Archive of Thread: Using Two Adjustable Height Sawhorses For a Stand? Back

5 years ago
I am not sure if I chose the right section for this question or discussion, but it really is not equipment, not the actual machine.

I have read where some people have stated they use 2 adjustable height sawhorses with boards clamped across them for a stand or table for their knitting machine. Nobody ever shares a link to the sawhorses they purchased or shares how they stabilize it.

I question this because I was using a heavy weight formica topped banquet table. I had it set up at the end of a long kitchen. We remodeled my kitchen and I absolutely love it and am not putting my knitting machines and all of their paraphernalia in the back end of my kitchen again.

This is an old formica topped banquet table. Back when they were actually made stable, therefore, very heavy. The edge would not allow the clamp to go under the top far enough to hold it securely, so I had to keep adjusting it. Therefore, I do not want to use it again. It is too heavy to be bringing in and out of the spare room when the room needs to be used, too.

My plan is to get rid of the queen bed in my spare room. It is only used about 1 week out of the year, so that room is wasted space. I am going to get a nice queen sofa bed to replace it. That will give me all that floor space for setting up whichever knitting I need to use. I need a table that will be able to be easily set up for use and out away for the sofa bed use, but not a lot of money.

The adjustable sawhorse idea sounds ideal, but when I was looking at them, they looked flimsy and would not be able to handle the back and forth action of my heavy metal base Brother knitting machines. I also do not see how it would not walk around the room when using any of the machines, including the plastic bed Brother machine. Sorry, off hand I cannot remember the model numbers and they have been put away because I can’t use them without a table set up.

My questions are:

1. What adjustable height sawhorses are you using?

2. What are you using for the top that the machines clamp to?

3. Is whatever you are using for the table top attached permanently to each adjustable height sawhorse?

4. How are they clamped so they stay in place and not get pulled off during the the knitting back and forth action?

5. What machines are you using? Mine do not have any motors, but two have the punch cards, and one is the plastic bed (all are Brother. My Brother steel beds are very heavy and my husband has tl get them out for me. 

6. If they are permanently connected together, how do you fold them up to put away when you need that room?

7. The formica banquet table gave me a lot of table top space, how did you achieve space for all of your accessories and supplies when using the knitting machines?

8. The floor is not carpet, it is wood, so it will slide, how do you prevent that from happening? I have that issue with my sewing machine foot pedal, and just thought of that issue with the adjustable height sawhorses. I tried rubber shelf liner under my foot pedal, and that doesn’t keep it from traveling, so I doubt it will prevent the adjustable height sawhorses from traveling on the wood floor,

9. Anything else you can share that I did not think of.

I would like to be able to just remove the knitting machine and fold up the sawhorse table and have it against the wall in the room when the sofa bed is opened. I don’t want to have to be hauling it up and down the basement stairs, like we do the formica table. An accident waiting to happen. That formica table just does not allow a tight grip of the clamps at all. I had to keep retightening it, 

Thank you for any information you can share.

5 years ago
I use an adjustable saw horse I bought from Harbor Freight, and one from Lowes.  I have the one that has holes in the top of it and I bought 4 foot long particle board shelves that I drilled to match the holes on the top of the sawhorse and attached the shelve with bolts and wingnuts.  It is not especially stable back and forth but works well if you need a portable table for classes.  I use it all the time and being a newbie I know no better.  The whole thing cost 25 ish for the sawhorse, and 10 for the shelving.  

5 years ago
Cynthia,
I had a similar problem re: the clamps not being wide enough to fit around the rib of a table I wanted to place some knitting machines on.  So, my husband welded the clamps to be wide enough and I use just this set of clamps on that table.

5 years ago
Thank you both for the information. Very very helpful. I hope to be able to get something set up soon so I can get back into it, and do it regularly. 

Thanks again!