I just completed the all-of-five-minute modification that will allow
me to raise the rear table straight up to access the two cabinets
underneath without pulling the table out. It took a minute of
whittling on the end of a 1" dowel and a dab of epoxy. Thanks to the
original poster a week or so ago for that.

While installing it, it came to me that if you could just make the end
of the table flip up and over itself with a hinge, you could also open
the cabinet door without pulling the table out, either in its raised
or lowered position.

While I haven't done this yet, I remembered some nice brass hinges I
had lying around from my furniture making days. They are called card
table hinges, and they go on the edges of the table (unlike "normal
hinges that mount underneath) and allow the top to flop over itself
180 degrees. Here's a link
<http://www.paxtonhardware.com/Card-Table-Hinges/departments/1022/>

These are pretty pricey, but very well made. They are made by chance
to pretty perfectly fit the thickness of the westy table material. It
would probably help to screw an extension under the table surface a
few inches out for the table to rest on when it is in the extended
position�the hinges are certainly strong enough to bear the weight of
use, but I doubt if the plywood material would put up with the torque
that would be put on the screws on each side. A careful job with a
sharp knife could cut away the exact amount and shape of the rubber
t-molding to recess these beautifully.

You would have to pull the table out about an inch to flop it over (to
miss the curtains and the elastic cord in front of them), but then it
could be pushed back to the wall/window.

Has anybody ever tried it?

Jim