A Nice Easy to Construct Workbench

[trikeman]

You don't absolutely need a workbench to build bikes, but eventually bending over to the garage floor gets old. Brad has one made from 2x4s in the Bicycle Building Bonanza book. Another option for a simple workbench with a very flat top and rugged construction is this one from FineWoodWorker. You will have to scroll down a bit to find the workbench video. There are two videos on its construction, but you don't need the woodworking vise for bicycle building.

http://www.finewoodworking.com/getting-started/season-two.asp

[PeterT]

Another suggestion to prevent having to bend down so often...
buy a couple of chest freezers, that are the same height, place them side by side, and cover the lids with some plywood to protect the lids. You then have food storage an work bench all in one!

PeterT

[dynodon]

saw horses and a piece of plywood easy to store....my .02

[Racer46]

I used a solid core door for the top of mine. The legs are similar to Brad's design. Right now it's covered in stuff but now that the electrician is done I'll be moving it and that means cleaning it off. I'll take some pictures then.

[trikeman]

The only problem I have with sawhorses or ice chests as my base is that I don't like workbenches that move when I put weight on them, and its nice to have a vise mounted on em too. I like a free standing bench, because I have a small garage workspace and I like to be able to put locking casters on them and roll them out of the way when I need the space.

[Racer46]

My workbench constructed from Southern Yellow Pine with a solid core door for a top:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3483/4004800967_14234f0fa3_b.jpg

While I've got you all here looking at my work bench. Where would the best place to mount a vice be? Like this, all the way to the left?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2637/4005567700_e44dee4cc6_b.jpg

Or slightly in from the end like this?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/4004802635_e9814ea7d2_b.jpg

I had it mounted in the center and found it in the way some of the time. I also know that I want it mounted to the left. I'm just not sure of the pro's & con's of the 2 positions shown.

[imamedik]

I would recommend just to the left of the left leg, that way if you have to pound on something in the vice you would have a more solid base, if it was at the far left it would vibrate.

[badcheese]

I would recommend just to the left of the left leg, that way if you have to pound on something in the vice you would have a more solid base, if it was at the far left it would vibrate.

That's what I was thinking. Also, you might want to mount it with hardware that's easy to remove so you can get it out of the way if you need the whole bench surface for something large.

[graucho]

I agree with you guys that are tired of bending over. I also need to work standing up.
Its enjoyable working with your masterpiece directly in front of you. I have realized I
always need safety glasses at all time with your work this close. I also have a rolling vise
that moves around to where I need it. (I sit on a stool when using that)

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll13/grauchosbikes/Benched.jpg

[PeterT]

Why not make holes above both supports, so that if you need the vice at one end or the other you can have it there, and make a set of holes for the vice in the middle, for working on long things that may need support on both sides from the bench?

Having the vice over the supports will send all imposed forces through the supports to the floor, without any forces affecting the cantilever, and the centre holes could also have a support post (removable) to transfer any imposed load through to the floor.

PeterT

[graucho]

Why not make holes above both supports, so that if you need the vice at one end or the other you can have it there, and make a set of holes for the vice in the middle, for working on long things that may need support on both sides from the bench?

Having the vice over the supports will send all imposed forces through the supports to the floor, without any forces affecting the cantilever, and the centre holes could also have a support post (removable) to transfer any imposed load through to the floor.

PeterT

Awwww dang Peter, are you sure your not related to that guy? you know...."confucius says" great ideas!

[PeterT]

Awwww dang Peter, are you sure your not related to that guy? you know...."confucius says" great ideas!

sure I'm related ... hes my great great uncle three times removed from my sister's brother's cousin, Con, five times rejoined to the family by marrying the same wife 6 times, a half times replicated through him having a child out of wedlock to my sister's brother's cousin's niece three times removed from the gene pool.

I'm confusion!

[wiretie]

I know that most of you are super organized, I'm not so please excuse my mess. but on all of my benches I have no overhang so they can't be tipped by load alone. I have put both of the vices on this bench over the legs and have pounded on the larger one with a 10# sledge with no sign of movement. I also have a 10' bench that weighs 2-300 lbs and it is nice having the extra weight to so my clumsiness doesn't telegraph through to my work.
Just my $.02
-Briggs

[PeterT]

Are you sure you didn't take a pic of my workbench?? :jester:

I won't be the first to say I am a neat freak, but your work bench is almost as neat as mine , you just know where you left everything.

PeterT

[savarin]

Ahh, at last, work shop I can relate to.
I made my bench from 1" steel square tube but at a height that I dont have to bend over to work at.
It runs down the length of both sides of my garage, is welded to the garage supports at the back with the front legs welded to the back at the bottom as a triangular brace.
The bench top is 3.5' wide and about 24' long.

My vice is mounted at the r/h end over a steel leg and general pounding is no problem but I have a 2x2 wooden leg that jams under the front edge when needs warrant.
The top is 1/2" packing case ply with a steel sheet on top, I bent the steel up 3" at the back and down 2" at the front so nothing can fall off the back.
So much room sounds like paradise but the major down side to so much bench space is I dont put stuff away till its full.
pics here
http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php?t=2102&highlight=shed&page=4

[Racer46]

The only reason my bench looks neat is that 5 minutes before that picture was taken I had moved it. The bench weighs about 250 lbs. and was easier to move empty. 30 minutes later it looked like Briggs' bench again.

[wiretie]

LOL, you should see it when I've got a project going on. Actually it is slightly worse (but not much) than usual in that picture due to the simple fact that I've been working on household and SWMBO list and the shop just kind of turns into a **** depository. Charles that's a sweet looking shop, it looks like you are a man of well rounded interest. My father used to be really into building telescopes. Do you sleep much?
-Briggs

[savarin]

Do you sleep much?
-Briggs

not as much as I would like:jester: