Need some advice re Work Bench

[Ruff_Hi]

Work Bench Build

I posted the following in the intro folder ...

After promising to not cut any fingers off, I have been allowed to collect some power tools - idea presents for the last few Christmases and Birthdays.

First up was a circular saw - dewalt DC390
Second up was a compound miter saw - dewalt DW713

With these (and sketchup) I was able to design and build my own computer rack. This is my ethernet hub, location of the DVR, Server, UPS, etc. Ripping the surfaces with the circular saw was fun ... and drew heavily on my mathematics ... and my ability to bodge something together.

I've also almost filled my basement work area with storage shelves - thanks to dadand for their design (seems I can't post links yet ... will return to add some links when I have the required number of posts and I remember) that I had to tweak a little to fit the standard storage container (link to be added).

And for my birthday just past, I got a Dewalt table saw DW745 (without a stand as I said I would build my own workbench for it).

You can get away with a miter saw and no stand ... but I can't imaging using a table saw without a stand.

So ... I am planning to build a portable work bench that fits in a pre-selected location in the garage (double, nice, wide and deep) that has to hold 2 cars, snow blower, grill, big wheel trash things, a collection of dog crates (the hard, plastic ones that don't fold up) and a stack of bricks.

In short ... not a bunch of room ... but not zero room. I should go and measure it . Update: I have 40" width to play with. Other dimensions can be anything as long as I don't go absolutely crazy (think 10' or more probably equals crazy).

What do I want this work table to hold? Well, table saw, miter saw, area for dust collector, should I add a sawdust baffle? I have some horses, so I can use those to extend the support as required ... but I think that means my table height has to fit in with the horses.

So ... what I am hoping to get out of the garage forum is suggestions and helpful tips about the above and observations about things I could add or things I have missed.

I recently finished a build log for my new liquid cooled computer. That involved posting updates, answering questions, illustrating what I was doing, etc, etc. Do people do that here?

Ok, initial thoughts re my work bench.

Both of my saws are approximately 23" x 23". The miter saw is deeper, but it will mostly be sitting on top of the bench so I think I can ignore the extra length. My aim is to put the table saw in the middle of one end with the ability to run the wood into the saw along the length of the bench. The miter saw will be at the other end of the bench on the front edge.

Allowing 14" between both saw locations gives me a total bench length of 60" ... a nice round number. For width, I think I will plan on 40".

Very initial mock up (bench top and two tools, no legs or anything else) has it looking like this ...

Obviously, I can't leave the miter saw there when I am using the table saw.

My horses (with a 2x3 inserted) is 33" high. I can either make my table hight fit into that and use the horse to help with really big pieces of wood, or I can add a fold out top portion at the miter saw end. If I go the horse route, that will lock in the bench height ... if I go the fold out route, then the bench height is still up in the air.

Qs ...

1. the table saw is currently in the middle of the table (front to back) ... is it better to have it to one side? If so, which side?
2. Obviously, I don't want the table saw's fences getting in the way of any wood that I want to cut with the miter saw. I can remove the fences ... or I can set it up so that the miter saw is normally clear of the fences
3. I think I want the ability to put in much longer 'guides' for the miter saw so that I can clamp stops when I am repeating cuts of the same length - I will need to think about how to do this ... should these 'guides' be fixed in place or removable?
4. Looking at the above picture, I can easily see situations where I want to be able to extend the bench surface area / provide additional support. Maybe the horse height option is the way to go.
5. Finally, I know that I am using some wrong words here (guides) ... is there a terminology link somewhere so that I don't confuse myself and others by using the wrong words?

... and HOTFR8 suggested I post this in the General Discussion ... so ... here I am.

 

[Ruff_Hi]

I just found this post about retractable casters. I am totally stealing this idea.

Spoiler

Sounds like a good plan. Heres mine is similar concept to your plan other than i made my benches to "nest" together.

If you go that route then you don't have to break down the wood working bench each time. Create two moble bases with retractable castors

Then you can use one as out/infeed table and the second for the table saw router combo and it all takes up 1 footprint when put away. Plus no time or energy needed to set up the polk table. With the castors it also is nice to be able to put a sander or planer on the assembly table and wheel it outside in nice weather.

Oy - the spoiler thread doesn't work. That is annoying.

 

[Marctrees]

Anyway, make sure your workbench top overhangs all framing on all sides 1 1/2" MINIMUM to allow for clamping anyplace at the perimeter.

Marc

This is VERY important.

Recently I built two 2' x 8' benches.. somehow screwed up the simple arithmetic.. ended up w 1 1/2 on the 8' sides, but only 3/4 on the 2' sides.

Like all the time that bites me... causes difficulties.

*****.

Marc

 

[Ruff_Hi]

Anyway, make sure your workbench top overhangs all framing on all sides 1 1/2" minimum to allow for clamping anyplace at the perimeter.

Marc

That is an excellent comment. Thanks for popping in and adding to my thread. I will remember this. Actually ... my max width is 40" ... but that is more for the legs ... maybe I do the outside of the legs at 39" and the bench top at 42".

 

[JaredR]

Great!

 

[James-W]

Welcome to the forum JaredR.

 

[James-W]

I am going to make a comment here, not exactly about a work bench, but it will help you get a heavy project onto your work bench.

When I built my garage a installed a bracket so that I could put in a winch to lift heavy stuff up onto the work bench. I have found that I use it a lot more often than I had originally anticipated. It is so much easier to wrap a chain or some heavy duty strapping around a heavy item that I need to work on and then lift it up onto the work bench with the pressing of a button.

I also use it to raise the front of the rider mower in order to remove and sharpen the blades. I mounted a strong metal bracket on the front of the mower so I could attach the winch cable easily. I just push the front of the mower under the winch cable and hook u p the cable. I push a button and lift the front of the mower high enough to get to the blades so I can remove them. I have two sets of blades so when I remove one set I just install the other set. Then when I have time I sharpen the dull set and I always a sharp set of blades on hand.

I strongly suggest making provisions to install a winch on the ceiling of the garage. You will find it comes in really handy more often that you think.

 

[Ruff_Hi]

James-W ... interesting idea. My ceiling in my garage is at least 18' with a little access port. I haven't looked up there so I have no idea re general support. I have a long ladder that gets stored on the wall ... but I could store it against the ceiling ... and your suggestion (to some degree) butts in with that.

That said, I do have two automatic garage doors with the associated structures that do limit how much of the ceiling I can get to.

Anyway - ideas are what I am after, and ideas is what you provided ... thank you!

 

[Ruff_Hi]

I just found this post about retractable casters. I am totally stealing this idea.

Or maybe borrow and modify. I am a little worried about putting too much weight on the hinges so I will be thinking about how to use this concept but end up with blocks of wood taking all of the weight of the bench.

More on this later depending on if I can work out how to do that.

 

[John in OH]

I am going to make a comment here, not exactly about a work bench, but it will help you get a heavy project onto your work bench.

When I built my garage a installed a bracket so that I could put in a winch to lift heavy stuff up onto the work bench. I have found that I use it a lot more often than I had originally anticipated. It is so much easier to wrap a chain or some heavy duty strapping around a heavy item that I need to work on and then lift it up onto the work bench with the pressing of a button.

I also use it to raise the front of the rider mower in order to remove and sharpen the blades. I mounted a strong metal bracket on the front of the mower so I could attach the winch cable easily. I just push the front of the mower under the winch cable and hook u p the cable. I push a button and lift the front of the mower high enough to get to the blades so I can remove them. I have two sets of blades so when I remove one set I just install the other set. Then when I have time I sharpen the dull set and I always a sharp set of blades on hand.

I strongly suggest making provisions to install a winch on the ceiling of the garage. You will find it comes in really handy more often that you think.

This is a good suggestion! I would amend it slightly to suggest you mount a length of sliding barn door track on the ceiling and build a short trolley for mounting the hoist. Then you can lift an item and move it via the track & trolley. The barn door track system is available at nearly all farm supply stores or maybe even some of the box stores. National Hardware is one manufacturer. Weight capacity is limited but, IIRC, is something like 400 lb.

 

[Ruff_Hi]

So ... I've gone back and forth on the placement of my miter and table saw. First it was one up one end and the other down the other end. Then back to back on the short side, then elsewhere.

Here is what I have decided to do ... table saw in middle (ish) of short side and miter saw on a flip top dolly. The tricky bit is that I want both sides of the miter saw to have guides and stops. But they would have to be removable as I want to use the run-out of the bench for the table saw.

Answer ... put the guides for the miter saw in the miter slots on the table saw. I just have to line up the miter saw and the table saw so that I can put those miter slots to multiple tasks.

I could use something like this in the bench to lock the miter saw guides in place.

 

[Marctrees]

If you mean the AL track for "End" or "Length" stops, I dunno, I am happy w a wood fence, small c clamp and block of wood.

Marc

 

[Ruff_Hi]

And I have started building my workbench by cutting 4 4x4 legs ... each 32" long.

I was planning to use 18-Gauge 2X Rigid Tie Connectors for the top and bottom shelf.

However, after thinking about this, I decided that this was a) overkill and b) locked the two supports at each leg at the same height ... effectively meaning that all four will be at the same height. That might work for the lower shelf ... but it certainly won't work for the top ... the area where the table saw goes will not have any support at the top.

So ... I am thinking of using ZMAX Galvanized 16-Gauge 2X Rigid Tie Connector.

These will enable me to position my shelf supports at any height, independent of the other support heights.

I also cut four (4) 3½" cubes ... but more about those later.

So ... here is what I have ...

... with plans for the end lower support (4x4) ...

... and side lower support (2x4) ...