Folding Table Design

[Stanley Covington]

Would it help her if you made the tops like shoji frames- meaning, does she have to do any stitching while the quilt is lying flat, so the open spaces would actually help her keep the pieces aligned? When not in use, the tops could be stored as...shoji. The open spaces would have to be a bit smaller that regular shoji, though, if she uses small fabric pieces.

Of course, that's a lot more work for you - but they would be very light and maybe additionally useful

good luck with the pins, check your tabi often
Karl

Thanks for the suggestion, Karl. I will ask her of she thinks a latticework working surface would be an advantage or not. I suspect that, if I made the openings between kumiko large enough to get a hand and needle between, the fabric of her quilts, and the millions of pins she uses to hold pieces in place while stitching, would hang up instead of moving freely across the tabletop.

As you say, it certainly would be lighter!

Alas, their is no chance of avoiding pin-foot. She is too clever and too thorough in how she distributes them throughout the house. I even find them in bed! Ouch!

Stan

[Al Launier]

http://buffalowoodcraft.com/solid-wo...ure/wood-table

Best design I've seen for these. I was thinking of doing the same thing, but modifying it to suit a drafting table that I desperately need in my office.

Totally agree with you Matt. I think that is a great design: love the ruggedness, functionality & appearance, plus the lack of stringer & hardware.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I usually take something such as a folding saw horse and then drop a piece of plywood on top, which started me thinking a bit. What are the primary storage and assembly constraints?

The referenced tables all had a solid top except for one suggestion of a table with "leaves". Is there a problem with storing the entire top full size? Is fast assembly important? The "kick starter" design looks to be very fast to assemble, but you need to be able to store the entire top.

You might be able to build two smaller tables that have the ability to connect with some level of stability, or perhaps the extra stability is not required and two smaller tables side by side is sufficient. If the top size can be large, is a torsion top appropriate since it is likely lighter?

[lowell holmes]

Google "folding table plans" and see what comes up.

[Pat Barry]

I need to make a couple of folding tables for the lady wife for her quilting. She makes large quilts, so they need to be dining-table size. She is tiny and feisty and hard on furniture, so they need to be light but durable. She has whispered threats along the line of "pins in my boots" if I don't do a good job. If you live in a house with a quilter, you know the threat of pins and needles is not to be ignored.

She currently uses plastic folding tables we bought at Costco in California, but they are near the end of their useful life. I want to make these tables out of softwood for the light weight. Thinking of Akita Sugi cedar. Cheap and easy to find.

I am familiar with the old-style military campaign tables, but find them clunky. I found a couple of other examples on the web. One is quite modern. Not certain how stable it would be, or how the connections would hold up over time. The other is more 18th century in appearance. I have no doubt it would be stable, but it would also be heavier and thicker.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...-folding-table

https://jimthechairmaker.wordpress.c...ury-furniture/

Any comments?

Suggestions for better designs would be appreciated.

On pins and needles in Tokyo,

Stan

I'd try to find a folding table or two that you could buy - ie: Costco, KMART, Target. They will be relatively cheap, you'll have them now, they will be lighter for her to handle, etc - bonus - you can be freed up to do what YOU want.