Please Help me with design of my dining table

[jordanrossbell]

Hi everyone, I am looking to build this dining table base for a dining room table for my new home. The table will be about 9 feet long, 39-40 inches wide. I will be using a countertop product called wilsonart thinscape table top. It is 1/2 inch thick and will be black.

I will make the base out of white oak with vertical grain orientation. I am wondering though how much leg room I will need to where not everyone’s legs will be banging into the base. I plan on making the base 60 inches long at its base tapering up to a 48 inch base length at the top. I am wanting this shape because I like the look and my vent hood is this shape to tie everything in.

My first thought is to make the base width about 16 inches and taper to 12 at the top. I will create a long frame work that will support the length of the top and some to the width. That isn’t the issue I see, it’s getting it built to just find out that there isn’t enough leg room to use the table comfortably. If I use these measurements, I will have about 12 inches from the bottom of the base at the floor to the end of the table top. Is this enough???

 

[Duckler]

Dang!! Making a suggestion is just what I wanted to do, too.
Put a trough down the middle. Maybe make a fitted cover that will be flush with the table top.
Forgive me if this is more help than you wanted.  [eek]

 

[Packard]

Just an observation: 

My mom had the knack for picking out furniture that was good looking, but uncomfortable to use. 

She had two side chairs with screwed up ergonomics that was virtually unused when she replaced them 20 years later.

I wish I could say she replaced the dining table too.  (She didn’t).

The table’s apron was near the very edge of the table top.  I was doing heavy squats back then and the only place I could sit at was the center when the extra leaf was installed.  Otherwise I could not pull up to the table to eat. 

My suggestion is to make a mock up and test the ergonomics.  You cannot judge them by simply drawing dimensions on a piece of paper (or on a computer screen.)

Does this table top material have sufficient structure to be that long with no apron?  At least you will not have to bread-board the ends. 

To satisfy the curious:  The chairs’ arm rests were about 2” to 3” too low for anyone to react their elbows on.  Everyone who sat on those chairs ended up on the couch instead.