To Horn cabinet or not

[Diane]

@Celia How about:

Getting some gold leaf sheets, you can buy them in different colours and they aren't expensive. It looks easy to apply if you google it

[b15erk]

I have a Horn Cabinet.  I don't like it particularly, but I got it for a song, with a free machine.  I bought it because I remember my Godmother having the same model, and at the time I thought it was a neat solution.

It now houses my 611g,  and as a flatbed it is nice to sew on, but, the storage door is a nuisance, and not practical, and it's a pain to pass the leads through, if, like me, you keep it against a wall.

I think the alternatives all sound much more useful, and flexible, and look forward to seeing your solutions.

Jessie

[Diane]

@b15erk  I had my horn cabinet for about 5 years, it was a birthday present from DH, i really liked it at first but agree with you about the lack of storage. I found it rather a big footprint just to house a sewing machine, probably ok if you have a dedicated sewing room but seeing as i have to make do with the lounge it has to fit in and work for me.

My ikea table i bought really cheap, i think i paid around £40 for it and it looks pretty new to me, I have a huge cutting mat that covers the complete table top and for me it feels more practical than a horn table at £1350. I know the one i was looking at (Horn superior Q) had a large table extension at the back but i couldn't see myself cutting out on it as it's far to low, so the only advantage was flat bed and a set of drawers. I'm glad i don't rush in to things as this could be an expensive mistake.

[Ohsewsimple]

Not a fan of the cabinets.  As a dressmaker I’ve never thought the storage was very practical for what I’ve got.   Being short I find the position of the machine is too far back for me.  It would be nice to have my machine a bit lower but my bench works ok. 

[Diane]

I'm just sitting here thinking about a sewing chair  :thinking: but i've decided to revamp the chair i have. If the cup castors work on the table then i'm going to do the same with the chair, i can rub it down and add a memory foam pad and recover the seat.

[Bumblebuncher]

Talking of adding castors;
We  have one of those open plan living rooms with the stairs at the side and no under stair cupboard.  We had planned on OH building doors for it, but then he had his accident so wasn't possible.
Instead I bought IKEA Kallax units and placed them in a triangular shape at the front of the space but really wanted the behind bit for storage so got inventive.
To add space in the spare bedroom for the sewing bits we needed to bring the boys toys down and stored in the lounge.  We bought a Trofast storage shelving unit and put castors on it.  It is turned sideways and just looks like part of the understair bit.  All the toys are stored there.  But when the boys are here we can just pull it out for them to get to everything and we can also get behind for the things that are stored there like my  great aunts glass door bookcase (which I love but just doesn't fit in our house) and Flo's treadle.
When they go we shove all the toys back in the boxes and wheel it back in the hole 

[Celia]

Tried the fabric idea just a temporary but don’t like it, so I think I am back to spray paint, brush paint or Diane’s  idea of gold leaf.

Might try to find a better cover for the machine and just leave it for a while and see if I can fall in love with the purple

[Gernella]

I'm just sitting here thinking about a sewing chair  :thinking: but i've decided to revamp the chair i have. If the cup castors work on the table then i'm going to do the same with the chair, i can rub it down and add a memory foam pad and recover the seat.

Could you do two at once @Diane   This was in 2011 and things haven't got much better.
 

[Diane]

@Gernella If i lived nearer i would happily do it for you. I've just ordered some castors for my chair, £12 for four and if it doesn't work i haven't lost too much.

[StitchinTime]

@Celia Could you “box in” the legs with some MDF or plywood? Pipe clips might be suitable for attaching the board to the legs.

[Diane]

Today i'm thinking that i might have a go at the table legs, and as long as i don't remove any wood from the bottom of the leg if it doesn't work then the table will still be level. Will pop out when the shops open and get myself a new chisel to make it easier. Also if i manage to get the castors on, i'm hoping it won't make the table less stable if you know what i mean.

[Gernella]

Jaycotts were/are offering a free chair when I buy the Horn Easy Cut table @Diane .  Trouble is I can get the table elsewhere £50 cheaper and since the seat is the only problem with the chair, which came from my old job when they had a refurb, £50 off is not to be sneezed at.  I've not looked recently to check the offer is still on but they were offering it with the cabinets last time I looked.

[Diane]

Well i started doing a leg of the table, it's hard work as i have to keep rotating the table round, then i've gone and sliced the base of my thumb on the outside of my hand....ouch that hurt so i've stopped for now. Luckily in my first aid bag i have some steri strips so i've put a couple of them across it and a plaster on top, i knew that would happen    I'm fed up now 

[Celia]

Ouch @Diane that sounds like it hurts, please don’t get too fed up I am really interested to see how things go, you are much more adventurous than me.

@StitchinTime i don’t think that would work as the table legs are not straight, thanks for the idea though

I am going down the line of changing the leg colour or learning to live with it I think.  The other alternative is this
https://jaycotts.co.uk/products/horn-hide-away-mk2-sewing-machine-table

It is a bigger table and I can still use the purple legged monster upstairs so I am tempted, they are out of stock until next month I think.

[Gernella]

That looks very much like my Gidget table @Celia  only I got the smaller one without the wheels on.  The large one is 5cm shorter than the Horn but cheaper and in stock.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Craft-Assembled-71-5cm-Arrow-GIDGET2/dp/B005381PP8/ref=sr_1_6?crid=206X8CLFS3EYM&keywords=Gidget+sewing+table&qid=1644661014&sprefix=gidget+sewing+table%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-6

Holds 20kg.

With the Horn you can get a made to measure 'fillet' to change to flat bed.