Collapsible bench?

[Andrew Gibson]

I know I remember a couple people building collapsible benches. I looked in the bench thread and didn't see what I think I remember.

I want/need to build a bench that is stable enough to use when planing rough stock. I am thinking a wonder dog or the like for an end vise. Maybe bench hooks for a side vise, or maybe a wooden twin screw.

anyway the part that is killing me is I have no ware to keep a bench. I need to be able to fold up the legs and store it on it's side. the ability to transport it is a nice advantage as well.

so that all being said, does anyone have any thoughts on how to make a collapsible base for a bench? I think I have a source for some 8/4 oak that I think would make a nice bench top.

my biggest concern is stability when scrub planning, maybe the back legs should splay out a bit to give a wider base.

Any thoughts would be appricated, I have been trying to come up with something I think would work and I am a little lost.

[Prashun Patel]

Do you have access to a wall? Can you make it a fold down instead of a knockdown? Bolting it to the wall will compensate for the lower mass of a folding table vis-a-vis a stationary beast. Even if not permanent, you can bolt a permanent ledger to which you can attach and unattach a folding table?

[Chris Griggs]

Not how set you are on building vs. buying, but I've heard great things about the Blum tool company bench horses.

Another thing I've been thinking about is building a knockdown version of John White's "New Fangled Workbench".

If you make a couple pieces on the lower part of the top extend past the end, and a the short top stretchers on the tops of the trestles extend as well, then you could use F-clamps to easily attach/detach the top from the base. Then if you use bench bolts to attach the the long center stretcher you could also easily knock the base down into smaller pieces also.

I wouldn't be the quickest bench to knockdown, but I think it would work.

I drew this up as I was considering this as a potential design for the bench I'm about to embark on building. Hopefully, the attached drawing will make the above description make sense.

[Randy Briggs]

http://www.closegrain.com/2010/08/portable-workbench.html

[Andrew Gibson]

Thanks guys.
the bench needs to be free standing, because I need to be able to move it in and out of my shed workshop. basically there is just enough room in the shed to store my tools, but no room for a bench. currently my bench is a pair of saw horses and a sheet of mdf doubled up and about 6 feel long or so.

The Roy underhill bench is the one I was thinking of and couldn't find. I am thinking I could make something about 6 foot long and maybe ad a detachable wheel oven on one end to be able to wheel it around like a wheel barrel when it needs to be moved.
realistically I could work with something around the 200lb range, so I am not thinking of making it excessively light.

hmmm I guess I am going to have to get the graph paper out and star drawing now.

[Mike Davis NC]

One of the fellows here in North Carolina built a light pine bench that has dovetail legs with through tenons that takes down in a few minutes and is very stable.

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/1619/medium/IMG_01032.JPG

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/1619/medium/IMG_01003.JPG

The top is a single pine slab about three inches thick.

[Chris Griggs]

Wow! I'd never seen that Roy Underhill bench before. I'm tempted to build that instead of the bench design I thought I had finally decided to build.

What a brilliant design.

[Joel Goodman]

Make sure you have a shelf where you can add weight. The biggest improvement to small light benches is to add weight. A few cinder blocks or a bunch of heavy tools on a shelf will give it some mass so it doesn't move as you plane or saw.

[john brenton]

"The Workbench" by Lon Schlening has a nice little fold up workbench design towards the end. The price of the book is a little much to pay for one design, but it's a beautiful book with lots of ideas. Any amateur/novice like myself who still doesn't know exactly what they want out of their bench, but fantasizes about it everytime they go into the shop, should have it, IMHO.

At this point my drafting table work bench has a ton of little devices, holes and fixtures that I can attach to it. Other than a shoulder or front vise for holding panels, I don't think I really need anything else. I'm thinking about making this weird little should vice-like box that can be mounted to the top of the bench instead of installing it. I wish I could remember where I saw it, but it's just a boxed frame with a wood screw and board...I want to say is was some kind of box for cutting mortises.


Thanks guys.
the bench needs to be free standing, because I need to be able to move it in and out of my shed workshop. basically there is just enough room in the shed to store my tools, but no room for a bench. currently my bench is a pair of saw horses and a sheet of mdf doubled up and about 6 feel long or so.

The Roy underhill bench is the one I was thinking of and couldn't find. I am thinking I could make something about 6 foot long and maybe ad a detachable wheel oven on one end to be able to wheel it around like a wheel barrel when it needs to be moved.
realistically I could work with something around the 200lb range, so I am not thinking of making it excessively light.

hmmm I guess I am going to have to get the graph paper out and star drawing now.

[Jon Toebbe]

Make sure you have a shelf where you can add weight. The biggest improvement to small light benches is to add weight. A few cinder blocks or a bunch of heavy tools on a shelf will give it some mass so it doesn't move as you plane or saw.
This. Your local BORG will have "tube sand" that guys with pickup trucks use as ballast over the wheel wells -- a couple of bucks per 40lb bag. The plastic bag is pretty tough, so it's unlikely to spill unless you make a habit of stabbing holes in it with dropped chisels... DAMHIKT. :rolleyes:

I'm in the middle (literally -- just stopped for lunch) of replacing the warped particle-board tops of an old Workmate with some clear cedar 4x4 material. The wood is really too soft for long-term use, but it's got to live outside (under a tarp in the winter) on the narrow front porch of our apartment. It should hold up well enough until I'm out of grad school, at any rate.

I'll only have about 3-1/2 feet of benchtop, but with sandbags on a plywood shelf, the base is plenty stable enough for scrub planing. Plus, it comes with a twin-screw vise built right in. :)

[Pam Niedermayer]

Do you have access to a wall? Can you make it a fold down instead of a knockdown? Bolting it to the wall will compensate for the lower mass of a folding table vis-a-vis a stationary beast. Even if not permanent, you can bolt a permanent ledger to which you can attach and unattach a folding table?

I built a darkroom with a hollow core door hinged to the garage wall and with front legs that were also hinged. It worked great.

Pam

[Bob Eddy]

The Roy Underhill portable bench plans are in this book. I have built it , it's pretty sturdy and compact. http://uncpress.unc.edu/browse/book_detail?title_id=110