Has Anyone Built Their Own Industrial Sewing Tables? --Can You Critique My Idea?

[thesergeant]

Hey guys, so the table from my 1940s Singer 111 is shot. A leg is broken, it's wobbly and the table top is warped beyond salvage.

I was about to just buy a new table top and k-legs but my wife saw a photo of the setup and insisted I make something since she thought the k-leg setup was an eyesore. I'm always up for a project so I figured I'd give it a shot. I took a 6 week welding class a couple months ago and recently picked up an oxyacetylene setup. I thought this might be a good project to practice those skills. This is what I'm thinking:

For the table top I think I'm going to go the easy route and just pick up a finished 1" thick all wood top from Ikea for $40. it's 2'x4' and is made of pine (not ideal, i know) so I might reinforce either the underside or the perimeter if I feel it might sag. From there I'm just going to remove the old top, trace and mark all the cutouts and just drill/cut/route everything out. I've made a few hinged sewing tables before so I'm not too worried about this part. After it's finished I'll stain and poly it. Here's the table top: http://www.ikea.com/...ducts/40136558/

For the legs I was debating between using threaded black pipe and fittings or just brazing the whole thing with 1" & 3/4" pipe. If I go with the pipe fittings I'd do an H-Leg design with a 3/4" bar across the bottom for the pedal and perhaps and extra support across the back. This is the style I'm going for, t-fittings, floor flanges and all:

OR I was thinking of brazing 1" copper pipe in a similar fashion. I think it would make for a cool industrial look and go well with the beat up machine and leather drive belt. Maybe use fitting too just to make alignment easier.

What do you guys think? Have any of you guys built your own? I'd be curious to here about your experiences And yes, I realize that I can buy a complete setup for $200 shipped to my door, but this is something unique and will be a fun project, assuming it's sturdy enough.

Suggestions & criticisms welcome, please!

Edited June 22, 2013 by thesergeant

[gottaknow]

I would laminate two of the tops together. A 111 head weighs about 75 lbs and you're going to be cutting a big hole in it. On a standard sewing table, the frame supports the right end of the table. Don't forget you'll be hanging a motor on it too. On the other hand, I've seen the $200 aftermarket table tops warp like crazy. Neat idea.

Regards, Eric

[Tree Reaper]

For another $25 you can get one ready to go if it fits your machine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Industrial-Sewing-Machine-Table-Top-206RB-226R-LU-563-DNU-1541S-111W-155-3115-/300889790286?pt=BI_Textile_Equipment&hash=item460e6dd74e

What they call 1 inch is usually dressed out to 3/4, not very strong.

If I was making that I would go with laminated hardwood, starting with 2 inch lumber and planing it to 1 1/2 once laminated.

You would need the tools, saws,,jointer, router, clamps and then you have to get it planed.

The cast iron pipe and fittings would be much better than the copper , you would be able to adjust the legs for an uneven floor surface.

[Trox]

I know those ikea plates they are to thin. I used two and glued them together. Normally you should cross the wood when you glue plates like this together so they do not bend as they dry out. However, when you making a flatbed table you do not have that option (as if you where making a top for a cylinderbed half the size). Add a couple of wooden stiffeners and some screws underneath, then it will do the trick. If you are going to make the stand legs underneath the table, do not use copper pipes or round tubes. Use square or rectangle steel tubes or profiled steel. You can also use wood, but remember these machines are heavy and they do not sit still. Its going a big motor underneath and the round legs will not take up the sideways force of it. You do not need a industrial look, but an industrial quality. If you do not have the option of welding the steel, you can bolt it together with screws.

Good luck

Tor

[shtoink]

Just tossing out the idea for the table top...

http://picnicpark.org/keith/woodworking/workbench/

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/22183

Those links are good example of what comes to mind for the table portion of your iron-pipe-legged beast of a table. You can use a 2 part epoxy type glue and clamps to bond the 2x4's together and then attack the top with a belt sander (or whatever your favor) to flatten it all out. If you really want to go nuts, you can even cross drill through the boards and clamp them all together with fender washers, bolts, and threaded rods, but that might be just a bit of an overkill.

You don't plan on moving this thing around very often, do you? After it's all said and done, the table might weight quite a bit.

As an added bonus with those flanges for feet, you get the ability to level the table with them. Built in adjustability!

[Ferg]

Talk about overkill, you guys are dreaming up something that is totally unnecessary.

If you wish to make a top with laminate as a finished surface, obtain a piece or 4 x 8 foot sheet of particle board 1 1/8" thick. You can build an under carriage/leg set from 2 x 4's you can buy at Lowe's or HD if you like but the "H" set of legs available that are made for this purpose, I know your wife thinks they are ugly, has everything where it is supposed to be with no interference when you mount a motor, cut a belting hole, etc. You think that 11/8" particle board isn't heavy enough? I have three of them and I see absolutely no problem with any of them.

IMHO, Buy the "H" leg set and cover it with something that makes it look Industrial if you will.

BTW: If I put a table under one of my machines with that black pipe for legs my wife would make it disappear. LOL

ferg

[thesergeant]

Thanks so much for the feedback guys! Really appreciate it!

I think I'm going to go for the 1" solid pine Ikea table top since it's cheap ~$50 and I can put a stain on it. I'm going to fillet braze a steel frame out of 1" square tubing for the perimeter of the table top and then run a brace down the middle (directly to the left of the machine) to keep it from sagging. Figure the cost will be $50 for the table and $15 for the steel.

As for the legs, as much as my wife wants me to use black pipe the cost is unreasonable. I priced it out and it's almost $150 in fittings. Not worth it in my opinion. So I'm just going to use some 1" square tubing and weld it into an H frame with a round 3/4" tube for the foot pedal. I'm going to braze everything together with brass/copper and force a patina on the steel to bring out the welds. I'm hoping it will come out looking pretty cool. Figure the cost for the steel is another $40-50.

I'll post some photos. When it's complete.

Here's a shot of the last table I made for my Singer 201 prior to finishing.

[Ian1783]

I have no doubt your table, however it's made will turn out looking great! Do post pics when complete (or in the process - that'd be cool!).

FWIW, I like the industrial-style table that came with my Singer 153 W 103, a medium weight machine, so a medium weight table. It's almost spindly - quite delicate, I think, for an industrial table. I gave it a fresh coat of paint (black), and with its faux-wood laminate top, it looks good enough to have my wife think so. Graceful little curves at the feet where I attached fairly light-weight lockable wheels. The whole thing should weigh quite a bit less with a servo motor, rather than the monster that it came with.

[Trox]

Overkill? those ikea plates are 23 mm soft pine, Using two of them is no overkill. Its normal to use 50 mm in table tops, and better material than the crappy ikea stuff. I already regret using them. However, thats what I had when I did the top. I forgot to mention its a heavy Adler 105 going on the top of it.

[Trox]

Nothing is "solid" when it comes from Ikea. Those plates are called "hobby plates" here and made by 23 mm soft pine, used for book shelf and flower pots. The wood is taken from the outside layers of the log and curl up whit a three degree weather change . With a frame around its of course stronger. Ikea uses only the cheapest stuff and child labor, Its reasonable priced however. Maybe Ikea has managed to make a name for them self in the USA, here they fool nobody. I have installed a fair amount of Ikea kitchens in my time, I know what I talking about. ( cra........)

Before all tops where made of 2 inch American plywood, now they use the bad fiber plates (particle board); they do not hold up. I have a plate like that on my Adler 204 machine/ with a heavy Efka variostop underneath. The table moves ten inches sideways every time the motor kicks in. The particle board sucks up water and give bad support for screws, the vibration from the machine makes it all worse. They do not use water proof particle boards in those cheap sewing machine tops, they do not hold up for long.

I know it is a economy crisis, but come on. Its better to spend a couple of dollars more the first time than have to do it all over again when it breaks down. I know Erik will agree with me, he knows that is the most economical solution in the long run.

Tor