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H

heffneil

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 12, 2009
Messages
722
Location
Naples FL
Reynar said:
It's a weird story.

I worked at this same campus - a massive, sprawling place belonging to a large company that most people have heard of - from 1997 through about 2008. Some of the buildings are just being used as storage now, compartmentalized into chain-link storage cages full of unused lab equipment.

When I came back to that campus in 2014, of course I had to go look for all that old stuff, and the surplus store. It was still there, and the "surplus store" was being managed by the same guy! I couldn't believe it. Usually the stuff that turned up there was junk, but occasionally you could luck up.

Over the years, they'd gotten wise to the fact that there was more money in selling the stuff to specialist vendors, who in turn marked it up by a lot for sale to other companies. I was able to sweet talk him into selling some of it directly to me though. Because this deal was kind of an off-the-books thing, I didn't want to be greedy. The two tall Vidmar cabinets and the bench are what was offered, so I chose to not press my luck.

It's way more storage than I need. Many of the drawers are just full of those little plastic bins, because I don't have nearly enough tools to fill up two, 5' tall Vidmar cabinets.
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Those three pieces alone are like hitting the lottery! Nice catch! Very jealous :) Good for you!
 
M

Mecha

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
194
Location
Volunteer State
tarmy said:
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Finally got the tool boxs installed and trimmed. Now I have my benches to play on...
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I really like these, I am planning to build something similar with a couple of Dewalt rollers. How did you frame the bench to give the flat front look?
 
T

TerryH

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Messages
2,248
Location
Springdale, AR
I've begun a new endeavor so a new bench was in order. Just started shooting competitively in F Class so needed a reloading bench. My own design after much research. Base is all milled 2x lumber. Top is 2 - 3/4" mdf layers with a 3/4" almond melamine top layer. Also edge banded with milled 2x material. The HF box cab and the drawer cab are 3/4" cabinet grade ply. 1/2" baltic birch runners in the HF cab and 1/2" baltic birch drawers on 100lb full ext. slides and 1/4" almond melamine bottoms in the drawer cab. Press and vise are attached with hand screws thru holes in the top with screw on tee nuts underneath. Hutch is more cabinet grade ply with ine edgebanding and 1/4" almond melamine back. Fun project. Just some sanding a d few coats of wipe on poly from being completed and moving into my gun room.









 
E

EchoFiveCharlie

New member
Joined
Dec 13, 2017
Messages
4
Location
Maysville, GA
Just something I threw together last year with left over lumber I had laying around.

Fun James Bond Fact: There's a hidden catch that allows the top of the workbench to lift up, concealing a storage area for....things. (not completed in that photo, but you get the idea) :D
 

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T

TerryH

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Messages
2,248
Location
Springdale, AR
EchoFiveCharlie said:
Just something I threw together last year with left over lumber I had laying around.

Fun James Bond Fact: There's a hidden catch that allows the top of the workbench to lift up, concealing a storage area for....things. (not completed in that photo, but you get the idea) :D
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Oh, I'm liking that! :beer:
 
B

bdbecker

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Nov 18, 2015
Messages
5,542
Location
Iowa
Great looking bench Terry!

I've started planning out my den/gun room/secret underground lair (currently the spare bedroom in the basement I use as a makeshift home office). One of the things I wanted to include was a quick change spot for my reloading equipment like you have on your workbench. Did you just use the standard style wood t-nuts that you hammer into the material? Do you have any concerns with them loosening up in the wood itself over (potentially) thousands of pulls on the press? I don't have a lot of experience with those t-nuts and always wondered about their durability.

 
Z

zmotorsports

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
21,312
Location
Northern Utah
TerryH said:
I've begun a new endeavor so a new bench was in order. Just started shooting competitively in F Class so needed a reloading bench. My own design after much research. Base is all milled 2x lumber. Top is 2 - 3/4" mdf layers with a 3/4" almond melamine top layer. Also edge banded with milled 2x material. The HF box cab and the drawer cab are 3/4" cabinet grade ply. 1/2" baltic birch runners in the HF cab and 1/2" baltic birch drawers on 100lb full ext. slides and 1/4" almond melamine bottoms in the drawer cab. Press and vise are attached with hand screws thru holes in the top with screw on tee nuts underneath. Hutch is more cabinet grade ply with ine edgebanding and 1/4" almond melamine back. Fun project. Just some sanding a d few coats of wipe on poly from being completed and moving into my gun room.









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Absolutely beautiful bench Terry. Great job.
 
V

vwracer

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
1,759
Location
Linn Creek MO. 65052
Great looking bench Terry. I have a good friend who shoots benchrest 600 yard. Be careful, it can be as expensive as race cars!! You met Jim, he was with me at ORP the day I met you. Edit: Just talked with Jim, he shoots F class too. Mostly at Big Piney Shooting Club in Houston MO.
 
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A

AngryBeaver

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Joined
Jul 12, 2017
Messages
1,705
Location
Lake Milton Ohio
Sort of a rolling bench. Lol

Didn’t care for the brightness of the butcher block on the dark cranberry so I decided to do some Brazilian Rosewood Stain. I’m happy how it turned out. The reddish tint works well with the box color.

Not done. Only one coat of poly. Going to scuff it and do 2-3 more.

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zbyler

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Joined
Jun 3, 2014
Messages
129
Location
CT
AngryBeaver - First off, A+ on the username. Secondly, the box looks great with the stained top!
 
E

EOC_Jason

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Joined
Jun 25, 2012
Messages
11,388
Location
Bentonville, AR
If you really want to give it a thick and durable top, they sell this stuff at Home Depot... I saw another member use it for a bowling lane top he made, looked awesome and I'm sure it super durable!

AngryBeaver said:
Sort of a rolling bench. Lol

Didn’t care for the brightness of the butcher block on the dark cranberry so I decided to do some Brazilian Rosewood Stain. I’m happy how it turned out. The reddish tint works well with the box color.

Not done. Only one coat of poly. Going to scuff it and do 2-3 more.
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D

drivesitfar

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Joined
Oct 23, 2013
Messages
35,991
Location
Pacific Northwest
TERRY H: i love the bench. did you make it from SCRATCH? also can you show us what fasteners you used to make that cool little vise mount? WELL DONE!!

AngryB: color on the wood looks much better and with a shine when you are finished with it. WOW you've got some great space there in your garage.
 
S

softailtom

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2010
Messages
81
Location
Yukon Oklahoma
AngryBeaver said:
Sort of a rolling bench. Lol



Didn’t care for the brightness of the butcher block on the dark cranberry so I decided to do some Brazilian Rosewood Stain. I’m happy how it turned out. The reddish tint works well with the box color.



Not done. Only one coat of poly. Going to scuff it and do 2-3 more.



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Where did you purchase the butcher block?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
T

TerryH

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Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Messages
2,248
Location
Springdale, AR
bdbecker said:
Great looking bench Terry!

I've started planning out my den/gun room/secret underground lair (currently the spare bedroom in the basement I use as a makeshift home office). One of the things I wanted to include was a quick change spot for my reloading equipment like you have on your workbench. Did you just use the standard style wood t-nuts that you hammer into the material? Do you have any concerns with them loosening up in the wood itself over (potentially) thousands of pulls on the press? I don't have a lot of experience with those t-nuts and always wondered about their durability.

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Sorry to be so late with the response. Seems that some days I get notifications and some days not.

I used screw on tee nuts under the top. They are super strong and easy to install. No way the regular drive in stamped tee nuts would survive very long in this application.



I had to make up the hand screws from hand knobs and all thread since the top is 2 1/4" thick plus the 3/4" bases.



I countersunk the holes in the top for some stainless fasteners to plug the holes when not in use.



 
A

AngryBeaver

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Joined
Jul 12, 2017
Messages
1,705
Location
Lake Milton Ohio
EOC_Jason said:
If you really want to give it a thick and durable top, they sell this stuff at Home Depot... I saw another member use it for a bowling lane top he made, looked awesome and I'm sure it super durable!
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AWESOME, going to try that out. long story short, the poly I was using was not meant for dark mahogany stains... on the third coat a guy came in and leaned up against it and ruined it... sanded it all back down...

drivesitfar said:
AngryB: color on the wood looks much better and with a shine when you are finished with it. WOW you've got some great space there in your garage.
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thats my work's shop... finishing the top there before bringing the box home. more temperature control friendly there while refinishing the wood.

softailtom said:
Where did you purchase the butcher block?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Menards. 149 bucks iirc. snap ons top was 780.... only thing it the menards top is birch. hope it holds up...
 
I

isuhunter

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
532
TerryH said:
Sorry to be so late with the response. Seems that some days I get notifications and some days not.

I used screw on tee nuts under the top. They are super strong and easy to install. No way the regular drive in stamped tee nuts would survive very long in this application.


Where did you get the the nuts at?
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T

TerryH

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Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Messages
2,248
Location
Springdale, AR
E

EOC_Jason

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 25, 2012
Messages
11,388
Location
Bentonville, AR
TerryH said:
Thanks. Unfortunately my local 1000 yard range had to close so I'll be shooting mostly at Red Castle Gun Club in Tulsa in 2018.
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Yeah, I haven't seen any decent outdoor ranges up here in NWA... Are there any?

There's Gunsmoke Sporting Clays north of Pea Ridge I want to go try out, but I'm afraid it will be a complete let down compared to the place I used to shoot in Houston...

Your avatar / sig through me off, I thought it used to be a pic of your electric dragster?
 
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