Table Leg Extenders

Q:  What are Table Leg Extenders or Raisers and what materials are they made of?

A:  A simple set of plastic pipes or inverted "cups" to slide beneath table legs and raise the surface of the table. These provide comfortable working height while standing for rotary cutting and pressing.

Make your own table leg extenders:

  1. Visit the local home improvement store and purchase a piece of 1-1/2" diameter PVC pipe (usually sold for irrigation).
  2. Cut the PVC pipe with a hack saw or similar tool. The store may also provide a cutting service - be sure to ask the sales representative.
  3. Cut 4 pieces of PVC pipe the same length for each banquet table. Each piece of PVC pipe should yield several shorter length pieces.
  4. I am 5'6" tall - and I prefer table extensions 11" long for a standard banquet table with U shaped legs, as pictured (left). If you have tables with straight legs (right image) then you would need much LONGER pieces of pipe, or other items (listed below) to elevate the table. 

               

Body height / Suggested PVC lengths for a U shaped table leg: 

You and a friend may share the same pipe; you might also cut an extra set of extenders - bring them to class to share / sell to a classmate. These are great additions to the event or guild workshop supplies - keep several sets for the group to use on a regular basis. Store along with other workshop equipment such as extension cords, power strips and quilt stands.

Other options for table legs with different shaped bases:
  • concrete blocks
  • large food cans
  • bed raisers or risers (sold in a linens store)

 

Bed Raisers or Bed Risers

unopened food cans (weighty enough to prevent tipping)

One ingenious student created chair leg extenders to raise her chair height!

Food cans 

 

 

The goal of these various solutions is to raise the table height for comfortable cutting, pressing, and sewing in a workshop.

The table leg configuration (straight, u-shaped, etc) will dictate the type of raiser which will be most successful. 

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Teacher of the year 1998