New workbench area & construction info

[precisionworks]

Not flashlight related per se but a workbench is the most essential piece of equipment in any shop IMO. Decided to build a bench area in the attached garage to keep gun repair visitors out of the main shop - too much stuff in there that might tempt someone to do something stupid.

Finally got the new furnace/AC installed in the garage:


Early in the installation:

Final install showing shelves removed on left side of unit:

The butcher block table is 24" x 24" and is a moveable bench. The area right of the butcher block & left of the furnace is the location for the new fixed workbench (green rendering).

After constructing a lot of benches over the years the one that works best for me is a top laminated from multiple sheets of MDF. A 48" x 96" x 3/4" sheet cuts down into four pieces 24" x 48", just the size needed for the bench top. Thickness on a four piece glue up is 3" & that's a bit thin so I glued up eight pieces:

There are never too many clamps in the shop:

Glue up finished & shown with 1/4" tempered Masonite work top surface. The Masonite is held down with four small wood screws & is easily replaced when it gets too chewed up. Solid oak edging will be attached to the front & sides of the top. Weight of top is 205# (93 kg). Since the table saw surface was scraped & trued dead flat it provided a good reference base to support the top during glue up. The Starrett 48" straight edge shows that the top is flat to within 1/64" in every plane - http://www.starrett.com/metrology/product-detail/Precision-Measuring-Tools/Precision-Hand-Tools/Precision-Rules,-Straight/Straight-Edges/385-48

More photos to follow.

 

[gadget_lover]

Wow. Makes my 3/4 inch plywood bench look like a toy.

How are you going to partition the shop? Looking at your setup reminded me of a working shop on display at a railroad museum. There were some huge metal working tools there. They simply ran a yellow plastic chain across the room as a "keep out" barrier when tours arrived. I've seen it in use at auto repair garages too. It seemed fairly effective.


Daniel

 

[precisionworks]

Not really planning to partition the garage When Gunshop visitors come. Just pull the car out & let the customers in. Space is only 20' x 30' & there's not much else to see except my portable welding equipment.

The more work I do in the garage the Lower the shop utility bill should be. It's at $190/month & the house is $180/month. Easier to heat or cool 600 sq ft versus 2100 :)


Barry Milton
Precision-Gunsmithing.com
iPhone5 voice recognition

 

[PEU]

Do some sealing on the MDF or it will warp sooner than later... shellac works, but you USA guys have lots of options!


Pablo

 

[precisionworks]

+1 on sealing MDF Pablo. I use yellow aliphatic glue thinned with 1 part water to 3 parts glue. Everybody has their favorite concoction but there's always a gallon of yellow glue in my shop.


Barry Milton
Precision-Gunsmithing.com
iPhone5 voice recognition

 

[precisionworks]

A friend of mine & his father in law stopped by to help move the bench top ... thank goodness they did. Sliding it off the table saw top & onto the hydraulic lift table was touchy even with all three of us pulling & pushing. Rolled the cart to the truck & slid the top off the cart & into the truck bed - again it was more pushing & shoving than anticipated. Drove the truck around to the garage & reversed the procedure. Everyone still has 10 fingers & 10 toes so that part went well.

A measurement of the bench in the shop (image below) gave the desired height for the new bench top. The rest of the workshop is a total disaster but the smithing bench is always organized.

Scribed a level line on the wall, measured the thickness of the top + tempered Masonite work surface & mounted a 3" x 6" x 48" angle (bent from 11 guage steel). Again used the lift cart for positioning & leveling. Welded up the front legs & support stretcher & moved them under the top. Got everything plumb & level & used Tapcon screws to secure the feet to the floor.

Pipe is thin wall well casing complete with rusted finish. Cheap at $1/foot & more than strong enough. Square tube is 4" x 4" x 3/16" & was laying in the cutoff pile so it was already paid for.

Bubble isn't quite perfect but it's good enough for government work :nana:

Front of bench is intentionally set at 1/4 bubble higher than the rear (less than 1/2" rise over 24"). Parts should always roll back to the wall & not roll forward to drop onto the concrete.

More photos to follow.

 

[BenChiew]

Barry. What type of services do you provide for gun modifications?

Do you do all firearms type?
Pistols - semi autos, revolvers
Shotguns?
Rifles?

 

[precisionworks]

Pretty much everything that you mentioned plus full on custom builds (mostly M1911 pistols & AR-platform rifles). Builds are priced according to accuracy requirements & the ultra accurate AR's (guaranteed to put 10 shots under half a minute of angle) are my favorite. Pretty cool to cover a 10-shot group with a U. S. dime coin :)

Lots of repair work, primarily metal & some wood. Enough trigger jobs to drive a sane person crazy. Once I get rich & famous the shop will specialize more but that may never happen.

 

[BenChiew]

LOL.
I will pass this information to a local gun dealer here that previously asked if I knew someone that could do these work.

1 MOA standard is pretty good especially for non competitive firearms.
The 1911 platform is pretty much time tested. Undeniably there will be more after market parts made for this platform. Unfortunately in Malaysia, firearms owners are more interested in the James Bond Walthers and probably the Glock brand name. :)

 

[precisionworks]

1 MOA standard is pretty good especially for non competitive firearms.

Nothing wrong with any rifle that shoots inside one minute. (For the non-shooters, 1 MOA subtends 1" at 100 yards & most hunters want a rifle that's at least that accurate.) My best AR build so far keeps 10 shots under 0.300", less than 1/3 MOA. Smallest group from that particular rifle is 0.197" but that happened only one time so it not representative of overall accuracy. It's a 1/4 minute gun all day long :)

The 1911 platform is pretty much time tested. Undeniably there will be more after market parts made for this platform.

102 years and shows no signs of slowing down, who would have thought. Doing a full custom compensator M1911 right now, should be a tack driver.

... in Malaysia, firearms owners are more interested in the James Bond Walthers and probably the Glock brand name.

LOL, both are highly reliable self defense tools. Glocks outnumber all the other self loaders that come into the shop, seldom for service issues but mostly for night sights, trigger jobs, etc. S&W's in 9mm are also really popular in the USA.

 

[StrikerDown]

Jeez Barry, I thought that bench was for gunsmithing not blacksmithing... It look almost as stout as an anvil!! :devil: :D

 

[KC2IXE]

1MOA? Shudder.thats ok fora hunting or plinking rifle,but then again, even my deer rifle is on a trued action with a Hart barrel. My accurate rifle involves brands like Stolle and Jewell...

 

[BenChiew]

I am sorry Barry, I am not familiar with the AR. What is it chambered for?
My firearms days dates back to the 90s when I was living in Australia. In Malaysia where I live now, firearms are only restricted to the super rich and at that mostly small arms for self defense. Due to the range of the rifle, they are not permitted even right down to the plinking 22s.
Other than sporting shooters, everything else is pretty restrictive. Even back in the 90s, Australia was pretty strict with auto loading rifles especially the center fired rounds. There were several incidences where nutty individuals went on a rampage shooting the public with autos. I believe these days, the auto loaders are a no no in Australia unless you have very good reasons. It is a shame that a few irresponsible individuals caused the demise of those rifles. I used to remember having a 50clips mag on a Ruger 10/22 shooting at bolting rabbits. Those were the good old days. One of my favorite was the double triggered Anschutz 22 used for small game. The 17 single shot was very popular for fox hunting. A high velocity flat shooting round that did not make a mess of the pelt. I also enjoyed the flat shooting 22/250 on a single shot Ruger bipod on the top of the hill.
I better stop here. Those good old days.
Sigh.

 

[StrikerDown]

I am sorry Barry, I am not familiar with the AR. What is it chambered for?...

It is a shame that a few irresponsible individuals caused the demise of those rifles....
Sigh.

Most AR's, the AR-15 for example are chambered for .223 (or 5.56mm). Many other calibers can be found on the "AR" platform though.

Yes, It is a shame! There should be a law prohibiting irresponsible individuals from being in governments!!!

 

[precisionworks]

I admit that the 6 inch thick top is a bit much - Not a big surprise for those who know how I work. Here is the thought process behind that thickness.

A two ply top is absolute minimum thickness and only stays flat if supported by a 2 x 4 frame. Using four plies makes a sturdy top but still needs 2 x 4 framing. Going with six plies or eight plies virtually eliminates the need for a subframe And allows supporting the top with a length of square tubing or something similar.

Since the top pieces were cut by a friend at a cabinet shop they are all exactly the same size So it took very little time to glue up the stack. My granddaughter rode her bicycle around the shop while I glued and screwed all eight pieces together So it did not require a great deal of concentration.

Building a subframe would have required taking dimensional lumber and jointing and planing all four sides to make it square and true. Cost savings might have been $20 but it would've taken a lot more time And there isn't much of that extra anymore. Watching her every Friday means that my workweeks are four days plus whatever I can get down on Saturday and Sunday. Not complaining as I would not trade this time with her for anything in the world But it's a real challenge to get all the work done every week.

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EDIT: Post #6 shows the first big bench I built in 1982, over 30 years ago. The dark brown top is the same tempered Masonite used on the smithing bench & that bench is now on top #4 or #5, not really sure which one. The material is inexpensive, tough, durable & frequently used for bench tops.

Under the brown top is a glue up of 2 x 4 lumber, face to face, with all thread through bolts that act as full length gluing clamps.

A 2' x 8' top is an ambitious project - each 2x4 has to the jointed, ripped, jointed again & thickness planed before it's ready for use, about half a day in stock prep for that top. Then the top has to be assembled on a dead flat surface if you want it to end up close to straight & flat. Or build it wherever you can and spend hours sanding & scraping the top to flat. Did it one time & that's enough for me but it makes a nice solid top.

A thin 2-layer top can be supported with extensive framing or with a torsion box ... a good bit of work either way. If your budget allows a pre-built top that's the quickest & easiest way to go but the cost can be up there.


Barry Milton
Precision-Gunsmithing.com
iPhone5 voice recognition

 

[StrikerDown]

That's a lot of justification for an over the top top! You could have said you wanted to throw anything on top of it, up to and including a diesel engine with truck attached, and not worry about a failure! :nana:

Your last pic sort of reminds me of my very first work bench top, I used material on hand, two pieces of 4" X 12" header material glued edge to edge with Elmer's glue! Not as high tech or flat as your creation I'm sure but I used it for over 35 years until the wife said that thing is sure getting ugly! And yes I have had a gas engine on it, sans the truck! :eek:

There is no substitute for a good work surface that can handle anything you throw at it... sometimes literally! :thumbsup:

 

[precisionworks]

LOL Ray, my wife may make me sleep on it so it needs to be flat :)

Trimmed out the exposed edges. Boards still need stain, sealer & topcoats. 1/4" thick top sits in a trap formed by the trim boards & the back wall (no fasteners used).

Measured a dozen times & still ended up half an inch above the butcher block ...

Four small leveling risers should fix that. Probably use some 4" solid aluminum round stock but Ti would be a lot nicer ... I'll even pay shipping if someone wants to send a 12" long piece of 6-4 that's 4" diameter :)

 

[StrikerDown]

LOL Ray, my wife may make me sleep on it so it needs to be flat :)

...:)

Ahaaa! The true reason it has a slight tilt towards the wall... and all this time we thought it was to keep drills and pins from rolling on the floor! LOL!!!!:thumbsup:

Looking real nice Barry.

 

[precisionworks]

Thanks Ray :)

First coat of Minwax 215 Wood Finish (stain & seal). Just a little bit of protection but it applies fast, goes on evenly & ... half a gallon was sitting on the shelf from years ago. Gave the top half a dozen coats until it wasn't taking any more - makes grease & oil easier to clean up.

http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/stains/minwax-wood-finish

Two primer coats + two color coats on the metal so that part is done. Need to wait until there is zero smell from the Minwax as that indicates total dry out & then topcoat with poly spray.

Got a couple of spots of stain on the back wall but a piece of small quarter round will go on last to finish out that area. Ordered two magnetic tool bars (Master Magnetics from Amazon at $19 each) & need to hang the 1/4" peg board but not quite sure where it should go. Two T-8 four bulb fixtures need to get mounted to the ceiling above the bench & it's (maybe, almost, I hope) done.

 

[precisionworks]

Had this old hang on cabinet for years & it looked like a good fit on the butcher block table:

Used half a dozen 1/4" stainless self drillers to attach to the frame:

The weight of the red cabinet makes the roller table a little tippy so a ballast plate was added to the back. 7 gauge plate steel (.180" thickness) & size is 28" x 28" because it was cut months ago for another project.

Need to install edge guards & figure out what needs to go on that plate.