Thread: Metal workbench

Originally Posted by Unit_01

hello all, i want to know how i would postion sliders on my workbench. I will upload file which is google sketchup. Could someone show me where i would mount if i had 2 drawers beneath the bench top.
cheers

Gday Unit, do you mean 2 drawers side by side, or one on top of the other? And when you say sliders, do you mean like metal drawer tracks?

yes mate, exactly what u said. 2 drawers side by side with metal drawer tracks. SOmethin like this:

When you make your bench you need to locate some cross rails where the drawers are and weld some tags on the edge of the rail which you can drill and tap for the slders to fix to.

I have added some tags on one end of your sketch to give you a idea.

If you need more info or a picture I can take a picture of my bench to show you.

yep, DJ beat me to it. Add some tags like he has or also some rails like I have. You might find it easier to add some 16mm MDF panels as the internal boxes to screw the drawer runners on. Just makes it easier. You need to work out how big you want your drawers, and what you're going to make them from.

There is a million ways to do it.

Originally Posted by djstimber

When you make your bench you need to locate some cross rails where the drawers are and weld some tags on the edge of the rail which you can drill and tap for the slders to fix to.

I have added some tags on one end of your sketch to give you a idea.

If you need more info or a picture I can take a picture of my bench to show you.

mate that'll be awesome if u could take some pics of your bench and show me if ya dont mind. Yeah that'll be great, itll give me a better view of what u mean. Cheers

Originally Posted by martrix

yep, DJ beat me to it. Add some tags like he has or also some rails like I have. You might find it easier to add some 16mm MDF panels as the internal boxes to screw the drawer runners on. Just makes it easier. You need to work out how big you want your drawers, and what you're going to make them from.

There is a million ways to do it.

Thanks for reply mate, the drawers are goin to be made out of steel sheetin about 5mm thick, which will make em heavy duty and then i will need heavy duty tracks for em. So itll basically be a box that slides in and out of the bench. Thanks for your help guys.
Cheers,

Will take some pics in the morning for you.

5mm thick is way oversize for drawers, do you really need them this thick?

Mine are 2.5mm and they are even too heavy. 1.6mm or 2mm should be the thickest you need to go.

Originally Posted by djstimber

Will take some pics in the morning for you.

5mm thick is way oversize for drawers, do you really need them this thick?

Mine are 2.5mm and they are even too heavy. 1.6mm or 2mm should be the thickest you need to go.

nah mate, i dont really need em that thick at all. ill prob get 2.5mm then. and thanks for gettin pics mate, much appreciated

And how would u guys go about welding this thing up. WHat would u weld first? Would u weld up 2 rectangular frames, and then weld legs on (back legs are full length 1.8m and front are 1m) and then weld on the braces plus the tracks. i not too sure where to begin guys, could u point me in the right direction please.
cheers

Tack, tack, tack...

Tack weld everything first, then you have to make sure everything is straight and square before you start to weld things up.

Work in a sequence so the welds dont pull and distort the work piece.

Do a search on google for the information.

Al

any other ideas guys?

You want to make up a front and a back frame and then join the 2 together.

So basically you have 1 frame @1.8mx length of bench
another@ 1mx length of bench
and then join the 2 together with rails the width of bench minus whatever the thickness of front and back frames.

And what Al says

Find a flat level surface to work on.
Check the flatness and levelness of the surface across its diaginals with a long straight edge to make sure that your not going to weld up twisted frames.
Use clamps and magnetic right-angle brackets to form as much of the frame as you can.
Check for squareness, and as the other say tack on one side only of each join.
Check for squareness and then tack the other sides.
Check for squareness and only then start the longer runs.
If you have time, work across the piece - do a long run here the do one on the diagonally opposite side of the frame.
This will minimize distortion of the frame.

BTW for the drawer I would use galv 1.6 mm thick with a light frame. 2.5mm will weigh a ton.

Cheers

thanks for your help guys, yeah i guess 2.5mm is way too heavy, ill probably use 1.6mm. and by frame, do u want me to build a frame for it or can i just weld the plates together and make a box? Yeah, DJ. ill do wat u said to do, it seems the easiest. So when i finsh do up those 2 frames, and put side rails on, after that i put weld the tracks on.
cheers