Dining Table Height

[efunc]

Hi all,

I've just bought a dining table, which I quite liked when I went to see it, but now that I've got it home to the kitchen I've discovered it's way too high! I just assumed they were all about the same height, but for some reason this one is 78cm high. Ideally I'd like about 72cm... or 74cm max!

So, before I go to the hassle of selling it and looking for another I wondered if anyone's tried shortening a table like this? The obvious options are shaving 10mm from the bottom feet, and about 10mm off the top of the pedestal. The annoying complication is that there are captive nuts in the top of the pedestal for the bolts that screw in the table top. Taking more than 10mm off the feet (plus the 5mm or so rubber foot stabalisers) might look quite strange. The top part of the pedestal is only about 50mm deep I think. I don't think there's anything that can be lost at the bottom of the table top because of the extra leaf stored there for the extending mechanism. All that effort would only really gain me about 2.5cm, and I really want about 5cm. Any ideas? Give up ans buy something else?

Bottom of feet:

Top of pedestal:

Bottom of table top:

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Might it just be the chairs, which are simply too low? Seat heights need to match table heights.

 

[efunc]

No, the table is 78cm

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

No, the table is 78cm

Ours is 76cms, I have just measured it. SWMBO is 5' nothing, we both find it perfectly comfortable at that height - so I would suggest your chairs seat bases are too low. Just for comfort, we have those tie on cushions, maybe you could try something similar?

 

[efunc]

28 - 30 inches is the standard as far as I know and considered optimum by restauranteurs, etc. My other ones are about 72cm which I find comfortable, but 78cm really feels unusually high, even with the chairs supplied with it as a set. I guess I'll probably have to sell this, which is a shame as it's very nice in other respects.

 

[SFK]

I have a table that is 2cm taller that it should be and I also find it a bit strange and annoying - so fully understand.

Options
1) Take off the protruding feet and put a felt pads there instead.
But only gains 1cm or so.

or

2) Take the two trapeze shaped wood planks off the table, and with a saw take off 2cm of wood form the lower edge of the trapeze shaped wood planks.
This is the option I would do as can use a £10 hand saw, But not sure if this reduction in size will effect the table mechanism.

or

3) Take off the protruding feet, cut a couple of cm off the wood legs, and put protruding feet back back on
BUT not sure I could cut them all the same length.

SFK

 

[efunc]

Yes, these are all solutions that could work when all combined. However I'm doubting my skills as it all requires more precision than it might seem, as well as tools I don't have. I might have to get a professional in, but christ knows how much they might charge...

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Given how thick the table top looks, is there a danger that with say 2" taken out of the highest that the underside of the table would be brushing the top of your thighs when you're sat at it?

 

[foxhole]

You can remove the captive nuts with Allen key , cut down and reinsert .