Mobile work bench

[RickP330]

Hey Guys,
My situation isn't ideal. I'm crammed into a one car garage and trying to do the best I can. I have an old craftsman folding portable workbench and it seems to work well in this situation. I can move it around an put it out of the way when not in use and since it's mobile it doesn't collect ****. But the 5/8" top just ain't cutting it and the clamping feature has long since broken.

Well it has become apparent that I need this thing - it's my best solution so I was thinking I'd find some butcher block to put a new top on it and remove the clamping screws. I never used them anyway. so on Facebook market place I was looking at around $70 all day for scraps of wood that might work well. I found this in Lowes for the same price and it's new. I want to trim it down to size and use it to up grade my mobile work surface.

I'll put some T-nuts in the bottom so I can mount my vise when it's time to use it. For now I store them in my sandblast cabinet when I need the full work surface and remove them.

Before I dig really deep into this I know you guys have opinions and some good advice. I can make it a little bigger but I still have to be able to fold it up and put it away. Plus how to finish it? Epoxy paint? I have always used gray that seems to be a nice neutral color. What do you think?
Rick

PS here's what I bought....

 

[RTM]

I don’t know how big your Craftsman table top was, but this would be gigantic compared to a Workmate top, and probably not fold.

There are lots of good ideas in the Workmate thread, including putting a 2x2 on the back of your board, and clamp it in the jaws. Might be worth a read.

Black & Decker Workmate

Here's an...unusual...Workmate on craigslist. It's either really cool or an abomination. I haven't decided yet which way I lean. My first thought was "Don't show that to my wife"... ...(Who has an extra treadle that she doesn't want, & for the first time in 40 years just asked to borrow...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[RickP330]

I don’t know how big your Craftsman table top was, but this would be gigantic compared to a Workmate top, and probably not fold.

There are lots of good ideas in the Workmate thread, including putting a 2x2 on the back of your board, and clamp it in the jaws. Might be worth a read.

Black & Decker Workmate

Here's an...unusual...Workmate on craigslist. It's either really cool or an abomination. I haven't decided yet which way I lean. My first thought was "Don't show that to my wife"... ...(Who has an extra treadle that she doesn't want, & for the first time in 40 years just asked to borrow...

www.garagejournal.com

Thank you - that is exactly what I was looking for. I swear I used the search function.... I'll take the conversation there.
Rick

 

[RickP330]

Hi Gang,
Just a follow up, here is what I wound up doing. I deleted the clamping feature of the table, I never used it anyway. Since I have a small shop it's basically my only work surface. it still folds up and I've put it through it's paces already. There are two patterns on it with thread inserts. I can mount the small or large vice on it. I store the vices in my sand blast cabinet when they are not in use....
RP

 

[RickP330]

It can get messy....

 

[rust in the eye]

That's a LOT of vice for that table. My toes hurt just looking at that set up.

 

[RickP330]

That's a LOT of vice for that table. My toes hurt just looking at that set up.

It's removable, I only put it on when I need it...
It's all I got, I'm really cramped in here right now....

 

[Tynee]

I'm interested in that table top you've got, will have to explore at Lowes like you did.

I don't know what your available wall space looks like, but if you're ever looking to get sturdier and increase the benchtop area, you might consider something like this:

 

[Dave G in Gansevoort]

You might want to check out this folding welding table from Harbor Freight. I have 2 of them and they have taken a beating over the years I’ve had them. They fold up and I hang them up on bicycle hooks. Both will fit on one set of hooks. As you can see they hold a lot. That transmission is about one hundred pounds and that’s nothing compared to some of the **** I’ve thrown at them. Harbor Freight is the lowest price for them. But they are also sold by Eastwood, and others, for a higher price.