Mobile Work Table

[Turbo]

Been thinking about making a portable work table for a while. My main workbench was made with old planks which were bowed when fitted and haven't improved since so I cant use it to setup accurate joints in steel or wood. It's also covered in tat most of the time so there's no space to work anyway.

Up to now I've been either working on a sheet of ply on trestles or the floor. Then I spotted this at an auction.




It's an old drawing table, approx 5'x3'. The top is 25mm ply which tilts up & the frame is heavy gauge folded steel. I'm going to weld up the joints on the frame and fit castors on the legs to turn it into a portable work bench. I might add a sheet of steel to the top and use it as a welding bench.

It also has 2 useful drawers.



The parallel ruler mechanism still works which could be useful for laying out work.

 

[gordon stephenson]

Nice find, Was it cheap?, I would definitely give it a metal covering.

 

[Kent]

That's a lot more useful for its intended purpose to my mind

 

[Turbo]

Nice find, Was it cheap?, I would definitely give it a metal covering.

I paid just under £30 for it, the plywood sheet on the top is worth that alone! The ruler mechanism can be bought as a kit for some crazy price on ebay. I will keep an eye out for some cheap sheet steel or aluminium. It will make a nice welding table when I get my TIG set up.

That's a lot more useful for its intended purpose to my mind

There's not much call for drawing tables any more, probably why the table was in the auction. Most work is done on computer and printed on large printers.
I studied technical drawing at school back in the day when we used drawing boards, pencils and rubbers, CAD was unheard of in our school. In college we used green screen computers & autocad 3 which was quite primitive by todays standards. Nowadays you can download much more powerful program for free and I wouldn't dream of going back to using a drawing board.

 

[Kent]

I paid just under £30 for it, the plywood sheet on the top is worth that alone! The ruler mechanism can be bought as a kit for some crazy price on ebay. I will keep an eye out for some cheap sheet steel or aluminium. It will make a nice welding table when I get my TIG set up.



There's not much call for drawing tables any more, probably why the table was in the auction. Most work is done on computer and printed on large printers.
I studied technical drawing at school back in the day when we used drawing boards, pencils and rubbers, CAD was unheard of in our school. In college we used green screen computers & autocad 3 which was quite primitive by todays standards. Nowadays you can download much more powerful program for free and I wouldn't dream of going back to using a drawing board.

Shame computers kill creativity. There is just that little bit of creativity and innovation missing

 

[Henrik]

Shame computers kill creativity. There is just that little bit of creativity and innovation missing

That's not really true, is it?

A lot of stuff that would be almost impossible to draw and design is easy with a computer nowadays, so if anything it's increased creativity and innovation.

For simple stuff it's still easier to draw on paper, of course, but anything complicated with lots of sub assemblies and parts that have to mate up to each other is surely much, much easier on a computer with a decent cad package.

 

[Kent]

That's not really true, is it?

A lot of stuff that would be almost impossible to draw and design is easy with a computer nowadays, so if anything it's increased creativity and innovation.

For simple stuff it's still easier to draw on paper, of course, but anything complicated with lots of sub assemblies and parts that have to mate up to each other is surely much, much easier on a computer with a decent cad package.

Yes it is perfectly true
Most designs especially artistic ones start with pencil and paper
If you need to design a gearbox though perhaps best to sit infront of a computer

These skills are certainly being lost and with it a lot of real innovation and creativity

 

[daleyd]

Yes it is perfectly true
Most designs especially artistic ones start with pencil and paper
If you need to design a gearbox though perhaps best to sit infront of a computer

These skills are certainly being lost and with it a lot of real innovation and creativity

I'd argue that a computer is only a method for putting the idea down into a visual format, so personally I can't see how that is killing creativity? Creative people will still be creative, they will just have a different outlet to a pencil and paper (Which are of course still available and are still used extensively).

You could argue that computers are causing the art of using a pencil and paper to be lost, but not creativity/innovation. That's different.

 

[WorkshopChris]

Although we are getting off topi,c from many drawing i have seen the biggest problem is designers who do not have the slightest idea how a component can be machined in the real word.

 

[Kent]

I'd argue that a computer is only a method for putting the idea down into a visual format, so personally I can't see how that is killing creativity? Creative people will still be creative, they will just have a different outlet to a pencil and paper (Which are of course still available and are still used extensively).

You could argue that computers are causing the art of using a pencil and paper to be lost, but not creativity/innovation. That's different.

You are aware that almost every high end kitchen design studio uses hand drawn plans at point 1 often the designers employ visualisers to create that cad images

Architects that I know also start stuff with drawing then pass it on to a technician to cad up

I do have a background in this so I am not just being s technophobe
I don't use cad because of the above but I have used cad systems of various types professionally

 

[Kent]

Although we are getting off topi,c from many drawing i have seen the biggest problem is designers who do not have the slightest idea how a component can be machined in the real word.

That's why rolls Royce Barnoldswick had thier samples department
It was however badly abused by aircraft manufacturers who got it could be made then sent the actual contract elsewhere

 

[daleyd]

You are aware that almost every high end kitchen design studio uses hand drawn plans at point 1 often the designers employ visualisers to create that cad images

Architects that I know also start stuff with drawing then pass it on to a technician to cad up

I do have a background in this so I am not just being s technophobe
I don't use cad because of the above but I have used cad systems of various types professionally

I am aware of that and more, but none of what you say above has any relevance to creativity/innovation though...

 

[Mr Fro]

I really like the table and would love to have one but I think it's better that it be repurposed and used than slung in the bin.

Mrs Fro who's an architect often sketches things out on paper before taking it on to a CAD. My father-in-law (retired engineer) still draws stuff up - first time I saw his drawings I actually thought they were CAD because the quality was fantastic. The skill it takes is phenomenal and they are a thing of beauty.

 

[Turbo]

Seems I started some creative discussion.

When I started using CAD my background in technical drawing helped me immensely in understanding projection, 3d drawing, section drawing, etc. Other guys were completely lost and it took a lot of help to get their work done. My school drawing teacher was a retired army major who could produce drawings of such quality you think they were from a printer.

When I'm making something I will usually sketch it out on squared paper or 30 degree lined paper for a 3D sketch.

As for kitchens, the guy who designed ours uses a program on a laptop to design it. He arrived one day with the first draft all laid out in 3D and you could view it from any angle. We decided we wanted to change things around, move cupboards, move fridge, etc. In less than 5 mins he had the plans altered ready for viewing - try that with a paper drawing!

 

[Kent]

Seems I started some creative discussion.

When I started using CAD my background in technical drawing helped me immensely in understanding projection, 3d drawing, section drawing, etc. Other guys were completely lost and it took a lot of help to get their work done. My school drawing teacher was a retired army major who could produce drawings of such quality you think they were from a printer.

When I'm making something I will usually sketch it out on squared paper or 30 degree lined paper for a 3D sketch.

As for kitchens, the guy who designed ours uses a program on a laptop to design it. He arrived one day with the first draft all laid out in 3D and you could view it from any angle. We decided we wanted to change things around, move cupboards, move fridge, etc. In less than 5 mins he had the plans altered ready for viewing - try that with a paper drawing!

Have both ways and taught it to a class a week

 

[Kent]

I really like the table and would love to have one but I think it's better that it be repurposed and used than slung in the bin.

Mrs Fro who's an architect often sketches things out on paper before taking it on to a CAD. My father-in-law (retired engineer) still draws stuff up - first time I saw his drawings I actually thought they were CAD because the quality was fantastic. The skill it takes is phenomenal and they are a thing of beauty.

Yes. Most architects do the same the issue as I am sure your wife will offer up is there are aspects you think of drawing that you don't consider dragging and dropping etc

Non scaled stuff as a start gets the gray matter involved. Scale proves it, computer produces it quicker and remembers it. Allows it to be e mailed etc

 

[Kent]

I am aware of that and more, but none of what you say above has any relevance to creativity/innovation though...

I think it has very very much.

 

[daleyd]

Well, your entitled to your opinion, but what you are talking about is the use of a drawing board and pens/paper, which is not creativity or innovation. That is simply a method of putting your ideas in a format for others to see.

 

[Kent]

Well, your entitled to your opinion, but what you are talking about is the use of a drawing board and pens/paper, which is not creativity or innovation. That is simply a method of putting your ideas in a format for others to see.

I think we disagree

 

[daleyd]

Maybe you have a different dictionary.