Mobile workbench

[Krokodil]

I am going to build my own workbench next week. I want it to be portable with caster wheels, but also want stability when into position so that I can use a vise for handsawing etc.

One idea I have is to use some sort of push/pull toggle clamps that extent below the casters to lift the bench off the wheels and provide a stable platform.

Any ideas if this might work?

 

[tonydanzah]

sounds like you need a jawhorse

 

[Krokodil]

Tell me more...

 

[Krokodil]

Google is my friend! Thanks. I think I want a larger surface area for laying things out to do for example soldering, etc.

 

[tonydanzah]

I have the extended jaw, you can clamp a 48" piece of plywood in it.

 

[Krokodil]

Any pics maybe?

 

[tonydanzah]

give me a little bit and and i'll set it up

 

[Krokodil]

Thanks! At the moment I'm considering a 2mm - 32x32mm square tubing frame with a superwood top and aluminum checkered plate shelves below.

 

[tonydanzah]

I have only used a hand full of times since I got it at , but it has become one of those tools you wonder what you did before.

<a href="http://s965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/?action=view&current=jaw1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/jaw1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/?action=view&current=jaw1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/jaw2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


<a href="http://s965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/?action=view&current=jaw1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/jaw3.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/?action=view&current=jaw1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/jaw4.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/?action=view&current=jaw1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/jaw5.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/?action=view&current=jaw1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/jaw6.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/?action=view&current=jaw7.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae133/tonydanzah_photos/jaw7.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[Krokodil]

That things looks stable!

 

[tonydanzah]

its very stable, i did some exhaust work recently. I had the entire piece in there like the wood, so I was able to weld on it at chest height.

 

[Adam@theHoffmanGroup]

I saw those on one of those cable diy shows. is it as cool as it looks?

 

[Keith_MN]

I would not worry about making a system to lift the casters off the ground. My workbench is 5 ft x 3 ft and is on casters. The casters are nice rubber and when locked, the workbench does not move. Often, I will just lock two of them and I have no problem with it not moving around on my floor.

The bench needs a lot of mass to keep it from moving around while sawing. Mine is made from 1.5 inch angle with a 1 inch square tube frame for the top. The top is covered with two layers of 1/8 inch steel.

I would not be shy about making it heavy, that is what will keep it in place. As long as you have a flat floor, the weight should not be a problem when rolling it. Just invest in a high quality set of casters.

 

[xpmcharly]

Friend gave me an old Black and Decker Work Mate bench, $5.-25 yard sale,CL, around here. Modified with casters/subframe, plywood top,handy. Even use mine for a small sheetmetal brake sometimes.

 

[Krokodil]

It seems that heavy is the keyword for a solid setup!

 

[wbrian63]

Just get casters that not only lock the rotation of the wheel, but the pivot of the caster as well.

They're available at a lot of online sites - Rockler.com for one. I've got them on many of my mobile tools and they work just fine.

As others have said, stability and ballast is the key. I saw a design once that had a shelf mounted between the stretchers at the bottom of the bench. The stretchers were 2x6 or so in dimension. The builder closed in the bottom of the stretchers with a piece of 1/2 or 3/4" plywood and filled the cavity with sand, and then put the top on the stretchers for the shelf.

 

[z28toz06]

somebody makes those for table saws and other heavy woodworking power tools. you can roll it around and then you drop it down and its on the floor.

 

[shopnut]

I have two swivel and two fixed casters on my roll-around bench. The swivels have locks on them (small pull rings hanging down in front). Although I have "floor locks" between the casters, I seldom use them.

I found (totally by accident) that locking the horizontal rotation of the swivel casters stabilizes the bench quite nicely. The swivel casters, of course, must be perpendicular the fixed set for this to work. The caster wheels themselves don't even have brakes on them, and that's why I bought the floor locks in the first place.

 

[nolatoolguy]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200414698_200414698

what about something like that(take the second back plate off and you should be able to use the first mounting plate cause it doesnt neeed to swing up an down). I would put one on each corner. Then have some bars on the bottom like a normal workbench might have. When you raise the jacks its moible but when you lower the jacks it sets on the botom frame of the workbench.

Ime not sure about that brand, or the price. It was just a quik example. We have used stuff like that for tables for sheering sheep and it works great, althought we got the wheels from a local farm store that doesnt have a site.

 

[Krokodil]

I like the sand ballast idea. Should be significantly cheaper than beefing up on the steel thickness.