I was just wondering what do you assymble you projects on and if you keep it flat.  I have seen several benches individuals have taken pictures of with projects on them.  It seems lots of them are not flat or have some damage to them.

How could someone assymble a project on a uneven surface and have anything come out square or straight.

Last how do you keep your assyembling area flat.

This is for me to gain more knowlege to make a bench to make things from.

Arlin

48" X 65" MDF laminate topped rolling assembly table.  Very Flat!

 

 

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Ron Dudelston
Above and Beyond WoodWorks

My "assembly" table,  Das Frankensaw.    Nice and flat, with easy to use reference lines to square things up with.

 

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'and may the road raise up to meet ye'

Donr that too Steve!  If fact if it is a smaller project and I hant to make sure it is "dead" flat, tI'll use the table saw.

steven newman said:

My "assembly" table,  Das Frankensaw.    Nice and flat, with easy to use reference lines to square things up with.

 

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'and may the road raise up to meet ye'

 

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Ron Dudelston
Above and Beyond WoodWorks

 My work bench started off pretty level but has warped over the years. Since I have not had the time to build a new one, I get by with what I got. I use a 36"x36"x3/4" sheet of white melamine with one side for glue ups as glue does not stick to it and the other side for assembly as it is flat. I have used my table saw top on occasion but I don't like going that route unless I have to as I don't want to get glue and such on it.

 

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Allen Worsham
Corona, CA

allenworsham@earthlink.net

http://www.awcreationsandwoodcrafts.com

'Graze in every man's field, but always give your own milk' J. Vernon McGee

Waxed paper is best.

Arlin Eastman said:

I was just thinking of the tablesaw I used also to put the box together.  I layed down paper to keep metal tools from nicking it up or liquids from spilling on it.  So now my thought is maybe I should not use my tablesaw to assymble with.

Maybe I should build a small torsion box?

Arlin

 

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Ron Dudelston
Above and Beyond WoodWorks

Arlin,

My shop is so  small that some projects make it difficult to reach all sides without walking around the jointer, saw and anything else in use. I made this rotating table out of a couple of pieces of plywood and  the biggest Lazy Susan bearing I could find. It works pretty good although I am considering replacing the rotating plywood top with a torsion box top to have a flatter work surface. To keep the top from rotating when performing different operations, I use a wooden dowel pushed thru predrilled holes in the top and base. I can lock the top at 90 degree rotation intervals.

  

Lew

I thought about going to the Big Box store and getting a damaged hollow core interior door and cutting it down for the top. Not sure how to fasten the bearing to the thin outer skin without somehow adding an internal screw block.


Arlin Eastman said:

Lew

Now that is a good idea, I do have lazy susan bearings that hold 1000lbs.  So maybe I should build a torsion box with the top made out of melamine.

Arlin

Good thought, Thanks.

Lew


Arlin Eastman said:

Lew

Maybe add a 3/4" backer plate?

A big chunk of Corian works great, too.  

 

SQ

 

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It it can't be fixed with glue and sawdust - it's not worth fixing.

I learned long ago a good flat surface can't be beat for both accuracy and ease of assembling "stuff".

 

So, I made a rolling flat multipurpose work table. If you could see the inside of the plywood box directly under the melamine you'd see the grid work of a torsion box. With my 6 foot starrett machinist straight edge I can barley slide a sheet of paper under it. The melamine is replaceable as needed.

This is a work bench I built this suumer from plans on the woodsmith website. The key to a level workbench is during assembly. You should level the table supports to each other and build from that condition. The top is built from laminated 3/4" MDF and the base is built from douglas fir. It's not as elegant as the maple work benches but it's extreamly solid and heavy. It's mounted on leveling casters. 4 people have a hard time picking it up.

I picked up my Corian from a cluttered builder's supply place here locally that carried all kinds of things like doors, windows, etc.  I paid $25.00 for two big pieces about 3' x 3' each. They had piles of Corian - many pieces too big for me to carry. Thinking they get this stuff from companies that have gone out of business. I wonder if you could find any on craigslist?

 

SQ

Arlin Eastman said:

Sue

That sounds great, however, what would a piece cost that is 3'x6' or 30"x6'.

Arlin

Only if the base warps or twists but the wood for my base was seasoned. A couple of the leg trim pieces weren't as seasoned and there was little bit of shrinkage but nothing that would effect the structural integrity.


Arlin Eastman said:

Mike

So the top never warps or goes out of true?  It does look heavy and I would have to put it on wheels (Car 15") haha   to move that around.

Arlin

Arlin,

The torsion box part of the bench is 36'' wide and 90'' long. This allows 6'' over hang on each and 3'' on the ends so I can clamp "stuff" to the surface. I used a grid pattern of 12''. The depth is 9 -1/2'' which is probably over kill but this was my first torsion box of sorts. If I were to do another one I'll thin it down some.

The leg were let in the bottom on the box and extend all the way to the bottom of the of the of the top piece of plywood.

To put the vice in the table I cut a hole in the side and one of the inter grid members.

I mount a 3'' thick block of oak lever with the top piece of plywood and supported with the plywood brackets on the side. 

I hope this is clearer than mud. I've been using this bench for 13 or so years and it has stayed sold as a rock including the vice mount.

 

Rich

 

 

I did my after assembly. That's why the hole under the vice is so big. That hole was cut big enough I could get my hand inside and cut the holes on the inter grid member.


Arlin Eastman said:

Rich

Did you mount the vise before you put the top on?

Arlin

Not being familiar with you vice I can't answer that question. The biggest reason I did mine after was I got my vice at a later date. I would think that as long as you keep everything flat and don't have do any thru cuts of the grid members you probably could. Manny times I build as I go without any real plan.


Arlin Eastman said:

Rich

So could I add the vise before I put the top on and save all of the trouble?

Thanks

Arlin