Do-it-yourself massage table: compare the advantages of wood and metal, decide on a drawing, choose how easier it is to make a folding structure

If you are a novice massage therapist or, for example, someone in your family is interested in massage, a folding massage table can certainly come in handy. It is quite mobile, and when it is not needed, it can be easily folded and stored in the pantry or on the balcony. You can make such a table with a minimum set of tools and basic woodworking skills.

This article provides basic drawings and diagrams of a folding massage table, and also describes the main points of its assembly.

Varieties

A high-quality massage table should be :

functional;
durable and reliable;
safe.

By variety they are divided into:

stationary _ These models are more stable and massive. They are equipped with additional options: a raised headrest, a slot for the face;
portable _ Convenient for use outside the walls of a massage room. This model can be installed in your own apartment. It will delight you with its ergonomics, compact size, functionality, and light weight.

The most common and popular designs of massage tables are:

single-section tables. They are designed for classic massages and simple manipulations;
two-section tables. Equipped with a liftable headrest;
three-section . They have an additional adjustment surface. These products are convenient for foot massage.

Product requirements

Massage equipment must meet certain requirements. It is made from durable and environmentally friendly materials. In addition, the table must have the following characteristics:

Maximum comfort for both the patient and the massage therapist.
Load capacity. A good product should withstand at least 200 kg.
If the structure turns out to be heavy, then wheels can be screwed to it to make it easier to move.
Dimensions. The finished device must accommodate an adult patient of any size.
Strength. The table must withstand frequent, intense use.
Sustainability. Whatever the base, the furniture must stand level on it so that there is no risk of the structure overturning.
The ability of a specialist to gain access to the necessary areas of the body.

The product must be ergonomic. It’s good if the table has additional devices that increase comfort. Do not forget about the quality of the filler and the ability to adjust the height of the structure.

Maximum comfort

Load capacity

Strength

Dimensions

Wood or metal?

If you decide to make a massage table with your own hands, you will need to decide on the materials for its manufacture. The most common materials for the frame are:

natural wood. It is environmentally friendly, durable, beautiful texture;
aluminum _ Its advantages include: flexibility, aesthetics, resistance to negative factors. This design will be quite stable, reliable and durable;
steel _ This is the most durable material with a long service life. Steel does not emit any toxins. It is resistant to mechanical damage and other negative factors;
combined materials. They can be wood and metal.

But to make a comfortable tabletop you will need to prepare foam rubber and leatherette. When choosing artificial leather, give preference to a trusted manufacturer. This fabric should be:

beautiful in appearance;
wear-resistant;
non-toxic.

Its surface should not be painted or emit an unpleasant odor..

Important : the selected textile must be sufficiently elastic and resistant to tears and damage.

Design Features

It is quite possible to make a massage table with your own hands; it is enough to have basic skills and abilities, and have a basic understanding of this device. The product is specialized furniture that resembles a couch. Used in massage or beauty salons.

A simple version of such a table is equipped with a hole for the face, which allows a person to breathe while lying on his stomach during massage or other manual procedures. In this case, the patient remains in the physiologically correct position.

The surface of the table is flat, a little hard, but with soft upholstery. This allows the client to relax, and the specialist has access to all parts of the patient’s body. At the same time, comfort is ensured.

A massage table with a movable headrest is used in beauty salons. It facilitates the work of a cosmetologist and improves the quality of SPA procedures. Additional adjustable surfaces allow you to massage in a semi-sitting position.

Drawing

When starting to manufacture and assemble a folding massage table, make a competent drawing in advance. Without it, it will be much more difficult to detail the product and assemble the structure. As for the drawing, you can make it yourself, from professionals or using a computer program . Each master chooses the option that suits him best, based on his capabilities and needs.

Important : the drawing must indicate the materials used to manufacture the product, the exact dimensions, and fastening elements for each individual part.

Advantages and disadvantages of a folding couch

A couch for eyelash extensions, especially its folding version, is a necessary attribute of a specialist who goes to a client’s home. The presence of equipment will help the leshmaker earn trust and a good reputation among those who use his services or can recommend him to others.

The advantages of a folding couch are as follows:

The disadvantages of a folding couch may be the absence of a built-in headrest or orthopedic pillow, so this part must be purchased separately. More often than not, such a lounger is a simplified model without hydraulics or an electric drive, so adjusting the height and angle of inclination takes a certain amount of time.

Tools

After you have made the drawing, you need to prepare tools and materials. The tools you need to prepare are:

carpenter's saw;
drill;
screwdriver;
stationery knife;
roulette;
jigsaw;
pencil;
furniture stapler.

The following materials should be prepared in advance:

sanded plywood 2 sheets;
beam;
artificial leather for upholstery;
foam;
Staples;
furniture glue;
self-tapping screws;
loops;
sandpaper.

Problems

Folding:

Metal cable frames are not stable under load. If the weight moves closer to the end, the moving sections may fold in half
Cables stretched around the perimeter of the base interfere with the comfortable placement of the massage therapist’s legs when working
A face grommet without a plug may cause discomfort to the patient.
Additional movable sections for arms and legs weigh down the structure and reduce stability
Couches weighing over 20 kg are too heavy to transport, and a weight below 12 kg indicates unreliability and danger when used.

Widths greater than 70 cm and lengths greater than 180 cm make it difficult to carry the product
Cheap upholstery often causes trouble. Lying on cheap leatherette, the client sweats or, on the contrary, freezes.
Adjustable legs with additional knots are not reliable. They quickly become loose and sometimes break. It is better to adjust the height once, sawing off the extra centimeters.
A serious drawback is the unreliable design. For rare home procedures, this option is suitable. But with intensive work, after just a few months it becomes loose and unstable.

Stationary:

Lack of lifting mechanism on some devices
Lift without electric motor. The device is raised and lowered using a pedal, which is not always convenient to do during operation
Some models are equipped with a Z-shaped frame, which, when lifted upward, moves away from the massage therapist and vice versa. This is not very convenient during work. In addition, when the center of gravity of a table with a Z-shaped frame shifts, one edge becomes loose and the device can tip over
The lack of wheels on some models makes them difficult to move

For medical centers with a daily flow of patients, it is recommended to purchase both options.

How to make a folding massage table?

Manufacturing

The production of a folding massage table begins from the tabletop:

We take two sheets of plywood and use a jigsaw to cut out blanks of the sizes we need.
In one piece we make a hole for the face, measuring 18 by 11 cm. To do this, you can take a mug from a pan, a plate or any other thing of the radius we need as a template. We clean all ends with sandpaper or a grinding machine.
Next, we begin making the tabletop frame. We cut out the blanks from the timber and connect them with self-tapping screws, according to the drawing. As a result, you should have two frames . We make holes in the timber for fastening, assemble the frame and, using self-tapping screws, screw the tabletop to it.
Now you need to do the upholstery of the tabletop . This is necessary for the comfort of clients. We glue foam rubber onto the wooden surface of the tabletop. Now we place artificial leather on the prepared product, stretch it and wrap it around the edges. Using a furniture stapler, the leather is attached to the wooden frame. We nail the staples every 10 cm. We carefully form the corners so that there are a minimum of folds on them. On one of the short sides we leave space for loops.
Let's move on to making the legs. They are made from timber according to the drawing. We assemble the first two supports . We fasten the three parts with overlapping screws. We cut off the lower ends of the long pieces. The main thing here is that all the legs are the same in length and cut angle. The legs are most conveniently made with an electric jigsaw or a circular saw with an inclined disk. Next, take the next two supports and fasten them into half a tree using a chisel. We connect both parts with loops. Let's check how comfortable our folding mechanism works.

Assembly

Assembling the folding massage table is carried out in the following sequence:

We make markings on the inside of the frame for attaching the hinges.
We fasten the hinges with self-tapping screws, connecting the tabletop frame and supports .
First you need to attach the fastener to the middle hole and check if there are any distortions when the legs are folded. If you did everything correctly, screw in the side screws .
Next, we connect the two halves of the table with hinges and screw them with self-tapping screws so that the halves can be easily folded.
We make a spacer . The stability of the table will directly depend on this detail. It is made from two bars. We connect their short ends with a loop.
We fasten the beam to the short sides of the legs with loops and self-tapping screws.

Attention : the table spacer also affects its height when unfolded. The shorter the spacer, the higher the finished product will be.

That's the whole simple process of making a folding massage table. We check the finished product, lay it out and test it for strength. Now all we have to do is attach the latches on the end sides so that the table does not fold out when folded. In the place where we left the hole for the loop, we attach a carrying handle .

Assembly

The diagram for assembling a massage table with your own hands begins with marking the tabletop. On the prepared plywood I marked two elements measuring 600 x 900 millimeters. After that, I cut out the parts using a jigsaw.

I sanded the ends of the resulting blanks with sandpaper to remove burrs and make them smooth.

In the blank, which will be the front part, a cutout for the face is marked. I cut out an oval hole measuring 180 x 110 millimeters using a jigsaw. The edges were also treated with sandpaper.

Drawing of a lounger with dimensions

After making the lid I started working on the frame. From timber measuring 20 x 50 millimeters, I made four sections of 900 millimeters in length and four sections of 550 millimeters in length.

Finishing

If the product was made of metal and leatherette, then it does not need decorative finishing . And in order to extend the life of a wooden table, it is necessary to pre-paint its frame with stain and varnish it. This will give the product aesthetics and protect the wood from negative factors such as high humidity and temperature changes.

Tip : for work you may also need a manicure or desk. Or maybe even a table for sand painting or a laptop.

Recommendations for creating massage devices

To create the most comfortable massage table, with your own hands, it is recommended to follow the instructions below:

It is important that the finished product can be easily positioned by both a child and an adult, regardless of his build. The massage therapist must be provided with full access to the client; it is unacceptable that during the performance of duties, corners or other parts rest against his sides;

a homemade table should easily support human weight, which can reach 250 kilos. Only specialists know that in order for the procedure to be sufficiently effective, significant efforts must be made. If the wooden table is not strong enough, then after several sessions it will simply fail. In no case should we forget that the safety of the massage therapist’s client comes first. Therefore, craftsmen believe that it is better to make the frame based on lightweight metal (aluminum is considered an excellent material) or from wood, which is characterized by increased strength (the best option is wood, since it is lighter than metal). On average, the weight of a completed device, ready for use, ranges from 15 to 20 kg. The optimal dimensions of a massage table are: width 55-65 cm, length – 185 cm (this is the standard). The height of the massage table is determined individually, based on the height of the person who will use it in the future. It is advisable that its dimensions do not interfere with the work of the master and his presence in the room;

the part where the patient’s body should be located should be distinguished by its ergonomics. If a person is in an uncomfortable position, then he experiences tension, therefore, there will be little benefit from the procedure (or there will be none at all). It is better to make sure that the client is as comfortable as possible and prepare a folding massage table with a convenient option - height adjustment. It would also be useful to have a recess made specifically for the head;

The quality and quantity of filler is of particular importance. Experienced craftsmen advise choosing foam rubber or polyurethane, which has a higher density. As an option, you can choose a combined type of filler.

Photo

Careful design of the result will allow you to turn your table into a real masterpiece: