How to Keep Table Leaves Together

How to Keep Table Leaves Together
How to Keep Table Leaves Together

We have a big kitchen table which has one or two leaves in it at all times.  I hate it when the leaves work themselves apart.  The table has a latch to hold it together but if you have a leaf installed it doesn’t work because there are not catches on the leaves–it only works when there is no leaf in the table.  Well this is a problem to be solved and I have a solution for you that doesn’t require you to buy any special parts.  You can fix this with what you have around your home.  Here’s the issue:

Table Leaves Do Not Latch
Problem: Table Leaves Do Not Latch

How to Keep Table Leaves Together

Hardware:

  • Any table with leaves

Parts Needed:

  • wire hanger

Tools Needed:

Step 1:  Prepare a hanger.

You’ll need a large wire hanger like the one seen below:

Wire hanger for fixing our table
Wire hanger for fixing our table

Step 1a: Untwist the end of the hanger:

Wire Hanger Untwisted
Untwist the top of the hanger

Step 1b: Take your pliers and straighten the bends of the hanger:

Straighten the bends of the hanger with a pliers
Straighten the bends of the hanger with a pliers

I had a pretty big hanger so this is all did to straighten it:

Straightened wire hanger
Straightened wire hanger

Step 1c: Then cut off the spiral end of the hanger:

Cut the spiral end off the hanger
Cut the spiral end off the hanger

Step 2: Bend the end into a loop so it will catch on the fixed side of the table latch.

This is what mine looked like:

Hanger loop on fixed catch
Fashion the end of the hanger to loop around the catch

Step 3: Bend the other end so the hook on the latch pulls the table together.

 

Make the loop at a length so the wire will be tight when latched
Make the loop at a length so the wire will be tight when latched
Bend the wire over
Bend the wire over

Bend the end of the wire so it loops around and then cut the excess off:

 

Latch loop complete
Latch loop complete

Step 4: Lock the latch on the loop.

Now your table will stay together:

Problem Solved
Problem Solved

Step 5: Make another connecting wire for when you have two leaves in the table.

At our last house we always had two leaves in the table and now that I’m storing the extra leaf, I keep the longer connecting wire taped under the extra leaf, ready when I need it:

Make another connecting wire for your second leaf
My extra long connecting rod taped on the underneath side of my second leaf

Inevitably you (and your kids) will want to “play” your repair:

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