Building Work Tables

[stickandtin]

Wife got started learning to do upholstery work this year. Bought her a new Juki 1541S in January. She has sewn all her life, but only on a home use machine making clothes, pillows etc. the Juki was a mighty big step up. Since January, she has made a lot of progress. Learning the ins and outs of the Juki was the biggest challenge. Her hobby is turning into a regular business that is now taking up a good portion of the house. We have a 14' x 28' portable building that I will be turning into an upholstery shop for her. She will need work tables. Can anyone give me some input on how big the tables should be, what kind of material should the tops be made of, how tall, etc. I have read some folks integrate the sewing machine table into the work table. What are the pros and cons of doing this. Eventually she will be reupholstering cushions and seats for the vintage travel trailers I restore and may expand to making awnings for them as well. Thanks for your advice.

[zuludog]

Here are a few assorted comments:-

On the principle that what will do a lot will do a little, the stronger the better. You never know when you might want to add, say, a bench press or a stand for a large roll of cloth.

In Britain there are companies and community projects that salvage, reclaim, and recycle timber, factory fittings, and so on

Or search and ask around yourself for factories, workshops, warehouses, etc. that may be closing down, being demolished, or having a modernisation. Often the foreman will let you have the stuff for a token payment if you can haul it away yourself.

Besides tables, don't forget racking, shelves, cupboards, tools, light fittings, stationery, office odds & ends, and just about anything else that's going for free!

Before it gets cluttered paint your workshop in a bright glossy paint to reflect light and keep it easy to clean

It is well worth checking and sanding all your work tables for rough edges, splinters, removing old tacks & nails. Something like that could spoil an expensive piece of work

An example; my neighbour cleans in a local building society office; a couple of years ago they replaced their computer desks which had recessed tops to take the early large cathode screen monitors, and got new desks with the normal desktops for flat screens.

I heard of this, and got one of the old desks. All I had to do was to find a new top. The result is a very strong steel framed desk with a stack of drawers for next to nothing. I only needed one, but they were throwing out 7 or 8

Another example I was in the town centre a few months ago. A men's tailors had been taken over by a larger chain, and they were completely rennovating & gutting the old shop. They had two skips outside and were dumping everything - shop fittings, fabric and finished goods samples; display stands; chairs & desks; tables; shop fittings; filing cabinets; even the kettles & toasters from the staff room! I could have taken everything and anything, it was a damn shame that it was all going to the tip. Moral; keep your eyes & ears open, and your wits about you.

While you're at it see if you can get a couple of chairs with castors

In Britain there are standard heights for desks & benches, but don't be afraid to modify them to suit yourself

I know everything seems to be computerised now, but you will still need some sort of desk and/or filing cabinet for patterns, templates, sketches, notes, order book/day book, or just somewhere comfortable to sit down with a cup of tea! ( and somewhere to keep the bottle of Scotch)

Fit the workshop with a decent lock & security

If you're doing something like that it would be handy to have some sort of van; estate car; station wagon; or pickup truck

This is a couple of edits later

You have a lot of room for your workshop. Here are a couple of alternative layouts

1) A wide, say 4' bench along one wall to take the sewing machine and any other small machines & tools. Then a long table - 12 to 15 feet long about the same width, completely clear, for rolling out fabric and trying patterns

2) A 4' wide bench as in 1) but a narrower bench opposite to hold minor items of fabric and work; or even no shelf or bench. This would allow for a large central island or console bench to spread our fabric, full size patterns or mock - ups in paper or cheap fabric, old sheets or whatever; it is often called a 'laying out bench'. You could get access all around, and sketch & plan to your hearts content. You could also use this in discussions with your customers

Look at you roof space; there may be room there to store plywood templates; odds & ends of fabric; a long steel bar for a straightedge; and so on

Check with your insurance company They are usually very fussy about working from home.

Edited September 29, 2015 by zuludog

[stickandtin]

Zuludog- thanks for your well thought out suggestions. I appreciate a good single malt. Glendranach or Glenmorangie aged in sherry casks comes to mind.

[zuludog]

Remember that these are not definitive instructions. Rather they are ideas & suggestions & ideas to get you (and anyone else) thinking & planning & doodling about where to go, and what to do, and what to get

You can very easily fall into the the trap - my favourite guitarist is more obscure than your favourite guitarist. My favourite whisky is more obscure or more expensive than yours; and so on

'Chance favours the prepared mind'

Look out for any way of scrounging wood, shelving and so on. Put the word out - you might just hear of someone who is retiring from a lifetime of tailoring/car trimming/leatherwork/coachbuilding and would love for their tools & materials to go to a good home.

If you're interested, my favourite malt is Talisker. My favourite ordinary (ie cheaper) whisky is Stewarts Cream of the Barley. My favourite guitarist is Michael Chapman - why isn't he better known?! Search for him on YouTube.

Listen to 'Trains'; not so spectacular, but an absolute masterclass in playing a guitar.

Also 'BBC4 Songwriters circle 2012'

Ahhh... then you can go on & on...

There are two things that a Scotsman takes naked. One of them is whisky

Edited September 29, 2015 by zuludog

[stickandtin]

Actually, there is a surplus sale coming up that has several 2" thick solid core interior doors listed. They have laminate on both sides. I figured they might make a dandy long work table top. I'll have to check the local liquor warehouse and see if they stock Talisker. Never heard of stewart's cream of the barley but will check for that as well. Is it true that Famous Grouse, although a blended scotch, is the house scotch in pubs in Scotland?

[zuludog]

I'm afraid that I don't know all the ins & outs of the whisky business; but there are a few brands owned by the large brewing & drinks companies that carve up the popular end of the business with their popular brands - Teachers; Bells, Johnnie Walker, White Horse and so on. Then you can work through the various names & brands, and prices, till you become quite confused.

These will account for much of the market, each with their own niche and pecking order.

Famous Grouse is one of them, though you need to be a real expert (or saddo!) to know what's what and who owns & supplies whom. All 'house whiskies', those ordered straight over the bar, will be blended whiskies. For a malt you would usually have to order it by name, and pay more

Some of these popular brands that are just a bit higher than the absolute cheapest blended whiskies will have a certain amount of malt whisky in them, but they don't exactly broadcast the fact and you have to do a bit of homework to find them. On the other hand, a good blended whisky can be every bit as good as an average malt; that's the skill of the blender, but as with so many things, he is often forced to work to a price

The whole area is an absolute minefield of confusion. You would really need to search the Net and devote a large part of your income and the health of your liver to find the answers.

However, the Scotch whisky industry has very high standards of quality control, traceability, marketing, production standards, and the name/brands/image; and against any adulteration and abuse, This is reinforced by HMRC - the government's tax inspectors, on manufacturers/distillers, retailers, and consumers. We don't like paying the tax, but we appreciate and respect that it maintains the standards. You can be sure that anything labelled as Scotch Whisky will be (within its price range) pretty good

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Picture a bleak, cold, misty Highland hillside in December. One of the ghillies had his ears exposed and they were a mixture of red raw & dead white. Someone asked him why he did not pull down the ear flaps of his hat

" Ah dinnae use them; ah dinnae use them since the Great Disaster of '62".

"Oh aye, Angus, and what was that?"

" The Laird asked if we'd tak' a drop of the Macallan, and ah didnae hear him!"

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I have heard a Scottish gamekeeper state that a half bottle of whisky is "a highly inconvenient measure"..." for it is too much for one, but not enough for two".

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Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, so much of its activity is politics; administration; the Arts; and so on. It is also the headquarters of The Church of Scotland, which is a strict protestant church

Glasgow is the other main city of Scotland and it is based on shipbuilding, engineering, and other heavy industries; Glaswegians have a reputation for serious, hard drinking. They say people have more fun at a Glaswegian funeral than an Edinburgh wedding

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Hmm... Didn't we start off with a workshop? think I'd better finish

u become

Edited September 30, 2015 by zuludog

[Sonydaze]

I built mine 4' x 8'....two sheets of 5/8' plywood on top. The frame is overbuilt with two shelves for storing rolls of leather. Take the time to both glue and screw everything together, as it makes a big difference in rigidity, especially over time. A friend copied my table without using glue, his table became quite wobbly after awhile. On top of the plywood, I have a 4' x 8' x 1/4" sheet of white plastic (like cutting board plastic) so that I can cut anywhere on it...reducing the need to move hides around. If she is using a rotary cutter to cut out larger pieces, she will love it. 'Standard' height is 32"-34". I'm tall, so my table is 36" high, but you can make it whatever height your wife finds comfortable. Then match the table height of the sewing machine to it, so you can put the sewing machine on the end of it. My .02 on work tables

Nothing like a good single malt.

[LumpenDoodle2]

As to best height of work tables. Take the measurement from floor to wrist, and this should allow you to comfortable lay your hands flat on the work surface. This height will prevent backache.

And can I just add "you'll have had your tea, then".

Edited September 30, 2015 by LumpenDoodle2

[stickandtin]

Thanks again for all the input. At one of the sewing supply stores in town, I notice their work table used for cutting fabric has a "V" shaped aluminum channel imbedded in it, flush with the top. The salesperson rolls out the fabric, then using scissors cuts the fabric using the channel as a guide. Does anyone here recommend having this channel set in the table? I have also seen an aluminum 8ft long measuring stick imbedded flush with the top in the long edge of a work table. Advantages/disadvantages of doing that? LumpenDoodle2, good tip on measuring a comfortable height for a work table. My wife is 5' 10" and I was wondering how to figure what height her work table should be for maximum comfort.

Edited September 30, 2015 by stickandtin

[johnv474]

There is a company called Kee Klamps that sells pipe fittings and pipe for making industrial-strength tables, with lots of helpful measurements and ideas. They are not cheap but are exceedingly durable. SimplifiedBuilding.com is the website, I believe.

One thing you may want to include is a debarked stump/tree trunk piece, standing on end about 30" tall or so. It is wonderful how much a solid piece of wood will handle hammer blows while muting the sound. I got a piece from someone giving them away, and for 20 bucks I got two, cut to length.

[stickandtin]

Hi JohnV- I happen to have two of those tree trunk sections. I use one for splitting firewood. Was going to mount an anvil on the other for use in my shop. That's a good tip. Follow up on the surplus auction site. I won the auction for the doors. Got seven 36" wide x 7ft tall solid core doors 1 1/2 inches thick covered in laminate, ten solid wood doors 36" x 7 ft tall and 1 1/2 inches thick and three odd size doors.... 20 in all for $88.00. Planning on making the sewing table out of the 7ft tall laminate doors.