Assembley table dilemma and ideas

[poolhound]

Either way, you really should consider making your existing work surfaces flat. I think it would definitely be worth the effort, as these are the surfaces you're using to mill your parts in the first place. If they're not flat/true during milling, your assembly table isn't going to fix that.

Regards,
Tom

All my machines, jointer, planer, TS etc are flat and true so milling is not an issue and I take care to double check everything for straight and sq before I even begin joinery or assembly.

I agree that I should true up my other surfaces and whatever I do with the assy table issue I may end up making a new top for the small bench. the saw horse door really acts as a utility work surface and there is no real value in trying to true it, especially once I manage to get an assy table.

[pelligrini]

I am hoping to end up with something a lot flatter.

I do understand. The biggest thing for me was portability. If I were to do one again I'd use a sheet of 1/2" Baltic Birch and a similar frame system. It would probably be flatter, but a bit heavier too.

[LarryG]

Two more thoughts:

The first is an extension of what I wrote about having access to only three sides. If this would be acceptable to you, you could hinge one short end of the table to a wall, attach some folding legs to the other short end, and you'd have a fold-up table that'd be easy to set up and put away. A winch or come-along could help you deal with the weight, if necessary.

The second concerns table height. In part due to having only a 7' ceiling height in my shop, the top of my assembly table is 21" above the floor. (In my previous shop, which had even less headroom, it was 18".) Everyone's working preferences are different, but I really, REALLY like having the table down low. The tops of most furniture-size projects are at chest height, rather than somewhere up over your head where you can't really see and can barely reach. When I'm gluing up leg blanks or panels, I pull my folding card-table chair over to the assembly table and sit down ... a welcome break during a long day in the shop. Lastly, having the table down around knee height makes moving around it easier and makes the assembly area feel a lot more spacious than if the torsion box was at waist height. Even if my shop had 10' ceilings, I still wouldn't put the top of my assembly table more than 24" off the floor.

[Mr__Bill]

Its not such a crazy idea and I was just out there looking around for the millionth time and puzzling over where it could go and started to consider this very same idea.

I am considering the same thing. sort-of. Two 32" by 48" torsion boxes with holes in the uprights that allow a pipe clamp through. Clamped I can have a 64 x 48 or 32 x 96 table. One would live most of the time as an out feed/assembly/catchall table and the other on the ceiling over the overhead door. Made from 1/2" ply I should be able to handle it by myself. I got the materials about two months ago, I just keep changing my mind on the final design.

Bill, procrastination is an art not a vice.

[JR]

Just kind of riffing...

... on Larry's chalk board idea, and presuming the overhead lift idea doesn't take root.



I either case folding legs would be required. I have had a lot of trouble making folding legs that are strong and steady. I have used these Rockler leg brackets with some success, and they could suit this application if you can find a way to mount them (note that they require a mounting surface two sides). Alternatively, a truss-type arrangement would be best, if you can noodle it through.



Adjustable feet would also be good, and are also challenging to implement. In the past I have installed a number of appliance feet and other off-the-shelf stuff available from HD, but most of them have steel or teflon feet. I have glued on rubber feet similar to a cane tip to these parts, which has helped.

Just a few miscellaneous ramblings.

JR

[poolhound]

Thats some interesting riffing JR.

I am still struggling with the whole storage space issue. The foldup and chalkboard ideas are great but I dont think I have the space. I am trying to figure out if yet another shop reconfig would give me enough wall space for the fold up but nearly all available floor and wall space is currently taken.

I have also been toying with the idea of rebuilding or replacing the small bench with a new top and a fold down flap. That could potentialy give me a flat surface approx 5'x2' with the flap down and 4'x5' with the flap up. Constructing it so the fold down meets the fixed surface perfectly would be a challenge. It would also make the bench significantly heavier on one side with the flap down and it may be prone to toppling.

I have also re-read the FWW article again and am thinking the multiple beam approach may be my best bet. Lots of flexibility and I can more easily store the two smaller beams when not in use.

[LarryG]

Constructing it so the fold down meets the fixed surface perfectly would be a challenge.

Yes. Given the degree of flatness you're seeking, I think you'll just be setting yourself up for some major dissappointment if you try that.

I've just looked over the FWW article you linked to. Despite the photos that suggest otherwise, to me it looks marginal for extensive hand tool work: it appears much too light in weight, and to me the lack of workholding provisions would get old in a fat hurry. But it's an excellent concept for an assembly table. The one change I'd make is to build one of the beams wide enough for the bulk of my assembly work: a bare minimum of 24", preferably 30"-36". The second beam (if it exists at all) would be brought into play only when you needed the additional width. The advantage of having only one beam is that you eliminate all the alignment problems you'd have with the folding flap idea, above. A wider beam would weigh more, but that could be countered partially by skinning it on only one side. That would also make it easier to handle, since the open cells on the bottom side would provide lots of handholds.

[eezlock]

assembly table dilemma and ideas

Jon, I read your post about needing a new assembly /work table and it made me think about one I saw recently. I was on the "Family Handyman" site and was looking for some new ideas for the same thing as you posted about, when I found an article which you may want to check into. On their site I found an article originally posted in May 2000 about a folding workbench
that is made from 2 sheets of 3/4" plywood and some casters that would give you a lot of workspace and would be easy to move around and store when not needed. It was written by David Radtke, looks like a good worktable to me, I may think about building one in the near future...hope this helps......eezlock

[MikeO]

What about a folding ping-pong table? You could probably find a used one for a decent price. Not sure how flat it would stay, but you could use some sort of bracing to strengthen it.

[poolhound]

Yes. Given the degree of flatness you're seeking, I think you'll just be setting yourself up for some major dissappointment if you try that.

I've just looked over the FWW article you linked to. Despite the photos that suggest otherwise, to me it looks marginal for extensive hand tool work: it appears much too light in weight, and to me the lack of workholding provisions would get old in a fat hurry. But it's an excellent concept for an assembly table. The one change I'd make is to build one of the beams wide enough for the bulk of my assembly work: a bare minimum of 24", preferably 30"-36". The second beam (if it exists at all) would be brought into play only when you needed the additional width. The advantage of having only one beam is that you eliminate all the alignment problems you'd have with the folding flap idea, above. A wider beam would weigh more, but that could be countered partially by skinning it on only one side. That would also make it easier to handle, since the open cells on the bottom side would provide lots of handholds.

I am still trying to brainstorm how a bench extension might work as that would be ideal if there were an easy and reliable way to ensure alignment. A hinged joint would be fraught with issues so I think thats out. I was wondering if some form of connector such as those used for bed frames could work and the extension removed when not needed.

In theory, at least, the beam approach should line up assuming they are made the same size and the supports are true. One of the major advantages of this approach is that my saw horses are adjustable from 30"-37" in height. Not sure what to think about width, I gues it comes down to weight and flexibility.

[shoottx]

I am still in the overhead storage mode.

Build a good solid torsion box the size you need. Build a trestle style table support that can be disassembled and stacked. Store overhead when not in use.

[JR]

I am still in the overhead storage mode.

Yeah, given the lack of available floor space, this idea looks very good, IMHO.

JR

[LarryG]

I agree with JR that shoottx might just be onto something, there. A setup like this would be a little slow to deploy and retract, but then an assembly table is not something you necessarily need every day. (Mine typically ends up as a pile table, when I'm not actively putting something together.)

The two main advantages I see, as compared to the other options we've discussed, are:

1. The table can be of a decent size, since the hoist effectively cancels the weight problem.

2. You can figure out where you want it, cut some shims or blocking or whatever as necessary to level it precisely, and mark the floor so your sawhorses can always be returned to the exact positions they need to be.

If headroom permitted, you might even be able to leave a partially-assembled project on the table when you crank it back up to the ceiling for the night.

[poolhound]

Yeah, given the lack of available floor space, this idea looks very good, IMHO.

JR

I know it sounds strange but open ceiling space is not that easy either with shop lights and power outlets up there. Ideally wherever it would go on the ceiling should be directly above where it would be used and there are only a few open spaces. Given that my shop is my garage the floor tends to slope towards the door (general code for garages). the half nearest the door has the greatest slope and thats where I have the bigesst area of free ceiling - of course it would be like that

I was in HD yesterday looking at pulleys and fixings trying to figure out how I might rig things. There would need to be some for of attachment on the table top (could be underneath) so as to avoid the danger of it slipping when its raised or lowered. If I make one approx 4' x 6' I would guess it may weigh ~ 200lbs. Thats a lot to come crashing down if it slips .....

[LarryG]

Geez, Jon, we keep suggesting solutions, and you keep throwing in more problems.

See my previous post for an idea on dealing with the sloping floor problem. If you carefully level the thing once, make some "keeper" shims to suit, and mark the floor to indicate where your sawhorses go, the floor slope problem ... isn't. Another, IMO better, option would be to build a dedicated set of sawhorses and trim their legs to the required lengths.

For attaching the hoist cables, use those spring-loaded latches like on a dog leash (there's a proper name for these; escapes me at the moment) on the cables and eye bolts on the assembly table.