My projects

[Nursepeter1973]

I decided to start this thread as I never got much if any feedback in one of the other threads I posted in.

I'm new to metalworking as I've always used wood and so this new road has had plenty of learning up till now (and a lot more to go). I have some challenges where I live as the closest thing to a hardware store is 400km (250miles) away so most of my stuff is gotten mail order, or driving a whole day (its a bit hard to mail order the 12m of steel that I used for this project...

So for this project.. I needed a workbench, something sturdy that would be capable of range of jobs.
It needed

• to be mobile - limited space and unknown projects means i couldn't just bolt something to the wall
• Height adjustable
• sturdy
• level

After looking at a number of great benches on GJ I came up with my idea.. and sketched it up in Sketchup.. a pretty handy product thats free and simple to use


I managed to get some plate for the top.. though I didn't get a photo of its condition prior to wire-brushing it. It was covered in slurry (i assumed it was concrete or nickel) and flaking rust. I tried a poly disc and then went to a wire brush on the angle grinder as I definitely don't have access to a sand/media blaster. So I'm making the best of what I can.. a free 1x1.6m (39x63") piece of 10mm (3/8") plate has to be used

I would have loved something a lot thicker like 16mm (5/8) but this is more than adequate for me! I'm unsure what direction to take with the three holes, I'm guessing just using some 1/4" plate on the bottom to stop random small parts falling through.


I finally managed to get down to Perth (its a 1800km round trip) to pick up some steel. 100x50mm PFC channel - or as I call it structural c channel. I had originally planned on using 50x50mm SHS but the PFC worked out cheaper per metre and to be honest either of these two options were going to be more than strong enough for my expected use. (which is likely just simple repairs and minor fabrication - shelves.. maybe a gate or two).
The top went together well. I was surprised that after I tacked it together the frame was square corner to corner after just using magnet squares on the corners.
I did have to use the blue ratchet straps to bring the furthermost corners in as the final corner was spread by 10mm or so... but it worked out well

 

[Nursepeter1973]

Continuing on the legs went on and along with the cross beams its really starting to take shape





I had to utilise the ratchet strap again to get the legs to a position for the cross beam to be welded (needed about 5mm (1/4") to be brought together). I'd originally planned on the crossbeam to be central but ended up offsetting to facilitate better workshop storage.. so I can fit my compressor under the bench when I have it up against the wall. The offset crossbeam also facilitated a good position to have a footrest. I have debated whether to mount the mig under the bench but that would mean hassles with the cylinder placement so it will stay on the trolley I made. (It will facilitate a plasma and/or a cutoff saw in the future )

 

[Nursepeter1973]

Continuing on...

I managed to get the wheels on and the frame the right way up and i'm happy so far with how its turned out. It rolled well on the 100mm (4") castors though that didnt include the weight of the 10mm sheet.. time will tell


Turned the frame back over after going over the welds with a wire disc as best i could and the welded the top to the frame. The frame sat flat in a majority of places so i welded where it was close and then utilised the tops own weight and raised a corner onto a block to flex it in the right direction. It worked to take the 2-3mm flex out.
Turning the whole lot over was a bit of a b$*%h. A single guy moving (what i worked out after) 360kg(793lbs) was prob not the smartest thing without a hoist/chainblock or comealong... got there in the end by taking the wheels off getting her over. I then had to lift up the frame to get the wheels back on.. the only difficult one was the first and last.
For the last wheel I used my 150mm(6") recycled vice as a counterweight... to stop the weight of the table coming down on me as I put in the last castor.


Tonight's job is to wire brush the top to clear the nickel slurry/ concrete from the surface. I really wish I had access to a media blaster. (... No I don't know who Liam is) I had a quick go at a corner last night and it cleared well... I had to stop as we have noise restrictions from 9pm.. will fish out my half face dust mask to stop inhaling the powder i think. Once its completed I'll prob hit it with some Ranex Rust Buster (http://bondall.com/rustbuster/Ranex_Rustbuster.html), wire brush /flap disc it again and then use some light oil to reduce chances of rusting


Am still wondering what the best course of action with the holes are though.. the only solution I've come up with is to cut some 1/4" plate I have and weld it flush to the surface

 

[jeff g]

Hi
I would leave the holes till they are a problem, you may need them one day.

jeff

 

[michael037]

Mate
I'd leave the holes there. They may come in handy with some sort of clamp to pin down anything you may need fixing. Hare & Forbes have a sort of 1 sided vise grip they sell for use as a clamp on a drill press table that you may be able to use with those holes.
Michael

 

[1/2 Cup]

Thats one nice bench you are building, well done. I would leave the holes for bench clamps as has been suggested.

Cheers

Subscribed

 

[Nursepeter1973]

Cool thanks for the replies...
Michael.. you mean like this one? http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/C103

 

[1/2 Cup]

The clamps from Hare and Forbes look great, i might get a set myself.
I have just gotten a set of Dawn Bench clamps for my new bench build.

View media item 37800

 

[xtremek]

Dude, that's one serious heavy weight bench! What do you plan on building on that? Looks like it would hold a small building.

 

[Nursepeter1973]

1/2Cup now they look the business!

xtremek - honestly I'm known to overengineer things... why? because I hate having to fix things after I made them and because I dont know what I'm going to make on it in the future .. maybe a small building

 

[1/2 Cup]

But wait there is a catch, they are only a new product out and cost $130.00 each ex GST.

 

[Nursepeter1973]

Ahhh cripes.. only paid $50 for my Dawn vice
Looking at the design if you found some g-clamps you could just cut the foot off and weld a plate onto the bottom. What size can you get under them?

 

[1/2 Cup]

Ahhh cripes.. only paid $50 for my Dawn vice
Looking at the design if you found some g-clamps you could just cut the foot off and weld a plate onto the bottom. What size can you get under them?

Good idea, there is no reason why not, the clamps are 125 mm.

In fact there is no reason you could build something like them period!

BTW i like your sketchup of the bench!

 

[HTGTS350]

Whats the temperature in Leinster today? A bit of corporate sponsorship for the benchtop?

 

[Nursepeter1973]

Hmmm looks like i'm gonna be on the scrounge for some clamps
Sketchup is a very useful product. Helps me visualise what I am going to make. Pretty easy to use (though I grew up using Autocad as dad was a draughsman)

 

[HTGTS350]

Isn't there a hardware store a Mt Magnet?

 

[Nursepeter1973]

HTGTS350.. its a lovely 33.5C
I asked around a few guys I know and it miraculously appeared.. the rusted & divited patina suits my purpose just fine.
You up near here?

 

[HTGTS350]

Just down the road from you nearest hardware store.

 

[Nursepeter1973]

So.. I managed to find the time to wire brush the crud off of the top and so from there I used a rust converter product called Ranex.... (hydrochloric acid) which is supposed to convert the iron oxide into a ?chelate leaving a paintable surface... except I don't particularly want a paintable surface I want a surface that looks/is bare metal... what I ended up with is



Closeup


The wirecup doesnt seem to touch it.. the flap disc did **** all (though it is old).. I even got a grinding disc out but it just wasnt doing a particularly great job as the centre bolt stands too proud of the disc.. So I ordered a poly disc hoping that this might do the trick... some of these Ebay Poly Discs
So for now I've given up on the top surface and will concentrate on spraying the bottom.. unless someone has a better idea?

 

[1953mercury]

You might try 50 grit on a 9" grinder with a rubber backing plate to knock it down and then smooth it out with 120. A belt sander might work also. Mike

 

[8man]

Darn nice work bench. That thing will work!

 

[1/2 Cup]

Looking good,
I struggled with the rust on my bench. I used all different grit, discs wire wheels and you name it. They would not last long then clog. Eventually I got to a reasonably consistent finish then wipe it over with hydrochloric acid which brightened the metal to some degree then washed it down and neutralized it with baking soda paste as it will flash rust again if you don't get it all off, washed again then wiped over with Kero, wiped again then hit it with CRC.

There is some pics on my thread that show the results.

Cheers

 

[Nursepeter1973]

1/2 Cup I got to a reasonably consistent finish then wipe it over with hydrochloric acid which brightened the metal to some degree then washed it down and neutralized it with baking soda paste as it will flash rust again if you don't get it all off, washed again then wiped over with Kero, wiped again then hit it with CRC.
There is some pics on my thread that show the results.

I realised the rust coverter is Phosphoric Acid (i never was good at chemistry).. not hydrochloric... My hardest issue as much as the suggestions go is my isolation. I cant just pop out and get a bottle of acid.. I have coated with WD40 atm... until i can find another abrasive option

1953mercury You might try 50 grit on a 9" grinder with a rubber backing plate to knock it down and then smooth it out with 120. A belt sander might work also. Mike

I'd love to try that... just no access.. All i have is a 5" grinder.. and a small Makita multitool with a triangular sanding attachment... not really up to the job...

8man Darn nice work bench. That thing will work!

Thanks mate... I'm a beginner with big ideas and a small budget

I had a crack at spray painting last night (my first time ever) so I'll post some pics once I get my eldest boy to school!

 

[Nursepeter1973]

Think it'll need a second coat.. its a bit insipid at the moment.. I like yellow (prob a throwback from working too long on the mines) If i could have arranged it for a reasonable price I would have gotten some Caterpillar Yellow! I used Dulux Metalshield which was pre-tinted "Bold Yellow" and has the advantage of not requiring priming...
Image quality worse than normal... a quick shot while chasing my 2yo daughter around



One of the boilermakers here suggested a good idea... rounding the corners.. reduce the chances of the kids crowning themselves on a corner... or me taking out my vital bits... Looks like I'll be out with my angle grinder and knife disc tonight!

 

[Nursepeter1973]

So before I made the bench I'd started on a stool..
Its the one thing that I always remember from dads shed, his wooden stool with a chipboard seat put together with offcuts from one project or another.

This is mine... An old brake drum that I fished from a scrap bin as a base along with three cyclone fence posts... I had the 25mm (1") square steel from another project.. The seat is marine ply that was part of an offcut from a box I'm making for the ute..
View media item 38092The seat is just oiled with a 50/50 mix of turpentine and raw linseed oil
View media item 38093
For those observant amongst use you might notice I've put a radius on the corner of the bench after a suggestion from my friendly boilermaker... a little less painful on the kids heads..

 

[1/2 Cup]

Your stool looks great. Did you have any issues welding to the cast iron brake drum?
When I did my Pot Belly Brake Drum Heater even though I did all the right things , pre heated the cast and used the correct rods I still got hair line cracks.
I see you are making good use of your workbench.

 

[Nursepeter1973]

The only drama was penetration at times... I wouldnt want to trust it to hold me up on a 30 floor building but there didnt appear to be any cracks though I did two "tinks" as it cooled after two welds - I would guess this would indicate a crack??

 

[1/2 Cup]

The only drama was penetration at times... I wouldnt want to trust it to hold me up on a 30 floor building but there didnt appear to be any cracks though I did two "tinks" as it cooled after two welds - I would guess this would indicate a crack??

Not necessarily, you would be able to see them I am guessing.

 

[Nursepeter1973]

I'll check later today... (I am only up as daughter fell out of bed)... though I've painted it externally.. will check the underside.. when I started I wasn't even sure they were cast (i knew they were weldable, but was difficult, though I put this down to shear mass at the outer edges absorbing heat away and possibly not having a decent enough earth - though i had ground a spot. I just cranked up the power on the mig - flux cored wire). I found that what appeared to have decent adhesion for me was a 1/4" power setting..
I guess I am lucky in the fact that even if it has micro cracks as it wont be heated these shouldn't cause any dramas? Maybe just dumb luck... the fact that it wasn't critical meant I wasn't worried about it...

 

[Nursepeter1973]

So this is the stool painted.. like i've said I like the yellow. (and I already had it).. Perfect height for me.. its about an 1" or 2 lower than standing so as to just take the weight off my legs.

My reclaimed cheap vice from Gumtree (like Craigslist) only cost me $70.. Looks massive compared to the seat.. It i'll be wire brushed soon and a coat of black applied (or maybe just oil)...
It's also a better shot of the rounded corners of the bench

Still debating on whether to mount the vice direct to the top of the bench or try and make a receiver hitch type idea... leaning towards both.. mount now.. receiver once i can get a couple of short lengths..

 

[1/2 Cup]

The matching colour scheme looks great and the vice was a steal at $70, do you have any idea what they cost new$$$$ It looks in good nick too.

I mounted mine on the bench top for the rare occasion that I would need to remove it I felt it wasn't a big issue.

Cheers

 

[Nursepeter1973]

Yeah the vice is in good nick.. I would suggest they worth about $300 at a guess.. some surface rust on her and I need to find a shim for the front where the handle turns.. thinking of just using a washer (if i can find one with the right internal diameter).
Think you're right about the mounting..

 

[Nursepeter1973]

Well as part of me finishing my bench off I have been trying unsuccessfully to mount the vice onto the benchtop... Three 12.5mm(1/2") holes through 10mm (5/8") plate you say? should go through like butter! Hardly.. I started with a 4.5mm bit, got half way and theny changed to a 3mm bit and managed to get through one hole.. and have managed to get about halfway through with the other...

Talking to my friendly boilermaker that "donated" the plate, he states it was likely Bisalloy.. This stuff....(its a link to the .pdf cutting guide)

He has suggested needing to heat the area to cherry red and then let cool over night to soften the steel enough to get through.... I wonder if my mapp gas torch will do the trick...

This probably explains why also it is so freakishly hard to grind the surface back I have said a few choice words in my head about that one.. any suggestions now?
I guess there are two choices.. assume its going to take a sheetload of abrasive discs to get it to a shine or do i give up and leave it with the dark rust converted patina?

Actually would a needle gun scaler do the trick?

Either surface would be fine but I want the shine (only because its what is in my head!)

 

[RivennHewn]

Great workbench. Love the yellow.

My vote would be to leave the top as is.

Maybe sand it smooth, and apply a coat of Penetrol.

I'm going to be needing a larger welding surface for my next project. May have to pilfer a few of your design ideas.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Bisalloy is tough stuff, my fabrication bench top is the same. I was fortunate enough to have access to a magnetic drill and small anular cutters to do the holes.
P16 grit sanding discs hardly made a scratch so i am just leaving it as it is.

Cheers

 

[Nursepeter1973]

RivennHewn.. The design ideas were only born from a practicality standpoint.. I just wanted the strongest frame i could afford. The only other thing I might do is add some solid "legs" so that when the castors are fully retracted down it sits solidly.. though that is a maybe project..
I am amazed that someone might like some of what I've done enough to incorporate it!
My only concern with leaving the surface as is... is when I want to tack some bits to its whether the penetrol or the converted rust will not allow enough penetration/adhesion

 

[Nursepeter1973]

Bisalloy is tough stuff, my fabrication bench top is the same. I was fortunate enough to have access to a magnetic drill and small anular cutters to do the holes.
P16 grit sanding discs hardly made a scratch so i am just leaving it as it is.

Cheers

OK.. I'll admit defeat throwing $$ after a top that is a worksurface is pointless Now to try and drill the vice mount... Debating if doing a hitch receiver arrangement might be a better option

 

[1/2 Cup]

OK.. I'll admit defeat throwing $$ after a top that is a worksurface is pointless Now to try and drill the vice mount... Debating if doing a hitch receiver arrangement might be a better option

Don't be disheartened with your efforts, sharp drill bits and nice and slow drilling speed is the order of the day.

I would still persist with your descaling, I found even though the finish may not be what I would ideally prefer its not the end of the world and you will find it quite workable in the end.

 

[Nursepeter1973]

The surface you have on yours is perfect. At least its shiny. Mine is a dark brown.. no reflection at all... other than the light sheen of the WD40 I sprayed on it to protect from rust.

I'm back to the city in a week so I'll look for alternatives... maybe a flexible disc for the 5" grinder. See if I can find a large grit abrasive to take it off.

 

[OccupantRJ]

As far as yellow paint, I have found it takes at least 3 good coats of industrial emanel when I paint it. The coverage is just not like other color paints. Table looks good. Nice job.