My solution to a solid work bench.

I have 1 stall of a two car garage to park my motorcycle and set up my various woodworking and metal working tools. My benches aren't the best looking things but they are solid and portable. Since I am currently renting I can't mount anything to the floor or wall.

At a machine shop auction several years ago I bought a whole pallet of various threaded rods with nuts and washers in 1/2", 3/4", 1", 1-1/2" and two inch diameters in lengths from 24 inches to 48 inches. I have a HF mini-mill that makes a good platform on which to mount lumber up to 8" x8" for drilling fairl;y precise holes. Depending on the purpose of the bench I am making I use either 4" x4", 6" x6", or 8" x8" corner posts in the height that I desire for the bench. I drill holes of the appropriate diameter to put the threaded rod through the corner posts and then thread the rods through the two by fours or two by sixes that I am using as the tops of the benches. I use appropriately sized bolts to brace the sides and corners with 2" x 4"s or 2" x 6"s. I have a motorcycle jack that can lift up to 1500 pounds and I use it to lift the benches and move them from the storage side of the garage to the work area as I need them. When the car and motorcycle are both parked outside I can use almost all of the floor space to set up the benches that I am using on current projects. When I am finished I use the motorcycle jack to move everything out of the way to allow parking for the cycle and car.

If I ever have to move to another shop I can disassemble everything in a few hours and have it ready to be loaded and unloaded in the box of my pickup truck.

I have back problems so I do most of my work from a wheelchair and since I cannot lift much weight anymore this allows me to move some really heavy stuff around my work area. Here is a list of various tools I have mounted on these portable benches.

Harbor Freight mini-mill Harbor Freigh 7 x 10 mini-lathe Craftsmen Drill Press Ryobi Wood Lathe. A Ryobi table saw. A Ryobi Router A 24' Scroll Saw Two carpenters tables with various vises built in. 48 inches by 24 inches. A 6" x4" Metal Bandsaw Two castor mounted boxes for secure storage of various power tools and odds & ends

It ain't pretty but it allows me to spend time in the shop instead of on the couch.

TG

Reply to
TwoGuns
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If it works for you, it's pretty.

Reply to
Charlie Self

Sat, Jan 26, 2008, 2:59pm (EST-3) snipped-for-privacy@neb.rr.com (TwoGuns) doth sayeth: It ain't pretty but it allows me to spend time in the shop instead of on the couch.

No prob, paint everything yellow, that's what I do.

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Reply to
J T

If I paint anything YELLOW around here SWMBO gets VERY hard to live with. Had a Corvette Yellow Ambassador wagon years back - she HATED it. Would not drive it. - and it was a GOOD car.

Reply to
clare at snyder.on.ca

Sun, Jan 27, 2008, 6:02pm clare at snyder.on.ca doth claimeth: If I paint anything YELLOW around here SWMBO gets VERY hard to live with. Had a Corvette Yellow Ambassador wagon years back - she HATED it. Would not drive it. - and it was a GOOD car.

The problem was probably not that it was a yellow Ambassador, but that it was an Ambassador.

JOAT

10 Out Of 10 Terrorists Prefer Hillary For President - Bumper Sticker I don't have a problem with a woman president - except for Hillary.
Reply to
J T

No, trust me, it was the YELLOW. It could have been a Mustang, Corvette, VW Beetle, or a Fararri - it would not have made a difference!!!

Reply to
clare at snyder.on.ca

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