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I have been meaning to rework our 2 main work tables for awhile now....about 6 years!
I have a separate part of the workshop...the Office which is about 50sq m and has the plotters, Edge, etc. Out in the work area we have 3 main tables, these 2 long ones which are 5m x 1.2, so when pushed together we have 10m work surface. However they are abit low for the back, and I had thought of making a frame with a lower shelf area for all sorts and putting them on industrial castors/wheels with brakes, so they were easier to move around, I just wondered before we change things if anybody else had better ideas or smarter solutions.
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Henry, I just measured the height of my workbench that I use for assembly, sanding and finishing....pretty comfortable to stand and work..it's 35" high. (I'm 6' tall) When I need to carve on it, I raise it another 3" with an auxilarry top that is angled up another 3-4" to the back. This is all I can contribute. Hope it's of some help.
Joe, Makin Chips and Havin Fun!
-------------------- Joe Cieslowski Connecticut Woodcarvers Gallery P.O.Box 368 East Canaan CT 06024 jcieslowski@snet.net 860-824-0883 Posts: 2345 | From: East Canaan CT 06024 | Registered: Nov 2001
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For what you have I like your Idea of shelves under ... add storage and raise height (to where you like it I can't say) "I" would leave part fixed to attached the rolling parts to ... unless you have really good wheel/brake set-up and some weight to it.
-------------------- Compulsive, Neurotic, Anti-social and Paranoid ... but basically Happy Posts: 2677 | From: Rochester, NY, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Check out the plans for “Work Table” at The New Yankee Workshop page. newyankee.com I saw Norm build this on his television program. It has a unique way of attaching casters to the table, using a step on board attached with hinges. Got to see it to understand. I hope to try this soon on some of my tables. On the tables that I now use in my shop I have placed some metal joist hangers along the edges. The joist hangers as used in construction. When I want to make a long table I place some 2 x4’s in the joist hangers between the tables and instantly have a surface to lay plywood on and make any size table.
-------------------- Gary Winebarger Art & Sign Conover, NC Posts: 88 | From: Conover, NC USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Gary great tip there....have caught his shows over here, envious of all his shop setup. I have ordered plans before thru the net and built garden furniture from them, so that might be a good start.
Mark...I have just employed a signpainter from Birmingham, England, and he was moaning about the bench heights, we have built some good looking racks in the office, that hold 250 rolls of vinyl.
He has been a real blessing for me, in helping get some order in my life! Never seemed to find the time to put things back where they belong....its all changed now!
Thanks for the drawing, I will look into that too.
Its fun to hear and see how you have your bench setups....take some tips and ideas and make it work for us over here.
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Hello Henry! Funny you should post this right now as I am doing a step-by-step on a large banner that will fit over two large metal poles. I got the idea on how to paint the banner in my shop making a frame that would be able to "Spin", to do both sides. Now I'm thinking of making an easel much the same way. (I'm a moron for posting pictures so ya gotta picture this in yur mind for now) The frame is 40" wide by 19' long. I have cut five spacers inside with a hole drilled in the middle for a pole to go thru the entire length. On the frame, I have screwed on half inch mdo for a smooth surface for the banner to be painted over. With those dimensions, you can imagine the "Girth" of this monster. I'm still trying to work this out in a better way. I agree with you on height of tables and saw horses. Currently I have about 9 stes of horses and they are all different sizes and shapes. I want to "Clean House" and start over, and make them all the same and much higher up.
In the Winter of 2004, I am planning a Letterhead Meet here in Minnesota called..."The Winter Muster" I want to spend some time on this subject "Wood Shop 101 for the Sign maker" and have some seasoned veterans here with a complete wood shop set-up, to show and make the things everyone needs in their shop!
(You could probably get a good deal flying Iceland Air from Stockholm eh?)
mr. Fair's easel is nice but more importantly is the work that's ON that easel! You Rock Bubba!
Keep up the good work Henry....Do they really have Chevy trucks in Sweden? Does Volvo make a pickup? what side of the road do you herring eating people drive on? How bout the steering wheel? Where is it?
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
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I worked for many years in a small, restrictive shop. Now that I have room to spare, I still still with my old rules:
1.Everything on wheels
2. All supplies behind doors (cabinets)
3. Nothing is stored on the floor
I have a workbench/weeding & taping table/lunch trough/ striping table that I made , and it's cheap & functional.
If I was smarter...I'd know how ta post a pic.
I bought two 32" high Microwave stands. they have doors on the front of them, great for storage. I arranged them back to back, and suspended three interior doors (80" x 36") between them, acting as shelves (I found the doors at "Mr Seconds" for 10 bucks each). They are held to the backs of the carts with deck brackets.
I then laid two 2x6's, on edge, acroos the tops of the microwave stands, lengthwiseused more deck brackets to secure them, and laid a 10' x 36" piece of melamine over them. Screw 'em down, a piece of 1/4" polyurethane sheet over that, and voila! A mobile 10' bench, complete with three storage shelves for weeded, taped vinyl, or vinyl to weed, or projects, etc. The storage area in the microwave carts is where I keep my striping and gilding kits, transfer tapes, etc.
I'm going to (for a year now), add a 10' length of vinyl, household "rain gutter" up under one edge of the countertop, fot knives, squeegees, stabilos, crumbs, Almond Joy wrappers, etc.
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Sounds neat Brian! Hey, I won a CD of your Clipart at a Meet in England but have no sheet that shows what everything is. I have to click each one to view it. Can I get a sheet to see what's on the CD? I love your stuff! Thanks ...Mike
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
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Mark I like your set up. From the picture I presume that the easel is a full 4 x 8? How exactly is it hinged?
-------------------- Mario G. Lafreniere (Fergie) J&N Signs Winter did show up! Posts: 1257 | From: Chapleau, Ontario | Registered: Jun 1999
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I built 2 7 1/2" X 3 1/2" benches for myself. Each one used 2 sheets of MDO althogh you could use plywood just as well, some 2x4's and 4x4's plus casters.
-------------------- Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA
(714) 521-4810
si.allen on Skype
siallen@dslextreme.com
"SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
Never mess with your profile while in a drunken stupor!!!
Brushasaurus on Chat Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I was going to recommend exactly what Gary said. The table that Norm built on New Yankee Workshop is the slickest/simplest and most efficient thing I have seen in a long time.
The way it works is this: The table sits stationary with the wheels off the ground. When you lift up on the table (it's very light) the wheels drop into place and the jacks lock into place to keep them there. When you want the table to be stationary again, you just pull up on the rope attached to the jacks, and the wheels flip back up.
The whole thing is built out of plywood, no 2x4's, it's very light. The top is just 3/4" mdf that you replace when it gets worn.
It's awesome I tell you.
-shane
-------------------- Halo Graphics Clearlake Oaks, CA http://www.halographics.com ntshane1@halographics.com Posts: 308 | From: Clearlake Oaks, CA | Registered: May 2001
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Mine are not too pretty, cause they have been used a lot,but here is one. They are similar to Mark's bench, but are built from old hospital beds. The beds were disassembled down to the main frame and then wood tops constructed to fit on the top of the bump rails which are on all hospital beds like these. The voids where the original mechanics went (headlifts, cranks, etc.) were replaced with drawers which pull through to either side so I don't have to walk around to get tools I need. These are 4 - 36 inch drawers making like 8. (you should even see one sub drawer, in one of the larger drawers where they have been pulled open for this demo. The wheels lock and lock/brake. As you can see they make a very versatile moving easle/table. The one thing about this hinge placement, is that your work area is up higher in a more comfortable workrange than Marks bench.I use conduit pipes cut off at different lengths to adjust different work angles. The face of the easle employs pegs for raising small panel to work height.I have 8 of them converted in different manners. Some for movable drying racks and some for foundry use. The wheels are large enough for me to push them almost over any reasonable surface. The good part is they cost me 10.00 each at an auction of used hospital equiptment. All hospitals have them. Go and see what they are doing with them. These were given to the local Elk's club for a fundraiser auction. They are dinosaurs to them.
The first pic shows a tarp on the surface to prevent scratching sign faces, etc.
-------------------- "Don't change horses in midstream, unless you spot one with longer legs" bronzeo oti Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 www.imagemakerart.com jack@imagemakerart.com Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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Mike, I believe since Volvo sold its car division to Ford, and added Renault Trucks to its Swedish owned truck division, together with Mack, and old White Trucks, and its shares in Scania, it is now the world's largest truckmaker.....but they don't make a pick-up truck!
I tend to drive my Volvo Stationwagon around in the winter here, and yes I have a Chevy shop truck. I believe at one time Sweden had the largest amount of US vehicles per head of population outside the US. THere is a huge hotrod tradition here, as is a large HD culture, and interest in veteran american cars, alot of americans come here to take home restored vehicles!
I am english and so was brought up driving with the steering wheel on the right, but here in Sweden its on the left, I drove semi's for many yaers so have never had a problem going from left to right and vice versa.
I talked to Åsa (wife) last night about us making a trip to Minnesota, she would love to do that as she was raised there for a couple of years while her father studied forestry at the University.
We will have to see how it is for us finacially, and how the world is looking post whatever happens in Irak now.
BTW Its great to see how people have their workshop benches planned and working.....keep posting.
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Sounds good Henry! You are most welcome here anytime! We can accomadate you to help with the costs. just get to the Minneapolis St.Paul airport and we'll do the rest! Ask yur wife, she'll tell ya that once yur here, you'll think you're in Norway! (Weather and Norsk foogies!) Where in minnesota did she live? When is that Swedish Letterhead Meet going to take place in your shop? Hell, I'd be there in no time at all! I know you got HOCKEY there!
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
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She was there in the early 80's In Minneapolis, Washburn, her father did a Phd at the University.
We'll have to work on making a trip a reality, as for a meet here, that too would be fun, just that I haven't come across many Letterheads here in Sweden....we'll have to work on that one as well!
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The hospital gurneys are a great idea. I have one that has my 10" table saw, planer, and router table. Real easy to move outside and very stable with the locking wheels. When I find another I will definately build a work table similar to yours Jack. I wonder if they make them with Briggs & Strattons. Ron
-------------------- Ron Costa Sign and Design 28 Ingerson Road Jefferson, NH 0358 Posts: 620 | From: New Hampshire | Registered: Oct 2002
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