Wooden Workbench - Which one?

[Tim S]

Hi. I'm after some suggestions

Now I'm gearing up to actually doing some work to the bungalow, I need a wooden workbench, about 1m x 1.5-2m.

I'd like to get something fairly solid, at a reasonable price (

[Huge]

Do you have an auction house nearby? I got my workbench, which is made of angle iron, with a cupboard & 4 drawers underneath, with a 2" ply top with some kind of lino on top of that, with reinforcements for a vice (had to buy my own vice) for £5. Plus a case of Heineken to the friend who brought it home for me.

IME, every time I go there (Peacocks Auctions in Bedford), they have the entire contents of the workshops of expired businesses. I have to be careful to restrain myself. You may have to negotiate with the purchaser of a large lot to get what you want.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Getting a meter width is hard, but the cheapest way to do this with minimal skills, is to get some 800mm wide worktop cut to size, and buy one or two extremely cheap kitchen units to go under it.

I've kitted out my modelling worsksop with kitchen units and tops..

Ikea isn't fit for any purpose other than conceiving Swedish brats on.

[Tim S]

Huge coughed up some electrons that declared:

Thanks Huge,

That's an interesting idea. I've got a car that can carry quite large things.

I don't know the auction houses, but I expect there are several near here (Tonbridge/Tunbridge Wells). I shall have to have a look. Given the state of the country, (though I feel like a vulture for saying it, but it's likely true) pickings are probably getting good right now.

Cheers

Tim

[Tim S]

The Natural Philosopher coughed up some electrons that declared:

Also an interesting idea. I feel like a prat for not thinking of this as I'm going to be stripping a kitchen anyway - I should try that first and see if the units are still strong enough. Nothing lost if they fall apart.

Thanks. Now everytime I'm there, I'm not going to able to look at a table without imagining a blonde woman with plaits getting busy on it!

Cheers

Tim

[Huge]

My thinking exactly.

[Cicero]

========================================= If you want something cheap and easy consider buying a couple of cheap portable workbenches

(e.g.http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cfb600-folding-work-bench/path/)and add a top made from 8" x 2" planks battened together. The top can be clamped or bolted to the folding benches to provide stability if you're using a small top-heavy pillar drill. Such an arrangement has the advantage of being moved quickly to another location if needed. I often use mine outdoors for extra space.

Cic.

[Tim S]

Huge coughed up some electrons that declared:

Although there are a few useless sods who need to sort their lives out or go bust...

Been trying to source Hager parts for my consumer unit. Hager are top rate when you phone them with a technical enquiry. However, when you actually try and buy anything it's a pit of doom.

Various wholesalers:

"We don't do Hager at all" (fair enough, that's their choice)

"We have 20% of their range and 75% of what you want - sure we'll see if we can get the other bits you want" - die of boredom waiting for a phone cal back, phone them: - "Sorry sir, we've faxed them twice and they're not coming back to us..." (WTF??!)

"No"

"Don't know, I just work in the office, you need technical, but they're all busy"

"Maybe we can get them - email us a parts list" (best bet so far, but I'm not holding my breath)

Hager (and all the rest of 'em) seriously need to start selling direct on the web, maybe at 10-20% over wholesale prices, then the wholesalers could stock the popular bits and go direct for the rest...

Cheers

Tim

[newshound]

Went to a farm sale last week looking for a chain harrow and came back with a 7.5 ton lorry.......

[George]

Desk like these are very robust and sturdy for such a task... the second link type are the most ideal as its made from steel and thick wood. only snag is...transport? look through ebay for any locally to you? or within a few miles radius.

[Chris J Dixon]

It doesn't have to be that complicated. I made mine without having a bench on which to make it. Used chunky timber and coach bolted and screwed it together. That was over 35 years ago, and it is still going strong.

Chris

[George]

and big people will be glad to give them away to get shut of em. :-) a few years ago I happened to pass a big second hand furniture shop,went in and there was one in good condition but solid oak type...it had a notice on it "Free to a good home//plus £5 delivery if needed"

[Harry Bloomfield]

Tim S submitted this idea :

An old full size office desk. There are usually plenty being given away on freecycle. A large vice may need extra strengthening to be added to a desk.

[Steve]

I would agree with that, tables are always a hard giveaway on freecycle. I got a great old kitchen table for the garage, nice 1+1/2 inch top.

Steve

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Tim S writes

My last 3ph one came from Edmundsons (Luton). I am still learning how to drive with only one arm and leg:-)

regards

[Tim S]

Chris J Dixon coughed up some electrons that declared:

Hi Chris,

You mean like bits of 2x2"? Or chunkier like 2x4"?

Given someone recently said 2x8 should be £2.50/m for C16 I wondered if basing it around common building or decking timber might make it very cheap...

I think I could manage some coach screws :)

Cheers

Tim

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Tim S saying something like:

Indeed. A mate of mine bought a Bradbury four-poster ramp at a garage equipment auction for 150 quid.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Chris J Dixon saying something like:

I knocked up a temporary bench from pallet wood fifteen years ago purely as a place to bolt my vice to. It's long been superceded by proper benches but its still there and doing great service as a rough workbench.

[Tim S]

Tim Lamb coughed up some electrons that declared:

(mail order and shop in N London) showed some promise when I called them today. They actually called back (there's a first, and in only 15 mins), despite sounding busy. Said they could get anything from the Hager catalogue at list price minus a moderate discount plus the VAT. Hager stuff on their website is more heavily discounted as it's stuff they deal in large amounts of. At least Hager publish a list price sheet so I can work out an appropriate selection of parts without going round the loop 10 times.

On the basis that no-one local could be arsed to source the stuff, or tried, but their supplier couldn't be arsed, looks like its web ordering for most of my stuff now. I'll add an addendum to this post when and if these folk turn up the goods.

Wonder why so many companies are so useless?...

Cheers

Tim

[Tim S]

Grimly Curmudgeon coughed up some electrons that declared:

So many good ideas - can I just give a general "thanks!" and I'll see what I can do. Probably use the kitchen units first because they need to come out and I need a crude bench pronto (and they're free, sort of). It might give me some parameters to design a better bench down the line.

Cheers

Tim