Machining work bench

Hey Guys, so I finally got a decent tool box to hold my machining tooling...

Craftsman 41inch tool chest...
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To house the tool chest I decided to build a nice sturdy metal work bench. It will be really nice have to have a bench near the Mill and lathe.

So the plan is to build a sturdy metal frame around the tool chest and then put a 1/4in steel top on it. This is just a work bench NOT a welding table, so a really thick top isn't required.

I'm also going to incorporate a system so that the bench can have wheels that raise/ lower if I want to move it.

Here's all the steel that will soon become a bench...

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I used my mill to drill out holes in the front and back pieces of the frame.
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The holes on the bottom frame will be for leveing feet...
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I cut to length some 3/4in steel round stock and pre-drilled to size the ID for threading.
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Next the round stock was welded in place and threads cut through the whole 2.5in length...
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pre-fit of leveling feet...
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I used the same process for the top frame. The threaded holes in the top frame are to allow attachent points if the bench needs to be hoised in a truck etc... 1/2-13 bolts can be used.
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Now that that was done it was time to start building the the frame for the top out of metal 2x2 and 2x4 (1/8 wall). Yhe dimensions for the top is 28in wide × 50in long.
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Next up was to build the bottom frame that supports the tool chest...
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I ran out of welding wire, so that's as far as I got for now.
 
Now that's a workbench:eagerness:

Nice thing is since you built it yourself if it ever needs modified you'll know exactly what to do. When you get the toolbox installed you might not have the problems you mentioned, or it might get worse. If you're not moving it around often it could be totally a non issue, your basic concept is solid and I might look into copying it for my lathe bench when I get around to building one.

If the jacks bother you I'd keep an eye out for some pneumatic cylinders. You can sometimes get them really cheap and since you only need a couple of inches travel you'll have a good chance of being able to make lots of different parts work. Plus, how cool to just plug in your air hose to lift rather than bending down to crank the jacks.

Nice work, thanks for sharing.

John
 
Now that's a workbench:eagerness:

Nice thing is since you built it yourself if it ever needs modified you'll know exactly what to do. When you get the toolbox installed you might not have the problems you mentioned, or it might get worse. If you're not moving it around often it could be totally a non issue, your basic concept is solid and I might look into copying it for my lathe bench when I get around to building one.

If the jacks bother you I'd keep an eye out for some pneumatic cylinders. You can sometimes get them really cheap and since you only need a couple of inches travel you'll have a good chance of being able to make lots of different parts work. Plus, how cool to just plug in your air hose to lift rather than bending down to crank the jacks.

Nice work, thanks for sharing.

John
Thanks John,

For my purposes I don't see myself moving it around very often, just once and a while, so having the ability to move it when needed will be nice, but its certainly not intened as a rolling table, just a moveable bench.
So I think it will be ok as is, But if I build another bench like this or a rolling table I'll do it with some pneumatic cylinders as the means to raise and lower the wheels.
 
Ok guys I need a little help.

I spent and hour or so out in the shop this evening. First I put a wite wheel on my grinder and remove the rust on the top plate, that was easy enough.

Next I tried to remove whatever ugly coating is on the top plate. Well whatever the coating is it doesn't come off easily, I spent an hour so far and I'm sure I could spend pleanty more to get it all off.

Here's what I tried so far, Wire wheel on a grinder, a DA sander, a belt sender and a vibrating sander.20210114_222048_resized.jpg

I didn't even really get one 4in strip of the top cleaned up after an hour...
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I know this is purely an aesthetic thing but I want the top to look nice and uniform not 'scaley'.

So what do you guys recommend to remove whatever ugly coating is on the top plate.
 
Were you using a coarse grit paper?

Google "remove mill scale".

I'd think the belt sander and coarse paper would remove it reasonably quickly. A coarse flap disc on the grinder would as well but may be easier to accidentally dish ares of the surface.
 
Were you using a coarse grit paper?

Google "remove mill scale".

I'd think the belt sander and coarse paper would remove it reasonably quickly. A coarse flap disc on the grinder would as well but may be easier to accidentally dish ares of the surface.
I was using 40 grit sandpaper on thr belt sander. Didn't do much.

I'll look into a flap disc on the grinder and google how to remove mill scale also.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
I have had good luck with a 6" 3m Scotch Brite pads on a grinder. Use a course one. They will peel most things off a surface.
 
I have had good luck with a 6" 3m Scotch Brite pads on a grinder. Use a course one. They will peel most things off a surface.

40 grit flap disk on an angle grinder, if you have not tried that yet. Might take a few flap disks

Thanks for the suggestions guys, i'm going to go to the local tool store and get either a flap disc for the grinder or the 3M pad or both and i'll give it try.
 
Hate to say it but you probably should have left the mill scale alone. As you've found out it's hard as **** and it does a surprisingly good job of protecting from rust.

That said, flap disk and patience. Then etch and put a good quality paint on there.

John
 
Hate to say it but you probably should have left the mill scale alone. As you've found out it's hard as **** and it does a surprisingly good job of protecting from rust.

That said, flap disk and patience. Then etch and put a good quality paint on there.

John
I proabbly would have left the mill scale alone in an ideal world.

However, It was raining hard the day I picked up all the steel and it all got wet in the back of the truck and to make matters worse the top sat in the rain in the bed for an extra hour, because I had to wait for a friend to help me unload it as it was just a little to heavy to carry myself.

I blew everything off with an air hose and dried it with rags when I got the steel in the shop but the top in particular still got quite rusty and when when I removed the rust with a wire wheel what was underneath looks aweful. So i'm sort of stuck removing it.

Your right I could proabbly paint the top, but I think it would get scratched pretty bad over time. My plan is to remove the mill scale, then sand it with increasingly higher grit sand paper until it has a nice finish, then heat it up just a little with a blow torch and rub oil into it when its warm for rust resistance. I don't tend to have to worry much about rust as my shop is kept at at 50-60F in the winters and isnnsulated with vapor barrier, so that should be enough to keep the top from rusting.

**If it was in a garage where wet cars were parked regularly painting might be the only option**
 
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