Show off your Workbench

[big tim]

FWIW Do a search for "The Benchlift". It's a post from Oct 15/06, if I remember correctly, It has some pictures of my bench, with a description and some drawings of the lift.
I'm not clever enough to figure out how to post a link to that thread.
Good luck

Tim

[Pakaderm]

FWIW Do a search for "The Benchlift". It's a post from Oct 15/06, if I remember correctly, It has some pictures of my bench, with a description and some drawings of the lift.
I'm not clever enough to figure out how to post a link to that thread.
Good luck

Tim

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...ight=Benchlift

-Pakaderm

[big tim]

Thanks Pakaderm!

Tim

[Ken Weaver]

Story of mine is here.

[os1kne]

Ken,
Does your workbench remain stable when the casters are locked? I am planning to build a workbench this summer and need it to be mobile - I wasn't sure if I needed to do a "benchlift", or some other removable caster system.

Thanks.

[gad5264]

This is not mine, it belongs to my boss who just finished it.

[footprintsinconc]

nice benches!

about the casters, they should be stable. i just bought some casters from woodcraft that are double locking (these are the ones that you want to get). they lock both the wheel and the swivel. the table will sway with swivel caster that just lock the wheels.

[radhak]

This is not mine, it belongs to my boss who just finished it.

OMFG!!!

[Ken Weaver]

Ken,
Does your workbench remain stable when the casters are locked? I am planning to build a workbench this summer and need it to be mobile - I wasn't sure if I needed to do a "benchlift", or some other removable caster system.

Thanks.

For the most part - its not good for heavy duty planing by hand, but that wasn't my intent when I built it. For the few times I'm into hand planing it does ok, but for more than that I use a work stand without casters. For now I needed the mobility more than the stability. HTH. I wish I had seen the casters Omar talks about when I was building it.

[ssmith1627]

I've posted my pics here before so this is nothing new. I finished my workbench probably 5-6 months ago:

http://ssmith1627.myphotoalbum.com/v...d=152_5209_IMG

I had it set up as outfeet support but finally got tired of that arrangement. Too much trouble to keep it cleared off for when I did need to cut something large. Someone had pointed that out months ago but this was the best setup I could come up with in my limited space. Now I'm just gonna build a melamine outfeed table and support it from the back of my mobil BT3100 base so I'll still have a bit of storage room under it for the shop vac, etc.

Mine's a beast. Probably 500 lbs fully loaded. I hate to see what the movers will say when the time comes.......lol

Steve

[footprintsinconc]

steve,

looks great and very sturdy! what type of wood did you use for the top?

regards,

[ssmith1627]

It's on 6 casters.....if you look through you can see pics I made as I went along. The plans showed you putting it up on little wedges at each corner to take it off the catsers but I've never bothered -- the thing doesn't move that I've seen.

The top is just 2x4's. The challenge is picking through them. I needed 24 for the top to make it 36" x 72". But I know I discarded at least 75 in the store and even went back for more after I got some home and wasn't happy with them.

It's not perfect and my craftsmanship leaves a LOT to be desired but this was my first big project and it certainly serves my needs.

Steve

[cgengo]

Here's mine, nothing fancy but makes a great work surface. It's a Fine Woodworking design using layered up 3/4" birch ply. The legs are 5 slats laminated together (3.75" x 3.75") with the center piece cut so that it has two mortises. The crossbeams are 3 layers of ply and the middle piece is 7.5" longer than the outer slats resulting in a 3.75" tenon on each end that fits into the legs and gets screwed into place with 4 3" screws. The bench surface is a piece of 3/4" MDF attached to another sheet of 3/4" birch ply. I designed it so that the top sits about 1/8" lower than the BT3100 - makes for a very slightly tall table but also a great outfeed table.

No dog holes, vices, or shelves/drawers yet - those should come this summer. I also need to attach some hardwood edging for the top. I really needed a new work surface since the last one was left at the old house - no problem since this one is much nicer and incredibly stable. Total price was only around $90 and it took the better part of a week to assemble.

If you look closely in the second picture you can see the cheater mortise and tenon joints - they work great.





- Chris

[Brian G]

I recently reflattened and refinished the top.

[footprintsinconc]

The top is just 2x4's. The challenge is picking through them. I needed 24 for the top to make it 36" x 72". But I know I discarded at least 75 in the store and even went back for more after I got some home and wasn't happy with them.
Steve

i just went thru the begining pictures, how do you actually flatten the top? i saw the lines you inscribed to show to yourself what areas didnt get sanded, but how do you make sure that such a large surface is level once done?

reason why i am asking is that i almost went that route, but didnt know how to make it flat, so i have now planned something else.

Edit: six casters? doesnt that cause your bench to rock to see-saw when the ground is not flat?

thanks in advance for replying.