Help with making a whole in my sewing table for my machine!!!!
 

I use a large wooden table for my sewing table and love it... Have been thinking about cutting a whole in it and making my machine be level with the table.. (I have watched lots of videos and my husband has woodworking tools and would be the one doing this) BUT I have a fear and need help from those who have done this..... After cutting the whole and putting the lower shelf in etc... I will not have the Plexiglass piece to cover the wood part (I hope that makes sense what I am saying) the extention part for my machine that you can buy... .............. So I am afraid that my fabric will get pulled or snag when running across the wood area... Can anyone help with this? what are your thoughts/suggestions?

What are you going to put in place of plexiglass? Anything?

I don't know! That is why I am needing help. A lot of tutorials do not use anything.. they just cut the hole really close to the machine then that's it! I am trying to do it as cheap as possible! BUT I don't want to half do it either!

I have a machine in a table, it is raised about 1/8 of an inch above the level of table, if you sand the table well after cutting and finish it with a polymer sealer it should be fine ,the quilts do not catch, my machine has rounder surfaces , if your machine has a removable extension I would recommend that you cut the table so you can put that in place while sewing,so you can use your free arm when necessary.

Does your sewing machine have a top-loading bobbin? Or a front-loading bobbin? I think that is what makes the difference.

If you have a top-loader, it's enough to cut the hole to fit the machine.

If you have a front-loading bobbin as I do, typically you make the hole larger than the machine and create a plexiglass insert to fill the gap between the hole and your machine. I believe hardwares stores will cut plexiglass for you to a paper pattern; you would add legs to the plexiglass to keep it at the correct height. Note: Some machines come with an extension table to create a flat surface. If you have one of these, you don't need to cut a new plexiglass insert. Alternatively, instead of creating your own insert, you can purchase a ready-made table extension for your machine and cut the hole to fit that table.

Edit: Here's a tutorial for the top-loading bobbin:
http://frommartawithlove.com/diy-ike...able-tutorial/

my husband cut out a sewing cabinet to fit my machine you smooth it down and he put varnish on it he also made the insert out of wood and it was also smooth and had a finish my fabric does not snag on it.

I have a top loading bobbin!

Thank you everyone! That really helps!!! I think I will like it much better down in a table! :)

if the table that you are going to be cutting is solid wood, then just sand the edges smooth and apply a sealer like polyurethane. Your fabric doesn't catch on the edges of the table right now, right? so just finish the newly cut part the same way.

Do you need access for any reason?

If your husband can get the hole cut with precision, great. If not, the plexi extensions can be ordered for most any machine. If that's the route you are going, wait to make the framework to hold the machine and to cut the hole, til after you have the plexi, so that all will be flush as well as the distance from the edge works with the plexi.

Another consideration ... allow for space to feed your electrical and foot pedal cords thru the hole you make in the table, so they do not run over the table top.

Before you cut the space, make sure that your machine is sitting in the right spot. My son cut a space for my machine in an old desk, and afterwards, the machine was too far away (only inches, but it was unconfortable). Draw around the space that you want, then take away the machine and pretend to sew where the hole is. It makes a difference when the machine is lower. I found that out too late. Also, make the hole more to the right, (unless you won't be quilting the quilt on your machine), as you will want more space to the left and back when you actually quilt. Try to think of everything before you cut the hole. I just raced into it and ended up getting a bigger desk with the machine back on top. Live and learn!

One advantage of the plexi, as it can cover the hole.

Also ... plexi can be custom cut at a glass shop.

If your machine is designed to fit in a cabinet, you can cut the hole smaller than the machine and the table will hold it at table height (slightly above). There's no problem with the wood in the table snagging fabric. The original sewing cabinets were made out of wood. Mine is wood.

If your husband could put a piece of trim about 1/4" below the surface of the table then you could get a piece of 1/4" acryllic/plastic cut to fit the opening with space for your machine.

We have a great plastics company down here. They have cut various items for me. One was a piece for a smaller extension table for my DSM. I made my pattern with double thick freezer paper and gave it to the plastics people.

You can PM me if you like.

I did this with an old farm table with a butcher block top, it was very difficult to cut through and we ran into some kind of wood that was nearly impossible to get through but once it was done it worked great. I didn't use an insert and never had trouble with anything catching or snagging.

Hi...my hubby did that for me. I've posted a link below where you can see it. I didn't use the plexiglass table either. Hubby made a fill in piece from MDF to fit the hole and it works fine. I take it out if I need to use the free arm and just leave the machine in the hole and I can still use the freearm.
Good luck with it...you will love it

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...on-t76568.html

When my husband built my table he made the cut out to accommodate the extension for my machine.

Home Depot or Lowe's will cut plexiglass to size for you.

This is the tutorial I am going be following to be make my own sewing tables next time I go to IKEA. It looks very doable to me... I have a friend's husband who will help me do the cutout as I don't own a saw.

http://www.ikeahackers.net/2012/11/d...ing-table.html

This is a very good point! I will make sure I sew a few days before I mark my holes.

I just bought a table at Walmart for $30 marked down. It is a nice wood top w/ black legs. Had a couple of scratches but in really good shape. I want to cut a hole to drop my sewing machine into it. The tutitorial from Ikea was for a top drop in bobbin. I have a front loaded one. Do any of you think this would be a problem loading the bobbin. Will I have to climb under the table everytime to change bobbin?

http://www.sewingmates.com/surround-.../#.UaXzS0DCOSo
Check out this site for the insert. I love mine. It has made sewing so much easier. There are several threads on here about converting tables and also Eleanor Burns has a tutorial on converting a farm table to a sewing table. I hope this helps. Ps. Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville recommends the sewing mates extension tables and insert. Happy sewing.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...on-t76568.html
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...k-t172206.html
http://www.ikeahackers.net/2012/11/d...ing-table.html
do a search for sewing tables. There are lots of links here on the QB

I have a machine cabinet that the machine raises and lowers. I don't have any problem with the edges catching on the wood. I've had the cabinet for over 30 years and never had fabric catch on the edges. If you sand the edges where it's cut you shouldn't have any problem. Just cut the hole just large enough for the machine to sit through.

I'm sure this would work great. My table is made of plywood so I cut the hole 3/4" larger than the machine all the way around. Then I trimmed the cut edge with 1 x 2 hardwood and sanded it smooth (even rounded the top corner a bit with the sander) and finished it with polyurethane. I did it about 3 years ago and have never snagged anything.

Some time ago I read a entry that someone who cut out a hole wrapped styrafoam with tape and filled the holes. the packing tape is slippery and you can cut pieces to fit any holes you have. You can also remove the pieces if you need access to your machine.

you couldput some con tact paper down its smooth and there are are lots of different designs and a great way to spend a little bit of money its really inex$pensive.

Thanks everyone!!! Hopefully hubby will be able to do this for me this weekend!!!! :)

Yes. You would either have to climb under the table to change the bobbin or lift the machine up on top of the table. My machine has a front-loading bobbin, so my hole is considerably larger than my machine. I have a plexiglass insert that spans the area between my machine and the table. To work on my bobbin, all I do is lift up the plexiglass insert and move it aside. (My insert has a lip so it sits on top of the hole's edges. You can also do an insert that has legs, in which case you would probably lift up the entire insert and remove it to work on the bobbin.)

Lets see if this comes up
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...s-t117414.html
If it doesnt come up I will post it again

I took the legs off of my plexiglass table so it would set flush with the sewing table and it works just fine.

Another idea for smoothing out any potential rough edges - you could cover the table top with white contact paper! Just leave it long and wrap it down around the hole. I have a wooden table to the left of my machine and it was an Ikea cheapie unfinished wood...I was too lazy to finish it with varnish so I covered the top of it with white contact paper and it's great! No way any splinters are going to catch me or my fabric, and also makes it blend in with the white melamine table that's behind my machine. Quilts glide right over it. I had some cords that had to run across the tables and I used the white contact paper to cover those up too - you can see a lump, of course, but my quilt slides right over them and they don't go anywhere. I love contact paper!! :)

When DH did mine we called Dream World Northwest in Eugene, Oregon and they told us the dimensions to make the hole and then we could buy the plexglass insert from them. There are also some directions in a blog at DIY Sewing Table Plans Blue Dinosaurs. Hope this helps.