Not many people understand the significance of the top plate on a table base. If you've never constructed a restaurant or venue table, you've probably never noticed it. But the top plate matters for those few industry professionals who know what makes a sturdy, well-built table.

Table Top Plates Defined

So what exactly is a top plate? The top plate is the vital piece that bolts your tabletop to the table base. The tops are the presentation surface, the area that everyone works with and thinks about. But no matter how nice your top is or how sturdy the table base is, the top plate is ultimately what determines if your table surface remains level.

If the top plate flexes or bends, your table will be uneven despite an otherwise firmly secured table base.

Stamped Steel Top Plates Bend

Let's examine that for a moment, shall we?  Stamped steel is just what it says: it's stamped out of a flat piece of steel which inherently bends it and thins it out.  Stamped steel can bend and flex, but that flexibility isn't always what you want when it comes to long-lasting stability.

Over time, and through thousands of people leaning on the edges of your tables, those stamped steel top plates start to bend. Every time someone leans on the table to sit down or stand up; every time a heavy box is set on the edge of the table; every time someone playfully sits on the table instead of in a chair, that thin panel of steel starts to bend. 

When the steel bends, the welding can break away and the connection to the table top is no longer level. This leads to loose wobbling or, even worse, firmly connected but no-longer-level tables that drop pencils and pens on a regular basis.

Cast Iron Top Plates Improve the Design

Having learned from stamped steel experiences many years ago JI Bases only produces cast iron top plates on our table bases. And, every cast iron product comes with a lifetime guarantee.

First, cast iron will not flex or bend like steel. Which, for having stable tables, is a good thing. Cast iron does not bend, and it is incredibly sturdy and can withstand anything a table might be used for. Second, JI Bases makes their top plates or "spider" in a starburst design. All with 8 points of contact to the table top. And, in three sizes to accommodate all sizes of table tops.

Why Upgrade to Cast Iron Top Plates?

If your tables are wobbling or leaning in ways that tables should not, the problem may well be those stamped steel top plates. Steel is a great flexible material, but it's not as great for sturdy tables as a well-crafted cast iron table base instead. Upgrading your table bases and top plates to cast iron is the ideal way to ensure you never have to deal with loose table leg, a wobbly tabletop, or a non-level table ever again. For more insights into the benefits of cast top plates and column table bases, contact us today!

updated December 14, 2023