Outdoor workbench. I suggest you try it!

[Mike Baker 2]

I built a bench last year from 2x4 construction. I have no shop, but wanted to learn woodworking with hand tools, so I built it in my back yard, sealed it with Thompson's Water Seal, and have been building on it.
I have thought about erecting a small shop, and will most likely do so in the near future, but....
I would sincerely miss working outside. Working in the sun, under the trees in my back yard, with the birds singing, the squirrels scurrying through the woods behind me. Just an incredibly satisfying experience.
I think that when I build my shop I'll build a second bench just for work indoors, and keep my bench in my back yard. I'll utilize the shop in inclement weather, and in winter months. But I could not altogether give up my outdoor bench.
If you have the space, I would suggest you try it. It is immensely satisfying.

[Howard Pollack]

That is a really nice idea!
-Howard

[William Adams]

Yeah, I do most of my working on my back deck --- no bench, though I'll use the railing for planing, and usually haul a portable workbench up for clamping pieces when cutting.

[Mike Baker 2]

William, I built or assembled probably 8 guitars on my front porch, using the railing and a Workmate. I enjoyed that, too.

[John C Cox]

I find I do a lot of guitar neck carving outside. I clamp the neck to a rail on my deck and off I go... When I am done - I sweep all the shavings into the bushes and all is well...

I also do almost all my routering and electric sanding outdoors as much as I can... I have a cheap little metal table I move around to wherever I need to work. It keeps more of the massive mess out of the shop...

[Marshall Harrison]

Where are you located Mike? It gets pretty hot here in NE Florida.

But I built a temporary bench out of two 2x4s and half a sheet of plywood that I set on two folding saw horse from Lowes. I just set it up in the driveway when I feel like or need to work outside. Take it down when I'm done and put it in the garage with my table saw, planer, jointer and workbench. Do the same with my CMS on a mobile stand.

Just now starting to add more hand tools so that may change in the future.

[Mike Baker 2]

Marshall, I'm in Virginia. Was 103 with heat index yesterday. Gets fairly hot here, too.But for me it would get pretty hot in a shop, particularly since mine would have no AC.
But if you look at the pic I included you'll see I have a bit of shade, and at least I'm in the open air where I can take advantage of the breeze, if there is one.
I think you need to be smart to pick the right location, and some areas of the country/world it would be impractical to do it, but I lived in Florida for a while, and I would do it there, no problem, depending on the area you're in.
I even work out there in winter, as long as there isn't any snow.
The area where I live is quite beautiful, IMO. It would be a shame for me to close myself up inside and miss all that. MHO.

[John C Cox]

Mike,
That's a nice setup you have there.

I think it's easy to be obsessed with having to have everything right before we get going on a project... Where often as not - just start... And you will be long done before all the perfect things could possibly ever get accomplished.

I see this in guitar building where some folks will spend 2 or 3 years tooling up... Jigs, fixtures, special benches, etc... Where if they just got to it - they would see they already had 90% of what they needed.... And the other 10% is not the sort of thing you think of when you are busy tooling up...

[Marshall Harrison]

Marshall, I'm in Virginia. Was 103 with heat index yesterday. Gets fairly hot here, too.But for me it would get pretty hot in a shop, particularly since mine would have no AC.
But if you look at the pic I included you'll see I have a bit of shade, and at least I'm in the open air where I can take advantage of the breeze, if there is one.
I think you need to be smart to pick the right location, and some areas of the country/world it would be impractical to do it, but I lived in Florida for a while, and I would do it there, no problem, depending on the area you're in.
I even work out there in winter, as long as there isn't any snow.
The area where I live is quite beautiful, IMO. It would be a shame for me to close myself up inside and miss all that. MHO.

I do it here in the winter time too. But I would have to carry everything rom my un air conditioned garage around to my back yard to get the shade and any breeze.

I generally work in the shop early in the morning when it is cooler then I watch woodworking youtube videos or read woodworking books. Sometimes I'm back in the shop in the evening but most times that is when we have the thunderstorms.

[Mike Baker 2]

I see this in guitar building where some folks will spend 2 or 3 years tooling up... Jigs, fixtures, special benches, etc... Where if they just got to it - they would see they already had 90% of what they needed.... And the other 10% is not the sort of thing you think of when you are busy tooling up...
Thanks, John. That happened to me, actually. I was building electrics, and not set up for acoustics. Wanted to build them, but kept waiting until I had cash to tool up. Spent four or five years, never even got close. Finally one day said to heck with it; I'm going to build that acoustic however I have to.
Most times, though, most of the things I have learned to do, everyone said, you gotta have this, you gotta have that. Even had people tell me things like, if you don't have the money you should just not try. If I wait until I have the cash, the tools, etc., I would never get anything accomplished.

[John K Jordan]

That looks like a great spot.

I like working outside too. I have tables I set up when the weather cooperates, one permanently on a concrete porch on my shop. One set of double doors in my little weld shop opens onto a concrete area for welding outside. For my lathe area I installed a 5' wide double door so I can open it and enjoy the breeze and birds. It opens under a shade tree with a view of the llamas and peacocks 50' from the shop. I think the best would be a big roll-up door opening onto a large covered porch.

JKJ



I built a bench last year from 2x4 construction. I have no shop, but wanted to learn woodworking with hand tools, so I built it in my back yard, sealed it with Thompson's Water Seal, and have been building on it.
I have thought about erecting a small shop, and will most likely do so in the near future, but....
I would sincerely miss working outside. Working in the sun, under the trees in my back yard, with the birds singing, the squirrels scurrying through the woods behind me. Just an incredibly satisfying experience.
I think that when I build my shop I'll build a second bench just for work indoors, and keep my bench in my back yard. I'll utilize the shop in inclement weather, and in winter months. But I could not altogether give up my outdoor bench.
If you have the space, I would suggest you try it. It is immensely satisfying.

[Mike Baker 2]

That looks like a great spot.

I like working outside too. I have tables I set up when the weather cooperates, one permanently on a concrete porch on my shop. One set of double doors in my little weld shop opens onto a concrete area for welding outside. For my lathe area I installed a 5' wide double door so I can open it and enjoy the breeze and birds. It opens under a shade tree with a view of the llamas and peacocks 50' from the shop. I think the best would be a big roll-up door opening onto a large covered porch.

JKJ

John, that sounds sweet!

[chris carter]

I have contemplated more than once replacing our picnic table on the back patio with one that could double as a workbench.

[Marshall Harrison]

I have contemplated more than once replacing our picnic table on the back patio with one that could double as a workbench.

Just use the picnic table.

[ken hatch]

I built a portable workbench that I carry in the motorhome so I can work while camping. I've also set it up in the back garden for projects. It is a handy little sucker.

Here it is last Fall outside FT.Bragg, CA:

388102

ken

[michael langman]

A little off point question.
John , I had to weld outdoors a few weeks ago and was concerned obout the birds living around me and the animals. I was afraid for their eyesight, so shielded as much as I could. Was I being over cautious?

[Marshall Harrison]

I built a portable workbench that I carry in the motorhome so I can work while camping. I've also set it up in the back garden for projects. It is a handy little sucker.

Here it is last Fall outside FT.Bragg, CA:

388102

ken

If that's your motor home then I'm not sure if that qualifies as camping. :D

[chris carter]

Just use the picnic table.

I'm 6'5" and the picnic table is... dining table height. It would destroy my back.

[Mike Baker 2]

Ken, sweet. I remember that build thread.

[lowell holmes]

You are a SHOW OFF! :)

[John K Jordan]

A little off point question.
John , I had to weld outdoors a few weeks ago and was concerned about the birds living around me and the animals. I was afraid for their eyesight, so shielded as much as I could. Was I being over cautious?

I don't You have to be pretty close to the welding with unprotected vision to have a problem. The intensity of the light drops off inversely proportional to the square of the distance so unless the bird of happiness is sitting on your shoulder and the squirrel is in your shirt pocket it will probably not be affected!

Sometime back I asked my eye doctor about what kind of damage welding light can cause. He said it can cause a "sunburn" on the cornea which will feel itchy/scratchy but heal itself by the next day. (The sunburn can also happen with unprotected skin.) It won't cause damage to the retina or anything inside the eye. The natural blink reflex protects us from extremely bright lights such as visible-light lasers and welding - maybe it would be different if you taped your eyelids open and was forced to stare at the light. (BTW, invisible infrared light from a laser such as a CO2 is different - a glancing beam can cause instant and permanent damage. I know scientists who were not careful in the laser lab who how have permanent retina damage.)

JKJ

[ken hatch]

If that's your motor home then I'm not sure if that qualifies as camping. :D

Marshall,

I've spent too many nights on the ground, ain't going to do it anymore :). I was going to say something about how rough it is and how much I give up when in the motorhome but I couldn't think of a thing now that I have the portable bench. The ice maker works, my Martini glasses come out of the freezer along with the Broker's Gin and I can watch Rachel every night after a hard day of making small boxes. Life is good.

ken

[ken hatch]

Ken, sweet. I remember that build thread.

Mike,

The new bench works even better. I'm using the pictured bench as a sharpening bench.

ken

[ken hatch]

You are a SHOW OFF! :)

Yep :D,

But it sure is nice to have a portable bench when on the road.

ken

[michael langman]

Good to know. Thanks John.

[Marshall Harrison]

Marshall,

I've spent too many nights on the ground, ain't going to do it anymore :). I was going to say something about how rough it is and how much I give up when in the motorhome but I couldn't think of a thing now that I have the portable bench. The ice maker works, my Martini glasses come out of the freezer along with the Broker's Gin and I can watch Rachel every night after a hard day of making small boxes. Life is good.

ken

Sounds like the good life.

I had my share of "camping" thanks to the US Army. I have no desire to ever camp again. I just retired so we are still figuring out what all we want to do with retirement. Wife too young to join me for another couple of years so plenty of time to work out the details.

[ken hatch]

Sounds like the good life.

I had my share of "camping" thanks to the US Army. I have no desire to ever camp again. I just retired so we are still figuring out what all we want to do with retirement. Wife too young to join me for another couple of years so plenty of time to work out the details.

Marshall,

I semi-retired 11 years ago, problem is about three years ago new management came in and the job is now long on the semi and short on the retirement. I still enjoy what I do but would like to go back to doing a little less of it. MsBubba retires in a little over a year and I expect when that happens the decision will be out of my hands and the portable work bench will get a lot more use.

In the mean time, yep, life is good.

Good luck with soon having more adult supervision.

ken

[Matt Lau]

Dudes! Took the words out of my mouth.

I have a blum workbench that's actually pretty great.
Was very happy to not worry about dust control--just plane, plane, plane, and saw away.

Only downside is that it's a bit big to be portable...or I need to lift some weights and get muscle!!