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Finding a Place to WorkOr Build a table, or invest in knee pads and a soft floor...Have you ever gotten up in the morning and found that your knees were sore to the touch but you didn't know why? After all, you couldn't remember injuring them...but, still it's good to have all those pieces cut out, isn't it? Did you spend the day before cutting out patterns on the living room floor? If you're lucky, your back doesn't hurt too. Get off the floor...that's the best advice I can give you on this subject. Whether your workspace is the dining room table or a door laid across two sawhorses, if you are able to work standing up you'll love life so much more. Over the years I have accumulated a variety of tables, some with drawers under them, some with shelves, but the best one I've ever used (and still do) is a clean sheet of plywood 36" wide, 3/4" thick, and 6' long. The nice thing about a plain plywood sheet is that it can go anywhere. I have it set on a couple of old filing cabinets down in the basement, but if I seriously need more room it's no great matter to move it into the garage on sawhorses. Now, mind you, it's not so simple as going to the lumber yard, buying a 4x8 sheet of plywood and expecting it to be ready to use. The first piece of lace you try to cut will teach you the folly of that (the rough surface will snag the fabric).
Preparing a Plywood Workspace
Whichever method you choose, set the board up on sawhorses, lay it across your dining room table, your bed...anywhere there's space. If you ever get around to putting permanent legs on the thing, figure the ideal top height this way: Stand up straight and bend your arms up at the elbows. The distance from 1-2" below your elbow to the floor is how high you want the top of your table.
NOTES:1 Be careful how wide you do actually go. You need to be able to reach the edge that's away from you without straining.2 Polyurethane goes on very well if you heat it first. Boil a pan of water and take it off the heat. Set the can of polyurethane (with the lid off) into the hot water and let it sit for fifteen minutes. |
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