Another fabulous idea I picked up at the retreat.
My local Ace Hardware even cut the 12″ lengths of PVC for me. This raised my banquet table (the first ‘office’ desk Greg and I bought over 15 years ago!) from 28 to 36 inches. What a huge difference on my back. I used 1 1/4 inch PVC and placed those rubber feet under the ends to save the carpet. I taped the oilcloth to the top using duct tape. Any ideas on painting plastic?
Kathy Mack
Carrie + Diana
I’ve seen plastic-specific spray paint at hardware stores. I’m not sure if the Ace carries them (haven’t looked for them recently), but I think they’re Krylon brand – Fusion for Plastic.
In addition to the spray variety (which I’d like to try), I’ve also found bottles similar to regular craft acrylics at Michael’s. Cool trick there with the table!
Krylon does make a plastic paint, I haven’t used it though.
My aching back sends you a very sincere thank you for this idea. Off to Lowe’s!
I have used the krylon paint and it works pretty well. I was amazed that it didn’t just scrape off but it didn’t! aside fromt he usual spray paint issues (it always runs on me!) it was fine to work with. I think they have a lot of colors as well.
Oil cloth! *smacks forehead* I have two of the same lovely table specimens in my soon to be craft room and I have been wracking my brain for an idea to pretty them up and make them easier to clean/wipe down… thanks for the great idea!
What an amazing idea! I have been brainstorming a craft table solution – my back really needs the break too. Thanks for sharing.
I love this solution! Thanks so much for the great idea.
Are you trying to paint the PVC? Have you thought of using a spray adhesive and adhering fabric?
Thanks for this wonderful tip. I cut my fabrics in a table with a 30 ” height. This could be a solution for my back pains
Great idea – thanks for sharing it! I agree with other posters – get some spray paint formulated for plastic at Lowe’s. Or you could decoupage it, I suppose!
Isn’t that like a small miracle? We used to do that at the first shop I worked at when we needed more cutting tables during sales. You can cover those pvc pipes with fabric sleeves, contact paper, fancy paper, Krylon paint.. you’re so clever and imaginative I’ll look forward to see what you’re up to next!
Maybe what you need are PVC leg lift cozies? I smell April whipup…
Great idea Kathy! I used to work on a taller pattern making table when I went to design school. It definitely saved my back from any aches and pains. I even sewed standing up at it too.
Your site looks a bit different today … I wonder if it’s my browser?
awesome, i really like the table
maybe you could use a kind of laquer (or is the better word “varnish”?)
I know there is a kind of laquer that is cutting resistant, but I don’t know the name, but they surely will know it in your hardware store!
That’s really clever! Can you take the “extension” off and still use it as a banquet table?
I also like your new banner very much!
I picked up two of those tables at “In the Beginning” when they were getting new tables for their classroom (obviously several years ago before they closed the store). I had just walked into the store and had to get out of the way for the guys carting the old ones out. If they’d fit in my car, I could have them. Wow. Free tables! Anyway, we use the pvc pipe at our Quilter’s Anonymous satelite group, too. Never thought about painting them at home. And there is a very cute roll of oilcloth in my closet that my daughter made a beach bag with…..ooh..I think I’ll go see if it fits! I still miss that store. I could practically walk there if I had to.
We had a class the other week to screen print and put extended legs on the tables – it really saved all of our backs. In an ideal world I’d love a fully adjustable table that you can just put up and down with ease – I think one would be rather pricey, but you can always dream.
Your table looks great.
Brilliant idea !
They have special paint sprays for plastic that you can get at the hardware store. Plasticote is a name of on of them – Julia x
I painted a plastic Rubbermaid stepstool. It had been a neon green and I wanted it black for my kitchen. I removed the grippy plastic footpad on the top and cut a black footpad from shelf liner, which I later affixed with two-sided carpet tape. The plastic stepstool was a two step process — first a spray primer designed for plastic; second a regular glossy black spray paint. While you can purchase spray paint for plastic, you are restricted to those colors. The primer is designed to be the sandwich between the plastic and any color spray paint you wish.
Also, regarding Sarah Jayne’s comment asking for an adjustable table, go to tablelegsonline — you can purchase height adjustable legs in two height options (23″ to 35″ and 29 to 41″) for $99 a set.
How stinkin’ clever!
Tiffany
I’m finally cutting on the 36″ table and it’s wonderful! I never realized how much better it would be until you start using it! The room looks great. so does the new look of the blog!
[...] http://pinkchalkstudio.com/blog/2007/04/27/cutting-table/ [...]
Great ideas and looks wonderful!
I think you ought to knit little stripey leg-warmers for them.
I was going to recommend the Krylon Fusion paints, but I see that someone else already has.
http://www.krylon.com/main/product_template.cfm?levelid=5&sub_levelid=10&productid=1751&content=product_details
Hi Kathy, What kind of table do you have for your sewing machine? Just curious, I’m trying to think of how I will organize my very small space…
I bought the Krylon paint. It’s actually looking like we might have a sunny day after a week of rain and I hope to get them painted. I’ll let you know how it turned out.
To answer Heidi’s question: I have been going round and round about a sewing machine table for some time. Right now I have it on another 30″ tall portable banquet table. It’s too high. I keep looking at pre-constructed sewing machine tables but the quality is not what I would expect for the prices.
I have thought about making one but the effort to do so keeps it from happening, ie finding the right table, getting an insert for my machine, getting all the supplies, having Greg use a saw to cut the whole, on and on.
IKEA makes a table called the Galant which adjusts from 23 5/8 to 35 3/8″. Hope to check that out in person soon. I would just lower the table and not cut a hole for the machine. My Janome 6600 came with a fairly big extension piece (24″ wide) and I’m noodling over ideas to utilize that in my design.
You guys will be the first to know!
[...] Thanks for all the great recommendations on what to do with my PVC legs. I opted for the very simple solution of brown Krylon paint made especially for plastic. This stuff dries in an hour! Right up my alley. As soon as I was done I was looking around for anything plastic that might need a good spray. Totally amazing paint. [...]
Thank you so much for posting this. I ran right out and bought all of the stuff to make this table, and I couldn’t be happier. It makes my work so much easier! Thank you so very very much!
Re: Sewing Machine Table Experience.
IKEA has a lot of great options for this. I used the “Vika Amon” table top, which comes in a lot of different sizes. For the legs I used the “vikan annefors” bookcase legs. The best thing, though, is that you can by additional support legs individually (“vika curry” at $5 each). This allowed me to put an extra support leg along the back edge of the sewing table to help minimize vibration from the machine. I had two other additions — I got some small 90degree angle brackets from the hardware store to screw everything together securely, and I added little rubber bumper pads all along the back edge to protect the wall.
Here’s my $.02 on this one.
This solution has been rock-solid, and a huge improvement over the makeshift tables that I had been using.
how stable is that table? up on the pvc, i mean. does it “sway” any? do you think it would work just as well on hardwood floors?
I am looking to turn a little section of my living room into a work studio. I need a table to do some pattern cutting on and where I can also cut out my fabrics. (designer starting from home basically). I need something flat and hard that wont effect the pattern drafting, but something light weight that will fold up and can be placed against the wall when i am not using it. Also something tall enough so I dont encounter the back problems you know so well. Any suggestions? Looking for the budget option! Thanks!
Costco has tables that have adjustable heights and they are about 5-6 feet long. They are under $50. Great for cutting etc.
You can also make up some hollow cubes to put your table legs into, especially if you are on a tight budget, I do believe my sister in Australia is going to do this as she has coasters on the legs of her table, but it is just a few inches short.
[...] a regular old banquet table ingeniously heightened with some PVC pipes from the hardware store. Check it out, complete with ideas on how to niftify [...]
gray la gran
May 11, 2007 | 4:21 pm
how stable is that table? up on the pvc, i mean. does it “sway” any? do you think it would work just as well on hardwood floors?
I was wondering the same thing…
It’s extremely stable which surprised me too. No swaying. I think it’s because the size of the PVC pipe is a fairly snug fit for the table leg.
What did you cover your sewing table with & how?
I used oil cloth that I purchased at my local fabric store. They call it oil cloth, it’s really just plastic coated canvas. The designs are taken from original oil cloth patterns but the technology for producing the material is different now.
I used good ol’ duct tape to attach it to the table
[...] Kathy of Pink Chalk Studio used PVC pipes to raise her folding table from 28 inches to 36 inches…how clever! [...]
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