We need but cannot afford a new dining table to sit 10 people.
I have been thinking of this for a while and I want to make a flat top we can store vertically somewhere and only need to bring out when we have family /guests for dinner. Extra, bigger tops like this are very common in catering and the restaurant trade.

As a standard sheet is 1200 * 2400 I have been planning on using this size as it is almost the perfect size but I am unsure of which thickness of chipboard to use and what to use as edging.
I have however been reading that curving the long edges can add a touch of class to a long table as it makes end of dinner conversation more enjoyable and this makes sense to me.
I have the idea to use 12mm chipboard glued to the thinnest HW marine ply I can buy as we can then stain and finish the top so we don't need to buy new table cloths.
My questions, what sized curve? That is how wide should the ends be? Not to steep a curve so we can fit 2 people at the ends if need be; 850/900 mm or even 950mm wide at the ends?
What would be the best stuff to use as edging, at this stage I am thinking of a Porta double bull-nose molding and just cheap pine as the stiffening.
Will edge stiffening be enough and should I plan for a set of battens in the centre to act as locators as well as a couple of outriggers along the overhangs???


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