Hi, can anyone recommend a good book that has plans for building a nice portable table for street work that's easy to pack and move? Thanks

Most people I know use a case and a stand. This just makes moving stuff around a lot easier. If you are looking for plans for a case http://www.rockler.com has one. You can find tray jacks at restaraunt supply houises. Tray jacks stand a little higher than a TV tray or other portable tables, this helps with performing without stooping. I hope this helps.

Hi MinnesotaChef, thanks for the info! I will check out the site you suggest!

Cellini's book, "The Royal Touch" has drawings of a good street table. Do a search on the busking thread to find discussions on the best design.

Jim

Gazzo's cub and ball book has some pictures.
also:http://www.garyanimal.co.uk/tables.html

I made My Own. Wood Stand Felt Top 20 Bucks TOPS


BT

There are some photos of the one I used in my Merlin act and my Hocus Pocus act in my lecture notes on working renaissance festivals. These are now available from Hocus Pocus.

I was just asking about this in another area of the Café and later found tons of info in the busking section. I'm putting one together with a 24" x 24" top or should it be wider??? I like the 24x size for the Train Tables I make. I was thinking today while looking at a wooden folding chair once used for a chair suspension in my shop why wouldnt a top that attached to the folding chair back work??? If you put the top on with the seat facing backwards it would give you a shelf and maybe some shade for a servante of sorts. If Im covering old territory here please forgive me but Im reading through the Café as fast as I can but its not fast enough. This place is massive!!
-=tabman

Hi Tabman,
My table top is 18x24. I loaned it to Gazzo on his last trip here to Vegas, and that's when I found out how small it really is. Sure did make his final loads look huge though! Three cups, six oranges and a melon barely fit.

It works for me, but for him I think he uses something more like 24x36

I framed mine with some oversize molding so there's an upper "lip" to keep balls from rolling off onto the ground.

I hadn't thought of the folding chair idea. If the top was built in such a way that it would fit a multitude of commonly available chairs it might work well. It might be a bit low though... I wouldn't want to have to stoop over it all day. For me, I use a "tall" waiter's stand that brings the table up to about 38"

38" coincides with the Scotty York-Bob Sheets Folding Table. It's at 38 1/2" from the ground.

I'm gonna put a table top on a folding table ala The Chair Suspension. You're right about the height but why not just make a chair with a taller back.

I recently made Richard Hatch a Bertram Cups and Balls Table which is about 12 x 32. It's held by two spectators while the magician works the cups and balls between them.

I can see why Gazzo needs a bigger table top. Is he still doing the act with the tomatoes???

-=tabman

No. He uses oranges and a melon.