I am at present in the throws of drafting out some sketches for a new woodworking bench for my workshop, which is not large…in fact its quite small by comparisson to some shown in photos, being approximately 3.0m X 5.0m…
…Added to this, taking away space are workbenches (on both sides of the length and at one end) and floor standing tools (table saw, bandsaw, planer/thicknesser and wood lathe).
I’m look to desigtn a new bench that is portable - in that it can be moved and repositioned on roller-castors (locking type), that will hold a number of tools (table saw, bench pillar drill, mortiser perhaps, and maybe the planer/thicknesser as well), and maybe be able to ‘flip-over’ some tools, so when not in use they can be flipped under the bench, leaving the plain surface for working space…not a lot to ask eh…lol…
So, roller castors then…this bench is likely to be heavy, so heavy duty is a must, my shop floor is wooden, not concrete, to they need to grip (not slide), and need to swivel (obviously)… In some US photos I have seen some really good looking roller castors that fit to the outside of bench supporting legs, and can be lowered to move benches and also locked, and raised when the bench is in the desired location, so there is no chance of the bench moving under load on just locked roller castors, which in my experience on a wooden floor (plywood) is often the case…
So taking this on board is there any experence out there on this, or knowledge of really good roller castors about, or the type mentioned above that can be side-fitted and raised-up when not being used, so the bench sits back down on its legs?
I had a look at the web-site you put up… what do these castors actually look like insitu? have you got any decent close-up photos showing them please?
Yes, I understand getting the levels right for allowing in/out-feeds on machines, which of course will be taken into account. I also considered being able to ‘break’ the bench, by using multiple units that ‘fix’ together with locking units, so you could ‘un-lock’ and un-doc a section with a machine mounted on it to use seperatley if needed.
Thank you for putting up the photos, yes they look quite meaty…always better to see them in ‘action’ to see how they look, I might well invest in some of these…
I like your blade guard - what sort of table saw are you using?
Yep, looks like a good job done, I like the use of the dust hopper under the saw and magnets on the zero clearance insert, but would it have benefitted by adding a finger hole into it?
An interesting one. My ‘shop is slightly larger (20’x12’ in old money) so I face much the same sorts of issues, but I decided to position all machines and benches permanently, which involved some very careful planning. My floor, like yours, is wooden and suspended with plenty of support underneath to take the weight of machinery. (Industrial bandsaw, BS11 bandsaw, Jet 260 p/t, VS1628 lathe etc)
One thing I don’t have is a circular or table saw. In a small 'shop they take up far too much room (in my 'umble opinion) and there are alternative ways of working (albeit slower for the type of work I do) which are as accurate, if not more so. The bench is far too heavy for me to lift and there’s no movement whatsoever when I do some pretty aggressive planing.
The biggest thing for me with machinery on castors in the workshop is that by default you have to have trailing cables (unless they dangle from the ceiling) which for me is a big 'elf n’safety issue as well as being a pet hate.
Yep, it’s a bit of a headache actually, so many choices…I tinkered with benches, planned moving stuff, what to keep and what not to keep, had a massive ‘ruthless’ clearout, and change around, but still it’s not quite right… I am thinking of doing away with all but about 2 separate 1 metre lengths of fixed benching, so I can retail my large engineering vice on one bench and have a horizontal surface to lay down tools etc and other stuff, like glues and sprays etc, and only having a mobile workbench, a bit wider - current benches are about 600mm wide - so probably at least double this width, and just standing other big machines, like my makita floor standing bandsaw against a wall etc…but this then leaves the problems of storage of bits and pieces, timber (currently on wall racking over a bench, and the oodles of other things that occupy space, and tools, nails, screws, bolts, tool boxes, as well as other kit…compressor, welder, plasma cutter, and various others bits etc… I guess come the spring I am going to have to invest in an attached external area to house some bits, as well as trying to fit in a dust extraction system I shall be trying to put into being… if I ever get sorted…lol…I might just find some time to get making… As far as power is concerned I have an adequate supply of 240v for general tools, and two 16amp outlets for higher demand… in respect of mobile bench use, I have decided mounting 240v outlets on the underside of the roof beams to be the most suitable method of overcoming trailing cables, so the leads hand down as opposed to providing trips around the place… How is your shop working out?
Pretty much sorted as a cabinet making 'shop. I have all the toys I need to make the sort of stuff I enjoy, but one of the most important aspects which is often overlooked is leaving enough space to assemble your project and it’s this floor footprint that determines what can actually be built. See elsewhere on the forum for a computer desk recently finished and you’ll see what I’m blathering on about…
IMO on the ZCI a finger hole is not needed, you only remove the insert when the blade is retracted so then have a slot to lift by.
As to moving bench’s and equipment, the problem of trailing cables can be got over by flush cavity floor box’s, I have four of these, each has four power outlets and a 110v lead the transformer of which is switched on by a remote control
You must have skinny fingers or long nails then…lol…
Yes, floor boxes, in my experience the metal ones fail, so certainly would not consider fitting plastic, and of course having to cut into the shops floor panels and run cables below the floor… something I don’t have to consider by putting small power outlets overhead for use by a mobile bench and/or machinery, and as my shop roof is only 8’ running to 7’ 6”, not a problem either, and no head wanging on them…
Long nails and a handy screwdriver, I did consider putting a finger hole in the ZCI, but it seemed to be a problem waiting to happen, can you post a picture of yours.
My metal floor box’s have been in place for over four years without any failures, so don’t know where you are coming from on that non-issue, cutting the floor panels should not be a problem for someone involved in DIY woodworking, running cables under the floor just means reaching for them from each box, if you can’t reach them or throw the cable to each position then they are too far apart to be useful, fortunately the ceiling in my workshop is over 4.5M high so does not get in the way of material movement, but does preclude the installation of overhead sockets, I have in a different workshop found that when using overhead cables the vertical drop always seem to be in the way of whatever workpiece you are pushing through a machine, or caught around you head, but to each his own and whatever works for you.
No doubt there are different quality metal floor boxes about, but the ones I have encountered, have always seemed dodgy… that said it’s personal preference, and it’s just so much much easier for me to add additional small power outlets overhead and be reachable…as all of my circuits are wall mounted in conduit…so all I have to do to enxtend a circuit is open an existing outlet, run it to a new box and feed it back into the existing circuit… as opposed to having the extra and unwanted chore of starting to carve up m6 suspended timber floor and take the cables under it, and fitt8ng boxes and wiring it all up in that manner…Yes, I did give hanging cables some thought, and eventually decided tha5 I would have to extend the leads on the machines so they all exited the bench at the same point, that being one corner of the bench…from under it, so away from the two long working faces and any shorter in/out feed…I have also decided that a simple push-fit rod/pole onto which the cables can be ‘hung’ would probably make sense too…so they don’t just dangle…by the use of a bit of velcro…
My existing cheap and nasty table saw (fox) does not have a decent insert…the original (cheap plastic) was lower than the surface of the saw, wit( the obvious issues…so I removed it and made an aluminium insert which screws down, using replacement 4mm machine screws, as the original screws got knackered removing them, so drilled out the holes, tapped then put the machine screws in…hopefully in the New Year I shall have enoug( saved to get a decent machine, that will be carefully spec’ed before any money is spent… if yo7 had a choice for a new table saw for a small shop, what would you consider?
Your would seriously have to go out of your way to damage the floor box’s I linked to earlier, but have to say anything will eventually fail if its not installed correctly, these would be no exception if not flat and supported, I habitually wheel my bandsaw, planer thicknesser and saw table around on top of them without issue.
I am extremely happy with my Axminster TS250-2 I really don’t need anything more fancy, literally it and all my machines are there to size timber to go through my router table and they all do it very well, the TS250 with the side slide mitre table is excellent, can’t fault it in any way, but it has the same shortcomings of all table and cabinet saws and that is the lack of dust control, the link I gave earlier shows how I got around that problem.
It ma6 seem massive, but it’s quite full, workbenches, under bench storage, wall mounted storage, some overhead storage, and some floor-standing Tools…principally wood lathe, bandsaw, thicknesses/planer and table saw…so not so massive…
If I got rid of power tools and machines I would get little done, as working by hand can be done, but it takes soooo looong to accomplish anything…I jus5 have to find a way for it to work better and probably need to create some addition storage space…
Agreed; working entirely by hand is an option and many do, but the downside is that it simply takes too long to prepare material, especially if the job is a large one. Also, there are techniques such as deep re-sawing boards for veneer which are almost impossible to replicate by hand. I guess most woodworkers find a comfortable balance along the spectrum between power/machinery and hand tools. I have a very good pal who only uses his No.4 plane as a device to keep the 'shop door open in hot weather; all his woodworking is done with machinery!
As far as power is concerned I have an adequate supply of 240v for general tools, and two 16amp outlets for higher demand… in respect of mobile bench use, I have decided mounting 240v outlets on the underside of the roof beams to be the most suitable method of overcoming trailing cables, so the leads hand down as opposed to providing trips around the place… How is your shop working out?