Bench talk..

[Randall Child]

Since I'm new to this site, I'm not sure if the topic of "Work Benches" have been covered, but figured I would share mine

I have always had a good size work bench that was 4' x 8' and made it to serve as an outfeed table for my tablesaw.  As I did cabinets, it became harder and harder as I got older, to lift big, heavy cabinets off the bench.  I basically had to slide the cabinet over till it wanted to tip off and then set one end on the floor and tilt the cabinet up.  It was just a pain to do.

My dream was to have one of those Barth lift tables, but WOW are they expensive!!  SO..one day I was looking around Facebook marketplace and found this motorcycle lift table that was 48" wide by 93" long and thought hmmm.. I wonder? So I bought it for $600 and hauled it back to my shop. I hastily made a 2 x 4 frame and a white melamine top for it because I had to get back on client projects but I was never very happy with the top.  Enter coronavirus and a slowdown of work.  I decided to make a Paulk type worktop for the lift cabinet and make it nice.. I added casters to the lift table so I could roll it around and also added a patternmakers vice on the end.. Oh and yes, I routed all 300 holes in the top which I laminated with a light gray  plastic laminate for longevity of use.. it took FOREVER!! haha

This workbench has really been super nice to use, I am very happy with it..

So.. there ya have it..

[wtnhighlander]

That lifting work surface is an awesome idea! HF sells a well-reviewed hydraulic lift platform for about $300, that would do nicely under a somewhat smaller work surface. Many of us hobbyists would be hard pressed to cram a 4'x8' table into our shops...

[Coop]

8 hours ago, wtnhighlander said:

 Many of us hobbyists would be hard pressed to cram a 4'x8' table into our shops...

I was about to ask. Randall, what size is your shop? 

[Mark J]

Looking at your top I'm thinking you're half way to a downdraft table.

[Randall Child]

13 hours ago, Coop said:

I was about to ask. Randall, what size is your shop? 

My shop is 1200sf...PACKED to the gills..haha  I have a Felder sliding tablesaw with a powermatic 66 on the outfeed side that takes up a lot of space in the middle of the shop.

[Randall Child]

11 hours ago, Mark J said:

Looking at your top I'm thinking you're half way to a downdraft table.

I have nailguns and clamps and tape measures all down inside those cubbyholes.. It keeps everything I need right at the table without taking up any tabletop space, but yea, a downdraft would be super nice.

[Mark J]

Back before I got turned on to lathe work I was toying with the idea of a workbench that had a built in down draft.  One nascent idea I had was to use numerous dog holes and a plenum underneath.  Another was to go with a narrow split top with a plenum under the split.  Never got past the daydream phase, then I turned a corner, so to speak.  

[Randall Child]

23 minutes ago, Mark J said:

Back before I got turned on to lathe work I was toying with the idea of a workbench that had a built in down draft.  One nascent idea I had was to use numerous dog holes and a plenum underneath.  Another was to go with a narrow split top with a plenum under the split.  Never got past the daydream phase, then I turned a corner, so to speak.  

I made a boom arm that hovers over my work table that is hooked up to a vacuum and has a power cord and a Festool cord built into it..the vacuum works quite well in helping keep the dust down when I sand..