New shop, new bench - I've always built benches out of wood and
attached them to the garage studs, so they don't move with me. This
time I'm probably going to do it a bit differently, and I'm looking for
good ideas.
I'll be taking my "rolling bench" with me - this is an old chest of
drawers that I mounted on 3" casters and added a 1" top (3/4 ply and
1/4 masonite). Since I can't move the cars close to my good bench, I
roll this one out; the drawers contain some of the tools that I tend to
use remotely. It's a fairly good height for me to stand in front of and
work.
The main bench has the 4-1/2" Wilton vise, and is set up according to
the rule of thumb that puts the top of the vise even with your (my)
elbow. This makes the surface a little bit low for me to stand andwork
at, but a high stool helps.
I recently realized that I'd like a third bench with an even lower
surface height, for working on tall things - like engine blocks before
they go on the stand.
The main problem with my current benches is that the surfaces are all
wood - hard to keep perfectly clean. I've been thinking that I'd look
for a piece of surplus stainless sheet to make a top for the rolling
bench. Not long ago I was in a bar where they had covered the bar
proper with galvanized steel - and that seems like a great idea that's
probably cheaper than stainless. Notch the corners, fold the edges,
run a little weld, voila.Punch through the top to mount a 3-1/2" vise,
perhaps. (The other nice thing about steel is you can really hammer
on it... a planishing table, if you will. Almost as good as an oak stump.)
The new main bench will, I think, get a wooden top sealed with
urethane, (which can be sanded off and resealed when it gets bad) and
have tool storage shelves underneath, for all those tools that are in
storage boxes. Frame it with 2x4s, a 4x4 under the vise, and bolt it to
the garage studs with carriage bolts. Maybe I'll get fancy and put some
of that low-voltage halogen lighting under the top so I can see what's
stored underneath.
I'd like a steel bench, maybe welded up from 1" square channel, for use
outside near the parts washer - something to use as a welding table,
ultimately. I've seen this kind of bench in welding shops, but never
paid much attention to how they're constructed or what's used for the
top. Steel, clearly - but how to you keep it from rusting, and how do
you afford thick steel plate? (And how is it fastened to the frame?)
ANyone got neat ideas about benches? I remember that there was a bit in
Circle Track a year or two ago about mounting tools on trailer
receivers - I couldn't decide if this was a good idea or not. I really
don't like the thought of lifting that Witon vise when I need it!
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