Hole in workbench

[bfoleyiii]

So I got a give away door for my workbench top, only issue is the 8"x36" hole in it for a window. After a few minutes I realize it is not a problem but a solution: I'll use that hole and make a few inserts, the first to allow me to use the bench as a routing table as well.

Any other ideas what else I might want to make an insert for? The table drops down when not in use to save space in the 2 car garage so anything fixed to the underside need to stay under 4 inches and shouldn't add too much weight since the door itself is enough of a beast to lift.

Thanks
Bob3

 

[astroracer]

Make an 8" x 36" trough. Drop in hole. Drop in beers, fill with ice. Party Cooler!!!
Mark

 

[404]

Trash can slot.

 

[Agentwho]

Mount a 2" receiver in it facing up. You can use it for anything from a drop in vice to a swing arm lighted magnifying glass or adjustable height shelf. Sky is the limit.

 

[chipper]

Attach a couple magnet metel parts trays (or one if you can find the size)from the bottom side

 

[Agentwho]

Another thought mount a duct attached to a dust collector underneath. Add a perforated work surface and you have a good down draft section of your work bench good for sanding on. If I went this rout I would make the opening larger but it all comes down to what your needs are for the workbench.

 

[captain14]

Can you route an edge around the diameter and make a insert to cover the hole like a Dutchman in woodworking?

 

[SALIV8]

I would rip the door, lengthwise, along the inside window opening and make it a narrower bench. Then can u flip and use the cutoff in the corner, if it works...

 

[atty5420]

.....or one could always drop in an 8 X 36 piece of wood and make it go away.

 

[crerus75]

lilscorpion has a really nice post on here (30+ pages and counting) where he details a lot of the improvements he made to his benches and storage area. He has a table that he built that includes drop-in inserts. IIRC, he has them for his router(s), portable bandsaw, jig saw, etc. He also added a fence so he can rip accurately.

If you have the time, the entire thread is an excellent read. Lilscorpion elevates plywood cabinets, French cleats, and modular design to an art form. The table build begins here I think. I believe the actual insert construction starts here with a router table insert.

 

[Lassen Forge]

A translucent sheet of glass and a lamp under and you have a light table.

That would be an easy build - use LED lights around the inside edge of the hole, milk white lucite (won't break as easy when you drop the anvil on it), and you have NO idea how many times you'll use that when building or fabbing stuff, making patterns, etc. Inset it a bit, and make an insert to protect the lucite (out of shearwall ply maybe) and you don't lose any bench space. And it's light weight, can be wired in to a switch on the underside of the bench.

You can thank me later.

 

[Art From De Leon]

I used a hole saw to cut a hole in my workbench, so that I could rebuild JD PowerShift transmission pumps, and JD two-speed planetaries on Quad-Ranges.

Made it much easier.

 

[Caman]

A roll or four of duct tape should fix that right up.