Machining work bench

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

Craftsman 41inch tool chest...
20201225_122524_resized.jpg
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...

20201225_122601_resized.jpg

I used my mill to drill out holes in the front and back pieces of the frame.
20201226_133658_resized.jpg
The holes on the bottom frame will be for leveing feet...
20201228_144046_resized.jpg
20201226_151315_resized.jpg
I cut to length some 3/4in steel round stock and pre-drilled to size the ID for threading.
20201226_152311_resized.jpg
Next the round stock was welded in place and threads cut through the whole 2.5in length...
20201228_144051_resized.jpg
20201226_171234_resized.jpg
pre-fit of leveling feet...
20201228_144217_resized.jpg
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.
20201227_145100_resized.jpg
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.
20201227_135335_resized.jpg
20201227_163418_resized.jpg
20201227_163612_resized.jpg
20201227_165801_resized.jpg
20201227_171437_resized.jpg
20201228_170402_resized.jpg
20201229_165239_resized.jpg

Next up was to build the bottom frame that supports the tool chest...
20201229_161720_resized.jpg
I ran out of welding wire, so that's as far as I got for now.
 
Nice job. :cheerful: I wish my welding looked that good. Did the top stay flat after you tacked it to the frame?

Thanks.

I'm not sure about the top just yet as I haven't turned it over yet. I tacked the whole thing to the frame yesterday and did the finish welding today. I tired to move around the table while welding so I didn't get to much heat in one spot, but we'll see. Hopefully it didn't get to warped.
 
So today I got some more welding wire and after reloading the miller 211 and adding a new tip it was time to get welding again.

I got the whole top plate finished welded to the frame, I also ground smooth the welds that will be facing down, just so the tool chest doesn't get scratched when it is pushed in.

20201230_151104_resized.jpg

Next I spent a lot of time trying to get the legs installed squarely. It took time measuring and using a square but in the end I got them dead on. Once they were in place I finished welded them in.

20201230_151817_resized.jpg
20201230_154212_resized.jpg20201230_154204_resized.jpg
Legs installed!
20201230_165829_resized.jpg
20201230_165817_resized.jpg
The next challenge was figuring out how to get this beast on the ground so I can weld the base onto it...Luckily I had made the 4 mounting points on the top frame, I had planed to use and engine hoist and shackles, the chains for the engine shackles ended up being to short. I should have planned ahead better, I had to spend and hour looking around the shop to piece together enough chain and connectors to make the rig to lift it (at least I did manage to find what I needed) Anyway in the end I was able to use the hoist to put it down on the ground nicely.

20201230_174454_resized.jpg
20201230_174840_resized.jpg

Next time, I will be welding this bottom frame onto the legs...
20201230_174733_resized.jpg
Just as I was congradulating myself for a good afternoon's work I started planning out how I was going to install the 1 ton sizor jacks on each end to lower the wheels...
20201230_151213_resized.jpg

It was at this point I got that sick to your stomach feeling and realized I should have milled some access slots in legs before I installed them so the sizor jacks could be raised or lowered from the front of the bench. Sort of shot myself in the foot on that one :blue: No way those legs are coming off now, so I'll have to re-think a new way to raise and lower the legs. I'm not going to be putting this bench in a place were I won't be able to access the jacks from the side so it's proabbly not a big deal, But in my original design I had tried to allow for that posibility. I'll have to see what I can come up with to salvage the situation.
 
Last edited:
Very nice!

Regarding the access slots... what about drilling 2 holes for each and cutting the length with some type of cut off wheel?

I like your idea (at least what I'm interpreting it to mean), and am encouraging you to go for it still. :)
 
Back
Top