'Hot swappable' workbench adjacent tools? what are you using to do this?

[MJK]

I have a steel topped pallet rack that serves as my main work bench in my small-ish garage. Storage space above and wheeled carts underneath. Depending on what I am doing,I set it up differently but don't like holes in the bench top. So, I made a bolt-on bracket that will accommodate a vice, bench grinder, reloading press, etc.



I'm looking for way to do the same without any bolting or unbolting. Was thinking about using a weld on 2" trailer hitch receiver and making 'permanently' mounted plate bases welded to insertable 2" tubes for each tool. I'm not sure I'd like the little bit of wobble that probably comes along with this plan.

Also have considered making a 'flip top' cart for things like the cold cut saw, miter saw, belt sander based on this cart (lop off the top, make a wood 'flip top' that stores things upside down.


What you other OCD and space constrained guys using?

 

[lkjk]

I have tool carts on wheels, with 2 "levels". Miter saw on top of one cart, planer on the bottom. Both are bolted to the cart. Metal saw on top of another cart with welder/plasma on the bottom, bottle on the back.

That wobble is annoying, but if you weld a nut to the inside of the tube you can secure it with bolts. My vice is set up that way on my welding table.

if you are good with the tetris game you can fit a lot, i have those 2 carts, a welding table with removable wings, 2 husky workbenches/boxes, a husky box, and a sawstop pcs with a homemade folding outfeed table in 1 half of my 2 car garage. When I'm not in the middle of a project the center of my "shop" half of the garage is empty

 

[MJK]

I have tool carts on wheels, with 2 "levels". Miter saw on top of one cart, planer on the bottom. Both are bolted to the cart. Metal saw on top of another cart with welder/plasma on the bottom, bottle on the back.

That wobble is annoying, but if you weld a nut to the inside of the tube you can secure it with bolts. My vice is set up that way on my welding table.

if you are good with the tetris game you can fit a lot, i have those 2 carts, a welding table with removable wings, 2 husky workbenches/boxes, a husky box, and a sawstop pcs with a homemade folding outfeed table in 1 half of my 2 car garage. When I'm not in the middle of a project the center of my "shop" half of the garage is empty

Thanks for the ideas! The middle note - do you mean like a corner locating pinch bolt on the outer tube, or something else?

 

[Renegade1LI]

I have used a few roller bottom boxes with stationary tools mounted on top, lot of drawer storage below & on wheels.

 

[lkjk]

Thanks for the ideas! The middle note - do you mean like a corner locating pinch bolt on the outer tube, or something else?

Yea, you drill a hole in the outer tube and weld a nut on the inside of the inside tube, then put a bolt through. If I were doing mine again I would put 2 bolts, one on each end of the tube. I did this as an afterthought so I only had one open end and didn't feel like cutting everything apart

One bolt is sturdy enough for my smallish vise and lightweight workbench, but i wouldn't brag about it lol

 

[rayra]

I have a lot of once-in-a-while and reloading related tools and am intending on embedding t-track channels in the central front of my hobby / workbench. Then mounting a bunch of those tools to baseplates with knobs and T-bolts whose heads will lock in those tracks. And the tools when not in use my go into slotted tray holders to hang upside down from the bottom of my hanging cabinets in my workshop and holstered inside a few of the cabinet doors.

To the OP, could you mount your items to a sort of standoff stanchion with a vertical plate at the end that engages the studs on your pallet racking? With a two-sided right angle bracket, the tools could all slot to the left of the front rack leg for storage and be taken off and hooked to the face side when working with the tool. It could be like a tree of tools on the vertical rack leg.

 

[MJK]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the ideas!

Renegade - I do kind the same thing, but I build the carts to size. They hold labeled 'milk crates' - for example pest control, oil filters, reloading, painting, joining, sanding etc. The only rub is that I made the one pictured to size so that it rolls under the bench when I am done with it. But if I want to use something not 'milk crated' I need to drag out a ladder and pull it off the pallet racking. That is kind where the 'flip top cart' idea came from. Just trying to keep the ability to roll it under the table when done.

lkjk - good call, thanks. I think perhaps drilling & tapping on welding a nut on the outer tube for a 'thumb screw' to push on the inner tube might be a decent way to just take up the slack for light duty stuff. And then maybe weld a nut into the 2" tube like you are talking about so that the receiver pin hole can be used for bolts for heavier duty stuff like the vice.



rayra - If I am following, that is kinda/sorta where this thing started. (see above). The pallet racking is 'structural' in the sense that it bolts together rather than slots together. I used the extra bolt holes for the black vice platform I made, and then the vice bolts to that . You can beat the hell out of stuff and it doesn't move at all. I love that. I just hate swapping it out. The sides are already used as it was built to fit the width of a bump out in the floorplan.

I had not thought of attaching some sort of track to the front of the beam. That is a really good idea! I just just drill and tap the beam to attach it. Is there some sort of extruded setup you use? If so, a link would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again to everyone!

 

[Yankeefarmer]

Instead of welding nuts to eliminate the wobble of 2” square tubing in a receiver, just use 2 wedges: one for fore-and-aft, and one for side-to-side. They will take up the play without drilling, welding, etc and be faster when changing out tools. You can cut them from wood (I have oak wedges) or buy steel ones from McMaster-Carr.

 

[niget2002]

I like the nut idea, but I think I would weld the nut on the outside of the 2" receiver. Then I'd use two of these to squeeze the inner tube and hold it in place.

That way it'd be tool less to swap what's mounted.

uxcell M8 x 25mm Handle Adjustable Clamping Lever Thread Push Button Ratchet Male Threaded Stud 2Pcs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MX9PLQY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[durk_2007]

For rayra's track idea I would think a piece of unistrut mounted verticaly with a stop at the bottom could work well. Slide the tool in from the top and tight the T bolt and away we go.