torsion top in the shop

I did, but it was a lot smaller than you're thinking of - it was a router table that replaced a wing on my contractor saw. About 18" x 24" IIRC.

I used 1/2" plywood skins and 1x2 webbing. Worked fine, but I sold the saw with the table so I don't have any longevity stats other than I used it for several years.

I generally use solid-core doors with a sacrificial cover. They're easier than torsion boxes. As far as connectors, a search through grainger.com, or similar, is probably where I'd start. I don't think it's going to be all that easy to connect them and keep them lined up perfectly.

No, but I have used tables like these for many years. Sort of mobile sawhorses plus they store a TON of clamps.

They are 48" wide, 37" high and about 14" deep. Two trays in one for small stuff like spring clamps. They can be buted end to end or side to side. Generally, I have them side by side but separated by maybe 3'. They are that way now, my new mahogany entry door is on them while I am applying the finish.

They work better for me than bigger tables, easy to move, easy to clamp stuff to them when need be. The slots in the legs are for moveable blocks so I can set things on edge or end (if not too long) and clamp to the legs to make mortices etc

One of the cheapest, simplest, fastest, most effective work surfaces around is available in the door section of Lowes & HD: a luan veneered, hollow slab door. Different sizes ranging from $18-35.

They are very light, yet very strong and work great for tossing over a couple saw horses. They are built as torsion boxes. If you need something with thicker wood surface on the top, you can attach a sheet of cheap plywood to it, top, or top and bottom.

I throw a sheet of melamine over it to get a great gluing table to which the glue will not stick.

The door slabs come with or without punctuation... um, I mean, knob and lockset holes.

On 6/16/2016 1:53 PM, krw wrote: > I generally use solid-core doors with a sacrificial cover. They're > easier than torsion boxes

On 6/16/2016 1:54 PM, -MIKE- wrote: > One of the cheapest, simplest, fastest, most effective work surfaces > around is available in the door section of Lowes & HD: a luan > veneered, hollow slab door. Different sizes ranging from $18-35.

Bingo, and Bingo ...

;)

IhavefoundbrandnewoakandmapleveneerSCdoorsoncraigslistfor$25orless.Strongandheavy. Moreforfixedworkbenchtops,IcanseewhereHCwouldbegoodfortemporaryusage IhaveseenanumberofHCdoorsoncraigslistforfree. :)

am thinking 3x6 might be a better size easier to manage and will fit the saw horses better

several years is good by that time mine will probably need to be recycled

will probably use a combination of staples screws and glue

Space bar is broken?

Yep,butpunctuationandshiftkeysseemtowork :)

I found one of these at a garage/moving sale for $20. There are no US distributors any longer. I'm using it now for a furniture repair.

Damn! You suck! ;)

I recall thinking, back in the day, that one of those would make an excellent bar for the family room of a woodworker. They are very nice. Were you wearing a mask when you scored that for $20?

The guy was moving to Fla. and was unloading his workshop. Bench, CMS, ShopVac, Belt sander, and plastic car ramps. No haggling for $54 total. No guard on the CMS...this was 2 garage sales over a 2 week period, and I was lucky no one snatched them up!

You REALLY suck!

I friend said, "You need to go to Confession"!

they are kind of niche product

Niche or not they were sold for decades in PopMech and PopSci from an Ohio distributor.

Niche...maybe, but they were sold for decades by an Ohio distributor in a few magazines.