Looking for a new table

[abruck]

Does anybody know of a good place to purchase a table? Need a larger surface for drafting/cutting and there's so many tables I don't even know where to begin. I just need something basic and sturdy. Open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks so much,

Alec

[Greger]

Some, mostly older, do everything on a small table, 3 feet by 6 feet, or, close to that size. If you have a tailor to show you how, otherwise, I recommend not that small.
A good size is the length of coat and trousers. Some use the length for coat and 2 trousers.
Most cloth comes on the double of 30 inches or a bit less. 32 inches wide Is good for a width. Some tailors can walk all around, most don't.

[Hendrick]

Agree with Greger. I use two tables of that size, but they have wheels with "brakes", I can roll them together to form a large square that I have just about enough space for to walk around. Hight is very important for me; tables are 82 cms high so I can work comfortably without bending too much...

[abruck]

Thank you both!!

[JordanM]

Does anybody know of a good place to purchase a table? Need a larger surface for drafting/cutting and there's so many tables I don't even know where to begin. I just need something basic and sturdy. Open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks so much,

Alec

Can IKEA be an option? xD

[abruck]

Does anybody know of a good place to purchase a table? Need a larger surface for drafting/cutting and there's so many tables I don't even know where to begin. I just need something basic and sturdy. Open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks so much,

Alec

Can IKEA be an option? xD

was thinking that honestly lol

Probably the cheapest option as well. They probably only have plywood though, would prefer a solid wood table.

[spookietoo]

My first thought was how much room do you have and will the table need to stay up all the time or will you need to be able to put it away. Are you working professionally or just mostly for yourself?

I'm not a huge IKEA fan as quality and longevity aren't usually anything to be expected. However, one thing they do offer is the ability to purchase legs only and it's been a while since I looked, but some used to be height adjustable.
You are then free to build your own top.

Most of the time, like most currently manufactured furniture, the substrate used for IKEA tops is MDF - moderate density fiber board. Many current inexpensive kitchen cabinets are made of the same stuff. Plywood is more durable. However some manufacturers are using LDF - Low density fiberboard which isn't as durable and can warp easier. If built properly, there is less chance of an MDF top warping than if you use solid wood. MDF is more stable - so long as it doesn't get wet. However, both MDF and plywood can be quite heavy. Solid wood is lighter weight.

I currently use a 32" x 6'8" hollow core door for cutting. I have no where to leave a table that size set up, so I only use 2 legs that I screw on and the other end sets on my kitchen counter top with a shelf liner "grippy pad" to prevent slippage. When not in use, the door hangs on a wall much like a picture, so not much chance of warpage.

If sewing professionally a table set up constantly would be necessary. But when sewing for ones self, the 5 minutes to set up and take down aren't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. I can spend that long looking for my seam ripper or eyeglasses. (Reeeeeeally irritating  when the eyeglasses are on top of my head!)

[abruck]

My first thought was how much room do you have and will the table need to stay up all the time or will you need to be able to put it away. Are you working professionally or just mostly for yourself?

I'm not a huge IKEA fan as quality and longevity aren't usually anything to be expected. However, one thing they do offer is the ability to purchase legs only and it's been a while since I looked, but some used to be height adjustable.
You are then free to build your own top.

Most of the time, like most currently manufactured furniture, the substrate used for IKEA tops is MDF - moderate density fiber board. Many current inexpensive kitchen cabinets are made of the same stuff. Plywood is more durable. However some manufacturers are using LDF - Low density fiberboard which isn't as durable and can warp easier. If built properly, there is less chance of an MDF top warping than if you use solid wood. MDF is more stable - so long as it doesn't get wet. However, both MDF and plywood can be quite heavy. Solid wood is lighter weight.

I currently use a 32" x 6'8" hollow core door for cutting. I have no where to leave a table that size set up, so I only use 2 legs that I screw on and the other end sets on my kitchen counter top with a shelf liner "grippy pad" to prevent slippage. When not in use, the door hangs on a wall much like a picture, so not much chance of warpage.

If sewing professionally a table set up constantly would be necessary. But when sewing for ones self, the 5 minutes to set up and take down aren't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. I can spend that long looking for my seam ripper or eyeglasses. (Reeeeeeally irritating  when the eyeglasses are on top of my head!)

Thanks for the input, really appreciate it.

I'm interested in something to use professionally, not something I could fold up or store. I'm moving and will thankfully have a dedicated work space so I've been trying to figure out the best route to take as far as the actual table top goes. Ikea has great options for supports/legs, but not necessarily for the top itself. I'm thinking of just buying a wood slab cut to my specifications, maybe something like Redwood which doesn't warp easily.

[TTailor]

If this info is of any use, my table is 4' by 8', the same style as I have at work. I think the size was arbitrary, as all our tables, even the wood frame ones are this size. We can accommodate up to four stitchers per table.
Height is 39" I think.
It is an industrial warehouse type of steel frame. Fits together like a bed frame, rails into slotted uprights.
The top of mine is 3/4 inch plywood with a wood frame perimeter and a 4x8' cork 3/8" on top of that .All varnished. Its base may be two 1/2" sheets of plywood, its been so long since they were made I cannot honestly remember.

I have covered it with vinyl, as keeping up with varnishing was a drag.
I have a second table the  same but the top has a 4x8' sheet of 1/2" tentest instead of cork, also covered with vinyl

They are bloody heavy, overkill really,  and  they also have a 4x8 plywood "shelf" set about 10" off the floor.

if I was sewing and cutting at home I would get a wooden frame made and have a table that is only 36" wide maximum.
I like the ability to pin into the table as I use steel push pins, and I am not fond of a completely hard surface to draw on, or use a spiked wheel on, so for me a healable surface of some sort would be ideal.

[abruck]

If this info is of any use, my table is 4' by 8', the same style as I have at work. I think the size was arbitrary, as all our tables, even the wood frame ones are this size. We can accommodate up to four stitchers per table.
Height is 39" I think.
It is an industrial warehouse type of steel frame. Fits together like a bed frame, rails into slotted uprights.
The top of mine is 3/4 inch plywood with a wood frame perimeter and a 4x8' cork 3/8" on top of that .All varnished. Its base may be two 1/2" sheets of plywood, its been so long since they were made I cannot honestly remember.

I have covered it with vinyl, as keeping up with varnishing was a drag.
I have a second table the  same but the top has a 4x8' sheet of 1/2" tentest instead of cork, also covered with vinyl

They are bloody heavy, overkill really,  and  they also have a 4x8 plywood "shelf" set about 10" off the floor.

if I was sewing and cutting at home I would get a wooden frame made and have a table that is only 36" wide maximum.
I like the ability to pin into the table as I use steel push pins, and I am not fond of a completely hard surface to draw on, or use a spiked wheel on, so for me a healable surface of some sort would be ideal.

Thanks so much Terri! Definitely a huge help. I've seen moleskin used as a cover since it doesn't catch easily and adds a touch of softness. Appreciate all the help!

[Geoff-s]

 Hi, Alec,

I use a 9mm MDF boad 40"x72" placed on top of our dining room table. The board is super smooth and  study  enough for all my cutting neads and also doubles a my sewing table. Picking up on this, have you thought of oibtaining a cheap 2nd hand table and mounting MDF or Ply on top. You can get these boards in a veriity of sizes and thickness which should more than meet your neads Maybe a visit to your local 2nd hand/house clearance shop and B&Q may be the answer.


.

[theresa in tucson]

Another place to look for table tops would be a place that specializes in used office furniture.  Think conference table.  We have an office liquidators near us.  I go in every now and then to look around.  My own cutting table set up is two 30" by 80" hollow core doors fastened together on the underside with metal plates.  It sits on tall sawhorses in the garage and can be taken apart when needed.

[Steelmillal]

Didn't post this before as I saw something in another studio and thought their design.  It would allow options if needed in a small work space.
The horse is from a catalog from 1909, the other from the Harris Tweed Authority.

[LindyBalboa]

For anyone else struggling with this, I finally got a setup for my small apartment. I got me two adjustable saw horses for the base:

https://www.globus-baumarkt.de/trendline-metall-arbeitsbock

For the top I got two pieces of 16mm thick "Tischlerplatte" (blockboard according to a translation) each 2.2m by 45cm. I lined the mating edges with dowels/holes and put some latches on the bottom:

https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Toggle-Latch-Office-Hardware/dp/B015GQNOGE

I sanded the top and edges to 320 grit. I marked the boards so I know where to put the sawhorses so the boards have minimum sag:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airy_points

I can put it up and knock it down in less than 5 minutes and it stows next to my wardrobe.

[pfaff260]

Ikea used to sell those 1909 horses.https://www.ikea.com/nl/nl/p/mittback-schraag-berken-30459997/
I've been using those for years. Perfect!