I like my workbench. It's solid, functional, and mobile. Unfortunately, while I'm working on projects, it's often half covered with tools and materials, and I don't use it as effectively as I should. To augment it, I have two folding cafeteria tables, the kind with a laminated particle board top and a steel apron and legs. One is five feet long, the other six.
The cafeteria tables work okay for me, but they have a few drawbacks. They’re a bit heavy, particularly the six-footer. I store them in the back of a storage room adjacent to the garage, so they’re not convenient to access. (I keep the six-footer behind my plywood scraps, so it’s really inconvenient to use.) They have different heights, meaning I can't put them side-by-side to form a larger surface, and they’re on the low side (29-30”).
Earlier this year, I ran across an old Woodsmith folding worktable design that looked interesting. That table is about 60" long, 22” wide, and 30” high, with a weight around 15 lbs. That’s smaller and lower than I wanted, so I decided to build two larger, taller tables based on the design. I also built a wall-mounted storage bracket to enable me to store the tables in the garage where they are close at hand.
My tables are 72” long, 27 3/4" wide, and 35” tall. When closed, they’re about 5 1/4" thick, so they don’t project much into the garage (not far enough to interfere with getting into my wife’s car from the passenger side). Their height roughly matches that of my workbench and table saw on its rolling stand. That means I can use them like extensions to my bench, and as a makeshift table saw outfeed table (until I build a dedicated flip-up one). I can also place them side-by-side to form one large surface.
Each table weighs about 44 lbs., which is heavier than I’d like, but not too bad given their increased height and utility. (In comparison, my five-foot cafeteria table weighs 45 lbs., and my six-footer is about 55 lbs.)
The tables are made from sassafras and pine lumber and 1/4" oak plywood. The top is plywood with a sassafras frame. A top that thin might seem flimsy, but it sits on a lattice of “I-beams” made of pine frames with a plywood core, and the assembly is very stiff. The legs are sassafras with plywood X-braces.
This lumber mix is a bit unusual. Using pine instead of sassafras would have reduced weight, but the pine is so soft I was reluctant to use it for the tabletop frame and legs, fearing they would not hold up over time. I chose sassafras as the best compromise between weight, strength, and cost. I chose oak plywood because it was the sturdiest of the 1/4" options at my local big box stores. I can’t say I’m crazy about this wood combination’s appearance. The tables look like oak furniture from the 80s, but they’re work tables, so appearance wasn’t a priority.
I built the tables and wall bracket back in February and have used them for a few projects. I like their size and height. They’re stable and plenty strong for my needs. Storing them right where I need them is a huge benefit. To use a table, I just flip up a spring-loaded arm on top of the bracket and lift the table out.
But there was one thing I disliked. There was no way to lock the table’s legs in their open position. When I started to set up a table, the legs just dangled uselessly. I had to set one side down, shift the table toward the other side, and then drop the legs on that side. If I needed to shift the table a foot or two, I had to lift one end and drag it to its new position.
I don’t think the original design addressed this problem, so I devised my own solution: a flip-up panel on each side that presses against the rear of the top rail of the leg assembly and keeps it from closing. These leg lock panels are held in place with magnets, so they don’t accidentally flip open. They are also secured with magnets when the table is stored.
Those are great, Ron! They’re very smart looking when deployed and fade away when stowed. I love the leg locking solution - simple and elegant. Very well done all around.
Checked out the SU model more closely to see how the locking mechanism actually worked... quite inventive. Many may not realise the "complexity" of what seems like a "simple build".
What version of SU do you use... my 2018 initially crapped out on the download... did I ask you that before?
ALso be interested in what "cut list" plugins you use (assuming you do from the layout) though I would only need a watered down version for my puzzles, but one day I might give Pottzy a heart attack and make something big again (😉😉😉)... though I might wait for his retirement so his boss wont have to foot the sick leave.
Also which bolt/thread generator you use or are they hacked up using first principles (I use EP Fasteners & Holes). Haven't done much plugin investigation since they went subscription which I refuse to take part in.
Their height roughly matches that of my workbench and table saw on its rolling stand. That means I can use them like extensions to my bench, and as a makeshift table saw outfeed table ...
That has the sounds of a rough outfeed transition... Exact would have been preferred.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
Thanks all for the nice comments, i really appreciate them. I hope to start posting the blog series later today for anyone interested in more detail.
Now to answer LBD’s questions…
I use SketchUp Make 2017, and you did ask me. 😁 Maybe my model contains some dodgy geometry that causes the problems in converter 3D Warehouse runs on my uploaded model.
I don’t use a cut list plugin. I lay out all the pieces manually. Because all my parts are components, I just drag them into place, rotate them so they’re flat, and arrange them on board outlines. That way I can take my cut sheets to the lumberyard so I buy the right amount of lumber. The yard is 45 minutes away and open only Friday and Saturday, so I can’t easily run out and buy more material if I buy too little.
I just drew the bolts and nuts manually. My threads aren’t real. I just drew a 3/16” wide rectangle with some teeth on the end of one side and revolved it with the Follow Me tool to create a 3/8” diameter cylinder that resembles a threaded bolt shaft. For screw heads on the piano hinges, I just drew rings and plus signs and pushed them in a hair. That plugin you mentioned looks useful, though.
You’re right about the outfeed thing. I need a proper outfeed table. Usually, I use a roller stand behind the table. That doesn’t work very well for large panels (like those on the tabletops here). For those cuts, it’s just nice to have something to keep the cut panel from falling to the floor, so it’s okay if the makeshift table sits a quarter inch or so lower.
Splint, I’ve used my bench as an outfeed. (I have some hardboard sacrificial tops that I place on top so the dog holes don’t catch any corners.) I’ve never minded a lower outfeed either. The only time I like something height matched is when I use my crosscut sled on a wide panel. There, I don’t want the near side of the sled to tilt up, so I raise a roller stand to match the bottoms of the slots.
