my ultimate assembly bench

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it was time to finally make make what to me is the ultimate assembly workbench,this is replacing the one you can see in my shop photos that was quickly made in one day when i needed a table to get a project done.it was a upgrade from the folding table i was using,not very ultimate.this bench is constructed of 3/4 melamine,clear doug fir for the frame and drawer fronts.the top is torsion box constructed from 3/4 ply strips with 1/2 mdf top and bottom and 1/4 masonite top just as an airplane wing is made.all drawers are 1/2 prefinished birch ply and 1/4 melamine bottoms with ball bearing glides.all are 28" deep.the table size is 6'2" x 3'10" x 36" high,a little taller than normal but i dont like short table tops,easier on my aging back.there is a 110v outlet on each corner with an air outlet on each end,i just plug the table into an outlet and plug an air hose into a plug on the back.the table is on 4" wheels for total mobility.i have a roll of craft paper on one side to cover when gluing or painting.the vise on the corner is a rockwell bench jaw that i highly recommend i use it on every project, very fast and versatile.hope i covered everything.

ps-since this was finished ive added t track to the top. and this vertical clamp rack.


working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

43 Comments

Nice buddy! Gives solid ideas for others to use. I especially like integrating the torsion box top. Such a great way to get solid integrity without the resulting weight of a solid top. Super important for an assembly table. 

Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".

yeah a torsion box top is rock solid and dead flat.. but as for weight,well this bench weighs a ton !

working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

Nice enough that I would be afraid to use it. Might get scratched. Excellent job !!!   Mike
Lots of really cool features!  I like it.

Half of what we read or hear about finishing is right. We just don’t know which half! — Bob Flexner

it's beat to hell after years of abuse.i love an old beat up work bench,makes you think about all the projects it produced.if they could only talk.

working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

That's really nice. I wish I had room for something like that. I have two old folding cafeteria tables (each a different size and height) that I have to use for anything bigger than my 7'x2' workbench.
ron thats what i was dealing with before i built this one. i wish i could have went a full 4'x8' but this one has worked quite well for me.

working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

I love benches like that....I have one a little smaller, but I call it a franken- bench.  I put a pancake compressor in the bottom, but I see you pipe your air in...that would make for a more continuous flow of air.... Nice job.   What is the roll of paper that you put in there?  I am looking for something I can stain on and not worrying about it seeping through.....

Mike

just a roll of brown craft paper from lowes. oils or stains can seep through if it's a lot maybe,but i havn't had a problem yet.

working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

Moke, I use the red-ish rosin paper from the paint section. Not liquid proof, but it soaks up a lot of it. I have a roll hanging in the rafters and just pull down a section and slice it off. Tape it down to the bench. Away you go. Works great. 

Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".

Ryan, I have some of that....I only see it in one size which is too narrow....but I'll look around.  I just wasn't sure if it would soak through...I can certainly test it though.

Mike

Moke, I’ve seen it in a couple widths in the paint depts at local big box stores if I remember correctly. I use it regularly when applying finish, and it seems to do a better than average job of containing the oils and such. I do try to roughly wipe up any major spills, as opposed to just letting them set on the paper.

Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".

we used to sell red rosin paper,guys used it to protect floors,came in rolls 36" wide. a lot of lumber yards sell it.

working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

Like that horizontal t-track pottzy... 
Been a great fan of those Rockler auto adjust clamps... however, have changed allegiance to the new TSO/Bessey hybrid... Was gonna do a review till LJ stuffed up their review process... however, can foresee too many poo-poo them due to price and lack of you Yanks adopting the 20mm MFT style tabletops.
Lucky the Yankeeland based TSO is not racist and have adopted the Fe$tool 20mm metric concept.

If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD

Nice solid bench Pottz, with a lot of features. Do you have any issues with the ROS attached to the DC?

Main Street to the Mountains

So nice!  Maybe someday when I design my dream shop!
 Nice solid bench Pottz, with a lot of features. Do you have any issues with the ROS attached to the DC? 

i dont connect to my DC. ive got a mirka connected to an overhead boom arm plugged into a fein shop vac. ill post some pic's of that tomorrow.

working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

 Nice solid bench Pottz, with a lot of features. Do you have any issues with the ROS attached to the DC? 


i dont connect to my DC. ive got a mirka connected to an overhead boom arm plugged into a fein shop vac. ill post some pic's of that tomorrow.

Similar to pottzy, I attach all my sanders to my shop vac... through a common powerboard piggy backing off the vac's appliance socket.  It's the hoses I need to keep track of,

I'm heading down the path of Fe$tool Bluetooth... cant wait till the Rotex get's batteryed... unlike a Bos¢h that should be batterd (and deep fried)... long story for non-LJ recruits

If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD

damn ducks is that a shop octopus ? still jealous that i bought a better sander and it was a "lot" cheaper !!!!!

working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

 Nice table, Pottz! I do most of my assembly on the table saw, but then I’m a heathen.

May you have the day you deserve!