Building a better table support.

Awhile ago, Elaine was pinning a quilt on the floor and her poor back was complaining. I promised her that I would do a post on building a table support to raise the pinning table to an appropriate height. The following photos show how I created risers that work for my height. Obviously you will have to determine which height works best for you. The risers that I built raise my pinning table by 12".

I used 2 x 6 and 1 x 6 boards as they create a much more stable base. I had built others out of 1 x 4's and 2 x 4's, but they were not wide enough, far too light, and allowed the table to wobble. This is not good when working on a large quilt.

Often construction sites will burn or throw out these small pieces and you can pick them up for free by talking to the job foreman.

If you don't own a cordless drill, look for one designed for women's smaller hands. I'm not sure which brand makes them, but check your local building supply store to see which one works for you. Buy the best that you can afford and it will last a long time. I bought my Makita about 5 years ago for my birthday. Also, buy the best drill bits that you can afford. High quality steel will stay sharper longer.



Begin by measuring the distance of your table legs, outside edge to outside edge. These measure 21". Since my tablesaw is in storage, friends of mine cut my boards for me. The horizontal 2 x 6's and 1 x 6 measure 22". This allows just enough room for my table legs to rest without sliding around.