HF Toolboxes Workbench - Phase 3

[Hot Chop shop]

Mount the screen and cover it with a sheet of plexi, or Lexan. "Wax" the Lexan with a silicon based "wax" (polish) and you can simply wide any paint over-spray off. And if you munge it completely, its a relatively inexpensive replacement.

That's a great idea!


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[paranoid56]

woot, almost finished my cnc router table. needed more tool space so figured i would build it out of harbor freight tool boxes
made a simple steel base for it with small leveling wheels and a plywood top. Put a coat of satin poly on it and hopefully tomorrow i can move the cnc to it. (its the orange thing in the back ground)
(still need to put the alu drawer handles back onto the box on the right)

 

[gregp]

Re: HF Toolboxes Workbench

Recently finished up building my workbench over the HF cabinet. I laid down wood into the recessed area to make it level and just place the bench over it. I can still slide the HF box out if needed. I change my garage around to often to make it permanent. Made a little shelving unit over the storage boxes and painted it to match.

 

[autonaut]

Re: HF Toolboxes Workbench

Recently finished up building my workbench over the HF cabinet. I laid down wood into the recessed area to make it level and just place the bench over it. I can still slide the HF box out if needed. I change my garage around to often to make it permanent. Made a little shelving unit over the storage boxes and painted it to match.

Beautiful..

Can you still roll the tool boxes so you have a desk to sit at?

It would be a great way to free up space in a garage/shop


Edit: im a retard..

 

[ewils35]

Hey steveo what was the wall thickness on the square tube you used?

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[MoparTrucks]

Re: HF Toolboxes Workbench

Recently finished up building my workbench over the HF cabinet. I laid down wood into the recessed area to make it level and just place the bench over it. I can still slide the HF box out if needed. I change my garage around to often to make it permanent. Made a little shelving unit over the storage boxes and painted it to match.

That really looks nice. I wasnt planning on doing anything like that with my HF box but seeing projects like yours has me rethinking.

 

[Barty]

2"x2"x.120"

Hey steveo what was the wall thickness on the square tube you used?

 

[Outlawmws]

Hey steveo what was the wall thickness on the square tube you used?

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Steevo, you need to post this info in post #1 as big as this thread has gotten (and as many times as it has been asked!)

 

[gregp]

Re: HF Toolboxes Workbench

Beautiful..

Can you still roll the tool boxes so you have a desk to sit at?

It would be a great way to free up space in a garage/shop


Edit: im a retard..

Yes, I can roll it out. The bench has its own legs but I made it so the tool chest fits in snug and the table top lightly rests on it (just for extra support and to prevent any sagging if something heavy is on it)

 

[benjammn]

wow this is just plain amazing. I am spinning with ideas right now....Great Job Steevo!

 

[Chuck]

Im building a cabinet similar to yours and am shopping for the angle steel (cross pieces). I was holding a piece of the 1.5" angle and noticed that it bowed quite a bit across its length when i held one end up (it was 20' long though). Do you think the 1.5" angle is strong enough to last a few decades without bowing in the middle of the tool box? I did notice they had some 2" angle for sale also....

A bit of a late response, but another point to make - unlike wood and concrete, steel doesn't creep. If it isn't bowing the moment you put it together and load it up, it won't bow in 100 years, unless you either put more load on it, or the building settles around it.

 

[jkrswld]

I don't have a welder and would like to build something similar, with 2 boxes, out of wood. I hope to move casters onto the wooden legs so i could still move it as needed. Has anybody on here made one with wood at all? I'm thinking 4x4 for bottom rectangle to support, with casters on the 4 corners, and then perhaps 2x4 for legs and top rectangle? I'll have a vice on there, but this is just for homeowner/hobbyist work. Nothing crazy - though I prefer to overbuild rather than underbuild.

 

[moonley]

If you build a 4x4 base, move the 6" casters underneath it, add 2x4s to the top, and then add at least a 1" top your total height would be:

33.5" (box) + 6" (casters) + 3.5" (4x4 base) + 3.5" (2x4 top frame) + 1" (top) = 47.5" work surface. You could maybe shave an inch or two off of that if you recessed the top frame over the box just enough to not block the drawers, but you would still have to be awfully tall to make that work.

I think you would be better off doing something like JasonJ posted in #364.

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

I don't have a welder and would like to build something similar, with 2 boxes, out of wood. I hope to move casters onto the wooden legs so i could still move it as needed. Has anybody on here made one with wood at all? I'm thinking 4x4 for bottom rectangle to support, with casters on the 4 corners, and then perhaps 2x4 for legs and top rectangle? I'll have a vice on there, but this is just for homeowner/hobbyist work. Nothing crazy - though I prefer to overbuild rather than underbuild.

I think that you are asking for trouble with wood. There are guys that are talking about troubles with undersized steel just think what stresses there are on the wood? Empty, probably no problem. Filled, well you figure it out. Find someone with a welder to help you out.

 

[jkrswld]

Just looked at post 364 again - I think I have an idea. My initial concern with that style setup was that i currently have one of the HF boxes and then a smaller husky one. For some reason i thought the only way to get an even height for work surface was to set the boxes on something, and then use legs and have the work surface over them. Now that I reviewed Jason's, I think I could still keep my existing boxes, on casters, as-is and just lay the work surface at a height that would lay across the HF box but perhaps secure it to wall on the top surface and add some kind of "legs" angled to the wall, one on the outside on both ends?

 

[strnge]

Great Cabinets Steve!

I will be making mine using a lot of your design.

 

[manrmark]

Awesome job Steevo. Thanks for the thread

 

[MN4x4]

Have enjoyed reading this thread over the years. I may have missed a post here or there, so if this is a duplication please accept my apologies?

I have nowhere NEAR the mad skills that you, Steevo, have in metal. I am a pretty good woodworker and have all of the tools needed to machine that - BUT, for reasons posted many times in this thread, even I wouldn't use wood for this project.

If I were going to build a 'similar' version, I would use either Unistrut or Telestrut. I'm not going to try to 'sell' anybody on it, but I will make some quick observations as to why I'd choose it IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT OR SKILLS to build a 'true' Steevo version:

• 1-5/8" square 12 ga. - not as heavy as Steevo's frame but still very robust
• A single unbraced vertical piece 36" tall will support over 5,000 pounds!
• NO welding required - simply bolts together
• No drilling needed!
• Completely Adjustable - even after you think you're 'done'
• Re-usable. If you change your design, re-use as much or as little UniStrut as you want
• More angle, corner, leg, shelf, etc. hardware than you could ever need
• Cleanest if cut using a band or chop saw but CAN be cut acceptably with a hack saw
• Available in four finishes:
-Perma Green III (GR).
-Pre-galvanized (PG), conforming to ASTM A653 G90.
-Hot-dipped galvanized (HG), conforming to ASTM A123.
-Plain (PL).

You could literally build a completely functional and attractive version of the Steevo bench with nothing more than a metal saw and a couple of wrenches. And again, I'm NOT trying to disuade anybody from following Steevo's plans. That's exactly how I'd build it - if I could! I wanted to offer this option for people who don't have the skills or tools to do what Steevo did. Like me.

In case I've inspired anybody to learn more, here's a link:
http://www.unistrut.us/index.php?WP=about_display&P=po_mf

No affiliation, etc. - but I have used a fair amount of UniStrut in my time...

If I'm lucky, maybe they'll see this post and send me some more?

 

[alpinewhite]

In case I've inspired anybody to learn more, here's a link:
http://www.unistrut.us/index.php?WP=about_display&P=po_mf

I'm sold. What's a good source for Unistrut?

 

[Outlawmws]

Almost any industrial supply house should be able to provide it. In Orange county, you should have lots of options.

I can vouch for the Unistrut solution; I've used a lot of U strut as well, my tiny tent trailer was re-framed in Unistrut (since the imported frame wasn't up to the task...) and I bolted it, then tack welded the main junctions just to be sure. nothing has ever come loose or been an issue, and that trailer was once rolled!

 

[TheRafizzz1]

I just read all 50 pages on my mobile device and this work bench design is exactly what I was looking for my garage. Now since I'm barely 22 I haven't gotten a chance to learn how to weld but I feel like this would be a great first project. I have worked with wood before and I feel like a got really good with the measure two times cut once. Now what kind of welder would you guys recommend to do a projects like this and small projects around the house?

 

[Outlawmws]

I just read all 50 pages on my mobile device and this work bench design is exactly what I was looking for my garage. Now since I'm barely 22 I haven't gotten a chance to learn how to weld but I feel like this would be a great first project. I have worked with wood before and I feel like a got really good with the measure two times cut once. Now what kind of welder would you guys recommend to do a projects like this and small projects around the house?

Lincoln SP125-Plus mig. Get the flux core wire, make sure you have a 20A 120 V circuit and outlet; and take a welding class.

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

I've got the Lincoln 135 MIG and think that's good for what I do. There are many video's on YouTube that will help you. Or find someone with experience that will look over your shoulder. Get a good auto darkening mask and listen to your welder. I'm just a novice.

 

[TheRafizzz1]

I've been watching a bunch of videos about welding and my community college doesn't offer welding classes anymore. I live in a small town

 

[TheRafizzz1]

I can't seem to find any of those welders online. What do you guys think if this welder http://mohave.craigslist.org/tld/4512630030.html

Or should I get something like this http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/Equipment/Pages/product.aspx?product=K2471-2(LincolnElectric)

 

[alpinewhite]

I can't seem to find any of those welders online. What do you guys think if this welder http://mohave.craigslist.org/tld/4512630030.html

Or should I get something like this http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/Equipment/Pages/product.aspx?product=K2471-2(LincolnElectric)

I highly recommend a 220v welder. Much more penetration than a 110v model.

 

[wingnut_1]

Yeah, you have to notify the utility company when you want to plug that bad boy in.

Holy soldering iron Batman!

 

[michael037]

I've been watching a bunch of videos about welding and my community college doesn't offer welding classes anymore. I live in a small town

Check out weldingtipsandtricks.com. Jody has just done a couple of "youtubes" on an intro to Mig welding. You can subscribe and then receive his weekly tips.
Michael

 

[Steevo]

If you are never going to need to weld material thicker than the .120 wall tubing or 3/16" angle used in my bench project, a 115v MIG like the one I used is more than enough. The one I built my frame with is a Lincoln PowerMIG 140, and I run .023 wire and 75/25 Argon/C02 gas.
I highly recommend shielding gas over flux core wire, as it is much easier to make nice welds with and has no post-weld cleanup required.

 

[pennsylvaniaboy]

If you are never going to need to weld material thicker than the .120 wall tubing or 3/16" angle used in my bench project, a 115v MIG like the one I used is more than enough. The one I built my frame with is a Lincoln PowerMIG 140, and I run .023 wire and 75/25 Argon/C02 gas.
I highly recommend shielding gas over flux core wire, as it is much easier to make nice welds with and has no post-weld cleanup required.

You were using 2x2x.120 wall?

 

[American]

Steevo...thanks for posting up the plugs and adjustable feet, just receive a whole box of them for my new shop workbenches. That J.W. Winco site is fantastic!

Nice workbenches too. I'm going to build a few more, did kind of the same thing with a big roll around fab table awhile back.

This time I'm going to keep the HF boxes on their casters and use some big maple door blanks for tops on the bench, then I'll be able to roll out the boxes when I need them.

 

[Steevo]

You were using 2x2x.120 wall?

Yes. .120" wall

 

[meathooker]

1. There is no "front lip" on the benches, so I am unclear on the question?

2. The steel tops were folded from single sheets, and have one welded seam where the two of them meet. My local steel place can bend sheets as long as 144".

Here is a diagram of how they were designed.

Awesome idea, I might have to use some of your ideas

What sheet metal shop are you using over in IF?

 

[Steevo]

Awesome idea, I might have to use some of your ideas

What sheet metal shop are you using over in IF?

I had the tops cut/bent by a steel place in Sacramento, CA when I was still living there part-time.

There is a good metal place in Idaho Falls, called Vernon Steel. They can cut, bend, plasma or water jet parts or designs, etc.

 

[Duker]

I just wanted to extended my thanks to Steevo for not only the inspiration but also providing the details of his construction of the benches. I am in the midst of my version but wanted to at least "tip my hat" to what must be one of the most referenced and copied ideas on the GJ.

 

[Hot Chop shop]

I just wanted to extended my thanks to Steevo for not only the inspiration but also providing the details of his construction of the benches. I am in the midst of my version but wanted to at least "tip my hat" to what must be one of the most referenced and copied ideas on the GJ.

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Duker said it best....
SteevO inspired me to learn to weld to steal/borrow his bench build design and sent several emails helping me along the way with measurements and catalog numbers for the feet.
And inspired my latest SteevO bench...


(Half the storage space, but I'm old so I can push my chair in)

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[motofool33]

subscribed looks good guys

 

[saceone]

I am digging the lighting!!

 

[Rogue Status]

Figured I need to post my Steevo inspired bench in here. I stumbled upon his thread and decieded to sell my Snap-On box and buy 2 HF 44" boxes and make a more functional bench for my for my 2 car garage. I wanted a knee hole in the middle and can add a mini fridge later on if I decide to. Really excited to have a vise I can use by tools and my outlet, then store it in the cabinet when not in use.

3D sketch:

[/img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3704/13637199623_bff120ee23_b.jpg

Pics from the build this weekend. Still need to paint it:

[img]https://scontent-a-mia.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10414600_10153103311309880_5697344913423669326_n.jpg?oh=b1d6082b859265cbd01f0db4ff715fcf&oe=55263700

https://scontent-a-mia.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/l/t1.0-9/1484558_10153103311514880_9178826603376740816_n.jpg?oh=ff853f619c714466591bb885ff5dfb4a&oe=55669531

https://scontent-b-mia.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10355886_10153103311764880_4825423347736343209_n.jpg?oh=12be68dc5cc111b0c2e4bd08f91dc959&oe=5525F18C

 

[Steevo]

Awesome Workbench, Rogue Status!!