Easy, Cheap & Classy? WOW! Pro Pedestal Base

by Adele Kurtz

2 Materials

$47

1 Hour

Easy

Even though I am now retired, for the most part, I get called upon to offer my design services for volunteer causes. This month I agreed to help our Gem & Mineral Club with a major fundraiser Show and exhibitions at the local libraries and tourism centers.

(Midway in project 2,600 acres of National Forest caught on fire, near us. It became even more important to get this right and keep HOPES STRONG. See notes at end.)

Low budget, simple, but very classy, hmmmm.

I did not intend to make this a DIY entry, my priorities are elsewhere. But THIS IDEA is a RAVE: A rotating turntable pedestal base.

I thought I'd snap a few pics and share with our DIY Community before I take these on the road.

You can adapt this concept to use as a base for anything from planters to birdbaths to bar-tops and dining tables. One, two, three or four legs, up to 7' tall!

You can adapt it to hide electric cords, such as if you wish to hide a lamp cord or, in my case, an electric turntable...

You can weight the base to support any weight and motion.

It's elegant to look at, but unbelievably cheap!

and oh-so quick and versatile.

snip sheet metal tube

I wanted a pedestal strong enough to hold a turntable with a photo display on it. Portable, cheap, simple and classy.

I bought a $12 7' length of sheet metal tubing, 7" in diameter and cut it in half.

The sheet is easy to cut with good tin snips. I marked a line with a magic marker and snipped along carefully. The seam snaps into place AFTER you cut it to give you a perfect cylinder.

Here's how it looks after just a few minutes with a mockup of a top in place, and my display behind it.

Nice and sturdy, simple and classy.

cylinder with glass platter

We have used these simple cylinders in the past to hold all sorts of objects. Professionally and at home.

(My hubby was an architect who specialized in interiors while I was a designer. You'd never guess how many high-end-looking projects were saved by these cool metal cylinders!)

We have used them to hold planted pots and tabletops.

A pair will hold up a dining room table or even a bartop.

You can use three or four narrower cylinders to make sturdy legs.

Go to any height, or vary the heights for displays.

I love the idea of using a pair of these for a floating, no-leg-interference table.

If you need extra support you can drop a bag of sand inside the tube which is just as sturdy as permanent cement.

You can prime and paint it of course.

But I love the chromey, stainless steel look and the cool reflections just fine.

Since I was also going to hide electrical cords inside, I also snipped small spaces at the top and bottom so that the cords could run through the pedestal.

For my display I am using an electric display turntable to rotate a large photo display above.

I want the display elevated, and found that my Folgers coffee can snaps perfectly into place to give it that extra height I wanted.

Since I want the top to be removable, I used strong double stick tape to make spacers out of foam-core that are spaced for a snug fit. The shape doesn't matter, just the snugness -- cut a circle, if you want to be a perfect pro. 3-4 spots that hit the inside edge will do it.

There, now I can tip it and the top will stay on.

I decided to add extra depth to the top by using an 88-cent Walmart cake tin with the spacer top taped/glued in place.

Here's how my pedestals look underneath.

graphics for display

Here are most of the graphics I made for the display.

They will spin in a hexagon shape, each panel 3' tall, 1' wide.

Here's how the display looks set up at home.

Although you may not have displays to set up in public spaces -- you MAY have needs for legs... for pedestals.... at home!

Sheet metal tubing could give you a low-cost attractive solution!

Here's how the display looks set up in the Durango Welcome Center.

I did not need the sand bag weights inside, might have been handy if placed outdoors. Everything is very stable, cords tucked away neatly inside, no wobbles when rotating...

WISH US LUCK!

The Gem Show is our fundraiser for the year with over 60 vendors and over a thousand attendees, mostly tourists... in good conditions.

Fires are still burning slowly now a few miles away in our great forests. 2,600 acres... Seems under control. No homes or people injured. 2000 evacuees have returned home.

Meanwhile, my exhibits in the libraries and Welcome Center invite people to go back to what they love: witness the beauty of the earth and see what creative people do with little pieces of it.