Building my heavy duty workbench

[cros13]

Currently building a heavy duty workbench to fit over and hide my air compressor in my shed. This will be the first workbench i make, mainly for fab work. It will have a Vice and probably a pedestal drill mounted to it.

After this is complete, i plan on making another workbench, with toolboxes sunk into it. My good mate is a carpenter, and we salvaged all the hardwood from my old garage before we tore it down, this will be inlayed into the bench, down the sides and front too.


But lets get to work!

The C channel for the uprights i scored from work. I work for Raymond forklifts in Australia, we get the new Raymonds shipped from America. They are Layed down on their backs and bolted to this C channel frame to fit into the shipping containers. Real heavy duty stuff, perfect for my bench, when we flip the forklifts upright, we just cut up all the steel and bin it, so i have a endless supply!

I also have 40x40mm 2mm thick box section to make the rest of it from.

Started making the outer skeleton:

Added some extra bracing, and reinforced the top where the vice will sit:

welded on the bench top, flipped it over and added more bracing on the underside:

I also have some old 3mm checker plate that is laying around, i bought it and it was the wrong size for what i needed. I might as well re-purpose it so it doesn't go to waste.

I will use down the sides of the bench. on the left side, it will be welded in place, on the right, it will be bolted in place, so i can remove it if i ever need to take out my air compressor to service it or what not.

I will also Dynabolt the worktable into the Concrete.... not that it needed to be anymore secure, but i tend to over engineer things!

Rudi.

 

[bullnerd]

Nice!

Can you share some info on the pallet rack in the back? That looks really nice and doesn't look like the standard style I see for sale around me.

 

[-Brent-]

.... not that it needed to be anymore secure, but i tend to over engineer things!

The bench is awesome but this is my favorite part of your post!

I'm curious what it's going to be like working at the bench while the compressor is running.

 

[cros13]

Nice!

Can you share some info on the pallet rack in the back? That looks really nice and doesn't look like the standard style I see for sale around me.

I'm from Australia, Its Dexion racking, which is made locally. Its proper warehouse racking, each beam rated at 1600kg.

I scored it out of the skip bin at work, but needed a clean up, sand and paint.

Check out my build man, there is a link in my sig, i have all the photo's of it getting built there.

The bench is awesome but this is my favorite part of your post!

I'm curious what it's going to be like working at the bench while the compressor is running.

I hope it will be ok, the compressor is on rubber wheels on one side and has rubber insulated feet on the other, there isn't any vibration through the concrete with it. Its a high quality Australian made compressor, not some Bunnings Chinese made special (i guess home depo is the equivalent?)

Rudi.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Rudi, your compressor is an Airpilot by the looks of things??

 

[cros13]

yeah man Pilot air.

Great for me as the workshop and service centre in Sydney are only half a hour drive from my house.

Great quality compressors, as far as i can tell, Pilot Air and Peerless are the best Aussie compressors...

If you live in Sydney, you buy the Pilot, if your in Victoria, you get the Peerless as they are based in Melbourne i believe.

I know you have one too don't you? I didn't get mine from Hare and Forbes, i got mine years ago, probably cheaper through there than the tool shop i got mine at.

Rudi.

 

[bullnerd]

Woops, didn't notice your in Aus.

Thanks for the info. I like the color, that's what caught my eye.

 

[1wook]

You could add some sound dampening material to the underside of the bench top to make it quieter.

I hope it will be ok, the compressor is on rubber wheels on one side and has rubber insulated feet on the other, there isn't any vibration through the concrete with it. Its a high quality Australian made compressor, not some Bunnings Chinese made special (i guess home depo is the equivalent?)

Rudi.

Nice job using the materials available to you for the right price!

 

[Ditch]

That is going to be the strongest table I've ever seen

 

[cros13]

Update 13.6.17: work continues on the bench

I made good use of the public holiday we had yesterday, and spent most of the day in the shed working on the bench.

I Didn't really want to use checker plate on the work bench, but i had this laying around. I had bought it for the ramp to my driveway, but it didn't end up suiting the job. I thought better not let it go to waste.

So i cut it to size, and welded a plate on the left hand side of the bench. I also ground all the welds flush and made a nice sealed boxed section here. I actually really like how it turned out:

On the right hand side, the plates needed to be removable, to gain access to my air compressor should i need to remove it. So i drilled and tapped the C channel, and bolted it on:

I also welded some tabs butted up on the bottom of the plate, so it will be easier to hold it in place and allign the holes when re fitting:

we are getting close to being finished here, so i taped up the bench top and gave it a lick of paint, all that's left to do is make and fit some doors for the front.

Plenty of open space to give my compressor some airflow and ventilation, yet it should hide it pretty well:

Rudi.

 

[1/2 Cup]

yeah man Pilot air.

Great for me as the workshop and service centre in Sydney are only half a hour drive from my house.

Great quality compressors, as far as i can tell, Pilot Air and Peerless are the best Aussie compressors...

If you live in Sydney, you buy the Pilot, if your in Victoria, you get the Peerless as they are based in Melbourne i believe.

I know you have one too don't you? I didn't get mine from Hare and Forbes, i got mine years ago, probably cheaper through there than the tool shop i got mine at.

Rudi.

Rudi, I do love my Pilotair a Hare and Forbes EOFY purchase...


View media item 59529
Cheers..

 

[BD1]

Looking GOOD !!! Paint always makes a project look nicer. I hate painting .
Here's a table post from the WELDINGWEB site that may provide additional ideas.
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?377311-Welding-table-picture-thread

 

[NUTTSGT]

When I first started reading, I thought the compressor was going to fit on the workbench. Now that it's "completed" I see the compressor is going to sit "under" the bench and on the floor.

Looks like a well built heavy duty bench.

 

[bullnerd]

Ever have one of those sparks go in your shoe? LOL...I have!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Ever have one of those sparks go in your shoe? LOL...I have!

LOL, I was wondering the same thing. I was trying to figure out if he had socks on or not.

 

[cros13]

Update 16.6.17 - Nearly done! making the doors!


I had the day of work today, and i made the most of it. Started making the doors for the bench

Its Awful satisfying using the bench that i am building:

I ran out of checker plate, but scored some 2mm sheet off cuts from the scrap bin in the fabrication bay at work, so i grabbed it for the doors:

welded the hinges on the door then to the frame:

I have also made the second door, and fitted it too. But no photo's as of yet. I also mounted the locks for it, just basic sliding locks, but they are both the same, so when i flip the second one around to mount on the right door, its upside down... Might have to go to bunnings and see if i can buy a left or a right one, if they even exist?

Ever have one of those sparks go in your shoe? LOL...I have!

of course i have!

That isn't the worst....

When i was welding the inner sil Panel into my Datsun 260z, i was laying on the floor on my side, half under the floor pan welding above me. some slag fell into my ear.... not just on the edge of my ear lobe or something... no, it went INTO my ear canal... i could hear my skin sizzling so clearly

The slag ball melted into my skin, and it took about 1 week of cotton bud prodding to dig it out... god did that one hurt.... slag in my shoes is nothing!

LOL, I was wondering the same thing. I was trying to figure out if he had socks on or not.

ankle socks... and yes... plenty of burns around my ankle when slag drops in there


Rudi

 

[skrap metal]

nice.

 

[Thumper68]

Very nice bench.

 

[cros13]

Update 19.6.17



I put a few hours in the shed today, and here is the finished product, 1 down, 1 to go:

.

.

Its also Dynabolted to the floor, so she ain't going anywhere too soon.

I wasn't quite sure the direction i was going with the bench when i started the project, but i must say, I'm pretty chuffed with the results!




The only thing left to do is repaint and mount the vice.

Rudi.

 

[Bunk]

How is the noise level with the generator running? Any reverberation of the metal panels?
Great job on the build.

 

[Aroberson77]

Very nice, you could always do some foam on the back of the panels if it is too loud.

 

[JonnyMac]

My compressor is located in the same way... Best thing I ever did was take off the wheels and replace them with isolation feet. Few dollars on eBay gets a set of 4. Takes a heap of noise out of it...

 

[Zeeman]

Very nice job. What you call a 'shed' down under is a mighty nice garage over here.