A table to stamp on

[jhitchin]

For the last ten years or so I've been using an old drafting table I bought at a garage sale as my stamp table, and last night, I just couldn't take the wobbling anymore. I know, for $25 bucks, what was I expecting, right?

Anyway, I'm now wanting a new table to stamp on. Any suggestions or tips?

I've already measured the area so I know I can't get a really long table.

Jeff

[CatStamper]

Hi Jeff,
I got a very simple dining room table (rectangular with legs on each corner) at a good price, and it works well as a stamping surface if you don't mind the lack of drawers, etc (you can fit your own storage stuff under it if you like). I got it for about $50 - was one where you had to screw the legs into place yourself, not real wood, but a nice big flat surface.

Just a thought.

Kate

[Inky Whiskers]

Have you tried Gorilla glue or other re-enforcements to limit the wiggles?

I too, had a drafting table to craft on (I got mine when I was in design school many years ago), it's now a potting table in the garage for the same reason you're looking for a new table. :lol: I went with the laminated particle board top, folding leg, conference tables and have been pretty happy with them. They come in different lengths & widths, so finding one that fits your space should be possible.They are also very sturdy & reasonably priced. The plastic top models are to be avoided unless you have a board to put down to stamp on as the plastic can have lil valleys that mess up your stamping and/or the plastic dips when you press hard & you get an annoying void in your image. :angry: Check the office supply chains to see if they're having any sales on tables or computer desks. The lil shelves & cubby holes in a desk could be handy for frequenly used supplies. :p

Other cheap options are:
1) a door on top of 2 filing cabinets.
2) a section of laminate counter on top of 2 filing cabinets (check the home stores for leftovers from custom installs, if color doesn't matter, you could get a great bargain)
3) a large kitchen cutting board placed on an ottoman for portable stamping space. (I did this one for in front of the TV for years. :D )
4) instead of filing cabnets, cable tie several milk crates together to make the supports for one of the above options.

Depending on your buget you can go from student level scrounging for next to nothing that will last you a few years to nifty specialty tables & storage for big bucks that will last the rest of your life.

Happy hunting! :D

[cmcveigh]

Anyway, I'm now wanting a new table to stamp on. Any suggestions or tips?
Jeff

Hi, Jeff ~
Personally, I would do whatever you could manage to do to shore your current table up so it won't wobble anymore. Wood filler, stretch cords, extra bolts, shims..... I had a drafting table since 1971 that I used and have loved until (whatever... fast forward to 2002) and the only thing left of it is the top - propped on two file cabinets. But, the point is, now the table is flat. And it's just not the same work surface as a slanted drafting board. I've used it over the years as my sewing/cutting table, then my first PC table with a swiveling bar stool, and my legs could dangle comfortably in that kind of chair. Now, I sit way lower in an office chair, trying to stamp on a flat surface, and I am no longer as comfortable. I'd give anything to have the legs back on my drafting table. Depending on how tall you are, you also may find it more comfortable continuing to use your drafting table. I know I was much more comfortable with that kind of table. Just a thought.:o
~Cheryl

[multicrafter]

hello jeff, when we bought a new dining room set the old one which was an antique one from my grandma and my mom used it also and now i have it. well, when we got the new set, the old one went to be my stamping table and I am able to stack stuff undernieth it which I like. plus it has an extra leaf to it also . whenever I stamp I put layer of newspaper torn in half on the table and stamp on it. so when the top paper get dirty or torn I just wad it up and a clean sheet is right underneath. :D I have been doing it this way for years and the table still looks like I can put it out for use in the kitchen. :D

[michelle328]

I have a kitchen counter (6 feet) mounted on two kitchen cupboards...well, one is a cupboard, the other is drawers. We picked it all up for a really good price at a used building supply place. It's got the perfect space between the cupboards for me to get my knees in. It's the perfect height for using a drafting stool, so I can either sit or stand, and it's formica so clean up is a breeze...and with the backsplash on it, nothing falls off behind it. I just LOVE it!