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Author Topic: workbench ideas  (Read 15365 times)

tigertiger

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #25 on: December 23, 2016, 04:06:41 am »

375mm is plenty of depth, if you go full depth things just get lost at the back.
450mm is the minimum depth for a work area really, as sometimes you need to turn things end on to work. The L shape still allows this.
Another thing to consider is shallow draws for all of the little tools/ bits and bobs.
I also like the idea of the ironing board, and you could easily replace the ironing surface with something of a more suitable size.
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spearfish99

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #26 on: December 23, 2016, 09:05:30 pm »

I recently had the opportunity to replace my old shed with a new 8x6 ft one to use as a workshop.

 taking the easy option, I bought this one in knock down form and screwed it together.  It is very sturdy and good value for money.

  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GARAGE-WORKBENCH-WORK-DESK-BENCH-HEAVY-DUTY-HAND-MADE-BEST-QUALITY-WITH-SHELF-/271985880819?hash=item3f539f2ef3:g:qnMAAOSwuTxV9qde
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cos918

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #27 on: December 23, 2016, 09:50:29 pm »

on power sockets . think how many you want the double or treble it


john
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Captain Flack

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #28 on: December 24, 2016, 03:13:54 pm »

I made a frame of second hand dexion and covered the top with the cheapest worktop I could get from the local yard.  Drawers are the plastic 4 drawer type available from Staples etc, but cheaper from Poundstretcher etc.   This design gives you the chnace to move it around when you get:
1. bored
2. it doesn't work for you anymore.

As far as sockets are concerned whatever you put in won't be enough.  So go with what you can safely, and have it wired properly.  Two of the best things I bought was one of those anglepoise lamps with the magnifyer in it and an adjustable vice from Screwfix.
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tigertiger

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #29 on: December 25, 2016, 06:03:14 am »

I made a heavy duty plywood bench from free plans http://www.startwoodworking.com/plans/rock-solid-plywood-bench (see pic). Do a Google search for 'plywood workbench plans free' and a lot comes up.
I made the legs a bit shorter and put 4"heavy duty wheels on it.
As mentioned in the previous post, wheels help you more things around. I have a single garage workshop, and everything is on wheels, including the project table, draw cabinets, table saw, shelving etc. It means I can move things around when I need extra space and I can also tuck things away. I can also wheel the workbench out for all around access.


Power I have a quadruple socket in every corner of the workshop, and 2 more stationed down my bench-side side wall. I am never more than 2m from the nearest power outlet. Like clamps, you can never have too many power outlets.


I also had installed a heavy duty overhead shelf, about 1.5m deep at one end of the garage for storage. I can store timber above and I have storage on wheels that rolls in and out underneath.


The shelves and plastic drawers were mounted on a flat plywood with wheels attached to the bottom. A cheap way to mount almost anything. Some smaller machines (Planer, joiner, small router table) are in home made open front cabinets on wheels. The open face goes to the wall, and the rear as narrow shelves which are used to store some hand power tools.


If I were to make a new workshop, I would do something similar to the second picture. Where all the cabinets are on wheels, and slide under the bench.


One final thing, make or get yourself a cupboard for storing all you paints and sundries. Mine is only about 300mm deep, but about 1.5m wide and 1.8m tall (fixed to the wall). Being narrow I can find everything easily. Being wide I can store loads, and my workshop is now much tidier.
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Seacommander

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #30 on: December 25, 2016, 08:49:16 am »


Very interesting thread,

I have been battling with this for a while now, I have a large is space in the garage, my considerations are heating, warmth, and Lighting. I have improved the light situation twice now, so the best lighting possible is money well spent. What I cant get my head round is tool space and getting all of the racking and essential things organised. I think I would look at that and also where you have any power tools situated, drill and band saw for example.

I have not done that yet, but I'm contemplating having them stored and using as required rather than having them set up all the time, gives some space and free work tops. I also want a hoover space so I can keep the place clean.

Just a few thoughts, best of luck with it

Cheers

Mark 

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ChrisF

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #31 on: December 25, 2016, 12:15:04 pm »

Tigertiger - that workshop you've shown is a cracking example and would be a project in itself.

When I've made some room in the garage I want to do something similar, but simpler (no overhead storage) but sadly it won't be for model making - the only access is via the garage door so that won't work.
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tigertiger

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #32 on: December 25, 2016, 12:48:38 pm »

I just want to reiterate that the shops in the pictures are not mine.
But I have borrowed ideas from them.


Having only a smallish space and playing at cabinet making, means I have to fit as much as I can into a small space. Hence my research on this. BTW my shop is far from ideal, and needs a remake, but it will do for now. But I know that some of you guys are doing fine work out of much smaller areas than I am lucky to have.

Chris, looking at the picture, you could build a shop like this at the bottom end of your garage, if it is long enough, and still get the car in. Really you only need the depth of your workbench to get the car in. If depth is tight and hard to gauge, a good trick is to hang a tennis ball from a piece of string, attach it to the ceiling, so that it just touches the car windscreen when you are far enough in.


I used the wall racking system found here http://www.woodworkingarchive.biz/sharpening-tips/designs-for-the-hyperorganized-shop.html, shown in the photo.
Everything on the wall can be relocated to wherever you are working, or if you just decide you want to move things around. That includes the wall cabinet and tool drawers. You can store everything at the end of the garage, and just move gear to additional wall slats on the side walls when you want to work.


There are also lots of plans for fold down workbenches on the net, like this one http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-fold-down-workbench/. That will also save you space, see pics below. These same a lot of space, and the one in the picks will be solid enough for model making and more.
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Ron Rees

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #33 on: December 25, 2016, 02:21:48 pm »

Happy Christmas to everyone.....


When designing my 4th model workshop(Purpose built), I think I had fixed all the mistakes from my previous one.


You can buy what they call 'Russian Ends!!) which is basically 3x2" softwood. It is good value from most DIY stores. Screw one long length of this to the back wall so that the top edge is 750mm from the floor,Make front one to match and fit a leg of the same stuff at 2-3 foot (600-900mm) intervals, bigger where you sit. fix to floor with No-Nails or a steel angle bracket at the back. Install spacers every 2 feet or so. So you have a frame. Worktop needs to be wider so about 30 inches (750) here is good. Anything narrower becomes storage.
Cover thie with any good 3/4 inch sheet you can get, plywood or blockboard is the best. Install a capping strip along the front. (3x1) with it proud of the top by 3 or 4mm. Vover the top again with oil bonded hardboard and screw down (No glue).


This can be replaced easily as it gets damaged.


Fit long shelves underneath for tools etc. A storade unit with small drawers is handy here.


This all works very well and most nodel work will be done seated. An eight foot long worktop needs 4x double sockets at the back.


Fun..........Ron

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jarvo

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #34 on: December 25, 2016, 09:45:25 pm »

Just an add on to tool storage, i have several roll cabs, they are base units for mechanics tool boxes, also a couple of midi boxes, these can sit on top of the roll cabs or on the bench or shelf, bought new they are fairly expensive, £50 + for the midi's and £80 - 100 for the roll cab, on ebay they can be had for half that, BUT, the do come in different sizes, width and depth so watch out. If you have lottery funding, go for the Snap on gear, fantastic quality for a price, £5000 will get you started!!!!


Joking apart,
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jarvo

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #35 on: December 25, 2016, 09:49:19 pm »

Sorry for second reply something happened and my comments were published.


The roll cabs can easily be fitted with work tops, 2 of mine have 1" blockboard tops so if you fit them under your normal work bench then wheel them out if you need extra work space.


Mark
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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #36 on: December 25, 2016, 11:38:22 pm »

My layout is like Tigers, tools are on benches/worktops with heavy duty castors.

Space is not a problem so why castors, better utilisation of space and flexability when handling materials.

Example, saw bench can be located in the middle of floor or on an angle to suit current handling. At the end of the day all packed away against one wall and easily cleaned up.

Even with the ideal laid out workshop, which requires volumes of space to house all the "tools" you will encounter problems handling materials.

So if your layout has some flexibility it makes life that much easier.
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tigertiger

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #37 on: December 26, 2016, 01:19:57 pm »

Seeing as a picture paints a thousand words. Here are some pics of my shop, wart and all.
This is a single car garage, and a car just fitted and allowed you to get out of one side only.


This first post is just the things that fit in the back end of the garage.



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tigertiger

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #38 on: December 26, 2016, 01:24:56 pm »

And here is a bit more of the main part of the workshop. When working, all of the bins, buckets and the saw horses sit outside in the yard.
As the last slide shows, there is still room to swing a cat when you move things around. I have managed 3m long boards, and even 2440x1220 sheets, but I prefer to cut large sheets down; outside with the saw horses and a hand circular saw.



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jarvo

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #39 on: December 26, 2016, 01:51:46 pm »

Hi Tiger, love your idea for the 4 draw systems mounted on the trolley, brilliant when you think outside the box.


Mark
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tigertiger

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #40 on: December 26, 2016, 02:00:04 pm »

It is actually 2 x 4 drawer units side by side on the same trolley  :-))
with masking tape labels so that I can find stuff.
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dave parker

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #41 on: December 26, 2016, 06:47:07 pm »

So much inspiration on this thread


thanks to everyone for their input
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ChrisF

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #42 on: December 26, 2016, 10:02:22 pm »

Dave - just don't spend too much time building the workshop instead of building boats! :)
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derekwarner

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #43 on: December 26, 2016, 10:24:03 pm »

Well TT...

One important thing that hasn't been mentioned  is good lighting  %)....and you certainly appear to have this in the Man Cave from Heaven  O0

Derek
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warspite

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #44 on: December 26, 2016, 10:32:47 pm »

B & Q are selling the plastic saw horses or trestles for £20 a pair, saves all that effort unless you have scrap stock that will do the same and hinges.

Just bought a Mac Allister for £40 from B & Q, ideal as a work bench whilst I am boarding out the loft into a new workshop, so as not to add any weight to the joists (which are not designed for being used this way), I Have to design a way of spreading the load, and a suitably structural sound bench that will be at 700mm high along the length available which is about 4500mm, scarfing 2 x 2440 lengths of 47mm x 50mm together is going to be a challenge.

I like this topic, very informative and some superb ideas. my previous company made an extractors for transporting plastic that is similar to those that B&Q used to sell and similar to that shown earlier.
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tigertiger

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #45 on: December 27, 2016, 12:30:52 am »

Yes, lighting. I went online and did the research, 500mm from the wall for overhead lighting at the sides is optimal. Lighting in the middle of a larger workshop would need some additional consideration.

I forgot to mention that the bench is not full width (840-850mm), but only 600mm. This allows a little more floor space, in a small shop even 100mm extra is noticeable, 250mm is a lot.
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tigertiger

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #46 on: December 27, 2016, 02:03:04 am »

I Have to design a way of spreading the load, and a suitably structural sound bench that will be at 700mm high along the length available which is about 4500mm, scarfing 2 x 2440 lengths of 47mm x 50mm together is going to be a challenge. 



I would think about trying this.
If you have a wall at each end of the workbench, use joist hangars at the right height to suspend joists and then lay the worktop along the joists.
If you have a wall behind the workbench area, attach triangular frames to the wall and lie the worktop across them.
This way all of the weight goes into the walls, and won't affect the floor at all. Using hangars and joists is cheap and easy.

Personally I wouldn't try to scarf, I would butt joint. You can get T pieces if you don't want a gap, but these are raised.
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Joinerman

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #47 on: December 27, 2016, 12:41:37 pm »

Morning everyone,
Im a bit late in arriving on this thread but having not long moved house and turned half a double garage into a workshop here are a couple of thoughts.


You can never have too many plug sockets or you end up forever plugging and unplugging extension leads.


Good lighting is a must when working on such small items, overhead for general lighting, over bench wall lighting strips, and if possible something on an adjustable arm is really useful.


Lastly, dust collection / extraction, I ran 3" plastic pipe along one wall and one end wall and then linked all the machinery to it via blast gates, leaving a couple of blank ends for coupling ad hoc machinery if needed. This was this coupled to a Fein hoover/extractor (via a cyclone) which has its own outlet socket, I have my router table plugged into this, when I switch on the router the extractor switches on as well and turns itself off a few seconds after the router stops. The cyclone extracts all the dust and debris into a container keeping the hoover etc free of dust and always running at full suction. I made my cyclone from an old bin and a plastic cone, but they can be bought from various places.


Cyclone plans/designs can be found on YouTube like most things.


Good luck with the workshop, one of the reasons for buying our new home was the double garage, well its important isn't it.


Regards Alan
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dave parker

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #48 on: August 03, 2017, 07:04:15 pm »

Well, after a few things getting in the way, here we are....

What do we think?




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dave parker

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Re: workbench ideas
« Reply #49 on: August 03, 2017, 07:07:02 pm »

Oh maybe I cant show you

Damn you photobucket
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