I finally got moved into my shop and knocked off a few projects. Wow........ It is my first shop with a cutting table and my first shop with enough room to move around without tripping over myself. I wont miss my enclosed trailer anytime soon. :)
But in regards to the table itself. I went with Mike and Junes suggestion and used melamine. I then took my router and cut a half inch " V " groove down the length and also another on the side. I picked up 2 - 7 ft long pieces of 1/2 inch aluminum V channel and embedded those into the grooves. This is now my cutting guide. I was hoping I didn't make a mistake by adding this cutting channel into the table. As it turns out it works awesome and gives you perfect cuts every time. The knife never slips out. I lay a 71 inch long straight edge down on top of the fabric before I cut it and that helps hold the fabric in place.
My only gripe is that I didn't have enough room to extend the table behind me. I did place shelves under one side of the table to store fabric on and on the other side I have a cart on casters which holds numerous rolls of fabric. I wheel the cart out, get what I need and then wheel the cart back under the table.
My back and knees are really loving this new setup. I have spent the last couple years cutting long pieces of fabric on the floor and it about killed my knees and back. This table makes laying things out and cutting so much easier.
Here is a link to the photos. I hope this works.
http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x200/throgmartin/Up%20Shop/ (http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x200/throgmartin/Up%20Shop/)
Chris
Cool
idea with the cutting slot chris. And I've got to say your making a real statme t with that PINK broom Now get that rood dirty!
Looking really good chris
It's going to be so nice sewing in there being so clean and bright.
Are you going to fit some drop down table sides to extend the table capabilities ?
Rich
Awesome room, Chris. That could be in a "how to" manual. You'll never want to come out of it.
I was chuckling, though, just trying to picture me in that shop. You're on the PRO Stitch Facebook page. have you looked at the "shop tour" album? I'm a hopeless packrat and have waaaaayyyyy too much in my building. I'd fill your shop with my foam and material stocks. LOL.
Great job, boss.
That's a lot of work, Chris. It looks great. And all the fabric stores have that lined groove to make cutting yard goods easier. You are going to love working in there.
I went back and added photos of the drop leaf table as well as the photos of my wife's work station. She is an artist and seamstress so we share the cutting table. But she has her own work area and storage.
I threw a couple other pictures in there as well of my machine, etc.
Thanks everyone for your comments. Yes Bobbin, I got that idea of the cutting groove from the local JoAnne's store. :) You can use a razor knife or scissors in the groove. Works perfect and I am extremely glad I put them in.
If I am cutting large pieces of fabric ( 60 or 98 " ) I use the long groove. If I am cutting smaller fabric then I roll it out the other way and use the groove at the end of the table.
Chris
Great looking shop Chris. I really like the bright well lit work environment, you did a great job.
Nice looking room Chris - but waa-ay too neat. Your going to have to mess it up with foam and fabric scraps!!! ;D
Really nice looking shop. Wish mine looked like that.
Hey Mojo
I just did the same. I've been in the new shop a month now and I still get a little giddy when I see the new table. 12 x 16 foot of happiness.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g304/rustyeod/Shop/IMG00231-20100712-1647.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g304/rustyeod/Shop/IMG00229-20100712-1646.jpg
Geeez Rusty. That table of yours is HUGE. You could hold a dance party on that thing.
Great setup. :)
Chris
Rusty; I'm not even talking to you I'm so jealous. >:( :P
Hey Chris; good on 'ya mate. I'm tickled pink for you. I just flipped through the album quick, but didn't see a drop leaf like at the end of the table on the long side. might come in handy.
Thanks everyone. I am really enjoying this new shop and find it so much easier to work in versus a small enclosed trailer with no climate control. :)
Yes there is a drop leaf on the table next to the machine. I wished it was bigger but it was all I had room for.
I would have liked a large table as well but since I do no canvas / marine work I have no large pieces to sew. I believe the largest piece to date I have ever sewn was 110 ".
Thanks again everyone. I am really enjoying the shop. It has been a long time coming. All I have left to do is decorate. I am putting a shelf near the ceiling around the room to put some of my antiques on. :)
Chris
Nice! Too clean, though. I suppose it helps to specialize so you don't have to worry about storing gazillions of rolls of different stuff.
Rusty, I've found that my large table (8 x 12) is actually too large. I can't use most of the space. On numerous occasions when trying to pattern and cut on it, I've had to get on top of it. Even patterning/cutting a 60" wide fabric roll along one edge of the table is impossible - I can't reach the other side. I'm thinking that for now, I'll use the table for small stuff and continue to do all my large pieces on the floor. After all, if I'm going to crawl around on my hands and knees, it's probably safer on the floor than the table. Even if the table were only 60" wide, I'd have to walk around it to the other side in order to pattern/cut anything past the center - much faster on my knees.
June
I could have squeezed another foot or two on my table, but that would have put it against the wall and like you June I wanted access to both sides of the table.
It helps working with smaller pieces of fabric as compared to large boat covers and other canvas products.
Speaking of knees. I just sewed a half cushion with vinyl to use on my knees. I had a scrap piece of 4 inch foam so I used that and wrapped it in vinyl. The older you get the harder it is to work while kneeling.
Chris
Chris, I meant to ask you earlier what you used as support for the fold down leaf on your table. I have wanted to add one or two leaves to one of my tables but I don't know very much about the supporting hardware.
How big is the leaf on your table?
How many brackets did you use to give it the support it needs?
Is the leaf supported by the spring loaded brackets?
Looks really good Chris..!!!! That's a LOT of work and you have done very well.!!!! I'm excited for ya. 8) 8) 8)
Bobbin:
I attached the leaf to my table using regular door hinges. I then used the spring loaded brackets that I bought at Lowes. They are about 8 inches in length. The leaf is 24 x 28 inches, not very big.
If you go with a bigger leaf I suggest bigger spring / support brackets. The leafs are very easy to mount.
I wished I could have had a bigger table area around me but I only had so much room to work with. :) If you go to do this and have problems, let me know and I will try and get pictures and post them.
It is real simple and straight forward though.
Chris
Quote from: sawdustar on August 31, 2010, 02:59:58 pm
Looks really good Chris..!!!! That's a LOT of work and you have done very well.!!!! I'm excited for ya. 8) 8) 8)
Thanks Dennis.
I have been wondering how you and the family are. How is your Dad doing ?
Drop me an e-mail and let me know.
Chris
P.S. Any new wood projects lately ?
WOW Chris,
That looks great,nice & bright & easy to work in.Sounds like the cutting guide you made will come in handy too.
I see your have a great machine there too!??!
Bob ;D ;D
Yeah, its a great machine. I forgot who I bought it from. Some old dude up in Toledo, Ohio. :)
It is great being able to see what I am doing. :) The shop is really working out nice. Of course in a few weeks I will be complaining and wanting more space. :)
Chris
QuoteI meant to ask you earlier what you used as support for the fold down leaf on your table.
Other options include ;
bolt support arms to the table that swing out to support and in to allow the "drop". Carriage bolts will sink in flush with the table.
hinged legs to the leaf that fold up and get secured when not in use like the table in a lot of campers.
and for the truly space constraint and creative..
>
>
>
>
a couple of cans of beans the right height to pull that material trolley like Chris' out from under the table and use them for shims. When you're done cutting fold everything up , put it away and dent one can of beans and stand it in front of the heat gun rotating occassionally. When the dent comes out , you will have the best can of beans for lunch you can imagine. THAT IS NOT A JOKE. The dent makes what could be a bomb (figuratively speaking) into a pressure cooker by reducing the volume of gases. Open as you would a pressure cooker.
Chris, I would kill for half that space in my house, but it's WAYYYyyyy to clean. If you PM me your address I'll happily send you all my clutter to make you look 'professional'. Just here to help.
COD BTW.
Quote from: Darren Henry on September 01, 2010, 06:23:39 pm
put it away and dent one can of beans and stand it in front of the heat gun rotating occassionally. When the dent comes out , you will have the best can of beans for lunch you can imagine. THAT IS NOT A JOKE. The dent makes what could be a bomb (figuratively speaking) into a pressure cooker by reducing the volume of gases.
The things you learn from upholstery! Eh+!
OK. I went out and messed up my shop for all of you.
But due to my OCD it wont stay that way for long. :)
http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x200/throgmartin/Up%20Shop/?action=view¤t=MessyShop.jpg (http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x200/throgmartin/Up%20Shop/?action=view¤t=MessyShop.jpg)
(https://forum.upholster.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs181.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx200%2Fthrogmartin%2FUp%2520Shop%2F%3Faction-view%26amp%3Bcurrent%3DMessyShop.jpg&hash=0172246b4ecee694a9a0dfe7f81f59db)
Its as messy as it will ever get. Drives me nuts to have clutter. :)
Chris
just curious what were the dimensions on the table and where did you get your v groove pieces?
The dimensions of the table are 4 x 8 ft. plus the 2.5 ft extension.
The groove ( aluminum ) channel I picked up at Lowes for 7 or 8 bucks.
Chris
Quote from: Mojo on August 31, 2010, 06:23:54 pm
Quote from: sawdustar on August 31, 2010, 02:59:58 pm
Looks really good Chris..!!!! That's a LOT of work and you have done very well.!!!! I'm excited for ya. 8) 8) 8)
Thanks Dennis.
I have been wondering how you and the family are. How is your Dad doing ?
Drop me an e-mail and let me know.
Chris
P.S. Any new wood projects lately ?
Well, I've been hanging out on the Honda Shadow forum, the Leather Working forum, my woodworking forum, Facebook (to keep up with my kids and family), and just work.
My dad's cancer has grown in the last 6 months. He's in a LOT of pain and they can't seem to get his cancer under control. Chemo has been changed twice, stronger each time. They still don't know what kind of cancer he has, but they do say that it is a very rare type cancer. He's been to M.D. Anderson in Texas and gets treatment at their local hospital in Huntsville, AL where they live.
On a brighter note....I've started my first upholstery project and it's my Great Grandmother's old rocking recliner. I'll start a thread and post some pics as I'm just not getting the old coverings off the chairs.....to include duct tape. ;D
Dennis:
I am real sorry to hear about your Dad. I was hoping MD Anderson would figure it out.
Your Dad and entire family remains in my thoughts and prayers. Let me know if there is anything I can do for your Dad.
Chris
Cancer is a very hard thing to watch when there's nothing you can do to help. I'm sorry that your Dad is in such a bad way, too. Hurts, in a big way, I know.
Chris, that is not clutter. You staged that just to take a picture. The last 5 jobs this week, I haven't had time to clean up in between, plus my glue gun broke in the middle of it all, which held me up a bit so I started throwing evenmore stuff around. I"ll try to get a pic of my floor, then you will know the definition of clutter. You need a few erroneous glue sprays on the wall to start to get it to look lived in. LOL
June
You are right it does make it hard to work patterns and I do end up on top, I have a built in ladder to make it easy to climb up, each edge has an 8 foot stick on ruler, and I kept my small tabe (10 X 4) which is on wheels so that I can pull it away from the wall and work both sides that I use for hot knife cutting. Best part is both of us can sew without getting into eachothers way. Being in a marina has brought us alot more sewing opportunities as well.
Quote from: rustyeod on August 30, 2010, 04:40:58 pm
Hey Mojo
I just did the same. I've been in the new shop a month now and I still get a little giddy when I see the new table. 12 x 16 foot of happiness.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g304/rustyeod/Shop/IMG00231-20100712-1647.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g304/rustyeod/Shop/IMG00229-20100712-1646.jpg
Love the table! But, gotta ask, why is it built on a raised platform?
June for working my patterns I have my table skinny enough to reach across a 60" roll. after all I cut my patterns down to 60" also so its works for me a 8" wide would be my choice for sewing up and binding a large mooring cover that always ends up fall off one side of my tables. and laying on the floor. :(
Hd
I did the platform for storage and closed in the bottom so stuff wouldn't roll under it. I have the platform under the tabe to be at a comfortable height while sewing. Moving the shop from my home shop has been a blessing since I tended to drag my feet walking down to the shop. Now we drive our daughter to school and we continue on to the shop.
So Chris how many square feet is your shop? Is it detached from your home?
I'm Planning to set up a shop at home also.
Hi Mike:
I have the bus and am on the road for the next month so my internet will be spotty. :)
The shop is 12 x 20 and is attached to the house. The garage we have was over sized so I was able to split off the back of the garage and turn that portion into my shop.
It works out great since I can use the heat and air ducts from the house and didn't need a separate system for the shop. I would have loved another 400 sq ft but then our shops are never big enough. :)
Chris