Pedestal table

[Mike Walsh]

Looking for some help ... A designer friend has asked me about building a round pedestal table for one of her clients. The client has specific requests for the table to be 36" high, 66" in diameter with a base of around 24-30" in diameter. From what I've been able to find in books and online, the recommended base diameter should be at least 60% of the top's diameter to avoid tipping problems - in this case that would result in a base of ~40" diameter. She wants the table to be made of ash, top of 1-1-1/4 thickness, base will be reeded probably with a tambour glued over a hollow plywood column (not helpful in adding more weight closer to the ground).

I got strong pushback that the 40" was "way too big" so am looking for thoughts from the forum?

Thanks,
Mike

[Richard Coers]

36" height is about 7" too high in my opinion. No way can they pass food across that table at that height. A mockup is definitely needed for them to visualize what they are asking for. If they insist, make sure you have a great contract for them and the designer to sign!

[Jamie Buxton]

Could you make the base with a 24” cylinder plus a flat circular plate that sits on the floor? It could be just 1/4” steel, with a large enough diameter to prevent tip-overs.

[Jamie Buxton]

Or… You make the column as the cylinder the customers want. You make the top separable from the base, so the table can be moved. The base is now a cylinder with an open top. Put it in place, fill it with sandbags, and fasten the top on . With enough weight in the base, it will not tip over.

[Mel Fulks]

My guess is she doesn’t know the difference between diameter and circumference. Would not make anything with out first making her
sign one of two pieces of round cardboard …..made to full-size for each part. Most of us have probably built stuff for at least one nut case who said “ I hate it and I’m not paying for it”, after seeing what they ordered. But ONCE is all the education most need ! When
it’s woman they cry and say they are gonna sue you, AND tell all their friends ! Only good thing in all of this is they don’t have any friends.

[John Ziebron]

Why not have a pedestal base with short legs to meet the minimum diameter needed. That's what I did with my current dining table. Mine is square with 4 legs for symmetry but with a round top you could use 3 legs. And people could choose that sit with their feet between the legs or straddle them.

[Mike Walsh]

Thanks for the comments, concerns and suggestions. I’m in the process of doing some scale drawings with pedestal alone, pedestal with a round base as Jamie suggested and also one with 4-6 feet projecting out from the bottom. Also had a similar thought to Jamie to make the top removable and load the base with weight. This might be a way to meet their specs in a usable way - table probably could not be moved without pulling the top off and removing sandbags, but I can also “spec”” that

[Kent A Bathurst]

I'm curious as to what is the driver behind these specs. I'll take a shot at one possibility: the client has a set of 3-4 chairs/stools that are taller than normal. These dimensions allow them to be used, with room for knees and feet under the table.

And elbows resting on the table top. Sometimes only one bozo like me putting max weight on only one side of the table, which can add several kilos at one spot on the very edge of the table's perimeter..........

Maybe bags of bird shot rather than sand.

There are times when "no thanks" might be the best answer.

[Thomas Pender]

I go with Kent. A no thank you is a good idea when requirements are not practical.

A 36” high table would be unique in my experience and I also agree, just figuring the overbalance and center of gravity, that you have to have 40” at the bottom - filled with sand or bird shot or not. One thing that might work is to show her, with cardboard and perhaps some plywood what what she wants would look like.

[Jamie Buxton]

I've had several requests recently for 36"-tall tables which will be used for dining. The chairs turn out to be the kind which are used at kitchen dining nooks. They're often called bar chairs or bar stools, and are readily available in a variety of styles. I suspect the interest in this height of table is interior designers, who need to be doing something unlike the other designers.

[Dennis Jarchow]

I've had several requests recently for 36"-tall tables which will be used for dining. The chairs turn out to be the kind which are used at kitchen dining nooks. They're often called bar chairs or bar stools, and are readily available in a variety of styles. I suspect the interest in this height of table is interior designers, who need to be doing something unlike the other designers.

Just to clarify, chairs for a 36" high table are called counter height chairs and the seat is usually 24" high. Bar stools are for an ~42" surface and the seat is 30" high. I am shopping for bar stools and counter height chairs for our basement I am finishing so I am familiar with the heights.

[Mike Cutler]

Build a mockup out of cardboard. It's cheap and that may encourage some discussion.
Be prepared though, that she may know exactly what she wants for a good reason.
I am 6'3" tall. Not that tall really, and I have never been able to sit comfortably at a standard height dinner table, in standard height chairs.
Our kitchen counters are 36" high, as is the center island we eat at. This a little taller than standard. My wife is 5'6" high, and she loves this height.
The chairs we use are are barstools that were made by Darrell Green, which he lowered to about 24" to the seat. They are very comfortable.
If the client is a taller women, it may be that she's simply tired of having to conform to the normal dimensions of furniture, which suck for taller people.
Build a mockup. Don't use lead shot for ballast weight. That opens a Pandora's box of liability.

[Mike Walsh]

Thanks again for all the comments. The designer has told me the table will be used for crafting and gaming with counter height stools around it. Still not sure what’s driving the request for the very large too over a narrow has, other than the “look”. In addition to the drawings I’m going to suggest/demand a mockup of some sort. Thanks!

[glenn bradley]

I'm in the "I'll pass" camp as well. This is not the first time someone who knows nothing about it has tried to design something and it won't be the last. Anything and everything that goes wrong will their design be your fault. The question is do you want to be involved in what will become an ongoing dance with this client. I would agree to build it if I got to bolt it to the floor or add an adequate ballast. My parents had a 48" pedestal table with a 20" base The base looked like a turned column, was 20" tall, was cast plastic, and weight 150lbs.

[Keegan Shields]

Mike,

Its sounds like your client is considering something similar to this table my client (wife) requested. Its made from white oak. The top is ~1" thick with undercut edges.

It is stable without weight, but I can tip it if I lean on the edge with my elbows while sitting. The fix is easy - bolt a weight to the bottom of the base or pop in a sandbag. I left a hole in the top for this purpose incase the design was too top heavy.

Dimensions of the table below are 52" diameter table top, 20" diameter base.

498919

498920

[Mike Walsh]

Hi Keegan,

yes your table does look very similar to pictures that the client has provided. Curious, did you make the tambour/reeding for the base our source it commercially?

Thanks,
Mike

[Keegan Shields]

Mike,

I cross cut a bunch of 4/4 white oak boards to the correct length (29" maybe?) then jointed and planed them to thickness. I then used a round over bit in the router table to put a bull nose profile on each long edge. Then I ripped a tambour strip off each side with my slider. Rinse and repeat until I had enough strips.

I then glued the strips to a canvas drop cloth backer with wood glue. Once that was dry I glued the canvas-backed-strips to the plywood frame and used ratchet straps to clamp it down. Because the whole thing was getting dyed black with India ink, it hid any gaps or imperfections. Top coat is semi-gloss pre-cat lacquer.

Here's a picture of the strips before gluing the canvas drop cloth to it.

499098


Hope that helps.

[Tom Bender]

Rather than a loose weight I'd install a concrete weight more permanently and be sure to make some kind of handle for lifting the base to move it. Top must be well fastened and strong because the whole thing will be moved by grabbing it.

[Jamie Buxton]

Rather than a loose weight I'd install a concrete weight more permanently and be sure to make some kind of handle for lifting the base to move it. Top must be well fastened and strong because the whole thing will be moved by grabbing it.

I suggested sandbags -- that is, loose weights -- thinking that to move the table you could move the sandbags individually, and separately from the wood part of the base.

[George Yetka]

Rather than a loose weight I'd install a concrete weight more permanently and be sure to make some kind of handle for lifting the base to move it. Top must be well fastened and strong because the whole thing will be moved by grabbing it.

I would think you dont even need to add the water or take it out of the bag.


Can this be attached to the floor if they are dead set on it?