Thoughts for adjustable legs?

Re: Thoughts for adjustable legs?

roger lance

For making table legs adjustable for uneven floors (which are the majority of floors), I've favored this type of solution......

But, it sounds like you might be seeking a longer range of adjustability.

Not quite what I was looking for..

JL

I was hoping for possibly several inches.

Re: Not quite what I was looking for..

roger lance

You might find some videos on YouTube that feature adjustable height work benches for ideas. Maybe something there would be a solution.

Re: Thoughts for adjustable legs?

Don Stephan

Somewhere I have seen short leg extensions hollow at the top to slip over the bottom of the leg. Most likely custom made by a woodworker.

confirm need

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Has the sewer professed a need for adjustable legs? I have never heard this request from my sewer who seems comfortable working from the same height for what ever sewing is needed.

I'll bet if you come up with an adjustable leg it will get adjusted once and never again.

Re: confirm need

JohnV

I agree with Bill one time adjustment. If this is a surprise, why not make the legs at the longest you think they will be after observing her various working height stations. Than you can be prepared to shorten them as needed. easier to cut off than to add on.

Ralph posted as I was searching for pic,

Gary Smyth

Two piece leg similar to the decade old picture.. Needed to make legs to fit in situation where the floor was unknown and also had to move to different locations. Yours can be as elegant as you like, Two 2x4s back to back with center slot and legs of different length. Slide one up for the height you want and the other to the floor, tighten the wing nuts. Either leave them as final or use the test as a length as template for something better.

Re: Thoughts for adjustable legs?

John McGaw

Starting from known, or knowable, facts: what is she sewing at now and what is the height? Is she happy with that height? Worse comes to worst, you could always build the new table with extra-long legs and then cut them down inch-by-inch until she says the height is perfect. If you are considering 'fancy' legs then make some 'plain' legs for testing and trimming purposes and then make the 'fancy' ones at the correct length. Personally, I've built a lot of tables and stands at 29" and have never bound a problem -- people are (or should be) a bit adaptable.

Re: Thoughts for adjustable legs?

Tony - Memphis

My wife had the same need. Unique to her because she is 4'11". She likes different heights for different operations. Not unlike us woodworkers! Anyway, for a quick and dirty, I made small MDF platforms for the legs to stand on. Not adjustable, but we can change the table height 6" or so rather quickly. The platforms are lipped and I covered the top with grippy mouse pad material. It seems to work well for her.

For my stand-up laptop desk thing, I wanted more adjustability - for sitting and standing. What I did was make a hollow square column with a post that fits in the hollow square hole. I drilled a series of holes in the post. I then drilled a hole in the hollow column and threaded it. I added a threaded pin such that when the pin is threaded in, the end of it mates with a hole in the post and holds it in place at the desired height. Does that make any sense at all? I need to look for a pic. Not sure if I posted that one here or not.

Tony

Re: Thoughts for adjustable legs?

Hank Knight

JL, how about making there legs a hollow square tube with a solid insert that fits closely inside the tube for the bottom section of the leg. Pin the insert with a through bolt. You could dill a number of holes in the insert for the pin that would allow for height adjustment. Or you could pin the insert temporarily with a screw at various heights then pin it permanently with a through bolt when your wife finds the height she likes.

Found a pic...

Tony - Memphis

Underneath the knob is a collar/spacer that is threaded inside. That was glued into the column. That gave me plenty of threads. Might be a bit clunky for your needs?

If you want to get real fancy, there are several designs out there that use scissor jacks and even motorcycle lifts from Harbor Freight! Harbor freight has very inexpensive scissor jacks. I used one on each end of my CNC router table. Not for height, but to engage the castors. I saw an episode of American Woodshop that profiled a bench design that used scissor jacks and a cordless drill to adjust the jacks.

Re: Thoughts for adjustable legs?

JL

That would probably work. I am going to make the table height about 29" - with the adjustments going from 27" to 30" by the inch. A 1/4" steel rod would hold nicely.

Re: Thoughts for adjustable legs?

AZ in Colorado Springs

I built a stand up desk for a friend a few years ago. Used that kind of construction. I used a 5/8" wood pegs for the raised position. A 1/4" peg or steel rod will work well and give you a finer range of adjustments.

Easier to have an adjustable seat for the sewer

Sewing table heights and other things...

JL

One thing I have learned on my research on this.

Quilters use cutting mats to cut the pieces. A higher table height is preferred for the cutting mat (depending on the relative tallness of the cutter).

Quilters often prefer slightly higher tables for their sewing machines.

Quilters prefer an outfeed table as well as more space to the left of the sewing machine.

When I saw the price of the sewing tables at the quilt shops, I figured I could build one for a lot cheaper