Ideas for supporting the work surface on a Steve bench?

[60ZF1kKWT7lzWw7p]

I'm in the planning stage for a Steevo style bench for my home shop.

For the work surface, I'll be using some 1/4" plate that I have on hand.

The work surface will be sitting on rectangular frames a bit deeper than the HF boxes (28" x 44"), and welded on all four sides.

I'm worried about the work surface sagging in the center of that unsupported rectangle above the toolbox. Should I be?

What's the largest unsupported span you'd feel comfortable using with a 1/4" thick work surface like this?

If additional support is in order, does a 1/4" x 1" flat bar "floor joist" across that 28" span sound like a good solution?

Design constraints:

• No wood decking under the work surface
• Toolboxes removable from the front
• Overall height kept to a minimum

Thanks!

 

[bdbecker]

It all depends on how what you'll be doing on it. Light duty, typical garage stuff? You'll be fine. If you're dropping heavy items on it or doing a lot of pounding? Yeah, you might notice a sag over time. If it were me, I'd probably add a support just for piece of mind. A piece of flat stock would be my last choice for adding a support - angle, channel, or tube would give you a lot more rigidity.

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, repurposed pallet rack beams would be good bench supports.
This suggestion assumes you have a way to both cut and weld steel.

 

[60ZF1kKWT7lzWw7p]

A piece of flat stock would be my last choice for adding a support - angle, channel, or tube would give you a lot more rigidity.

This is the sort of talking-sense-into-me that I was hoping for

Now that you've said it, a length of C channel, oriented like a trough, is the obvious choice here.

The heaviest things I can imagine that I'd put on my bench are the occasional engine and/or axle housing.

Thanks!

 

[lis2323]

This is the sort of talking-sense-into-me that I was hoping for

Now that you've said it, a length of C channel, oriented like a trough, is the obvious choice here.

The heaviest things I can imagine that I'd put on my bench are the occasional engine and/or axle housing.

Thanks!

C channel should be oriented in the “C” position for strength.

 

[PugetDude]

If you're constrained by design to a 1" deep, section I'd use a piece of 1" square tube- heaviest wall thickness you can find. My second choice would be a pair of back-to-back
1" x 1" angles.

 

[matt_i]

So I looked in my steel catalog. For 1x1 ERW (electrically resistance welded - seamed) box tubing the heaviest possible gauge wall is 10 ga, which is presumably more rare than the common 11ga.

But looking at the box tube cross-section and how it bears load from a stiffness perspective, this is essentially a 1/4" x 1" flat bar split in half.....


Granted in the Iyy/perpendicular dimension the box tube is much more rigid than the flat bar.

So, personally, I wouldn't feel bad at all using the flat-bar on-edge if you have it in stock.

Sometimes pricing is weird --- lately the tubing has been cheaper than "heavy metal" as I like to call it --- 1/4" and thicker. So that may play into your decision.

 

[tarmy]

When I built mine...I wanted a stiff top...but height was an issue...

Made a steel frame and laid wood on top of it.

 

[lis2323]

When I built mine...I wanted a stiff top...but Hightower was an issue...

Made a steel frame and laid wood on top of it.

That turned out nice[emoji481]

 

[sberry]

You could put something across it but it wont matter.

 

[sberry]

Mine is over 24 with 1/4 and I beat it like I hate it. Don't notice.

 

[lis2323]

I built mine 37 years ago. 16 gauge galvanized steel cladding double 3/4” plywood. No probs either.



Handi angle shelving oriented to manufacturer specs for support. EACH 8 foot section has a 3500 pound weight capacity.

 

[Ck1]

I would probably weld in 1” angle in a similar thickness that you use for the other tubing and angle. Add as many as needed

 

[yarrum]

I built mine 37 years ago. 16 gauge galvanized steel cladding double 3/4” plywood. No probs either.



Handi angle shelving oriented to manufacturer specs for support. EACH 8 foot section has a 3500 pound weight capacity.

This one is old. I built the top from air-dried rough sawed rock maple that I milled and glued-up while working at Tyler Mill Works furniture factory in Athol Mass in 1975. It's 10' x 2' x 1 3/4"thk. It was originally a kitchen counter in my NH cabin.. When I left the cabin in 1978, I removed it for future workbench use. In 1985, I bought several 4" x 10' steel structural C-channels for a dollar a length because they had ben under salt water and were pitted. The first photo was the original construct and the second is recent augmentation to enable storage of my 600-700 lb lathe.

BTW that looks like a Woden or Record blue vise. I have a 1950's Woden shown in another post.

 

[lis2323]

BTW that looks like a Woden or Record blue vise. I have a 1950's Woden shown in another post.

Your bench is beautiful!!

That's a Record on my bench.







Here's a Woden on my welding table....




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[yarrum]

This one is old. I built the top from air-dried rough sawed rock maple that I milled and glued-up while working at Tyler Mill Works furniture factory in Athol Mass in 1975. It's 10' x 2' x 1 3/4"thk. It was originally a kitchen counter in my NH cabin.. When I left the cabin in 1978, I removed it for future workbench use. In 1985, I bought several 4" x 10' steel structural C-channels for a dollar a length because they had ben under salt water and were pitted. The first photo was the original construct and the second is recent augmentation to enable storage of my 600-700 lb lathe.

BTW that looks like a Woden or Record blue vise. I have a 1950's Woden shown in another post.

Here is another table, originally built from the same C-channels in 1985 for welding and when bolted to the garage floor, for bending. I built larger weld tables fifteen years ago and retired it as a mill stand. Can't throw away good art.

 

[lis2323]

Here is another table, originally built from the same C-channels in 1985 for welding and when bolted to the garage floor, for bending. I built larger weld tables fifteen years ago and retired it as a mill stand. Can't throw away good art.

That mill stand is gorgeous. [emoji481]


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[yarrum]

Your bench is beautiful!!

That's a Record on my bench.







Here's a Woden on my welding table....




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here's my Woden 186/5 on my positioner - variable height and angle useful for grinding/holding

 

[lis2323]

Here's my Woden 186/5 on my positioner - variable height and angle useful for grinding/holding

Well that’s just ingenious!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[steel 35]

I built mine 37 years ago. 16 gauge galvanized steel cladding double 3/4” plywood. No probs either.

Handi angle shelving oriented to manufacturer specs for support. EACH 8 foot section has a 3500 pound weight capacity.

I was looking up at the light

I put plywood under mine for a while, but the slag balls stuck to good to the stainless

 

[csp]

I think you'd have to try really hard to get a 1/4" piece of plate to sag enough to eyeball without a straightedge over a 28" span.