Fatmax as a table??

Hello all

I was wondering if some people are using their fatmax as a table if so can you please share how its done and if you have pics that would be great!!!

Thanks!!!

I made (well actually my husband did it for me) a table top out of hardboard with trim on three sides. I love it! I keep meaning to take pictures, I will try and get some tomorrow.

I lay my Paradise Laptop over the opening & my homemade container(it's a scrapbook container like Whitney has above) over the lid part.

Psalm,

For the Paradise case on the right, did you take the foam out? If so can you fit more paints in there. Like when you close the lid can you fit those smaller cakes from the top in there too?

That is so cool thanks so much Whitney,Psalm. Tracy it does look like it fits more, I counted 16 so 4 more than the 12 u can originally fit. I'm wondering how sturdy this is when ur painting?

Here is a picture of my FatMax with the tabletop on. I need to put another coat or two of paint on the tabletop but I've been using it as is. Usually I have my water jug and bucket (for dumping water into) underneath.


I put a bunch of pics in my gallery of my setup from different angles. I just finished sewing the skirt that goes on my tabletop, finally! The sewing machine is still in the background of one of the pictures haha.

Edited to add: It's quite sturdy. If a kid leans on the end, it will tip a tiny bit, it just sort of shifts. It doesn't flip over or anything. I keep most of the overhang on my end (over the middle section).

Love the top with the lip, I may have to steal that idea. Trey cool.

Tracalla, I ditched the foam insert right away so I could fit more paints in it. I also only use 1/2 a paint so I can fit even more colors. It's been a pretty stable set-up & have had my brushes tip over once. I'm pretty insistent there's a barrier of space between the kit & the kids. My biggest issue is sometimes the lower tray falls into the fatmax(it seems to do this in hotter weather) and so I'll tape it along the edges for a little support.

Wow, my husband and I were in the hardware store checking out a fatmaxx last night. We couldn't figure out how to open it . But seeing these photos has me thinking!

the very first time I looked at one, I had a hard time opening it too. But now its as easy as can be......I think there is a card on it that gives you instructions on how to do it. Good Luck!

I had a tough time opening mine at 1st. It gets easier once you figure it out.

Yeah, I couldn't figure it out either until I read the card. There's a spot on the side on the bottom to put your foot, that keeps it from rolling as you squeeze the clasp upward while pushing the top part away from the bottom. Sounds complicated but it's not.

The lip on the tabletop makes it a lot more sturdy - it's just trim that my husband glued on with wood glue. He did use some finishing nails too, but he says that's probably not necessary as long as you use good glue and clamp it till it's dry.

Lol, I had four home depot workers helping me before we were able to open one.

Oh my! My 4 year old son just opened it straight up.

Curses!!!! Outsmarted by a four year old Feeling rather not smart as sighhhhhhhh I too could not open that dang blasted thing when i first saw it ...and I am an engineer...we get paid to think..........go figure

I finally did get it open only cuz I refused to ask and moreso was not gonna be defeated by a piece of plastic for my AHAAAAA!!! moment

I work in a store that sells them and am always helping people figure out how to open them. There tricky things at first.

I had an overly helpful Home Depot worker help me w/ my fatmax.... He kept butting in & doing it for me. I finally had to thank him, roll it far away from him & play with it on my own. I still had several men ask if they could help. But, I got it opened & closed a few times once I said, "no thank you." a few times.

Hazel ur table top looks amazing!!! I love love it with the skirt..how do you carry it with u? And do u just place it on top of the fat max or do u secure it somehow? I would be afraid of someone leaning on it or bumping into it n then having my supplies falling all over the place

You said the lip keeps it from tipping is there another edge we aren't seeing?? Cause you said a kid could lean on it and it would just shift. Trying to figure out how you did that.
G

Thanks rxtorre!! Right now I just carry it in my hand, my hubby always helps me set up so I don't have to be too self-contained yet. But if I do need to transport everything all by myself, I would bungee-cord it to the front of my fatmax. If I do have to do that, I will drill a 1" hole through the tabletop to feed the bungee cord through because otherwise I fear the pressure of the bungee cord might damage the trim. And a little hole in my tabletop would be covered by my paint tubs.

I do just lay it across the open top of my FatMax without securing it. It is about 5"-6" longer than the open top, so I keep the excess length overhanging on my side (over the centre section). I have had kids lean on the other end and truly it doesn't move much - the lid section of the FM is underneath so it does give a little bit (that's what I meant by "shift"), but it doesn't flip over. The width of the tabletop is almost exactly the same as the width of the FM so if someone bumps into it, it doesn't really move. With the weight of my paints and water on top, it is quite solid. My husband did want to put pieces of 1"by1" strip on the underside to line up with the inside of the FM top section (an inner lip), that would keep it from moving around at all. But he never got around to it and it works fine without.

What I meant by the lip making it more sturdy is that the board itself is not very thick (it is just what we call project board, quite thin), and without the trim around the edge it tends to be a little bit bendy and would likely warp in time. But the trim keeps it level and flat. Does that make sense?

ahh I understand now. Thanks for the info!!

Hazel thanks you so much for ur time in explaining it all I really appreaciate it

risa and i were the first to use the fat max as a table here is the phan fare risa made

http://www.colorfulfaceart.phanfare.com/2240259

I bought a wooden tray from Hobby Lobby and lay it diagonal over mine. It is not as large as I would like. But it works. It is in the art section with the easels