This is the starting point. A few more views of this follow.
This was a collapsible cutting table on wheels, where the two sides can fold down onto the center frame. The issue with this table was how the two extensions were supported. A leg would slide out into the center of the extension and into a simple friction lock. You can see it the leg in these three pictures.
In the last move, one of the legs was damaged beyond repair. As you can see in the middle picture on the right side I built a simple H-frame with plywood cross members to support the extension against the wall. But the wheel locks quit working long ago and the table had a tendency to migrate. This led to some spectacular collapses of the extension against the wall. I finally managed to secure it somewhat, though it still continued to move.
After much research into what other people were doing, the solution seemed to be Kallax bookcases. Starting with two 2 x 4 and one 2 x 2 bookcase as the endcap, I started building up a center console.
First there would be be no wheels, this would sit on a solid 2 x 4 frame. Second we did extensive research on the correct height. Too high or too low could be a big ergonomic issue so the goal was to get the correct height +/- 1/4 inch. When that number was determined, I ripped the 2 x 4 lumber to the correct height.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I did a dry fit in the garage of everything that follows. This allowed for drilling holes where needed and testing to make sure the fit was correct.
Here is the frame placed in the room. Because the Kallax bookcases would run perpendicular to the wall, placement along the wall was very critical.
Because placement was critical and I needed more support, I attached this frame to the wall and the bookcase to the right. The two spacers attaching to the bookcase on the right provided the correct placement. I was
also trying to avoid drilling into the wood floor. This arrangement seemed
to make a sturdy connection.
Here are the bolts into the base board and
the wall frame.
The next layer is a 3/4 inch piece of of plywood. Since this is not exposed anywhere, I used a sheathing type plywood. I then added a trim piece on the edge, just to clean up the edge and even painted a border just in case anything showed through.
Since the width of a 2 x 2 Kallax unit is not the same as two 2 x 4 Kallax units back to back, there was a little notch on the end as shown here.
Next is to lay this down onto the frame and screw it in place. This will give the frame rigidity and provide a solid foundation for the Kallax bookcases.
Now the Kallax bookcases are installed on top of this plywood base. If you look closely at the bookcase on the left, you can see the metal brackets that were used to tie the two bookcases together. It needs to be noted that these bookcases are not solid. The walls are mostly made of a corrugated interior, except around the edges. The center area really has nothing that a screw can grip. There is about a 1" strip around the edges where the outside frame is solid press board. That is about the only place you can expect a screw to hold.
Before using the aforementioned brackets, I used long clamps to pull the two bookcases together and hold them in place.Then I screwed the brackets in place.
Now I install the 2 x 2 bookcase on the end.
In order to get a tight fit, I again used clamps to pull the endcap bookcase tight against the other two bookcases. The endcap bookcase is then attached to the other two bookcases using the standard IKEA wall mounting brackets. This will not hold in the long term because of the bookcase material. We will put a single piece Formica type countertop that spans the distance from the wall to a few inches past the end bookcase. All of the bookcases will be screwed into this single countertop and that will rigidly hold everything in place, as the countertop will also be attached to the wall.
Here you can notice why there was a small cutout in the base. The end bookcase width is shorter than the depth of two of the bookcases.
You can see that there is a toe kick space under the bookcases. This allows standing up against the counter, even though the overhang on left side the countertop will allow for the use of a stool.
Once all the bookcases were tied together, I then put one long screw in each cubby area. Here you can the screw head in the center towards the front. The closeup picture shows that I used a large head and screwed it down until the material just started to deform. These screws probably went through the plywood, but since nothing is underneath and the plywood is 2 inches off the floor, that really doesn't matter.
Finally at the wall end, there will there will be an open storage area under the countertop. The plywood has one coat of white paint, but probably needs another to help seal the plywood. Not sure how this will be used, since access is limited.
Once the countertop is installed, this will be finished!
