Thread: Compact workbench?

That's the bench I though of when I saw your post. There are a couple of similar plans out there for basically the same thing - in all cases you have to pay for the plan tho' - either a magazine back issue or a separate plan set. Some of the plans I've seen have a vise at each corner too. If your balcony is totally exposed to the weather you will have to make some adaptations to both materials & design to weather proof the bench - and I wouldn't be leaving any metal fitting outside or making drawer sets from ply for example.

A friend in the USA had a complete hand tool workshop built into a walk in wardrobe in a spare bedroom in his flat - the bench top basically braced between the walls at the ends, conventional legs as it wasn't actually bolted to the walls & under bench tool storage for extra weight.

Originally Posted by bsrlee

That's the bench I though of when I saw your post. There are a couple of similar plans out there for basically the same thing - in all cases you have to pay for the plan tho' - either a magazine back issue or a separate plan set.

I don't mind paying for plans if they look very interesting. Space is my limitation, not so much the money part!

Originally Posted by bsrlee

If your balcony is totally exposed to the weather you will have to make some adaptations to both materials & design to weather proof the bench - and I wouldn't be leaving any metal fitting outside or making drawer sets from ply for example.

The balcony is glassed in, which is to say there are full height glass panels around the whole balcony. These can be slid around and tilted to give some airflow, but when closed they effectively prevent any rain etc getting in. Though chances are the winter will get mighty cold here (snow etc), so I may have to be careful/creative with the materials.

Originally Posted by bsrlee

A friend in the USA had a complete hand tool workshop built into a walk in wardrobe in a spare bedroom in his flat - the bench top basically braced between the walls at the ends, conventional legs as it wasn't actually bolted to the walls & under bench tool storage for extra weight.

Thats very cool - you wouldn't happen to have any pictures or extra info about it would you?

Trizza - the Woodsmith bench looks like a good solution to your needs as it has built-in storage as well as a couple of options for holding work. You would want to make it easily knock-downable for moving off balcony/to the next house, etc., which will be a bit of a challenge & might require some mods to the joinery. I'm in the early stages of building something vaguely similar as a second bench, but am not worried about portability, so it will be a pretty chunky thing.

Faced with a need for portability some years ago, I made a smallish version of a traditional bench. It's mostly recycled Spotted gum & Tallow wood, so has enough mass to make it stable & useable. Up there you'd be looking for Oak or Maple to get anything like equivalent weight from similar dimensions. This is about 1500mm long by 500 wide, fits comfortably in the back of a hatchback. I was in transition myself for a couple of years, & this was my one & only bench, tucked into a spare corner of a carport - did a pretty good job, but I missed the length & width of my 'real' bench a few times!

Cheers,

This one looks pretty good and the plans are free....
http://www.bobsplans.com/BobsPlans/G...benchPlans.php

Originally Posted by Soredust

This one looks pretty good and the plans are free....
http://www.bobsplans.com/BobsPlans/G...benchPlans.php

Nice one, that looks pretty cool! The pictures I had in my head & my rough sketchings are actually somewhat along those lines, but smaller, and with fold-open panels kind of like a Horn cabinet. Lop the router section of the table off and it might be just the ticket.

Couple of questions!

Anyone had any experience with those T-Track systems? I'm assuming you use them much like the slots on the platform of a milling machine?

What about castors - I assume you'd need locking castors unless they're retractible. How well do they stand up to planing, and do you need to buy fancy ones for that?

No photos - the only time I was actually in his flat I was suffering from Montezuma's Revenge. Since then he has become a 'War Bride' - he married a US Airforce pilot & I have no idea where she is stationed - at least most US bases have 'hobby shops' including woodworking facilities.

At least if the balcony is weather proof you have a lot more latitude in materials for your bench.

Fixed storage under the bench seems like a good idea - until something drops into a dog hole, gets stuck or you have to clamp something just over there & find the storage in the way. If you go the storage route, make the drawers/cupboard in interchangeable units & removeable.