How Big is your Work Table?

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davidagladish

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Aug 20, 2008
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Southern Illinois University Carbondale
I was thinking of building a new work table. The one I have is 72" X 38" and 37" tall. I've seen a few shops with 4' X 8' tables. Some have mat board storage built-in below. How big is your work table? Have you added any features to yours that work really well?

David Gladish
SIUC Craft Shop
Carbondale, IL
 
8ft x 8ft for the main building table. 3 people work around it comfortably and they slide tools around and help each other flip large pieces easily. The table with the Cassesse is also used sometimes and it's 4 x 8, nice for large pictures that you want to walk around. There is another 4 x 8 table and a 4 x 12... can't imagine building a smaller one. The table with the mat cutter is 4 x 16 and deadends into the vaccuum mount.
 
Main table is 4' x 11'6" and 42" high. A Cassese is situated at one corner, near the foot-chop and miter saw. Also have a 4' x 4' table for cleaning glass and for extra fitting space when needed. We have a smallish shop, so the 46" x 70" HGP press has a removable "custom" (heavy cardboard) cover over the top and is used for various things.

There is virtually no unused space in our shop including the walls. Isles are just wide enough to accommodate two framers working on separate projects. The entire fabrication area is about 20' x 35' including storage for art and materials, and a smallish desk and files crammed in one corner...but I love an efficient shop no matter how small it may be...:)
 
Dang.

Gosh, I'm small potatoes. My entire shop is a mere 15' X 21' minus a 48" X 48" block of solid concrete housing a bunch of steam pipes. I'm petitioning for a move down the hall to a larger room that's 16' X 34' with higher ceilings and track lighting. Keep your fingers crossed!
 
Main table 13 feet x 7 feet x 37" tall.

My good lady wife and partner says 'size matters' and is 'thrilled that I have such a big one'!
 
Main table is 4'x8' covered in vinyl, 30" tall with 3 flat files and numerous drawers on casters underneath it. A second table 48"x30" holds mat corners on top and numerous drawers underneath.

I also have 10 2'x4' folding tables (used for art classes); they serve double duty when more surface area is needed.

Back room 48"x60" unit for bevel cutter and mat storage underneath.
 
We have two 30"x72" tables that latch together that are 36 3/4" high, with storage underneath and are on casters. Normally they are latched together to make one 60"x72" table, but can be unhinged to make getting into the middle of a large piece easier. We'll build more of these, and larger, once we move back into our old space, once it is repaired from the fire we suffered in April.

I think smaller components, that can be joined together to form larger units is more versatile than larger, yet larger tables. Build several that can be hinged together and moved apart, depending on the need.

Wendy
The Art Corner
Salem, MA
 
My main work table is 80"x96" with my mat cutter dropped on one end to be flush with the top of the table. It is 36.75" high and I HATE it! It was built by the previous owner by laying bakery racks on their sides and putting a particle board on top. I have it covered with cardboard, but I'm looking for a better solution. Although it has storage underneath for matboard, it is too high for me comfortably use (I'm 5' 1/2") and I have to stand on a stool to cut mats (to have a long enough reach). The v-nailer also sits flush with this table on one side. It isn't the best design since when I go to v-nail larger frames I have to flip up the top of the mat cutter so the frames sit flat to nail them.

I have a counter that holds froggy and a glass sheet to cool drymounted pieces.
I have another counter (42"x146") that I use for installing hangers/bumpons/stickers and wrapping on one end (about 67" of it), and serves as the calendar holder and paperwork "dump" on the other end.

I'm working on building new cabinets for glass, mat, and foamcore storage so I can build a new table. It irks me that the space in here isn't used as efficiently as it could be, and I'm working on fixing that. (The whole work room is about 20'x28')

I do also have an oval mat cutter on a table with wheels, and a table in a smaller back room with the saw, sander, and chopper

I love Wendy's idea about making the table pieces latch together. That may be in the new table plans!

(And just so its clear, NONE of this bad designing was my doing, I'm just working with what the last guy left. Eventually I'll get it all put together in a nice, clean, efficient way!)
 
Make it as big as you want and within a week you'll get in a piece that is too big to do on the table. Guaranteed!

I had a 3' by 6' table and an 8' map came in. So I built a 4 by 8 table and got a 5 by 7 "abstract" .
 
I can't really call any of my tables my main one..I use three... one is 36 x 58... one is 38 x 48...one is 40 x 48. I also have a 8 foot by 4 foot table that's used for dressing frames... and another 36 x 48 spot that items go on that are ready to be fitted... The 8 foot x 4 foot is the one that houses my matboard beneath.

Whatever you build, think of later. Think of how heavy it would be and how you need it to come apart.. repeat after me 'casters, casters, casters...'
 
My main frame-making bench is 6'x4' x 34" high. Against the wall in middle of workshop so I can get around three sides. In same room I have shelf units at same height with tools on top in easy reach. Morso goes nicely along opposite wall to the bench. The room is only 9' wide so a bit cramped sometimes but I don't have to walk far. Pinner is placed diagonally in the corner at the end of the room.
I have two plan chests back-to-back in the 'retail' area as a design counter. This sometimes handles any assembly overflow. In another room I do all the mat cutting/mounting. This has a main bench (another two plan chests) 9'x 3.5'x34" high. There is also a 4'x3' bench with a flip top with a vac press beneath. All the benches are covered with carpet.
For working on mats I have a A0 drawing board with cutting mat on top. This is higher, about 40" and can be tilted. More comfortable for ruling lines, etc.
 
We have an even BETTER idea for the "joiner table!" Three 2'x2' "pedestals" on casters. We also put our joiner on casters. All are the same height. One pedestal butts up against the joiner arms, the others mostly sit "in waiting." When a LARGE piece needs to be joined, the other two joiner "pedestals" come into play. They can be moved into any configuration to accomodate any large size frame, effectively supporting the three corners NOT in the joiner!

Check out www.theartcorner.blogspot.com for pictures of the design. You'll have to go back to July--I think!

Wendy
 
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