[sdiy] workbench and static?

[Paul Higgins]

The laminate counter idea is a great one--I essentially did the same 
thing, having a custom countertop made for me by Menard's (for those 
not in the Midwest US, it's our version of Home Depot).  Not as cheap 
as the deal that's been mentioned at Home Depot, though.  At the time, 
HD didn't offer big pieces pre-made.  If I was making my bench today, 
that's definitely what I would do.  It's something like 2.5' x 6', and 
I'm probably going to be making another, because it seems you never 
have enough space--especially after you get done mounting a couple of 
vises (I highly recommend a Panavise and a decent--i.e. 
LARGE--machinist's model).

The only problem is, laminate countertop is notorious for sags in the 
middle; it's only 3/4" MDF board, but the overhang is 1.5".  I glued 
and screwed a 3/4" piece of birch plywood to the bottom, so now I have 
a solid 1.5" countertop, affixed to a metal workbench frame with at 
least a dozen screws.  It's not going anywhere.  : )

You can even make your own laminate top on a plywood core, but be 
advised that working with laminate involves a pretty pricey laminate 
trim router bit (not to mention the router), as well as lots of nasty 
solvents from the contact cement (wear a respirator!).  I think you can 
also get good workbench legs and other parts from Lee Valley Tools and 
other woodworking supply companies, in both metal and those huge maple 
blocks.

-PRH

On Saturday, April 17, 2004, at 11:01 AM, Dave Magnuson wrote:

> Do you have any good carpentry skills?  You can make a very rugged 
> table
> fairly cheap:
>
> 1.  Buy a set of saw horse brackets. ($10)
> 2.  Buy some 2"x4" studs to build the sawhorses ($5)
> 3.  Buy the cheapest laminated countertop you  can find ($30+)
>
> Build the sawhorses, plop the countertop on it, and maybe fasten the 
> top
> down with a few screws. My local Home Depot has 8 foot pieces of 
> kitchen
> countertop (26" wide, approx) for about $60, and the shorter pieces are
> considerably less.  It's easy to disassemble and move around, yet it's 
> much
> stronger than a folding table.
>
> Or, instead of laminated counter top, you could use 2 layers of 5/8" or
> 3/4" plywood or MDF.  a 4'x8' sheet cut in half would make a nice 2' x 
> 8'
> table (I like narrow tables because you don't have an unreachable spot 
> at
> the back)  A sheet of MDF is about $20... plywood is a bit more.  Glue 
> the
> two halves together back-to-back and screw them at 10" or 12" 
> centers...
> you'll get a *VERY* solid top.  This is how I built my own countertops 
> for
> my bar room.... I just added a poplar edge and laminated the top to 
> make it
> look nice.
>
> Just a thought...


Paul Higgins
email: higg0008 at tc.umn.edu