Tool stands - need advice

[sanddrag]

I have several tools that I need to get up off the floor.

I have:
~100 pound drill press
~500 pound box and pan brake (about 36" I guess)
~36" sheet brake
~36" sheet metal roller
sheet metal notcher
sheet metal punch
3 ton arbor press (70 pounds maybe).

I looked at the Harbor Freight universal stand for perhaps the drill press, and quickly passed, seeing how flimsy it is.

I'd really like to get this stuff up at working height soon, at least the drill press, box and pan brake, and arbor press. What stands are out there that I can buy and what will they cost me? I'm sort of thinking I don't want all this stuff on a single bench, since I'm not sure exactly where I'll be putting it all. I could weld up stands from 2x2x1/8 steel box which would be very sturdy and look nice, but it costs me $4 per foot, so that's about $70-100 per tool. Any better way to do this?

Does anyone have the Kreg universal steel tool stand? How is it?

This is for a high school shop class installation. (I know, a school PUTTING IN shop class?).

 

[mike13u]

If you have welding capability, weld it. For items like that, you will find making your own stand to be cheaper and better quality that what you can buy. Try and shop the steel around and design it lighter than you would initially think. Thinner diameter wall square tubing will be less money and should be plenty strong.
I have made most of my stands. You can save some floor space by designing some to mount on the wall. Here is a shot of the mount I made for an arbor press and a grinder out of whatever I had laying around the garage. Nothing fancy, but they get the job done.

Some of those items will need clearance though and a free-standing stand would be in order.
Just do the initial design with cost in mind (maybe a three post stand versus four legs, maybe two legs in the front and the back rests on a piece of angle bolted to the wall thereby saving the cost of the two rear legs) and weld it yourself. I think you will be much happier. Plus, you get to weld!

Good luck

 

[vwalzgew]

Nice job on those stands! I like the wall mount idea.

 

[kc-steve]

I have several tools that I need to get up off the floor. . . . This is for a high school shop class installation. (I know, a school PUTTING IN shop class?).

If you have welding capability, weld it. For items like that, you will find making your own stand to be cheaper and better quality that what you can buy.

Yup, I would make my own like Mike says, . . . better yet, since you are talking about high school shop class, make your stands a class project. I guarantee you it will be over-built.

Steve

 

[HarveyM]

Here's one solution by John Economaki, Bridge City Tool Works





http://http://books.google.ca/books?id=BNGE4D70TyYC&pg=PA101&lpg=PA101&dq=by+John+Economaki+workbench&source=bl&ots=HWfzwtKUjc&sig=aij4kSKN2hTboD6WvO8MuKvDbI4&hl=en&ei=nYm-TsjmBufW0QHN6pHNBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=by%20John%20Economaki%20workbench&f=false

 

[sanddrag]

Mike, those stands look great! I like the idea of saving money by bolting to the wall, but I have only one solid wall (brick) that will have a lot of chip-making tools on that wall, so I don't want the arbor press on that wall. For now, I've ordered two Kreg Universal Steel Stands which appear to be 11 gauge or heavier from my rough calculation and eyeballing a ruler against the part drawings in their PDF manual on my computer screen. I'll use these for the lighter stuff, perhaps with a 1" birch ply top. For what I paid for them, I couldn't build them cheaper.

I like the look of welded box tube stands, but I bet steel angle would be just fine and cheaper. Box tube is a little easier to work with for getting everything squared up.

And yes, the students will be involved. They're full-up busy with other work, but I can at least get them to help cut, grind, assemble while I weld.

 

[binkcat16]

build it your self then you will be happy with it