Robert S
Well-known member
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Its been a long year. I tore apart my work shop in my unfinished basement so that I could... (wait for it)... finish it... Or, at least part of it. I built a office/ maker space. It not done yet, but at least now its minimally viably functional.
As I was building away, I was thinking about what kind of furniture I wanted and while I was in a antique shop in our "Old Downtown," I saw an old trendle powered Singer Sewing Machine I thought to myself, "That's the 3D printer of the late 19th and early 20th century." People (mostly women) could do in a day what would have taken them many days or even weeks before by hand with one of those. My thinking was that it brought a little bit of what was only found in industry at the time a little closer to home. Pretty much what 3d Printers and home CNC machines are doing now. The late 19th century "Home Makers" were some of the original "At Home Makers." At least in so far as using small at home maker appliances were concerned.
So anyways, it occurred to me that it would make an appropriate (and nice looking) table to put my 3D Printer on. For >$100 I brought it home and took it fully apart with the full intension of cleaning it up right away and getting to work on it. But then I became focused on the basement, then the holidays, and then work and life came a-calling and I forgot about it.
Once the new office was constructed, I suddenly remembered that I need to finish the table so that I could get the printer set back up, so that is what I did this last couple of weekends. I have a couple more little refinements, but I think it turned out nice. I put a new top on it made of 24x32 Maple plywood. Its big enough to support an enclosure over the printer later if I want to start doing more ABS. I didn't want to do veneer edging so after I routed it, I filled in the big imperfections and painted the edge black. The base had small cast steel wheels that were seized. I have a engineered vinyl floor, so I decided to get rid of the wheels and make some feet that would not hurt my floor and could level the table. I added the side drawers back. This sewing machine was missing the flip-down bobbin holder in the front. I think at a later time I will add a drawer in that area and attach the power strip up to the bottom of the table somewhere.
I'm going to add a shelf made of some "Victorian cast iron looking" brackets above the table that my filament dryer/roller will sit on so that it feeds directly down to the printer's direct drive.
Its been a long year. I tore apart my work shop in my unfinished basement so that I could... (wait for it)... finish it... Or, at least part of it. I built a office/ maker space. It not done yet, but at least now its minimally viably functional.
As I was building away, I was thinking about what kind of furniture I wanted and while I was in a antique shop in our "Old Downtown," I saw an old trendle powered Singer Sewing Machine I thought to myself, "That's the 3D printer of the late 19th and early 20th century." People (mostly women) could do in a day what would have taken them many days or even weeks before by hand with one of those. My thinking was that it brought a little bit of what was only found in industry at the time a little closer to home. Pretty much what 3d Printers and home CNC machines are doing now. The late 19th century "Home Makers" were some of the original "At Home Makers." At least in so far as using small at home maker appliances were concerned.
So anyways, it occurred to me that it would make an appropriate (and nice looking) table to put my 3D Printer on. For >$100 I brought it home and took it fully apart with the full intension of cleaning it up right away and getting to work on it. But then I became focused on the basement, then the holidays, and then work and life came a-calling and I forgot about it.
Once the new office was constructed, I suddenly remembered that I need to finish the table so that I could get the printer set back up, so that is what I did this last couple of weekends. I have a couple more little refinements, but I think it turned out nice. I put a new top on it made of 24x32 Maple plywood. Its big enough to support an enclosure over the printer later if I want to start doing more ABS. I didn't want to do veneer edging so after I routed it, I filled in the big imperfections and painted the edge black. The base had small cast steel wheels that were seized. I have a engineered vinyl floor, so I decided to get rid of the wheels and make some feet that would not hurt my floor and could level the table. I added the side drawers back. This sewing machine was missing the flip-down bobbin holder in the front. I think at a later time I will add a drawer in that area and attach the power strip up to the bottom of the table somewhere.
I'm going to add a shelf made of some "Victorian cast iron looking" brackets above the table that my filament dryer/roller will sit on so that it feeds directly down to the printer's direct drive.
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