Work Bench/Surface Suspended from Ceiling?

[Gore]

This might be a crazy idea...but I'm sure someone here has thought of it. The other day I realized I often need a large work surface for assembling things like cabinet face frames, and I hate having to drag out a piece of ply, or more recently, a scrap door. I figured I could just rig up a simple pulley system to allow me to drop down a sheet of ply onto some sawhorses, do my thing, and then pull it back up and out of the way.

If anyone has any tips or pics of something like this please share 'em.

 

[Falcon67]

No pics, but a decent idea. You could go so far as a perimeter frame and fold up legs. When I was a kid, my father made a big 4x8 train layout. It folded up against the wall and took up very little space when not in use. Legs folded up under the underside of the top.

 

[mark11]

I'd want legs to stabilize it. Maybe something that folds down from a wall would work.
I just picked up a Centipede from Lowes for cutting down sheet goods and it's decent enough for my needs.

 

[bzinsky]

This might be a crazy idea...but I'm sure someone here has thought of it. The other day I realized I often need a large work surface for assembling things like cabinet face frames, and I hate having to drag out a piece of ply, or more recently, a scrap door. I figured I could just rig up a simple pulley system to allow me to drop down a sheet of ply onto some sawhorses, do my thing, and then pull it back up and out of the way.

If anyone has any tips or pics of something like this please share 'em.

Yes actually, built a beer pong table that lowers from the ceiling in my basement.

Attached a quick drawing.

make sure to add cross bracing because it will bow just being stored

Trickiest part is actually making sure it's level, and attaching the handle high and low stops.

Coincidentally, I just played on mine for the first time in years on thanksgiving. Forgot it was even in my basement.

There's a reason for everything, any questions just asked.

 

[Camper]

Seems to me Jack Olsen did this in his garage.....

 

[Hephaestus29]

Hinge it to the wall and fold it up out of the
way. I think that would be easier, then
you wouldn't have to deal with the ropes
being in the way.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Hinge it to the wall and fold it up out of the
way. I think that would be easier, then
you wouldn't have to deal with the ropes
being in the way.

X2.
The ropes/cables would be in the way of the "large workpiece". Taking them on and off every time you use it kind of defeats the convenience. Not to sound harsh, but it seems the obvious may have been slightly overlooked.

Tommy

 

[bzinsky]

X2.
The ropes/cables would be in the way of the "large workpiece". Taking them on and off every time you use it kind of defeats the convenience. Not to sound harsh, but it seems the obvious may have been slightly overlooked.

Tommy

I personally have something hanging on almost every inch of my garage wall. That wall space is valuable real estate!

On the flip side to that, floppy work benches are no fun. Anything that drops from the ceiling is going to have to be lightweight.

I have seen coffee tables which the top lifts up and there is storage under it. They have these complicated hinges so that it remains flat the entire time, and it feels counter weighted. I suppose you could somehow hinge it off the ceiling.

 

[Gore]

Thanks for all of the replies...I was going to "multi-quote" everyone, but I decided to just try to hit everything in one post.

I can't do the wall, fold down idea, because I don't have enough wall space left, and also I want to be able to walk all of the way around the table, rather than have to lean across, or pick up the face frames and reposition.

I hadn't thought of the cross bracing idea, but that beer pong idea was almost exactly what I was picturing.

Appreciate the advice Tommy, didn't take it as being harsh...but I wouldn't leave the ropes attached while I was using it...I was actually thinking of using carabiners, or easily removable hardware so that I could drop it, remove the ropes and get them out of the way.

I was also just looking at that Centipede work stand too, it seems like a clever idea but I have a bunch of sawhorses already.

Also, keep in mind that my intention was for basic assembly of large (yet light) objects. It won't be my main workbench.

 

[12vwiz]

Some inspiration.

YouTube link:

 

[Gore]

Some inspiration.

YouTube link:

HOLY ****...you win!

That is the image in my head...only better!

 

[12vwiz]

It's not mine. I wish it was. When I was doing some research for my attic lift I stumbled across it. When I read your original post it reminded me. I really like the concept.

 

[taumac]

Although I do like the idea of it coming down from the ceiling I would be afraid of if falling on someone IF not secure. I have a welding table I made that I can put on sawhorses that I store next to my garage ridge.


I don't have wall space or ceiling space.

 

[Hephaestus29]

Or, you could put a Hydraulic lift in
"like a Southworth lift" and use it as a
table. Have it raise up instead of lower.

 

[rsanter]

That idea has been around for a while for holding train sets in the garage that can be lowered down for use and then put back up.
Camper tops too...
Look at those areas for specific designs

Bob

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I personally have something hanging on almost every inch of my garage wall. That wall space is valuable real estate!

Me, too. I almost wish I had a bigger garage just so I would have more wall space.

Tommy

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Some inspiration.

YouTube link:

I've seen the extension cord/dust extractor job before. The bench is a really nicely designed system. For me, doing all that just because it's cool is far outweighed by the material cost and the fact that I can pop up my 2 plastic Stanley saw horses and drop a piece of 3/4" plywood on it in about 1/4 the time that takes.

Maybe I'm just cheap...

Tommy

 

[bzinsky]

Some inspiration.

YouTube link:

Looks neat, although I'd just want it to go down and then **** a work bench.

would be nice if you actually stored a sciccor lift work bench up there on a few hooks, so it lowers to floor, you unhook, and then raise bench.

Making it electric powered is just silly imo. I mean it's definitely cool, but not practical from a labor/complexity perspective in my opinion.

 

[bryan11]

My garage has 4x8 sheets of plywood attached to the ceiling. A friend and I have been discussing ways to lower and raise a 4x8 sheet of that ceiling plywood to the ground to expose shelves and maybe workbenches. Imagine the table in the video that instead contains tables and storage areas four feet tall. Press a button and it all raises up to become a ceiling tile again. It's basically a way for attic storage that's easily accesses. We even talked about ways to store a table saw or perhaps a motorcycle.

 

[tacostand]

Gj'er Gregor hangs his Festool MFT/3 from his garage ceiling.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4330201&postcount=1139

You could also build a Ron Paulk bench and stow the fold flat horses on top of it.

http://www.paulkhomes.com/order-plans.html


If you build something please post pics.

Dave

 

[Git]

At one point I used this lift - it is designed to handle a load up to 250 lbs

I made a new 4' wide x 8' long table out of 2 x 4's on edge and the top was 3/4" mdf. I also used two of the Fat Max saw horses so the table would drop down and the 2 x 4's would fit into the slots and would be very steady.

Amazon still sells it and it is actually about $25 cheaper now then when I bought it. (also looks like Home Depot carries it now)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009I8AO6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I found a pic of it