Preparing for the new Tooling Workbench
Though not finished, the primary workbench construction is done and it’s usable again. It’s tempting to move all the tools in however I know that unless I have most of my storage built and in place, moving it will just cause me to do it again…and I’m in fab mode, I might as well finish. This weekend I shifted my focus to the other side. The existing bench and cabinets are currently setup like this. I’ve really liked this space but learned that the bench is too small to really use it for more than tooling setup and I rarely actually do tooling setups.
Originally these drawers were used to store tools but, as I’ve shifted to festool tools and added a SysPort setup out in the primary garage, these drawers have shifted to more of catch-alls than anything else. It was actually these drawers that got me thinking about my overall organization strategy. I don’t need to pile stuff in deeper drawers but I do.

Sometimes it’s useful however. Drawers like this make material drops easier to find quickly however I really only want a single drawer like this, not multiples.

The reality is this - I can find much more efficient ways to store sandpaper (I have 3 drawers full).

With so many of these drawers seeming unnecessary, I’ve had thoughts of how to use this space more effectively. Size wise, this space is nearly perfect for storing my Kapex miter saw and one of the MFTC’s and still leave me some room to elongate the tooling bench so it’s more multi-purpose. While elongating I’ll also gain more drawer storage so I can store the things I really need to store for easy access. A longer bench will also enable me to have a really long drawer for the stuff that was too big to fit in drawers before.
So, I’ll clear the space in preparation for the new setup and start with the drawer-bases. As I begin to remove drawers I noticed that this cabinet assembly has more structure to it than the previous main bench bases did.

After I get the drawer bases moved, I realize how much I used the space under them for “additional storage”

You can also see how I utilized the uni-strut to build out a support structure over the box and the drawer bases. I even cheated and used the foundation to support the backside of the drawer bases. I’ll have to take that into account when building the new cabinets.

Had to remove everything from the craftsman 41-inch cabinet too. Those drawers were so heavy that I had no choice but remove everything from them one at a time before removing the drawers. With the base out of the way, you can now see the overall uni-strut structure. I think I made all of this out of less than two 8’ lengths. If you have a welder this can be an incredibly effective way to build out cabinet and bench structures (everyone on GJ knows about Stevo’s Harbor Freight benchs…you could use uni-strut if square tubing isn’t readily available).

With the new cabinet being much longer than the old one, a new base is necessary. Wood tools move to the side and hook up the welder. The local big-box store was out of the green painted uni-strut so I had to get the galvanized stuff. I hate galvanized. Even though I clean it, it still burns and ain’t healthy to breathe. As for the design of the base, I’m building less complicated than what I pulled out. Cut two pieces to length and some spreaders, drop the hood, and weld away. Having a StrongHand fixture makes tubing squaring and alignment extremely easy. It ends up square, it just does.

Here’s how I make the feet. I cut a bunch of uni-strut pieces about 3-inches long (I cut perfectly in between the slots so whatever length that ends up being). Then I run a 1/2-inch bolt and nut in the hole and weld the nut into the edge.

I keep the nut off-set so there’s material to weld it to.


Fairly quickly I have a set of 6 (with no additional trips to the hardware store


After welding them on, I stand the assembly on end so the heat can risk up through the material. If I were to lay it down on the floor, the heat would rise perpendicular to the material causing parts of the assembly to cool at different time than others and I’d end up with a warped piece of ****. I learned this trick from a guy who first showed me how to narrow 9-inch ford rear ends.
Back to the cabinet base -The only concern about using uni-strut for feet is that too much weight could cause them to collapse so I add some plate/gussets to the outside of all of the feet.

When pushing the nut/bolt assembly to one edge of the uni-strut slot, it sometimes gets so close that the bolt has a hard time threading into the nut so I re-tap all 6. Only takes a second and makes leveling later much easier.

With the assembly complete and is cool to the touch, I level the assembly using the outer 4 feet. Once I have it level, I spin down the middle two until they touch and then a smidgen more. Final check for level and tweak as necessary.

Since the base isn’t physically attached to the floor, I mark the front two feet with a sharpie on the concrete so I know where it’s supposed to be on the chance I bump it while setting the cabinet on top. If I don’t, I will be nearly impossible to drop the box on without re-leveling (unless I get lucky)
I thought I'd get into the tooling bench this weekend however I spent way too much time moving things from one location to another and then to another again when it was in the way. The back of the shop is already starting to look more open but now everything feels messy.

The 41-inch Craftsman tool chest is back on wheels and now lives between the table saw and the cabinets in the front of the non-tandem side.

The front of the non-tandem side gets to be temp-storage-ville. All of the 5x5 sheets of plywood are resting on my two MFT Horses which easily slide directly into the saw when I'm ready to cut. I have what's left of the previous cabinets resting on two different dollies so I can roll them around as needed and then tuck them back in the walk ways during the week so I can still get the Jeep in the garage.
Next week I plan on getting the tooling cabinet put together and build some more drawers. Can't wait to start moving things in. Maybe I'll lead with that next week.
