4'X4' Folding Heavy Duty Work Table Ideas?

[Captain Spaulding]

Work project has a quick need for some portable work tables. My vision is like a card table on steroids.

We need about 6 tables that can handle a 150lb piece of equipment along with the twisting and shaking that goes along with general maintenance work. These will be broken down, set up, loaded and unloaded several times a day. Need to carry 6 in the back of a pickup over pretty poor "roads" routinely. Simple is better.

My back-of-the-napkin initial idea is a 3/4" plywood top, with 2"x6" skirts around the perimeter of the table. Maybe offset in a little to allow for clamping lights, a magnifier, a small vise or similar work aids to the top. 4"x4" legs hinged, each folding 90 degrees to the two nearest legs like a card table. Legs would swing up so they sit directly in the inside corner of the skirt. Then a bolt would be inserted through the skirt and each leg to stabilize them. Same bolt could be used to lock the leg in place when folded. Hinges will be attached to the 3/4" ply with carriage bolts which is acceptable on the top.

Bracing between the legs would complicate things since it would preclude the individually folding legs which complicates the setup.

Crew is going to try to throw the first one together tomorrow to see if the idea works. Anybody have ideas? Crossed legs were discussed, but we settled on this for simplicity. Still thinking about how to cut the tops of legs to get clearance for folding but maximize stability.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Bighead38]

I’ve had a few hundred pounds in these tables at work and haven’t had a problem. 100 pounds of tools and all sorts of heavy equipment parts.

They come in various sizes and fold up with a little handle to carry. Just another idea.

Lifetime 72 in. White Plastic Portable Folding Banquet Table 22901 - The Home Depot

Lifetime Granite Folding White Utility Table provides convenient, portable surface for dining, catering or card playing.

www.homedepot.com

 

[Bighead38]

37x37 list a 400 pound capacity.

Lifetime 37 in. Commercial White Granite Square Resin Table 80783 - The Home Depot

Add a dramatic appeal to your living space by selecting this Lifetime Commercial White Granite Square Resin Table. Stain resistant and easy to clean.

www.homedepot.com

 

[slowtwitch73]

Those lifetime tables are good...

 

[NUTTSGT]

Nothing wrong with those Lifetime tables...

Want something more self built ? Your 3/4" plywood top with a 2x4 frame set atop saw horses..

All the tops can be stacked in the bed of one pick up. The saw horses can be built to a particular working height and stacked on top of each other for storage.

 

[darkstar88]

I’ve had a few hundred pounds in these tables at work and haven’t had a problem. 100 pounds of tools and all sorts of heavy equipment parts.

They come in various sizes and fold up with a little handle to carry. Just another idea.

Lifetime 72 in. White Plastic Portable Folding Banquet Table 22901 - The Home Depot

Lifetime Granite Folding White Utility Table provides convenient, portable surface for dining, catering or card playing.

www.homedepot.com

I have this in black. A very durable table. I highly recommend it.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

37x37 list a 400 pound capacity.

Lifetime 37 in. Commercial White Granite Square Resin Table 80783 - The Home Depot

Add a dramatic appeal to your living space by selecting this Lifetime Commercial White Granite Square Resin Table. Stain resistant and easy to clean.

www.homedepot.com

We’ve tried similar tables. I’m not sure if they were lesser quality or as good as these. Tops got chewed up pretty quickly and we put 3/8” plywood on top to beef them up. On flat ground they are fine, but when one leg carries too much load they have collapsed. I’ll look at these in a store and see if they are beefier, though HD seems to be out of stock at all the convenient spaces.

We got internal OSH dinged for not having equipment anchored on the tables, and when they were there inspecting our anchoring method they found a table with a bad leg and weren’t too fond of them.

 

[bradpac]

Around here we use 4x4 pallets set on metal saw horses.

 

[didit]

The folding scaffolding works well for the fast set-up, weight capacity, adjustable height, storability, easily transported. I inserted planks into the platforms on mine but they can be customized into whatever suits your needs. I bought mine at Princess Auto when they put them on sale for half price. Harbor freight likely sells the same style. https://www.princessauto.com/en/3-3-4-ft-600-lb-scaffold/product/PA0008690653

 

[NUTTSGT]

I came across these on Rural Kings website. If you have one close to you or could order them, might be worth checking them out and build a test table.

 

[kbeefy]

It's not 4x4 but I really like the Keeter folding workbenches. Very portable and very quick to setup and take down.

 

[oldcpecdr]

I used to have three of those Lifetime tables.... two larger ones and one of the smaller size....worked GREAT for trade shows and doubled as work tables back in the shop. I STILL have two..... "SOMEONE" ripped some concrete backer board on one of the larger tables and forgot to put spacers underneath. Was an oh **** moment as the table was virtually sawed in half.... The other two are doing great after 15 years.

Mike B

 

[csp]

It's not 4x4 but I really like the Keeter folding workbenches. Very portable and very quick to setup and take down.

Beat me to my suggestion. I've had cast iron LS engine blocks on mine.

 

[619DioFan]

Nothing wrong with those Lifetime tables...

Want something more self built ? Your 3/4" plywood top with a 2x4 frame set atop saw horses..

All the tops can be stacked in the bed of one pick up. The saw horses can be built to a particular working height and stacked on top of each other for storage.

I built a 3 foot x 5 foot top w/ 2x4 frame that I put on metal saw horses . very strong. easy to store when not needed.

 

[Voi]

If you need hold down mechanisms here is a Paulk workbench with both T-tracks and dog holes. Just plywood formed into a torsion box so no heavy dimensional lumber.

Then maybe some sort of aftermarket folding legs.

 

[mike93lx]

I have a bora centipede 4x8 (they also make 4x4) that I like. Folds up nice and small and you can use whatever material you want for the worktop

 

[mikegt4]

I found some of the table legs that NUTTSGT linked at my local RK. I looked for a while, asked an employee who didn't know about them then a manager who said they didn't have any. As I walked out the door I saw them on a rack of oddball clearance stuff. They are a bit on the lightweight side but I have the same plan as the OP, to build a small work table no bigger than 4x4. My garage is filled to the brim so I have to do my work outside. For $3.11/set of 2 legs it's hard to go wrong.

BTW, they measure about 28-1/2" from the ground to the mounting point at the top of the leg. If you fold them like a typical table it needs a 5' long top. If you slightly offset the folded legs you can get down to a 4' long table.

 

[CraigStu]

4x4x3/4 plywood, a pipe flange screwed into each corner, a section of threaded pipe screwed into each flange.

STZ 1/2 in. Black Iron Floor Flange (2-Pack) 310 F-12-2 - The Home Depot

Keep your pipes securely in place with these STZ Industries iron floor flanges. They feature bolt holes for easy connecting to floors and walls with a safe, watertight fitting and the black iron construction

www.homedepot.com

PIPE DECOR 1/2 in. x 36 in. Black Industrial Steel Grey Plumbing Pipe (4-Pack) 362 PD12X36-4 - The Home Depot

Provide an essential and ultimate addition to your plumbing application with the help of this PIPE DECOR Black Industrial Steel Grey Plumbing Pipe.

www.homedepot.com

Might be a little less expensive to buy 6ft sections and cut to length.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I found some of the table legs that NUTTSGT linked at my local RK. I looked for a while, asked an employee who didn't know about them then a manager who said they didn't have any. As I walked out the door I saw them on a rack of oddball clearance stuff. They are a bit on the lightweight side but I have the same plan as the OP, to build a small work table no bigger than 4x4. My garage is filled to the brim so I have to do my work outside. For $3.11/set of 2 legs it's hard to go wrong.

BTW, they measure about 28-1/2" from the ground to the mounting point at the top of the leg. If you fold them like a typical table it needs a 5' long top. If you slightly offset the folded legs you can get down to a 4' long table.

That's for a set of 2 legs ? I must have missed that part of what I linked.

 

[jrsavoie]

I like an aluminum top. Great for welding on. Never seem to lose ground.

I like dock plates. Sometimes you can find them pretty cheap.

The local body shop has some fold out stands that are light and seem pretty heavy duty.

 

[mikegt4]

That's for a set of 2 legs ? I must have missed that part of what I linked.

Yes, 2 legs, enough for one table, I didn't expect that either until I saw it stated on the box. They certainly aren't up to the specs of a large folding table's legs, much lighter metal especially the locking mechanism. They are still good for a small folding table. The boxes that I saw had an old price tag of $18 and that was probably a mark down price as they were red stickers. It's a deal for less than the price of a Big Mac.

Another thought that I had was use one leg to hold up a small table that folds down against a wall. Or maybe use a hollow core interior door as a fold down table (long side hinged) and put one leg at each end.

 

[gayler]

Kind of pricey but these seem to work well. https://boratool.com/centipede-4x4-support-stand

 

[mike93lx]

Kind of pricey but these seem to work well. https://boratool.com/centipede-4x4-support-stand

That's what I recommended. I like my 4x8 a lot

 

[Rickster]

I use the 2ft x 4ft Lifetime tables from Costco ($39). They are one piece and sturdy. I stayed away from the folding version because I was concerned about putting a lot of weight on that center folding area. The leg height is adjustable with preset holes. I load them up with tools and they have worked well.