Bench Conversion

[T0rnado69]

some of you may remember a little while back i bought a 8ft bench from another forum member.

at that time i was currently in the middle of breaking up my old vectra..
and needed to get it finnish and scrap the shell.. due to the space a car shell takes up in a garage.

i found the long bench handy for putting the parts on,
so i could photo them, weigh them, list them in a book and then box them up.

now that's all done. ( thank god )

i can start sorting the bench out.
sad to say that at 8ft its too long to fit in my main garage with everything else.
current workbench was a B+D workmate.
so i decided to cut it in half and make a 4ft bench.
but with two shelf's below, using the offcut pieces of box section.

i also cut out the middle beam to replace it with the 45degree angled end beam.

and used the middle one i cut out and put it in the middle of the 4ft bench.

 

[AdrianH]

Good work. Is that having a steel top on to make a welding bench?

Adrian

 

[T0rnado69]

well it did have a steel top when i got it.
as you can see from pic one.
but i had to cut the welds to take it off the bench, so i could cut the bench up.

but its only 5mm thick and not flat at all.

ideally it needs something like 16mm or so thick....

shame really as before the bench was advertised on here.

another forum member from staffs advertised a lump of 16mm plate for sale..

so for time being, i will have to use 40mm worktop until i can get my hands on some thick plate.


also i need to source some feet for the ends of the box section, so i can level it

 

[Kent]

You can overkill the thickness of a bench top very easy. 16mm is a heck of a weight and could well over weight the castors alone! My current bench has a 3mm top with plenty cross members under it and a few stiches. Just ordered the steel for a 1500x2500 fixture bench with 336 16mm holes in the top to take Build pro type fixtures/clamps. 10mm plate! I have only gone as thick as that because I cant put in cross members very easy (but still might via flat bar on its edge) If I do damage the top it can easy be removed sent out and rolled out flat again or just replaced as it is bolting down with M10 c/snk around the perimeter.

 

[Maker]

You can overkill the thickness of a bench top very easy. 16mm is a heck of a weight and could well over weight the castors alone! My current bench has a 3mm top with plenty cross members under it and a few stiches. Just ordered the steel for a 1500x2500 fixture bench with 336 16mm holes in the top to take Build pro type fixtures/clamps. 10mm plate! I have only gone as thick as that because I cant put in cross members very easy (but still might via flat bar on its edge) If I do damage the top it can easy be removed sent out and rolled out flat again or just replaced as it is bolting down with M10 c/snk around the perimeter.

Wouldn't something like that would need to be thick so the ball lock bolts can work properly? Either way, were going to need pictures, it sounds awesome.

 

[sardine]

Get some heavy duty steel grating and tack a 3 or 4 mm sheet on top.

Very flat, sensible weight, and will take 200 kilos or more.

 

[T0rnado69]

i guess 16mm maybe way OTT.

i would imagine 8mm or 10mm would be thick enough.
but shall see in time. for now il use the 40mm worktop i have.

i did plan on putting it on castors to start with,so i could move the bench to the end of the garage of a night.
to allow the space to be used for my other boys scooter.
but i think it will cause a bottle neck between the bench and my eldest son's scooter.

so im going to leave it where il use it, and put other scooter at back of garage instead.
as that isn't 30" wide. and doesn't cause a bottle neck between the two bikes.

so i wont put it on castors, was going to just leave it with box section ends.
but where it will sit the floor isn't dead flat. so it rocks a bit.
other then putting a packer piece under one leg,
i will try source some of those things to push into the end of the box section.
and screw some threaded feet into them to level it up.

i have to help my sister move this week.
so been sorting out things so i can get other car over here that's on her drive.

so will carry on with the conversion next week.

don't worry maker , plenty of pics to come

sardine. that's an idea and il look into that once its all sorted.

 

[Kent]

Wouldn't something like that would need to be thick so the ball lock bolts can work properly? Either way, were going to need pictures, it sounds awesome.

as long as the fasteners don't show above the plate surface and don't fall through the plate all is good. if and when I change to 5 off 500 wide plates then you need thicker, the idea then is extra width two position choices each side 200 mm apart giving the bench another 400 width when required with a few changes alternating the overhang making a 2500x 1900 o/a capacity

 

[Kent]

Will post some pics and description later maybe tomorrow as I need to do some work now on making adjustable feet in the meantime there are a few on my thread of the rolls re-build (used in the fabrication of the stand). Don't but them they are mostly flimsy rubbish, not up to the task we demand

 

[Kent]

like this

 

[T0rnado69]

cheers Kent. i was going to go the easy way LOL and buy some

but i guess unless you get top notch dear ones.
they wont be upto the task...
so proberly just easier to make them.

now i have some 5mm and 6mm plate.
i know someone who has some thick threaded rod
not sure what size but il ask

will just need some nuts to suit and get making them

 

[Kent]

yep, most adjustable legs or too light a duty for welding benches