Work bench

[8man]

I'm planning the steel work bench and need some insight.

Top - 36" x 72" x 1"
With this thickness top, I was thinking I could go with a 4" overhang of the top out past the support frame. The size fits in the corner of the shop where I have the room for it.

Frame - 2" x 2" x 1/8"
I am planning on casters to make the table mobile, but I don't know if this frame will be adequate. The upper frame will be a rectangle sitting 4" inside the top edge of the 1" top.

Legs - 2" x 2" x 1/8"
Ok, for compressive strength, this should work, but since I want it to be mobile and hold a V8 block as probably the heaviest thing I put on it, again, are the legs adequate given the fact that it will have casters?

I plan two slides, one for the chop saw and one for the vise you guys helped me re-build.

Thoughts?

 

[BD1]

Nice top and 1'' thick is great ! As for the 2x2 tube frame I would go to 1/4'' and not the 1/8''. The legs to me are too skinny at 2x2 . I would go at least 3'' or 4'' square or consider 3'' or 4'' pipe.
Check the Weldingweb for ideas. http://weldingweb.com/

Check this post out, you may need to join [ free ] to see the pictures. http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?430711-Small-3%92-x-5%92-rolling-welding-table&highlight=

 

[astroracer]

3" would be a better choice IMHO also. You are going to have almost 750 lbs. of steel on the top of this frame so make sure the footprint is wide enough to keep it from tipping over when in travel mode.
Mark

 

[Brad54]

Honestly, I would re-think the casters... are you REALLY going to move it around? I've been in a lot of shops with a lot of equipment over the years (as a magazine writer), and I've almost never seen anyone moving fabrication tables around. It always sounds like a great idea, but I just don't know anybody who rolls their fab table around... even in big commercial shops, never mind our hobby-size shops.

It's kind of like having an island or butcher block in your kitchen... do you move those around?

In my shop, I built the fab table, and then built the rest of my work centers around it... tool box, vise table, hammer forming/sand bag station, tool boxes, etc. etc.

As others have said, I think I'd go a little thicker for the legs. 700 pounds for the top, and another several hundred pounds for an engine block, and you've got half a ton on the legs.

A four-inch overhang will be nice--you can clamp a lot to it, and/or drill and tap a series of holes around the perimeter to attach fixtures.

-Brad

 

[8man]

All good points.

I will increase the size of the legs. I will go at least 3 x 3 x 1/4.

The casters are so I can put it in its normal place, against one wall, but move it out so I can work around it when/if the need arises. My shop lays out so that I can't put it against one wall on the long side and the end will be against a 42" wall before I get to the garage door. If I can move it out from the wall, and put it in the center of the bay, I will have at least 7' all the way around it. The lift will be on one end, a 10 x 10 door on the other and the two walls on either side. Brad54 is right, it won't be moved often, but just in case is why I am thinking casters.

 

[wrenchMONKEY_]

I built something pretty similar to what your talking about. 2x2 3/16s is what I built my frame from. Top is 4x6 3/4, about 750#. I don't feel for my weight I' needed anything thicker, table is rock solid with a few hundred pounds on it, rolls great to, and holds solid when the legs are down. Might be a good way for you to do it so you have best of both worlds?

Some pictures;

more info - http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=332994

 

[tarmy]

View attachment 573773
Put it on these..1050lbs rated each...45 bucks each on Amazon...
I have several half ton items on these (ER Wagner) or RWM Casters...no problem moving...

Get 5" inch like these so you can role over expansion joints...or bigger.