appliances or home workshop equipment.
The collected on the Proteus table brackets the largestload capacity compared to modelsother manufacturers– 150 kg.

Brackets of the "Proteus" series
Series "Proteus 4" 00": for installation of worktops with a width of 4 00-500 millimeters.
Series "Proteus 500": for installing countertops with a width of 500-600 millimeters .
Series "Proteus 600": for installationtabletops 600-700 wide millimeters

Height: any from 650 mm. for a couple of brackets 200 kg.
Weight: one bracket 3 kg.
Bracketsmade from steel profile. Powder coated.
Dimensions:
Proteus 400
Proteus 500
Proteus 600

Wall mounting:
Wall installation(PDF)
- expansion anchors M6, 3 pcs.
-chemical anchors M8, 3 pcs.
- self-tapping screws DIN 571 8x50 for mounting on a wooden wall or to wooden partition posts.
Fastening to cabinet furniture :
- Furniture bolts with a mustache M8x35

Installation instructions

14.09.2015 Kirill Evgenievich, Volgograd
I was looking for fastenings for a folding table for a loggia for a very long time and accidentally came across Proteus-600 brackets. I express my deep gratitude to Mikhail for the prompt delivery of this MIRACLE to Volgograd. The brackets are assembled, there was no need to disassemble them during installation. The kit included anchors, which saved me from running around with a ruler in hardware stores. The entire installation (including the countertop) took about 20 minutes. See the photo for the result.

01/19/2015 Igor Alexandrovich, Murmansk
With these fasteners, an excellent table is assembled, an ergonomic finished design, thoughtful and durable. There were no problems with the installation, as everything was clearly explained in the instructions. Thanks a lot!

10/5/2014 Oksana Bogdanova, Moscow
I searched for a long time, reviewed a bunch of offers on different sites and did not find a single suitable folding table that would fit the size of our box apartments. I had a baby and I need a lot of different things for him, including a changing table. But space, alas, does not allow for all this to be accommodated. I found a solution only from you, having found brackets for a table of the size I needed - Proteus 600. Very easy to use. I am in Moscow and thought I would have to wait a long time for my order. But the company turned out to be very reliable, the order was delivered quickly, Feedback instant, with recommendations and answers to all my questions. I am very pleased, I recommend it to anyone looking for convenience and reliability.

There is not one in the world modern home, in which there would be no table: square or round, with or without a transformation mechanism, glass, plastic or wooden - it always occupies a central place in every home. Regardless of the model and shape of the product, table fittings are used in each of them. During assembly, folding, sliding, retractable, tie-down and support mechanisms. It is the quality of the fittings that determines the service life of the table, its functionality and ergonomics. Furniture fittings for low quality tables often break and require repair. In some cases, broken parts can be repaired with your own hands, while in others you cannot do without replacement. Selecting high-quality fittings is not difficult if you know what to look for.

Types of accessories for tables

Any fastening mechanisms for tables differ in the method of opening. So, depending on the type of construction, it happens:

• Accessories for transforming tables and sliding tables. Mechanisms for transformers differ according to the type of table (tsarg or without tsarg). Mechanisms with increasing length and without increasing length are produced for drawer tables. Tsarless tables are attached using standard sliding mechanisms, which, in turn, can be synchronous or non-synchronous. In addition, the fittings for sliding tables contain rotating mechanisms, roller guides and tilt-and-turn hinges.

• Accessories for folding and folding tables. Tables of this type are assembled using butterfly hinges (to connect the tabletop with fixed elements), anchor bolts(for attaching a folding table top to the wall), locking hooks (used when assembling folding tables), handles (for convenient folding and unfolding of the table) and folding hinges.

• Accessories for computer desks. The set of mechanisms for computer desks directly depends on the functionality of the desk. So, if there are drawers, you will need guide profiles for the drawers and the inner box, handles for the fronts, as well as fasteners for the drawers (ties, corners). In addition, the table can be equipped with a retractable keyboard stand. In this case, you cannot do without guides for the retractable tabletop. If the table contains pencil cases and wall cabinets, you will need to purchase gas lifts, canopies for the drawers, as well as rollers for the retractable tray under the system unit.

• Accessories for glass tables. Fastening elements of this type are fundamentally different from those designed for tables made of standard materials. These parts are very often attached to table elements using glue rather than ties and screws. That is why so-called nickels are very common - mechanisms that act as intermediaries between the tabletop, shelves and supports. Also often used are hinges for fixing tabletops (can be hidden or overhead), supports (legs), connecting washers, as well as decorative plugs. You can read about how to choose fittings for glass furniture.

• Accessories for supporting tabletops. Table legs are the main fastening parts for a table. The supports differ in load (depending on how much weight the table can withstand), in functionality (adjustable in height or having a fixed size), in equipment (can be equipped with wheels), in security (the presence or absence of a thrust bearing for protection). floor coverings from pressing, and the legs - from moisture during operation and cleaning). In addition, the legs are decorative, serving as decoration for the main supports.

In addition to the indicated fasteners, various ties are used in the production of tables, corner elements, bolts, screws and hinges.

Common causes of breakdowns

The need to repair tables may be due to the use of low-quality fittings, as well as intensive use of furniture. Very often, guides for drawers and pull-out table elements fail, since they are the ones most exposed to dynamic loads. Other common causes of table breakage include damage wooden frames and their fastenings. In addition, fittings for countertops and supports often fail:

• connections between legs and top on tables standard type may weaken, break and even fall off;
• the fastenings of the folding boards often become loose and easily break off when the table is opened carelessly;
• for a transforming table, the main problem is breakage and jamming of the retractable mechanisms;
• a common problem with tables on glued wooden tenons is drying out of the grooves and subsequent weakening of the fastening strength;
• The scourge of glass tables is the displacement of the thrust bearings, the loss of strength of the adhesive connection with the table parts, and the breaking of the threads on the fittings.

Most breakdowns are easy to fix on our own. To do this, you need to have a good understanding of the design of the table, which, however, in most cases is primitive. The main part of the tables consists of a table top connected to a frame and horizontal frames connected to the upper part of the supports (legs).

In other cases, the frame may be connected directly to the top while the legs are connected to the frame. For tables of a simpler design, the supports are attached to the bottom of the frame using glue, tenons and dowels. Such tables most often break: adhesive joints lose strength, wooden tenons and dowels break, screws and bolts become loose. Similar breakdowns can be easily repaired. To do this, a new layer of glue is applied to the adhesive bonds, new tenons are driven into the grooves, bolts and screws are replaced with angles and fastening plates.

Troubleshooting technology

It is quite simple to eliminate the cause of breakage of tables of a standard design, but faulty transforming tables require much more skill. If the retractable mechanisms begin to jam, you should first check the serviceability of the guide elements. Often it is enough to lubricate the sliding parts. If the guides are bent or lost, they will need to be replaced.

It is recommended to select fasteners for kitchen tables and any others in full accordance with the type of broken mechanism. When purchasing fasteners, you should remember that high-quality fittings move smoothly, have no backlash, and are made of metal. The strength of the planks and corners can be easily checked by hand “for fracture” - they do not bend. Special attention attention should be paid to fittings for sliding and folding tables, since they bear the main load during operation of the table. You can read about the features of choosing and installing fasteners for sliding furniture.

When choosing fastening elements, you should keep in mind that fittings are one of the most expensive components in any furniture, and therefore cheap products are often of low quality.

Before replacing mechanisms, you should also arm yourself with the necessary tools.

Required Tools

To repair furniture, in most cases a standard set of tools is enough: a hammer and a set of screwdrivers. You may also need:

• a glue gun will allow you to introduce glue into places hidden from direct access, and will also significantly facilitate the process of applying glue in cases where it is necessary to process a large number of details;
• clamps will help get rid of cracks: G-shaped clamps will help close a crack previously coated with glue, and “Frame-Leg” type clamps can create equal pressure in the gluing areas.

Features of furniture disassembly

It is quite difficult for a person without special skills to decide where to start fixing a breakdown. Below is step-by-step instruction to repair a faulty table.

1. To fix the damage, you need to gain access to the damaged area. To do this, place the table on the floor covered with a soft cloth or carpet.
2. Next, you need to disconnect the tabletop from the frame or from the supports (this is not relevant for folding tables with attached legs). To do this, you need to remove the bolts and screws using screwdrivers with the appropriate section. If the fastenings are made on wooden spikes, you will need to knock them out with a hammer.
3. When disassembling the table, appropriate markings should be made on each of its parts using a marker. This will make the assembly process easier and avoid mistakes.
4. When the table is disassembled, you can begin to fit the table parts and select necessary details, if this could not be done previously.

To protect parts from hammer blows, a cork or wooden plate should be placed at the contact points.

Table repair: main aspects

Depending on the cause of the furniture breakdown, the faulty components and parts are repaired:

• If the problem is the weakening of the connections between the supports and the table top, the grooves for the fastenings are sealed (using a piece of leather, fabric or wood), and then all connections of the structure are tightened. If the fittings are broken, they are replaced.
• The problem of torn fasteners for folding tables can be solved (if possible) by choosing a new location for installing the mechanisms. Installing fittings into old grooves is fraught with destruction of the tabletop fabric and rapid breakdown of the mechanism.
• Rollers in sliding table mechanisms often break. If replacing them is not possible, you will need to change the set of guides.
• Restoring the adhesive joint on glass tables only possible with the help of a special UV-curing adhesive.

These simple recommendations will help those who decide to repair the table themselves. If desired, you can even restore the table surface on your own - using glass mosaics, ordinary wallpaper, stone or wood.

You can learn more about the method of restoring an old wooden table from the video.