Workbench

[Wedg1e]

I used a slab of 10mm plate for a frame I built a couple of years back: about 1000 x 600mm, it may have been flat when it was delivered but it was anything but by the time I'd finished torturing it!

 

[Archie]

Got cracking this morning so it's actually all finished save for the top, which I failed to get delivered in time for Christmas so that'll have to wait until the new year. I followed Paul's advice and got the whole thing set up on the floor having already leveled out some beams to work on.



I then tacked up using an offcut of box to square up the corners, re-checked and started welding.




I did all the fillet joins to start with reasoning that if these warped the top they would do so in the horizontal direction which wouldn't matter anyway. After that I welded up everything else in sight, taking care to move around a lot so as not to concentrate the heat in any one area.



Once the top was done it was a fairly simple matter of welding on the legs and casters. Some of the welds are vertical down some are vertical right to left (if that makes sense!) but I got a bit snap happy with the camera and couldn't remember for the life of me which were which. I've uploaded a selection anyway.









When the top's on it should stand 93cm high. I'm a bit worried about the edges as I allowed for a 10cm overhang on every side. Thinking back that might be a bit much but it's done now!





Only problem now is I need to come up with further projects to keep me entertained and out of harm's way over Crimbo!

 

[Seano]

That's one damn fine bench you have there archie, excellent idea having the castors fitted to it, looks like tons of working space too.....every engineers dream....

Sean.

 

[wyn]

Nice and sturdy with some real nice looking welds. Should be spot on when you get the plate on.

I couldn't help noticing the milling machine in the background, what do you have, if that's not being too nosey.

 

[Paul.]

Well done archie, told you there was nothing to it, I might have put two rails in the bottom though, then you can put a shelf on it, what weight are the castors rated at.

 

[Bigjoe]

Jesus,
that bench will outlast us all! very nice job Archie

Joe

 

[Archie]

Thank you all. Wyn, I always nose into the back of people's photos to see what kit they've got! It's an old Bridgeport, the ones with the geared autotravel. I'm ashamed to say I've not yet put it to a really good project but I will.

Paul you certainly were right. Actually I was amazed at how flat the floor was! I ended up using filler rod stubs to level the beams out. I initially planned two rails but went for one in case there wasn't enough metal. Should've thought about it a bit before weighing in as I ended up with three lengths spare!

Castors are rated at 600kg the set. I reckon the bench will weigh roughly 200kg when finished so there's a fair margin. If I wasn't being tight (again) I might have specced them a bit higher but hey-ho!

 

[snowcat]

nice chunkey looking bench........ what thickness is the top plate?

 

[Paul.]

One of my benches has a lockable steel box welded into it, used as a safe for the electrical kit etc, maybe an Idea for your next project?

 

[Archie]

It will be 10mm thick, Snowy.

I like the idea Paul. You can see in the last couple of pics the big sliding steel door in the background. It's only 3mm but that's where I keep all my kit. Hopefully it'll keep the pikeys at bay. I do take the cutting torch off the hoses and lock it up though. Wouldn't want to make life too easy for them!

 

[Wedg1e]

Tidy

Bet it moves on the castors when you start clouting things though. Just a suggestion but I'd have used some of the castors you can get with wind-down feet built-in. Used them on a couple of my rat-nukers, rated for 400/500 Kg each if I recall right. They'd double up for levelling the table as well if you wanted precision

 

[Archie]

I am slightly worried it'll shift about. We'll have to wait and see but if it does I'm sure I'll think of something!

 

[dopplershift]

Just thinking, Archie: if your worried about the ~10cm overhang, why not put some chunky angle on around the edge of the frame? eg 80x80x8mm angle or similar...

then you can still clamp to the edge of the bench, and you'll have (the equivalent of) a 18mm thick benchtop. (at least around the edges, where most hammering will happen).

 

[scarecrow]

now that what you call a workbench I have two workbench is with lockable casters underneath you would be surprised how hard it is move them the 10 centimetre overhang should be fine with 10mm plate I only have three millimetre plate and no overhang a bit of a nuisance if you need to camp on the corners I need mine portable for making gates and with two you can set up the any length and if I need to put something in the workshop like a tractor they can go outside I see your workshop is huge and I have been trying to figure out what your tractor is front of it looks I think a bit like a dexter

 

[Archie]

I purposely built it with four locking swivel casters to get the maximum resistance to movement. If I'd known about the ones with retractable feet I might have looked at them but these were pretty cheap.

I think you're probably right. 10cm should be fine. The bench in the background of the photos is 3mm thick on top but it's miles off flat and a bit too high. The new one should fit snugly underneath the old if I've got my sums right!

The tractor is a Fordson Major. There is actually a Super Dexta round the corner but, unlike the Major, it's a pig to start and usually has a flat battery so stays put most of the time.

 

[bawjaws]

aah, i like the idea of using a level to get it all flat, pauls soo smart

 

[bawjaws]

finished the bench yet archie?

 

[Archie]

Aye, bawjaws. Stuck the top on the other day. Unfortunately I'm not 100% satisfied. It's damned close to being flat but not quite. Looking at it I'd say the frame is flat but I've not clamped the top down hard enough before tacking it on. I could probably do with some beefier clamps to do it properly. Fortuately it's only tacked on in about 8 places so it'll not be difficult to correct as and when I get a moment.

 

[bawjaws]

is there any way to check for it being flat (paul)?

do put a few photos up when its finished archie, and what size box did you use for he frame? also what are you finishing it with, paint?

 

[Paul.]

Yes get a straight edge on it!.