face rest/cradle hole spacing - please help!

[CannedUs]

Hello, as a long time lurker I'm ready to get my feet wet. Sorry that it also happens to be a cry for help but I knew no better place to turn.

What I am trying to find is an adjustable replacement face rest for a LifeGear table. They do not make one that adjusts vertically, so I am looking at other brands. Most specs do not include hole spacing or are not very exact on spacing.

Topmassagetables has a very nice diagram that illustrates hole spacing including inside width, on center, and outer width as well as hole size for the delux (sic) adjustable face cradle they offer:

http://www.topmassagetables.com/product.asp?ID=60

I will need to re-measure mine tomorrow but I believe my initial measurement from center of hole to center of hole was 6.5"

I need vertical adjustability because I have an additional 2-3" worth of padding on my table and am currently using a squishy bead neck/travel pillow to compensate for the difference. This works well for now but would be better if covers were not an issue - and I'd probably put velcro or elastic straps on it for more stability if this were my best solution.

Of the sites that do mention hole spacing I have found 8" to be common for Oakworks and Earthlite. Do you think it would compromise the integrity of the face rest if I tried to bend the posts in?

The kicker is that my lovely sis in law purchased my table practically new at a yard sale for $50 and I love it - very sturdy basic table - so any face rest I invest in will have as much if not more in it than the table...

I have even considered reinforcing the plate at the foot end of my table and drilling new holes to fit a wider face rest. This would mean taking care to seal the cushioning and covering and I'm a little hesitant but will do it if I need to...

Perhaps someone can come up with a universal design with a center or side springs for adjustment.

In the meantime, I was wondering if any of you might provide the table make and hole measurements for your table. It would be great to find a maker with hole placement similar to mine that also offers vertical adjustment.

Any information or advice is greatly appreciated. I get so many positve comments on the comfort of the table that I hate to scale down...

Again, many thanks and sorry for such a long post, but I wanted to be as detailed as possible.

Wishing you all peace and wellness - anna

 

[Kandie Kay]

Are/is your face cradle posts/holes about .25" made of steel? See...the Earthlite posts are probably .75" and either wood or carbonfibre/plastic composite, which would not bend. Besides....If you could bend them over to slide in, they would not slide in all the way, making it not sturdy.

Buy a facecradle for your table specs.

 

[dl_overdrive]

I can't really answer your questions but here is what I did when faced with a similar situation. My table came with a face cradle that was non-adjustable and I wanted an Oakworks because they are awesome! My boss's husband (who is very good working with wood) redrilled the holes in my table to fit the face cradle from Oakworks.

You do not want to bend or force a face cradle into holes that it doesn't fit.

You can either redrill the holes or call (or look at the websites of) the table manufacturers until you find one that a) adjusts vertically and b) fits your table.

Angie

 

[LAgirl]

Thanks Mick & Angie!

Good points! I didn't really consider the posts so much as the gearing/mechanism for adjustments. Again, I'll need to measure but I believe mine are .75" however they are tubular and even trying to bend something similar would possibly krimp them and keep them from fitting....wood would not even be an option....

Looks like I may be drilling new holes for mine as well. I do have several emails out to different suppliers asking for specs on the cradles they offer.

Angie, it sounds as if you like the Oakworks - do you have the 'quicklock'? Anything else I should consider when comparing? I did notice that some make mention that they adjust without having to pull away from the table. I wish I could get a hands-on demo before ordering - I may give a call to some local therapists to see what they are using and if they wouldn't mind letting me take a look.

So far, I know I need vertical adjustability and I don't think a cross bar will be an issue as I will almost always have it raised. I believe I'd like a single lever for operation as it seems simpler. I did see a post that mentioned some being noisier than others, so I may try to find that again.

Thanks for helping me think this through properly

anna

 

[Vigilante M]

face rest/cradle hole spacing - please help!

I need vertical adjustability because I have an additional 2-3" worth of padding on my table
>>>>>>
I get so many positive comments on the comfort of the table that I hate to scale down...

I think you could get positive comments about a kitchen table with 2-3" of padding on it

I have a similar problem when using a bodyCushion sometimes when I raise the chest piece up a lot. I made a face cradle cover with the hook bits of velcro on the top and then I just put a memory foam neck rest on that, the cover on it sticks to the velcro hooks well and I have a normal cover over the top of the memory foam neck rest.

It sounds like get the face cradle you want and drill holes at the other would be the best option.

 

[p0p0]

:

Guess you're right about the kitchen table, melb!

If I have to drill and if the posts are the same diameter as the current headrest I may be able to remove the existing plastic inserts that they slide into and reuse them...

I'm still open to ideas and would love to hear from anyone regarding their adjustable face rests.

a

 

[hil30]

I hope am I am understanding this right. You just need the face rest to be 2-3 inches taller? I think the cheapest thing to do is get a 2-3 inch insert that velcros to the bottom of your headrest and the top of your headrest frame where the velcro is. So that it is in between the headrest and frame. Then get covers that are deeper on the sides. If this is not what you want, just ignore. Hope this helps.
Jenny

 

[Katie O]

Thanks for the input, Jenny! (And for making me appreciate what I already have)

My usual covers are pretty snug so I'm using home made fleece covers (courtesy of this forum ) to cover my current travel pillow/face cradle arrangement.

I'm pretty frugal and try to make do with what's on hand. I guess I'm getting excited about the idea of having something new that I pick out - that does what it's supposed to and isn't a compromise or a hand me down. If I could find it on sale that would be even better!

Funny though, all of the pieces have just sort of come together for me.

acknowledging my good fortune and counting my blessings - a