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For those of you who have made ironing surfaces on wood tables, cabinets, etc. I have these questions. After using them a while, have you found the amount of insulation used between the wood and ironing surfaces sufficient and how much insulation did you use?
I want to use as little as possible because I want to make the reverse side a cutting surface so I don't want it to be spongy. The ironing surface I am going to use is one of those shiny aluminum fabrics meant to be used for ironing.
Linda Wedge White
I believe UFOs are like scraps, ferns and dust bunnies. Once you get two, they send spores out into the air and more just happen anywhere the spores meet.
Is your concern the potential for charring the wood if a hot iron is left on too long? If so, I can't really answer.
If your question is more about ideal pressing surface, this may help--
I have an old TV tray table that I converted to a pressing table with just a single layer of thermal batting and the metallic looking fabric over that. It's held up fine for quick pressing of piecing while I'm at the machine, but I prefer a lot more give like my ironing board for pressing yardage or pressing the fully pieced quilt. I think your answer is just -- it depends.
I have a piece of 1/2 inch plywood as my ironing surface and made a sleeve for it out of an regular ironing board cover. It has minimal padding kind of like one layer of 80/20 batt and I like a firm ironing surface.
I have a June Taylor ironing board pad that is 24" x 70". I guess they don't make them anymore. I bought them over a decade ago when they went on clearance with a 70% discount. It fits pretty good on some additional storage from this Sterlite 4 drawer units that I bought on sale at Walmart.
A Good Friend, like an old quilt, is both a Treasure and a Comfort
Just went to a Ricky Tims seminar and Ricky suggested using a ceiling tile. Ricky covered his with a duck cloth. I have one that is fabric on one side, and the Teflon so steam a seam, stitch witchery or any of the sticky products peels off. the ceiling tile is first placed in a light batting made into a pillow case to fit it. This is much more portable than plywood. I have plywood on my ironing board. I covered it with an old wool blanket then with the silver ironing fabric. Like both of them.
The ladies at my guild just bring a piece of wood, maybe 15x15, to ladies day out Saturday sewing day. Nothing on it, just finished wood.
I put a piece of batting and muslin on my wooden tray table and after a while it ruined the finish. When I have laid my handmade portable ironing pad with silver material inside, down, it was protected.
I used a wooden TV tray purchased at WalMart. I put two layers of thin cotton batting and one layer of Teflon fabric, shiny side and stapled it to the underside of the tray, then made a cover with pillowcase ticking which I can remove and wash.
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