Bench Move

[ken hatch]

In the never ending quest to pack 10 pounds of crap into a 5 pound bag and each time wishing for a different out come, I'm moving things around in the shop, mostly one of the benches. I have to make more floor space to ease the work flow. The real answer is to shed one or more of the work benches but so far no joy although the SIL claims he wants to take one to Houston the next time they visit.
Here is the mess made in preparation for the move:

440894




Here is where it will go:

440895


The bench will just fit along the wall, almost as if it were made for the spot.Will it work, not a clue but could open up a little floor space, with just a little loss of usable bench space and I was planning on making new wall storage anyway.The only real question is where do I put the tool chest because I work out of it and it needs to be handy but also out of the way.

One other question is do I get a neighbor to help or just do what a Moravian bench is built to do and take the slab off, move the base then reattach the slab. The only problem, because this is a shop bench instead of a portable bench the slab is damn heavy. I can and have moved it by myself but that was when I had two good wheels. Right now I'm still working with a bad right foot and ankle.
Photos to follow,


ken

[mike stenson]

I'd get some help. While these are built to break down, for a move within the same shop.. that's more work than it's worth IMO ;)

[Ron Selzer]

How about 2-4 furniture dollies and an aluminium floor jack. All from Harbor Freight for under a hundred.
Jack it up on one end and put 1-2 dollies under the bench. Repeat on the other end.
Good luck
Ron

[Curt Putnam]

In the never ending quest to pack 10 pounds of crap into a 5 pound bag and each time wishing for a different out come, I'm moving things around in the shop, mostly one of the benches. I have to make more floor space to ease the work flow. The real answer is to shed one or more of the work benches but so far no joy although the SIL claims he wants to take one to Houston the next time they visit.
Here is the mess made in preparation for the move:

440894




Here is where it will go:

440895


The bench will just fit along the wall, almost as if it were made for the spot.Will it work, not a clue but could open up a little floor space, with just a little loss of usable bench space and I was planning on making new wall storage anyway.The only real question is where do I put the tool chest because I work out of it and it needs to be handy but also out of the way.

One other question is do I get a neighbor to help or just do what a Moravian bench is built to do and take the slab off, move the base then reattach the slab. The only problem, because this is a shop bench instead of a portable bench the slab is damn heavy. I can and have moved it by myself but that was when I had two good wheels. Right now I'm still working with a bad right foot and ankle.
Photos to follow,


ken

Ken - take it from a giy with a misssing wheel, you do not want to ruin it by running on a flat. Get help and let the foot heal. Feet are surprisingly fragile things.

[David Eisenhauer]

Ken I have a pair of triangular shaped 3/4" plywood scrap dollies that are probably less than a foot long per each of three sides and have a 2" 360* swiveling roller mounted underneath each of the three "arms" of the dolly. I either raise my large, heavy item to be used by hand and kick a dolly underneath or use a jack to raise it sufficiently to place a dolly where I need it. I used those to move my 8' long Ruobo by jacking up from under the lower stretcher and placing a dolly under the center of the stretcher at each end. If you need four, easy to make and keep for future use. I can't judge how much of this you should or should not do at this time considering your foot condition though. We both know things take forever to heal nowadays and just need to be left alone/iced/ibuprofened/etc till they heal. Just "going easy" doesn't usually accelerate healing for me.

[ken hatch]

Thanks Guys,

When I posted this morning I had forgotten about the tool chest. Most of the time when I remove the slab from one of my Moravian benches I will slide it over to one of the other benches and then from there move it to where needed. That way I never have to lift the full weight. This morning everything was covered with tools except I had over looked the tool chest on wheels. Of course flat head syndrome once I saw the tool chest, not only was it high enough but it was on wheels so it could be rolled where needed.

Moving the slab to the tool chest:

440936

Of course because everything is so crowded there was a little back and forth to get the slab in position and to move to the base. The base is light enough to scoot and pick up as needed to set in position. If it had been tighter I could have separated the base units from the stretchers and moved each piece instead of the whole base unit as one.

The base in Position:

440937

Once base was in position it was a piece of cake to scoot the slab onto the base. With the slab on the base, the leg vise set in position and just a wiggle or two it all comes together. To finish off drive the four wedges home and that sucker is moved and ready for work.

440938

Bench moved without breaking into a sweat, damn I love Moravian benches. Try moving this solid of a bench of almost any other design by yourself and not a grunt in the process.

ken

[ken hatch]

Ken - take it from a giy with a misssing wheel, you do not want to ruin it by running on a flat. Get help and let the foot heal. Feet are surprisingly fragile things.

Curt,

It has been almost two months since I fell on it. It is getting better each day but I still can't get my work shoes on or put any weight on it. I can not image what it is like to lose it.

Take care,

ken

[ken hatch]

Ken I have a pair of triangular shaped 3/4" plywood scrap dollies that are probably less than a foot long per each of three sides and have a 2" 360* swiveling roller mounted underneath each of the three "arms" of the dolly. I either raise my large, heavy item to be used by hand and kick a dolly underneath or use a jack to raise it sufficiently to place a dolly where I need it. I used those to move my 8' long Ruobo by jacking up from under the lower stretcher and placing a dolly under the center of the stretcher at each end. If you need four, easy to make and keep for future use. I can't judge how much of this you should or should not do at this time considering your foot condition though. We both know things take forever to heal nowadays and just need to be left alone/iced/ibuprofened/etc till they heal. Just "going easy" doesn't usually accelerate healing for me.

David,

It is tough to get old, what would fix itself in a day or two now takes weeks or even months. BTW, I just pulled my head out and treated the Moravian bench like a Moravian bench and it was moved in 15 or so minutes with no strain.

ken

[ken hatch]

I'd get some help. While these are built to break down, for a move within the same shop.. that's more work than it's worth IMO ;)

Mike,

A Moravian comes apart and back together so easy there is no reason to not take it apart other than being pig headed. :p

ken

[ken hatch]

How about 2-4 furniture dollies and an aluminium floor jack. All from Harbor Freight for under a hundred.
Jack it up on one end and put 1-2 dollies under the bench. Repeat on the other end.
Good luck
Ron

Ron,

The best reason to build a Moravian bench is so you never need to go to Harbor Freight :D.

ken

[James Pallas]

Ken, one of the wise moves I made several years ago was purchasing a Noden bench. I purchased it for the height adjustment feature but it does more. I found I can use it to move things around. On my recent bench build I used it to go from bench to sawhorses several times. It’s not power lifting but a bumper jack solves the going back up issue. Probably not worth it for a bench builder like you. It does solve things for me. Maybe you can figure some adjustability into one of your Moravians. With my new working bench I can just adjust the Noden to height and slide things over for assembly and such. Getting old and parts rusting up and falling apart is not fun, we all gotta’ do it.

[Jim Matthews]

Curt,

It has been almost two months since I fell on it. It is getting better each day but I still can't get my work shoes on or put any weight on it. I can not image what it is like to lose it.

Take care,

ken

I met an 80 year old tri-athlete when he retired from competition. He gave it up when recovery time exceeded his projected lifespan.

"After 40, injuries took two weeks to heal. At 50, two months. At 60, six months. At 70, a full year. At 80, I might not get out of bed again..."

[ken hatch]

Ken, one of the wise moves I made several years ago was purchasing a Noden bench. I purchased it for the height adjustment feature but it does more. I found I can use it to move things around. On my recent bench build I used it to go from bench to sawhorses several times. It’s not power lifting but a bumper jack solves the going back up issue. Probably not worth it for a bench builder like you. It does solve things for me. Maybe you can figure some adjustability into one of your Moravians. With my new working bench I can just adjust the Noden to height and slide things over for assembly and such. Getting old and parts rusting up and falling apart is not fun, we all gotta’ do it.

James,

I just looked at the Noden bench. I can see how it would be very useful especially if on wheels.

Ain't that the truth. For someone that was disgustingly healthy for 70 or so years the last few have been eye opening. Things just don't fix as fast.

ken

[ken hatch]

I met an 80 year old tri-athlete when he retired from competition. He gave it up when recovery time exceeded his projected lifespan.

"After 40, injuries took two weeks to heal. At 50, two months. At 60, six months. At 70, a full year. At 80, I might not get out of bed again..."

Jim,

I may use your quote. It is too true. Only problem, MsBubba might not buy it as an excuse to not do something she wants done.:)

ken

[mike stenson]

Mike,

A Moravian comes apart and back together so easy there is no reason to not take it apart other than being pig headed. :p

ken

Ken,

Well, my mother did used to tell me to stop being so pig-headed. How'd you know? ;)

Funny, dropping it onto a top chest is how I used to deal with working on air cooled engines. It works really, really well.

[glenn bradley]

I have finally accepted the quest for more "room" in a finite space to be part of the journey. Sometimes tough decisions have to be made. We have two refrigerators; my wife insists she cannot live without the second one. I made it through my entire life with just one. Do you really need both benches? Would a wheeled, height adjustable assembly table serve you better. My assembly table also serves as my tablesaw outfeed surface when not in use for assembly thereby maximizing the value of its footprint.

For you Galoots, a tablesaw is a machine powered by electricity that saws things quickly when time spent on a project is important :D. What I am saying is that I have had to make tough choices about what is more important; having tools or being able to use them ;).

[James Pallas]

Those of us who work alone most of the time find it difficult to ask for help. I think there are two issues involved. One is inpatients, the other is wasting someone else’s time. We just want to keep working and searching out assistance takes time. You have to wait for help and then you have to spend time explaining your whole project and having coffee and so forth. All you want is progress. The other part is you have the helper make a trip to your shop, drive across town or whatever for 2 minutes to help you lift something to your bench. Instead you strain your back or invent a lifting fixture that takes a couple of hours. If this is you, raise your hand. You’ve reached senior citizenship.🤪

[David Eisenhauer]

You hit the nail on the head with that one James. And I'm sure that some of my invented lifting techniques have been rather bizarre and frightening to the uninitiated.

[ken hatch]

I have finally accepted the quest for more "room" in a finite space to be part of the journey. Sometimes tough decisions have to be made. We have two refrigerators; my wife insists she cannot live without the second one. I made it through my entire life with just one. Do you really need both benches? Would a wheeled, height adjustable assembly table serve you better. My assembly table also serves as my tablesaw outfeed surface when not in use for assembly thereby maximizing the value of its footprint.

For you Galoots, a tablesaw is a machine powered by electricity that saws things quickly when time spent on a project is important :D. What I am saying is that I have had to make tough choices about what is more important; having tools or being able to use them ;).

Glenn,

I no longer use a table saw, still have one shoved into a corner but seldom use it. The only reason it is still around is I would almost have to pay someone to haul it off and someday (never happen) I might decide to make something out of sheet goods. Being a pure amateur there ain't no way no how this country boy will wrestle a 4X8 hunk of plywood ever again. BTW, BTDT and had a assembly table to go with it.

The reason for so many benches is I like to build benches, and I do until I run out of room to build another. One of my thoughts before I started shoving things around in the shop was to take the bench apart and store it in a corner along side the portable bench. The frightening thing about moving the benches around, once they were set my first thought was "hey, there is room to build a bench now". It is a sickness, what can I say.

ken

[ken hatch]

Those of us who work alone most of the time find it difficult to ask for help. I think there are two issues involved. One is inpatients, the other is wasting someone else’s time. We just want to keep working and searching out assistance takes time. You have to wait for help and then you have to spend time explaining your whole project and having coffee and so forth. All you want is progress. The other part is you have the helper make a trip to your shop, drive across town or whatever for 2 minutes to help you lift something to your bench. Instead you strain your back or invent a lifting fixture that takes a couple of hours. If this is you, raise your hand. You’ve reached senior citizenship.浪


You hit the nail on the head with that one James. And I'm sure that some of my invented lifting techniques have been rather bizarre and frightening to the uninitiated.

James,

I agree with David, what you say is too true. While I like some show and tell in the shop a little goes a long way and mostly I just want to get on with the rat killing. And I hate to impose, happy to help anyone but have a hard time accepting help. It's just the cowboy way.

ken

[ken hatch]

I'm really pleased with the new shop organization. There is a lot more working room, I'm still putting wall shelves up. For now the old ones are going back up until I can find time to make nice ones, of course I've been telling myself that for 10 or so years and I expect the cobbled together wall cabinets will still be in use in another ten years.

A photo of the bench in its new position:

440969

I need to move the sharpening bench 200 to 300mm to the right so I can hang the old tool shelves/cabinet up. After that some really hard nose culling of scrap, it is close to nightly fire season anyway, followed by general straightening up and cleaning of the shop.

ken

[Clifford McGuire]

Sounds like the SIL isn't getting a bench. :)

[glenn bradley]

The reason for so many benches is I like to build benches, and I do until I run out of room to build another. One of my thoughts before I started shoving things around in the shop was to take the bench apart and store it in a corner along side the portable bench. The frightening thing about moving the benches around, once they were set my first thought was "hey, there is room to build a bench now". It is a sickness, what can I say.

There's no cure and that's OK. I once had a shop wall full of wall cabinets because I couldn't stop making them and they weren't selling that fast. I even gave one away. We do this for enjoyment and if making benches is your thing, maybe contact some local "makers" co-ops or other location that would love a "real" bench. You could make them and donate them . . . win, win ;-)

[ken hatch]

Sounds like the SIL isn't getting a bench. :)

Clifford,

If he shows up with his truck and ready to lift, I'll still give him the Roubo/English bench (French style base with a English style apron and metal QR vise). There is nothing wrong with the bench, it is a good bench but much too heavy and big and I would love to get it out of the shop.

ken

[ken hatch]

Almost everything is in its final place, just a ton of clean up to do plus going thru all the cutoffs and moving most to the fire pit. For once rearranging the deck chairs has done something other than rearrange the deck chairs. I've opened up a ton of workspace with very little if any loss of bench space. I reserve the right to change my mind but I like it.

441020

ken

[Ron Selzer]

Those of us who work alone most of the time find it difficult to ask for help. I think there are two issues involved. One is inpatients, the other is wasting someone else’s time. We just want to keep working and searching out assistance takes time. You have to wait for help and then you have to spend time explaining your whole project and having coffee and so forth. All you want is progress. The other part is you have the helper make a trip to your shop, drive across town or whatever for 2 minutes to help you lift something to your bench. Instead you strain your back or invent a lifting fixture that takes a couple of hours. If this is you, raise your hand. You’ve reached senior citizenship.浪

So, true. Still working a full time job moved a Genie lift,34',back in June, didn't wait for help. Now off work til next year. Have severe nuerophy in my feet due to diabetes. Broke some/all bones in arch of right foot never felt a thing. Do have Charco foot disease. Have a halo/ external fixatator on foot since week ago Friday. Hope to get it off in 6 weeks. Then splint, while probably non weight bearing until custom brace is made. Might get down to the shop by Halloween.
SHOULD HAVE WAITED ON HELP
Ron

[Curt Putnam]

So, true. Still working a full time job moved a Genie lift,34',back in June, didn't wait for help. Now off work til next year. Have severe nuerophy in my feet due to diabetes. Broke some/all bones in arch of right foot never felt a thing. Do have Charco foot disease. Have a halo/ external fixatator on foot since week ago Friday. Hope to get it off in 6 weeks. Then splint, while probably non weight bearing until custom brace is made. Might get down to the shop by Halloween.
SHOULD HAVE WAITED ON HELP
Ron

DAMHIKT - but Charcot is not a disease to be trifled with. Now tthat your arch is collapsed you will be in a CROW (Charcot Restraint Orthotic Walker) boot for a while up to forever. My Doc gave me the choice, wear the boot or lose the leg. Once your arch has collapsed the usual next step is an ulcer under the "arch" which leads to infection which leads to more NWB which can lead to leg loss. DO WHAT THE DOC SAYS!
o

[Stew Denton]

Ken,

Looks like your goal of making more actual work space was realized. Now....can you resist building another bench to fill up the space?!

Regards,

Stew

[Orlando Gonzalez]

I envy the space that you have to be able to have as many fine looking benches that you do. I'm relegated to a 12x18 shed that I bought and converted into my shop after I retired from the school system. Just curious, what brand of Japanese bench chisels are the ones you have showing.

[ken hatch]

Ken,

Looks like your goal of making more actual work space was realized. Now....can you resist building another bench to fill up the space?!

Regards,

Stew

Stew,

I hate to admit that is a open question. I have a bench in mind and have the hardware to build on a shelf. It will be hard to resist. But the open space is really nice, I may hold off until at least one bench is gone and hopefully two.

ken

[ken hatch]

I envy the space that you have to be able to have as many fine looking benches that you do. I'm relegated to a 12x18 shed that I bought and converted into my shop after I retired from the school system. Just curious, what brand of Japanese bench chisels are the ones you have showing.


Orlando,

I'm terrible on names, most are just the ones from Stan https://covingtonandsons.com .

ken
(https://covingtonandsons.com)

[Ron Selzer]

DAMHIKT - but Charcot is not a disease to be trifled with. Now tthat your arch is collapsed you will be in a CROW (Charcot Restraint Orthotic Walker) boot for a while up to forever. My Doc gave me the choice, wear the boot or lose the leg. Once your arch has collapsed the usual next step is an ulcer under the "arch" which leads to infection which leads to more NWB which can lead to leg loss. DO WHAT THE DOC SAYS!
o
Had rocker foot and a custom brace when this happened.
First sign of trouble was broken blister under the callous on bottom of foot. Went to doctor, he found the ulcer with a hole about 3/8" deep. Got fitted for the CROW boot, the ulcer got smaller however stayed just as deep. Got an MRI and Radiologist thought bone was infected. So went in hospital for Iv and surgery for bone removal for testing Results came back negative. So then had surgery to rebuild foot, install external fixator. Now none weight bearing for six weeks, then hopefully slow transition to walking with some type of support less than a CROW boot for work.
Ron

[Erich Weidner]

I may hold off until at least one bench is gone and hopefully two.

Ken, just curious, do you sell the benches? Do you build one style, or different types, just to try them all?

[David Bassett]

Ken, just curious, do you sell the benches? Do you build one style, or different types, just to try them all?

Erich, where you been? Ken builds Moravian style workbenches. I'd suggest he's Will Myers #1 fan, disciple even. IIRC- he's sold them, given one to his wife to upgrade their potting bench, and tried to build one as a kitchen table. He recently mentioned a non-Moravian is available if you fetch & lift.

[Erich Weidner]

Erich, where you been? Ken builds Moravian style workbenches. I'd suggest he's Will Myers #1 fan, disciple even. IIRC- he's sold them, given one to his wife to upgrade their potting bench, and tried to build one as a kitchen table. He recently mentioned a non-Moravian is available if you fetch & lift.

LOL, I'm still new enough here that I'd only gleaned that Ken likes to build benches and hates sharpening jigs. More specific escapes me. :)

[ken hatch]

Erich, where you been? Ken builds Moravian style workbenches. I'd suggest he's Will Myers #1 fan, disciple even. IIRC- he's sold them, given one to his wife to upgrade their potting bench, and tried to build one as a kitchen table. He recently mentioned a non-Moravian is available if you fetch & lift.

Hey David, did build one as a kitchen table :).

ken

[mike stenson]

I don't like this thread Ken. I sat in my shop this weekend and thought "yea, I can put another bench right over there."

[ken hatch]

I don't like this thread Ken. I sat in my shop this weekend and thought "yea, I can put another bench right over there."

Mike,

Too funny, but do it. Glad to help if you need any.

ken

[mike stenson]

Mike,

Too funny, but do it. Glad to help if you need any.

ken

Well, the reality is that I've wanted a new bench. There are things I do not like about my existing one (isn't that they way they say it goes?).. so time for a new one. What it did do was make me think that I can push the existing one against the wall and use that for sharpening and/or other detail hand work.. and put a larger, simpler, bench out in the center of the floor, and not lose space. When that can happen? Donno, I have to finish getting the walls insulated and covered, and insulate the roof better first.

I may take you up on that when I get to it, at least I have beams that I can use to attach a hoist if needed.

[ken hatch]

A follow up post:

The move is more or less completed. Here's a pre-move photo:

441195

A few post-move photos:

441196

Another:

441197

And another:

441198

Last one:

441199

For once the moving was worthwhile, there is a significant increase of usable work space. I also think because the benches now face each other it will be more efficient.

Thanks guys,

ken

[mike stenson]

Ken, that's a big improvement!

[Erich Weidner]

Did I count three benches? :)
Oden's Beard Ken, now I have shop envy too! Is that all in a 2 car garage?

[ken hatch]

Ken, that's a big improvement!

Mike,

I haven't really worked in it yet, but it really feels good. The wood on the bench are the blanks for MsBubba's kitchen trash can. I'm off tomorrow and will start that build. Once I've made something I'll have a better handle on if it works, but I expect it will.

ken

[ken hatch]

Did I count three benches? :)
Oden's Beard Ken, now I have shop envy too! Is that all in a 2 car garage?

Erich,

LOL. Yep, small two car garage and you missed a couple of benches :p. There are four Moravian benches, one is a dissembled portable bench I use with the Motorhome and around the house and back garden that is stacked in a corner, the sharpening bench and the two working benches. There is also a Roubo with timber stored on it along one wall. As I've posted I'm queer for building benches.

ken

[Phil Mueller]

Nice, Ken. It definitely appears to have opened up some floor space and with multiple benches, I don’t think you’ll miss working both sides of the bench that is now against the wall. I noticed the shave horse. I always struggle with certain things that just aren’t used that often (although very glad I have it when needed) but take up enough space to be bothersome, or always needing to be moved out of the way.

Look forward to your thoughts once you work in it.

Also, and please take this as only a fellow SMC’er concern for you; you may want to evaluate your cord management and load levels. My store was recently inspected by the fire marshall, and he pointed out a number of corrections as it comes to load levels on power strips, what should and shouldn’t be plugged into a power strip, knowing the capacity of a power strip and how many amps are plugged into it, etc. I’m not suggesting you’re at risk anywhere, just that I’ve become much more aware now about how I load up circuits and outlets.

[ken hatch]

Nice, Ken. It definitely appears to have opened up some floor space and with multiple benches, I don’t think you’ll miss working both sides of the bench that is now against the wall. I noticed the shave horse. I always struggle with certain things that just aren’t used that often (although very glad I have it when needed) but take up enough space to be bothersome, or always needing to be moved out of the way.

Look forward to your thoughts once you work in it.

Also, and please take this as only a fellow SMC’er concern for you; you may want to evaluate your cord management and load levels. My store was recently inspected by the fire marshall, and he pointed out a number of corrections as it comes to load levels on power strips, what should and shouldn’t be plugged into a power strip, knowing the capacity of a power strip and how many amps are plugged into it, etc. I’m not suggesting you’re at risk anywhere, just that I’ve become much more aware now about how I load up circuits and outlets.

Phil,

I know if I had a fire marshal visit my next project would be "pulling wire". In my defense while there are lots of connections usually only one or two are in use at any time. I made a major mistake when I first did the shop, while I have enough power at the service center, I didn't put in enough outlets. Thanks for the concern.

I am surprised at how much room it opened up. One of my next projects, after MsBubba's trash can, is a knock-down shave horse so it can work much like one of the portable work benches and be stacked in a corner when not needed. In addition to the shave horse are two more space saving projects. The first is to bite the bullet and sell/give away the table saw and the other is to change the dust collection system, most likely to a Laguna based system.

ken