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

[Southerngunner]

Here is where it is so far , I need to clean up the welds( the material is galvanized). Also I have to pick up more metal,casters, and 3/4" plywood for the table top and side cabinet. I think that it will work out ok

[dikman]

Should be pretty solid!! Keep posting your progress.

[Southerngunner]

Thanks ,  It will be solid for sure, I will go pick up materials tomorrow and keep going. So far it has all been done with stuff that I had laying around and a little time

[kgg]

7 hours ago, Southerngunner said:

Also I have to pick up more metal,casters, and 3/4" plywood for the table top and side cabinet.

The metal frame looks really good. A couple of things to keep in mind:

i) Why are you installing casters?? Unless you are going to be moving it around a lot they maybe a waste of effort and if you decide to install them install the lockable style.

ii) The table top needs to be 1.5 inches thick so I would suggest doing your cutout for the machine base first in the top 3/4" piece of plywood then glue the bottom layer of 3/4" to the top layer. Remember the grain of the mating surfaces of the 3/4" plywood have to be 90 degrees to one and another to get max strength.

iii) You may want to consider welding a 3/4" x 1/8" tick angle iron stiffer across the front to prevent any table top sage along the front edge. I have see some tables that had a bow in the front.

kgg

[Southerngunner]

13 minutes ago, kgg said:

The metal frame looks really good. A couple of things to keep in mind:

i) Why are you installing casters?? Unless you are going to be moving it around a lot they maybe a waste of effort and if you decide to install them install the lockable style.

ii) The table top needs to be 1.5 inches thick so I would suggest doing your cutout for the machine base first in the top 3/4" piece of plywood then glue the bottom layer of 3/4" to the top layer. Remember the grain of the mating surfaces of the 3/4" plywood have to be 90 degrees to one and another to get max strength.

iii) You may want to consider welding a 3/4" x 1/8" tick angle iron stiffer across the front to prevent any table top sage along the front edge. I have see some tables that had a bow in the front.

kgg

Thanks for your input, I  did plan on adding another 1-1/2"x1/4"angle across the front but I ran out of material  today .I am also going to weld flat bar under both sides and I need to decide what to mount for the go pedal and presser foot lift. Also I only need a belt cutout and 5 holes to mount the Cobra class 26, plus light and thread stand holes. I  think that I will hold off on the casters for now until I get further along and then decide.

Regards,Terry

[kgg]

6 hours ago, Southerngunner said:

I  did plan on adding another 1-1/2"x1/4"angle across the front but I ran out of material  today .

I should clarify my suggestion on the front edge angle iron. I am assuming you are planning on cutting out a fairly large section with the base of the machine sat on the front to back edge just under the machine. That would mean the edge of the plywood would be unsupported. That is where I have seen sagging. I solved that potential problem when I moved to the 441 by adding a extra leg directly under the center of the machine.

6 hours ago, Southerngunner said:

I need to decide what to mount for the go pedal and presser foot lift.

If possible go to a industrial sewing machine repair shop as they typically have old table setups. They usually sell the bits and pieces like the complete frame or individual parts like the pedal and cross member pretty cheap. I usually pay about $50 CAD for a complete frame.

kgg

 

[dikman]

This was my solution, it takes up the minimal amount of space for a machine its size. It was necessary to extend the foot pedal support and fit a castor under the end because the centre of gravity of these machines means they tip over if the machine is mounted right on the edge of the table. The foot pedal arrangement might look a little strange but it lets me operate the foot lifter with my left foot so I don't have to shift my right foot off the go pedal. It's on wheels because I need to be able to move it depending on the workpiece BUT even though a couple are locking wheels it's not as stable as having a fixed table.

Edited April 4, 2024 by dikman

[Southerngunner]

That is definitely a small footprint, I can see where casters could become a little tipsy.

My cobra 26 isn't quite as large  but I plan on adding a cabinet on the opposite end of the table and extending the tabletop the extra distance. That should help balance things.

I have room for a slightly bigger table but I still need to be able to get it to a designated spot.

I haven't fully decided on casters yet, I'm not going to get in a hurry and end up changing stuff . Think 3 times build once.

 

[Southerngunner]

Update on progress of home made table.

Edited April 5, 2024 by Southerngunner

[Southerngunner]

Here is some more pics

Edited April 5, 2024 by Southerngunner
Duplicate picture