Outdoor workbench. I suggest you try it!

[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:

Attachment 388102

ken

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

[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.

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 ,

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!!