Suggestions? Designing a heavy stationary bench that's portable??

[Jim Neeley]

I know this topic is an oxymoron yet it's something I've been thinking about and wonder if others have thought about it or actually tried it.

As I've asked questions in other posts, I'm planning a thick (~4") topped maple bench 3'x7' with the maximum amount of drawers possible underneath for storage.

I work in a 2-car garage where *occasionally* I need to make space to get a car in. This would lead towards putting wheels under it but I really don't want the wheels under it while I'm working, as I want it to stay immobile. Additionally, I don't want to give up the 4-1/2" of cabinet space necessary to put 3" casters underneath.

Since I care about the height of the bench but not really when its being moved I've been trying to come up with a way to lift the loaded bench, insert the wheels, move, lift again, remove wheels and lower. The problem seens to be lifting the weight of the loaded bench. From what people here have said about the weight of a top alone, it sounds like a full cabinet loaded with planes, chisels, and other tools could be somewhere between 500 and 1,000 pounds.

I've been looking at pneumatic cylinders like http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200442222_200442222, possibly one for each corner. Using 120 psi shop air you'd be able to lift 1,500 pounds (375#/corner)about 6 inches. Somehow it'd seem there ought to be a way to put wheels under it at that point.

I've considered the idea of wheels bolted to a sheet of plywood ripped lengthwise and laminated for strength but that would require storing the large "dolly" when it's not in use.

It seems like there should be a better way. Ideas?

I can't be the first person to want a really heavy bench that's moveable, when needed.

Jim

[Stanley Covington]

A worthy goal.

My bench is made of very heavy solid hard maple and beech, with linen-fold carved end panels, and a full 36" wide top with four heavy-duty built in drawers. But I needed it to be portable since I move every four years or so. I built it with four heavy-duty urethane-tire swivel/locking ball bearing casters, each mounted to A 2" thick maple plate attached to the table frame on 3/4" diameter stainless steel axles. When the table is in use, these casters/plates rotate and nestle underneath the bench out of the way. When I need to move the bench, they rotate on the axles through the maple mounting plates towards the end of the bench, and are locked in place with a bolt to prevent them from rotating underneath again at an inconvenient time such as when pushing it up the ramp into a truck.

It works better than I had expected. I am currently living in Japan and the bench is in a storage unit, so I can't send pictures.

Stan

[John Sanford]

How often will you be moving it? That's the key question.

I would recommend a bumper jack, and flip down wheels on each end. Go with large wheels (4-6"), preferably pneumatic if you can do it, because at the end of the day, when it's time to get the car back in, you want wheels that will roll over modest debris on the floor.

The bumper jack can lift the bench enough to flip the wheels under. Chock the flipped end, go to the other end, jack it up, flip and lock the wheels, remove jack and chocks and roll away.

A similar option involves a flip wheel set on only one end, and a trailer jack on the other. You still have to jack up the flip end, and then you just crank the trailer jack enough to get some motion, and away ya go.

And a third option depends on the bench design. If you build it with enough room to get a floor jack under it, you can do it a floor jack rather than a bumper jack.

[Rob Fisher]

See Chris Schwartz

http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/The+Easiest+Way+To+Make+Your+Bench+Mobile.aspx

[David Weaver]

I would skip anything difficult to lift and use the same type of caster that is used on a mobile base for power tools.

That is, a type where you step on a lever that has a mechanical advantage so that it is easy get the wheels engaged or disengaged, and when they are not engaged with the floor, they are not bearing the weight of the bench, the feet would be instead.

that way, it would roll like a bench on casters when you wanted to move it and feel like a bench on stationary feet when you didn't.

[Andrew Gibson]

The solution is not in wheels, it is in increasing your deadlift... :)

[Jim Matthews]

A j-bar would handle substantial loads, and allow maneuvering. Combined with a pipe roller or slide plate you could drag it where you like without the heavy lifting.

http://www.pacin.org/content.php?43-Moving-Crates-with-J-bars-Etc

http://www.magicsliders.com/

I built my small bench with hardboard feet, heavily waxed to prevent wicking of moisture through the concrete floor - they make excellent slides, too.

[Jon Toebbe]

See Chris Schwartz

http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/The+Easiest+Way+To+Make+Your+Bench+Mobile.aspx
Thanks for posting the URL, I was just about to make the same suggestion. Simple hardware, looks pretty robust.

[Jim Neeley]

I like the idea of the flip-down wheels, and have been seriously considering it. The biggest question seemed to me to be finding the best way to lift the end of a very heavy workbench in order to lower/insert the wheels. A J-bar, jack and hand truck are all good ideas... From what I've seen HD 3" Urethane wheels are about 4.25"H w/plate, Using a 1.5" 2x4 as a base means lifting the bench at least 5-3/4". If it weighs 1000# overall, that's still a lot of weight for whatever's lifting. That's what got me thinking about using air... Hmmm... A jack will certainly work. It just feels like I'm overlooking a really simple solution.

[David Weaver]

I would think about making the bench a little narrower than 3 feet if this is going to be a hand tool bench. Even if it's out in the open, the middle of the bench might become a no-man's land and present a lot of weight you don't need.

If it's 4" thick maple and 7 feet long, even at 2 feet, it is still going to be a very heavy bench, probably in the 400 pound range if the legs are also maple and stout.

The bench i plane on is a cheap bench that only weighs about 160 pounds loaded, and it only moves when I plane directly across the grain in a heavy cut.

[Jim Koepke]

It just feels like I'm overlooking a really simple solution.

A rope hooked on the bar that holds the wheels.

A lever on a post to lift the ends.

Simple solution.

jtk

[David Weaver]

Mount the wheels on threaded fixtures on the insides of the legs - fixtures that could be turned by a cordless drill or a corded drill. That would give some mechanical advantage.

[Richard Shaefer]

stop looking at your floor and start looking up.
build some pic points in the work bench and hang these buggers from the rafters:
http://store.eberliron.com/products/unistrut_parts/unistrut_trolley_assemblies

[Jim Neeley]

I've been thinking about domr kind of threaded fixture.

I found a good solution, albeit at $100 for a set of casters; I'm sstill looking but iy's an easy solution:

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2021166/25291/WoodRiver-Machine-Leveling-Caster-Plate-Mounted-4-Pack.aspx

[Ed Looney]

I saw a New Yankee Workshop program a few years back that featured a movable workshop table. The mechanism that allowed the wheels to drop out so the legs would engage the floor was simple yet effective. Below is the Item number for the plans which can be found at the web sight for New Yankee Workshop.
Work Table and Clamp Cart - Item #0207

http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct.php?0207

Ed

[Jim Neeley]

Mount the wheels on threaded fixtures on the insides of the legs - fixtures that could be turned by a cordless drill or a corded drill. That would give some mechanical advantage.

David,

This would be ideal since you'd likely not have to be at the ground level to work it. Have you ever seen such fixtures for sale commercially? I don't know what they'd be called.

[David Weaver]

No, I haven't. I don't remember what I was thinking when the popped into my head. A piece of import threaded rod would probably do the trick, though, with something fashoned for a hex drive. I think no matter what you do, if it's going to be slick, you'll need to do some fashioning of it yourself, as every combination of cheap industrial components seems to be very expensive.

The casters could be on the end of an unthreaded steel cylinder, in a sleeve, and the threaded rods butted against the top of the cylinder with lubricant between the end of the threaded rod and the top of the captive cylinder. Two nuts to retain each threaded rod fixed to the side of the legs would be enough, and the threaded rod could come up through the bench top part of the way such that you could engage it with a socket drove or something, but so that it would be far enough down as to never be hit if the top of the bench planed.

The difference between the wheels being engaged and not engaged would be a matter of quarter or half inch or so, not much travel would be needed. The chance of pinching or dropping something would be greatly reduced, too.

[Brian Kent]

Removable bench top, as in the Frank Klaus bench.

Drawer unit sets in place, but not screwed and glued.

Removable stretchers on legs.

[Scott T Smith]

I move equipment around the shop all the time using a floor jack with a 4 x 4 spacer block. Lift it up, slide some dolly's under it, lower the jack, and you're mobile. I also use a pallet jack; it's fast, easy and you don't have to have a separate set of wheels.

[Tom Vanzant]

I built a cabinet to go under a Delta contractor's saw years ago. The cabinet was derived from Woodsmith and the lift from Wood magazine. A foot-operated pair of cams at each end pivots a board with casters down, lifting the feet off the floor about 1/2". All four casters are pivoting, no locks needed. Step on the cam levers to lift, move the saw, then kick the cam levers up to lower the feet to the floor. Sorry, no pictures.

[Kevin Foley]

The biggest question seemed to me to be finding the best way to lift the end of a very heavy workbench in order to lower/insert the wheels.

If you're moving it a lot, in and out of buildings, over thresholds, larger wheels, like replacement solid hand truck wheels might help. If you rig a pair towards the center that tuck between the main rails, the weight will be on the wheels. Mount them slightly off-center and you get a slightly heavy end that will give you a bit more control. Downside with center mounted retractable wheels is that your mechanism to drop them needs a long lever because you're lifting the weight of the bench. It can't get away from you as easily on a slope as a four-wheeled bench. Copied this idea from mobile metalworking benches I saw in a factory that had 3/4" steel plate tops.

[Larry Edgerton]

I have a 4'3"x7'6" bench with wheels, and another one a bit smaller and I really don't see a problem with wheels. By the time you get a bench that big loaded up it doesn't just blow across the shop, and on the occasions that I need it to stay still I hit the wheel locks. It does however have a lot of advantages. I have my saws and shapers at the same height, and I use them for infeed/outfeed tables. I will make all my parts on one machine and stack on the side of the bench, and then roll to the infeed side of the next machine. It saves me a lot of material handling.

The larger one has a 2x2 1/4" wall square tube frame with a 1/4" steel stiffback up the middle between the drawers so that it always stays flatover the long length. I use it for door assembly. I do have to check for twist with winding sticks before I assemble a door as the floor is not flat, and then just roll the appropriate wheel up on a shim until it is perfect and lock the wheels.

It has drawers all the way around like you are thinking. I did a 6" overhang on each end for clamping stuff, and an 1 1/2" on the long sides. If I could do it over I would do the same on the ends, but make the overhang on the sides 3"s so I could clamp a little deeper. Would affect access to the drawers a bit, but I think the tradeoff would be worth it.

I have two Record vices on one side, and they are sometimes a pain, but overall I would probably do that again. They constantly catch hoses and cords, which can be annoying.

[Jim Neeley]

Larry,

I really approeciate your feedback.. and I've been vascillating (I hate it when I do that! :D) on the side overhang.

Jim


I have a 4'3"x7'6" bench with wheels, and another one a bit smaller and I really don't see a problem with wheels. By the time you get a bench that big loaded up it doesn't just blow across the shop, and on the occasions that I need it to stay still I hit the wheel locks. It does however have a lot of advantages. I have my saws and shapers at the same height, and I use them for infeed/outfeed tables. I will make all my parts on one machine and stack on the side of the bench, and then roll to the infeed side of the next machine. It saves me a lot of material handling.

The larger one has a 2x2 1/4" wall square tube frame with a 1/4" steel stiffback up the middle between the drawers so that it always stays flatover the long length. I use it for door assembly. I do have to check for twist with winding sticks before I assemble a door as the floor is not flat, and then just roll the appropriate wheel up on a shim until it is perfect and lock the wheels.

It has drawers all the way around like you are thinking. I did a 6" overhang on each end for clamping stuff, and an 1 1/2" on the long sides. If I could do it over I would do the same on the ends, but make the overhang on the sides 3"s so I could clamp a little deeper. Would affect access to the drawers a bit, but I think the tradeoff would be worth it.

I have two Record vices on one side, and they are sometimes a pain, but overall I would probably do that again. They constantly catch hoses and cords, which can be annoying.

[Jim Neeley]

Hmmm,,, Adjustabench casters http://adjustabench.com/prices_legs.asp might be an idea or, ones made from large, heavy angle, hole drilled, nut brazed on bottom.



No, I haven't. I don't remember what I was thinking when the popped into my head. A piece of import threaded rod would probably do the trick, though, with something fashoned for a hex drive. I think no matter what you do, if it's going to be slick, you'll need to do some fashioning of it yourself, as every combination of cheap industrial components seems to be very expensive.

The casters could be on the end of an unthreaded steel cylinder, in a sleeve, and the threaded rods butted against the top of the cylinder with lubricant between the end of the threaded rod and the top of the captive cylinder. Two nuts to retain each threaded rod fixed to the side of the legs would be enough, and the threaded rod could come up through the bench top part of the way such that you could engage it with a socket drove or something, but so that it would be far enough down as to never be hit if the top of the bench planed.

The difference between the wheels being engaged and not engaged would be a matter of quarter or half inch or so, not much travel would be needed. The chance of pinching or dropping something would be greatly reduced, too.

[Mark Tsujihara]

You could always go with air casters, and just leave the caster pads under the workbench all the time. The pads are very low profile, and you could just hook them up to your compressor when you needed to move it. That would probably be a bit pricey though, and you would have problems if your garage floor sloped.

[Chris Fournier]

A Johnson bar is terrific. I have one that moves my 3000 pound plus combination machine relatively easy.

Also there are these casters: http://www.accesscasters.com/3P80S-3-leveling-caster-square.aspx They work very well and are well built.

[Mike Holbrook]

I have a Festool MFT table or I would probably buy Gary Blum's folding mobile table that uses pipe clamps a very cool tool. I may still buy one. I have multiple work sites on 12 acres.(BlumToolCo.>Portable Workbenches). He even makes several sizes: pony, original and plus. I think the idea of using pipe clamps makes this system much more capable than anything else I have seen.