The benefits of massage have been known since ancient times. It is used to improve health and relax the body. For a quality massage, it is necessary to use a special device. If you are a young specialist who wants to improve your skills or earn some money, you need to buy a massage table.
Buying a quality product for personal use is quite expensive. But with a small set of tools, a little skill and persistence, you can assemble a folding massage table with your own hands.
Making a table yourself will allow you to buy the thing you need at a low cost, which will be at your fingertips, and use the money you save to buy other things you need for your hobby.
The table is compact when folded and takes up little space, making it easy to store and take with you to the country or to a client’s home.
Content
Selecting the design and construction of a collapsible table
The massage table must be strong, comfortable and able to withstand a weight of at least 250 kilograms. The patient's weight can vary greatly, and massage therapists must also exert great effort during their work. A weak structure will quickly fall apart. The convenience of the table greatly affects the work of the massage therapist and the effect of the service provided.
The patient cannot relax in an uncomfortable chair, reducing the procedures to zero. Due to health problems, a person cannot always turn his head, a neckline for such a patient will be a salvation. As well as for women who want to keep their makeup.
Massage tables are divided into stationary and folding. Stationary ones are more convenient to use, but take up more space. Their use is relevant in massage rooms and large salons. Therefore, if you plan to use it at home or for mobile sessions, a folding table will be more convenient. The frame can be made of metal or wood.
A wooden frame is stronger than a metal one, and it can be made at home. You should not choose very bright or dark colors. It is better to choose a shade that helps the patient relax.
Tools required:
- carpenter's hacksaw;
- drill;
- stationery knife;
- tape measure (2 m is enough);
- jigsaw with variable cutting angle;
- screwdriver;
- pencil;
- square;
- stapler.
To work you will need:
- 2 sheets of plywood, 9 mm thick, size 600x900 mm;
- 18 m of timber measuring 20x50 mm;
- material for table top upholstery 1100x2100 mm (leather or leatherette is preferable);
- 14 loops 18x50 mm;
- handle, clasp (optional);
- staples for a stapler;
- glue;
- self-tapping screws.
Making a massage table. Step-by-step instructions
- Assembling the table top
We start work on creating a massage table with tabletops. We cut two identical ones measuring 600x900 mm from plywood. In one of them, using a jigsaw, we cut out a part of the plywood so that we get an oval-shaped hole measuring 180x120 mm.
Next, we proceed to assembling the frame. The frames must exactly match the size of the plywood. The timber must be connected to each other with self-tapping screws (45 mm), having previously drilled holes for them. This action will protect the timber from cracking. We screw the plywood to the frame with 20 mm long screws.
For convenience, we cover the resulting parts with foam rubber and the fabric chosen for this purpose. We should start with the foam rubber. Having cut out the necessary pieces to the size of the plywood, we fix it with glue to the tabletop. If part of the foam rubber protrudes somewhere, it should be cut off using a stationery knife. We cover the resulting workpiece with leather or its substitute using a stapler. We should start with the long sides, then move on to the short ones, keeping a distance of 10 cm between the staples. On each tabletop, on the short part, the fabric should be fixed on the side, and not under the tabletop. The hinges will be attached here.
- Legs for massage table
Using a hacksaw or jigsaw, cut out sets of 885, 695 and 555 mm blanks from the timber. We make the first two supports by taking 2 beams of 885 mm and 1,555 mm, and fasten them with an overlap. The distance to the cross beam is 760 mm. We cut the ends of the long beams with a jigsaw at an angle of 41 degrees. The angle can be more obtuse, but the same on all supports.
The second two parts need to be assembled into a half-tree from 2 bars of 695 mm and 1,555 mm. The ends of the assembled part are cut at a 30-degree angle and the two parts are connected using hinges. We check how well it works, whether there is friction. In order not to overhang the hinges, they should first be attached to the central screw, and only after checking, screw them completely.
- Assembling a massage couch
We mark the places where the leg loops are attached with a pencil. We check the quality of the assembly and screw it to the table with screws. The tabletop also needs to be secured to the loops with 4 loops.
- Spacer for a DIY massage table
To make the spacer, we will use a 1060 mm beam, sawn into two parts, connected with a loop. We attach the loops to the beam in the middle between the legs, keeping to the middle. The length is selected individually. The height of the table directly depends on this value. It should be selected individually depending on your height.
If you frequently move the table, you can attach a handle and latch for convenience, which can be removed from an old suitcase.
