Tips and Tools: Rolling Reclaim Table Utilize All Your Space With Rolling Reclaim Tables! Donna Jones

If you're like me and have a small basement (or home) studio, you know that studio space is very precious. Over the years, CAN readers have submitted some really inspiring and innovative tips that I've employed in my own studio to make it more efficient.

While flipping through the pages of 100 Tips, Tools, & Techniques, I found this little gem that I thought I'd share. In this excerpt, Donna Jones explains a smart way to utilize the space under her work tables: the rolling reclaim table! With handles and casters to easily roll in and out, this reclaim table is easy to store out of the way when not in use. Plus, it doesn't take up any extra floor space so it's a win-win in my book! –Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

The Rolling Reclaim Table

Utilize the space underneath your tables with a rolling reclaim table. The top surface of the table is made of a fiber cement backerboard typically used for tile installations, which is available at home stores. We use this for all our tables because it absorbs water, doesn't warp, and can be scraped clean over and over with no damage to the surface.

Make a simple frame with a few braces in between to support the weight of the heavy backerboard and clay, top with plywood then the cement board. When measuring for the frame, remember that it needs to fit easily between the legs of the table above plus allow some extra room for the casters to roll it into place. Use large casters as the table with wet clay will be quite heavy. Put sturdy drawer pull handles on the front to make it easy to pull the table out and push it back into place. The rolling table also doubles as a great work surface.

**First published in 2011