Thread: Equipment layout on bench

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If you are just a "tinkerer" then it will be dependant of what you are doing, large, small or medium size projects,
I suggest you mount your grinder and sander on their own base so you can slide them to a convenient position and clamp to your bench when in use.
The drill press should be permanently mounted as they are top heavy.
Everyone has a different preference which develops over time so it really does depend on your work style and projects.

I agree with Ray. Only the drill press needs to be fixed if its a benchtop model that is. That said I found my benchtop drill to be too high on a bench so built it a separate lower stand for it. My metal vice is on a bit of board and gets lifted on to the bench when required. There is a cross batten on the underside of the board and it gets held by the woodwork vice. I use these cheap bunnings folding bench things as stands for other machines like sander and grinder.
Just a moment...
For the price you could not build a wood stand and to be honest they aint so good as work benches in any case.
I tend to like to be able to clear a work space and so having things fixed to a bench would bug me.
Regards
John

Sorry, couldn’t for the life of me get the pic to load.

Brilliant ideas guys. Hadn’t thought of mounting the gear on separate boards, then clamping them down when in use. I’m a big clamping fan. That’s what I’ll do. Saves the layout problem too - I can just shuffle them around to suit the job.

Many thanks for the ideas.

I'd get some 8mm steel plate for the job of the vice, should it not be a big honking thing.
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Finding out my anvil (which would make a good sledgehammer) was near perfect for supporting the fixed jaw of the vice when orientated 90 degrees was a recent thing, which I found pleasing.
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