Should close escrow on a forclosure in a few days and need to build out my 2 car garage shop. Besides pulling in all my machinery and tools from all the various shops an other locations they currently live, I need to build a shop table.
I am going for a 4 x 8 flat surface. I'll build storage under it as needed and I will make sure it is movable. I am thinking of a derivation of this design. Anyone else have design ideas or input?
SonomaProducts.com wrote: ...
I'm not keen on the thin top that drawing shows -- my favorite shortcut for fixing that problem is the recycled or freight salvage type places looking for exterior solid-core slab doors. 3-0 or 3-6 standard height are normally almost giveaway and sizable places if you happen to have on close usually can find taller than 80" for offices or commercial. I found a pair of 3-8 x 8-0 solid core oak veneer exteriors for $10 ea that were unbored but had a couple gouge marks one side where bunged up by a forklift. These are heavy, though so support will need to be beefed up. But, they are solid enough they take hard knocks -- essentially the advantages of glued-up bench top w/o the hassle.
Sometimes you can find used/salvage/damage butcher block but usually not so large unless happen to have used restaurant equipment dealer--often they'll have tops that aren't suitable for kitchen use any longer at least w/o fully resurfacing that they don't want to do but a commercial shop w/ large sander can clean up quickly...
If you're space-limited for multiple work stations, I'd also consider making it as adjustable in height so it can do double duty as bench and assembly table.
$0.02, etc., ...
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Does it need to be portable, lightweight and be moved around?
Or can it be heavy?
Any power requirements at the table? I often put in a power strip under one edge of workbenches I build.
Another suggestion is to use some kind of metal base. I mention this because I bought up some heavy duty metal bases at an industrial outlet. They were very strong and heavy. They all had electrical boxes built in and I wired them up. Not sure what is available where you are, but they worked well for me. All my old source are gone now though.
If I had to make a some workbenches in a hurry, I would still go to the metal legs. This probably wouldn't work for an outfeed table though. I have seen a couple benches made with the grizzly metal legs.
If you use the table for assembly or other work, it would be nice to have some drawers and cabinets underneat. And a rolling clamp rack nearby.
At leat have some kind of wood storage underneath.
Some things to consider:
Do you want a "work table" or a "storage surface"?
Have built a couple of work tables for use as fiberglass cutting tables (A roll of glass weighs about 250 lbs) using 2x6 frame and legs, double 1/2 CDX top and 1x4 diagonal bracing.
Basic brick out house construction.
The were built to take a beating, but would not have been worth a hoot if equipped /w/ casters.
Built a 4x8 runout table for table saw /w/ storage drawers underneath.
Would have req'd a fork lift to move it.
Built a table /w/ 1x4 framing and 1/4 hardboard top complete /w/ casters.
Worked well as a portable table.
Each one was unique and served the purpose for which they were designed.
They were all tables, but that was about it.
HTH
Lew
wow, expensive. Check out retail stores that are going out of business, too. I picked up some incredible industrial shelving at a local "Linens and Things." They are going under, nationwide. I remember them having those metal-legged display tables all over the place.
I built one very similiar to this table from a plan I got from NYWS. I saw Norm build one on show. I like the feature/s where U can make it movable or immobile.
I know.
I remember paying $25 for something much bigger and heavier.
I used to haunt industrial surplus places back in the day. I remember some cast steel legs once. There were about ten of them. Each weighed almost a hundred lbs. a piece! They were too tall for any use for me. But the were gone when I went there a week later.
"SonomaProducts.com" wrote
"assembly table", about 6' x 3', much lower to the ground than my work bench, say around 24" high, similar to your drawing, and on locking wheels, so if I have a large cabinet etc, on it I'll be able to move it around to work on it and/or just move it out of the way while I do something else.
AAMOF, in my current setup, I left room between my middle of the floor workbench, and wall bench/cabinets to house just such a critter. I'd like to do 4' x 8', but it would take up too much room in my current, but temporary, "2 car garage" location.
Big things for me are 'flat' and 'mobile' ...
feet wide by 4 feet long boxes open one side, which, with removable pin barn-style hinges, can be made into a 2 x 12, 4 x 4 or 4 x 6 movable tables. The bottoms will have cabinet doors attached to them as well. I used casters that not only lock the wheels, but the caster itself vs the carcass as well. The casters were $ 7.00 apiece and each 'box' was made out of one 4x8 sheet of melamine clad 5/8" MDF which I bought for 9 bucks apiece.. (that was a drive-by gloat, btw) I can wheel 4 sheets of solid surface around the shop on one of them without effort... that is over 600 pounds plus whatever tools are stored inside.
I built a 4 X 8 table workbench. I am now taking it out because it is too big. If you are doing assembly on it, it is hard to reach across. Similar problems on the length. My next table will be about
30" X 72" . It will also free up a fair amount of space in my garage.
That's very close to the Norm designed work table...
I put lam> Should close escrow on a forclosure in a few days and need to build
Mine is 30" X 80" Sits on casters for mobility.
Max
It depends a lot on what you're going to be doing /on/ the shop table. I couple of years ago I built what had been intended as a panel cart - but since then it's been used at least as much as a sanding table and assembly table as a cart. It's movable, and when not in use doesn't take up much space...
It would be fairly easy to add whatever storage configuration you might like under the side that tilts up, although I suspect that mobile storage might be a mixed blessing.
"Max" wrote
is a must.
I made two mistakes I had to fix later. I made it from a 4 X 8 and it was to big for my shop. Also I made the mobile height the same height as my saw, planer. etc. I had to tweak the table so the non mobile height was on plane with all of my tools.
"Swingman" wrote
Obviously that was 4" x 4" ... and, come to think of it, a hollow core door
*is*, for all practical purposes, a torsion box ... and about the right size with 8" cut off.... just a little melamine and we're there.
Do you really need a continuous 4x8 surface? If not, consider this...
I have a pair of identical tables. Each is 36" high, 12" deep and 48" wide. They are simply built, four inch tray on bottom (I keep pipe clamps in them), 4-2x4 legs attached to inside of tray sides and ends with carriage bolts, 4" rails on all four sides at top of legs (more carriage bolts), ply attached to rails, laminate on ply, all on casters. The 12" top overhangs sides and ends by about 1 1/2 inches so I have something to clamp to.
I can put them mano to mano and have either a tabletop 12" x 96" or 24" x
48". I don't often do that, normally have them side by side but separated. Easy to lay short stuff on it/them or spread them apart a bit for whatever span I need. Great for clamping halflap joints (among others).I like them a lot. The only thing I'd change - and I will one day - is to make them so they could be laid down giving me low tables to use for tall stuff.
"dadiOH" wrote
That is a great idea.
I build plyo boxes for weight trainers. They need to jump off boxes of various heights. And that is exactly what I do. Instead of building three separate boxes of different heights. I make a big box that can be turned on its side for the three different heights.
I never thought of doing that in the shop. Probably because my shop is so small. But it is a good idea.
Do you have any closer pics of the wheel assembly and how it works. I've been "wheeling" everything in the shop, lately.
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