Anyone know of an inexpensive substitute for something like this? ($50-$100 in the US, perhaps)

A pedestal converting a table board into a floor board...

http://jzool.com/en/p/18383-Pedestal-fo ... -Board/482

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Hi msgreg, maybe IKEA has some solutions. For example, this one is ~US$ 10,
but you need to get someone with carpentry skills to saw off the 4 legs
to an appropriate height, and nicely finish off the cuts. Happy 2014.

This would be something relatively easily made depending on how much when used on the floor should act like a floor board (sound) as opposed to appearance. And on what sort of floor surface it must work.

I am assuming that the board itself must remain "convertible" (still usable on table) so nothing can be affixed to it to keep it in place. So .....

I would obtain enough "lap siding" so pieces could be cut without blemishes from it. You need a mitre box for this but can be gotten within your budget. If to work on all floor surfaces (for example, on a rug) you'll want a bottom piece but that can be plywood and some finish molding.

Why lap siding? I am assuming you don't have a router. If four pieces with mitre cut corners made into a square are stood with the higher side of the lap outward and made the right side the table board will just fit in there (and can't slide off). Similarly if four pieces of nice molding (say 1/4 round) are cut to fit around the outside edge of a thin plywood sheet they can keep the lap siding "box" in place. I think you'd want to drill a largish hole in the middle of each side to act a "sound holes".

Along the same suggestion as Ed, I've been using this. It ends up being the same height as common floor boards and you can keep other study material around.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80135019/

jzool's got some interesting gear, thanks for the link to the company's site.
some 30 years ago I bought this item, the pualownia wood case for bowls (US$210), from Ye Olde Ishi Press for about $30.

http://jzool.com/en/p/18385-Paulownia-C ... -Bowls/482

And you gotta love these bowls for a cool US$5,000!

http://jzool.com/en/p/18274-Excellent-S ... -Large/355

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