Re-Purpose Workbench Drawers as a Bandsaw Stand

[glenn bradley]

One of my early benches had this drawer unit in it.



When I built a new bench it ended up a few places in the shop, most recently over by one of the vacs.



It was full of all kinds of things.



I took the drawers out and added some wheels.



This must've been about when I settled on how I make utility drawers because I still make them like this .



I had some white oak left over from a China Hutch I made someone years ago. I rip it into some usable parts.



Some of it becomes a frame for the new top that I Domino at the corners. I rabbet the short pieces and stop rabbet the long pieces. Then I chop out the corners to make them square.



Here's a great use of your bull nose plane.




I glue in the top which is MDF like the drawer unit itself.

[glenn bradley]

I chamfer the corners so I don't swear when I run into them later on.



OK, right size, wrong height.



I cut up some more of that white oak, cut some slots and use the bandsaw to make some large rabbets.





I chamfer these too for the same reason.



I use this doo-hicky I made for the disc sander to chamfer the corners.



And they look like so.




I hit them with some shellac and attach them to the carcass.



I add the top.



The drawer unit takes up the same footprint but, does a lot more work for me now .

[Jerry Bruette]

Great job repurposing the drawer unit. Couple questions. Are the wood inserts on your clamps just for pads or so they aid in the clamping somehow? How do you like the Rikon 10" saw? This past summer I sold a Craftsman bandsaw I had and really didn't like and I've got my eye on the Rikon. I think they have a new two speed model and I wonder if it would be worth the price.

[glenn bradley]

Thanks. The little wood piece are just snap-on cauls that I have on most of my smaller f-style clamps. Mostly to avoid marring. Not their original intention but, they do allow me to clamp the occasional odd position that I could get to with the rubber pads.

The Rikon seems to be the the better small frame bandsaw in the current offerings. I only use it for wood so the single speed does me fine. One of the things that pushed me toward it was that it consistently cuts as if it has more power than other saws in the batches that get reviewed together. that and the Acme sale+free shipping deal that came around a while back did in my will power. My old 1970's Delta 10" needs bearings. Not a big job but, the sale price and the convenience of not having to fool with the other saw did the deed.

[Jim Becker]

That's a fine job of re-use and kicking things up nicely at the same time!

[David Utterback]

Great project with excellent results. You now have a shelf to store extra blades.