Workshop Benches! - Making them. What do you have/wish for?!

T.Farm.Brumby · Post by **T.Farm.Brumby** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 11:15 pm

These are looking real good. Nice to see it all coming together

60766244 · Post by **60766244** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 8:30 pm

Got the quote back for the benchtops.

The guy wants $400.00

Told him the entire budget for the whole build is less than that.

Looks like I'll need to find someone local with a thicknesser and see if they'll let me use it for a case of beer or two...

Also need to get some more welding rods.

Very frustrating day all round really.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 5:09 pm

Moving along very nicely!

I hope you keep that momentum going

Cheers

Bennie

60766244 · Post by **60766244** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:11 pm

El_Freddo wrote:Moving along very nicely!

I hope you keep that momentum going

Cheers

Bennie

Momentum = Money Hehe

Today I used up the very last scraps of welding rod welding on the top of one of the benches. I've decided to weld the metal under-top on now so I can use the smooth metal surface as a work bench until I can either afford or work out how to do the Jarrah on the cheap!

I also vice-gripped the bench-back I drilled out the other day onto another one and drilled that out to be identically holed.

I realized to that my m10 drill bit has gone walkies somehow. I have a multitude of Stainless Steel bolts ideal for these benches that are all m10...

So, I'll add that to the shopping list too.

In the mean time I can keep drilling 5mm holes as pilot holes off the already measured and drilled frames to keep it all identical and purdy!

I have some plywood to drill out and steel-back too so that can happen at some point whenever until I get some more bits.

T.Farm.Brumby · Post by **T.Farm.Brumby** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:45 pm

60766244 wrote: I realized to that my m10 drill bit has gone walkies somehow. I have a multitude of Stainless Steel bolts ideal for these benches that are all m10...

Only bit you need is the only one that ever goes missing. Damn Murphy's law will get you every time

60766244 · Post by **60766244** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:25 pm

T.Farm.Brumby wrote:Only bit you need is the only one that ever goes missing. Damn Murphy's law will get you every time

Yeah well soon, no more.

I'll have those 5 drawers dedicated to keeping those bits exactly how and where they should be.

I got my main inspiration from these: (though my drawers will be much more compact, closed up and horizontal.)

Anyone else have photos of their benches/storage or workshops?

I'll post some more photos of systems I've seen on the interwebs...

60766244 · Post by **60766244** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:26 pm

T.Farm.Brumby wrote:Only bit you need is the only one that ever goes missing. Damn Murphy's law will get you every time

Soon it will be no longer...

I have at-least 5 drawers planned to be built into the drilling cabinet.

I visualize a horizontal form of this, my inspiration from my hunting on the internet: Mine won't be this large, but it will be organized as much.

Anybody have photos of their workshops/benches/storage?

60766244 · Post by **60766244** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:33 pm

60766244 · Post by **60766244** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:33 pm

T.Farm.Brumby · Post by **T.Farm.Brumby** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:53 pm

These are all far too advanced for my tastes hahah, I'll throw up some pictures of my current workspace tomorrow, too messy, too small, too much of other peoples stuff.

I don't even have a shed anymore, I have a shared

NachaLuva · Post by **NachaLuva** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 11:17 pm

Some of those workshops are WAY too nice, makes me feel depressed lol. I should post a shot of mine haha

Nice work so far, cant wait to see how it goes.

60766244 wrote:

This is exactly what I'm still using after 25yrs of hard use. Awesome quality, never missed a beat!

60766244 · Post by **60766244** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 11:48 pm

Yes take photos! I'm keen to see everyone's organizational skills...

Awesome on what you said about those Makitas, I know our old one has taken a beating and keeps on going so I hope these two will keep on lasting and lasting, they've had a hell of a christening building these benches.

Payday just came so I might look at those welding rods and that drill bit tomorrow arvo.

Post by **Bantum** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 2:49 am

Looking good ...

So how much do they weigh now ?

60766244 · Post by **60766244** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 8:46 pm

Bantum wrote:Looking good ...

So how much do they weigh now ?

I can move and (just) lift each individual bench by itself right now. And I'm no strong beast.

I'll let you know when I have the lifting structure and Jarrah top in place. Not to mention the shelves and drawers.

Nice and heavy is good because you can bolt things to them.

Also, today I got some prezzies...

The boss at work said I could have all his 40mmx40mmx3mm steel offcuts.

Awesomely, a lot of these offcuts are 500mm or thereabouts long.

Ideal for drawer and shelf making!

I also got some more welding rods. Half price! Lets see if they're any good tomorrow...

And that 10mm drill bit too.

T.Farm.Brumby · Post by **T.Farm.Brumby** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 9:39 pm

Score mate! Should all be going ahead nicely now then?

Keen to see the finished product

60766244 · Post by **60766244** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 10:33 pm

Yes. Hopefully these slightly more advanced welding rods will make welding a lot more pleasurable, neater and faster.

No more, "STRICTLY FORBID WET" 20 year old cracked damaged welding rods!

Post by **Bantum** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 11:03 pm

Don't know if you've been told this, but a neat trick to keep the rods good & dry is to 'bake' them in oven ( on low heat ) for hour or so before use ...

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 7:16 pm

Bantum wrote:Don't know if you've been told this, but a neat trick to keep the rods good & dry is to 'bake' them in oven ( on low heat ) for hour or so before use ...

And you can get electrode ovens specifically for this job

I guess to stop them getting damp in the first place you could put a bag of silica gel in the box?

60766244 · Post by **60766244** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 8:35 pm

Haha! Oh the family would kill me if I put them in the oven. I already have tools in the lounge so that would be the last straw.

The old rods had been soaked a long time ago and that's what damaged them, rusted them slightly between the inner rod and the flux coat.

These new rods are very thick! I had to wind up the amps 8 rotations on the old beast.

This meant it kept tripping my power... So I wound them down 2 1/4 rotations and that seemed to do the trick.

The rods are thicker and a little longer but I seem to get the same amount of "travel" out of them. Hmph

It's like learning to weld all over again, these rods have a totally different personality to weld with.

Today I welded on another bench top, and drilled out some more holes.

There's going to be a lot more of that and adding more weld to frames in coming days...

Hopefully I can get off work early tomorrow and put some hours behind the welder to progress this build some more...

Tomorrow arvo I plan to have all the tops on, all frames drilled and all backings drilled and re-welded. Let's see.

60766244 · Post by **60766244** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 10:41 pm

Welded up some more of the bench bits. Grinded and finished the last two backing boards welding and cleaning. Just need to drill those last two now.

Also made up a template on one of the steel topped benches make the drawers up on and started to make the first drawer.
It's made more difficult due to the fact I'm making it all from scraps. Hopefully tomorrow I should have some drawer sets made up.

Once all that's been done I think I'll look at making one of these lifting systems up.

The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

Workshop Benches! - Making them. What do you have/wish for?!

Welding Tip ...