Machine mounting table

[Chrissi]

I was thinking of a table to put the printer on, we've run out of space for "things".
Something reasonably solid, stable and the right height.
Then I thought about Sonotubes, they are rugged high density cardboard tubes intended for concrete pours of footings or pillars and come in various diameters (2" increments) so an 18" 0r 20" would be the bees knees, 20" being more than enough diameter but slightly more stable. These things are solid enough that play gyms for cats are made out of them and covered with industrial carpeting. Would be a great way to show a delta at shows and demos. With a 3/4" melamine covered MDF top and bottom you could set a router to 1/2" and take a cut the wall thickness of the tube to put a flange on the top and bottom. If you want a shelf you could cut a hole with radiused corners, don't go over 1/3 the circumference in width. Cut a shelf the same as the ID and bond/screw it in place before adding the top & bottom.
Top could be colored acrylic, polish edges, cut a hole in the middle of it for a bulb or LED array for edge lighting effect.
A HD version of the 18" tube x 12ft is $80 at Menards, enough for a group to make four of them.
Keep off the basement floor. Use CA glue to harden the edges of holes.

[Chrissi]

Thinking more about this, if you go with some 20" material you can use some of the excess to make a build chamber, cut in a few observation windows, heat 1/8" plex in you oven and drape on tubes to curve it.
Not sure how well tube hold shape if you cut it top to bottom but if it does you can use aluminum aircraft piano hinge to join.

[Jimustanguitar]

I just top-mounted my spool holder and ran out of vertical space (low ceiling in my basement Maker room), but luckily I have my printer on one of those shelves with the huge threaded rod as the verticals, so I just adjusted the top shelf down a few inches

Unless you have hardwood floors, would a huge tube table like that be tippy and top-heavy?

You might unintentionally heat your round build chamber with a cat.

[Chrissi]

"You might unintentionally heat your round build chamber with a cat."
... good one. Nothing like a little fur reinforcement in a structure.

[barry99705]

I just top-mounted my spool holder and ran out of vertical space (low ceiling in my basement Maker room), but luckily I have my printer on one of those shelves with the huge threaded rod as the verticals, so I just adjusted the top shelf down a few inches

Unless you have hardwood floors, would a huge tube table like that be tippy and top-heavy?

You might unintentionally heat your round build chamber with a cat.

Throw a sandbag in the bottom.

[Chrissi]

Sandbags are good or fill milk jugs with stuff.

[Jimustanguitar]

Acrylic tubular aquarium?

[geneb]

I'd actually thought about doing this myself, but there's no easy source of Sonotube locally. Forming a 1/8" acrylic door is an excellent idea. I'd recommend using a piano hinge from the local BORG though - not everyone has an FBO handy that's got a stock of aircraft hinge. .

Chrissi, if you guys build one you have to post pics!

g.

[Chrissi]

Menards, don't know if they are local to you, Home Depot & Lowes carry some smaller sizes and might order for you, it would be an industrial builders supply. Sonotube brand comes in regular and HD.
Randi is lets just say "frugal" and she'd make me weld up some scrap before paying $80 for a cardboard tube

[bdjohns1]

Instead of using that $150 Misumi promo for a machine enclosure, I'm using it for a table for my Rostock and my slowly-making-progress Shapeoko build. Additive manufacturing to the left, subtractive to the right.

Frame for a table came to $130.

[barry99705]

I'd actually thought about doing this myself, but there's no easy source of Sonotube locally. Forming a 1/8" acrylic door is an excellent idea. I'd recommend using a piano hinge from the local BORG though - not everyone has an FBO handy that's got a stock of aircraft hinge. .

Chrissi, if you guys build one you have to post pics!

g.

I figured you'd have a dump tank for a table by now! Eventually those travel pods get too beat up to use anymore, especially if I was one of the ground crew! "Sure Col. let me put those golf clubs away for you. No, the wheel chocks won't hurt them laying on top like that!"

[geneb]

Nah, don't have any of that. No space.

g.