Workbench

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cleaver
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Workbench

Post by cleaver »

Hi Everyone,

Going to build the mult-purpose bench.

Would you recommend sloping the top of it towards the nearest edge (i.e. towards me).

I know it needs to be at the right height for comfortable working, but wondered if also sloping it is a good idea....and by how much. It'll be about a yard deep, btw.

Was thinking of the slope being 3 or 4 inches from back to the front. But would appreciate advice.

ta :)
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prospero
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Re: Workbench

Post by prospero »

Keep it flat is my advice. The main thing is to find a comfortable working height.

I do have a A0 drawing board which I use for mount assembly and general 'delicate' stuff and this can be sloped, but mostly t's flat.
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Re: Workbench

Post by Justintime »

Hi Dan
Just about the height, don't underestimate how high a comfortable working height can be. My bench is 102cms high and is perfect for me. I'm only 5'9".
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cleaver
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Re: Workbench

Post by cleaver »

Thanks guys....I am going to think long and hard over the height.....but flat sounds the way to go! :clap:
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Re: Workbench

Post by Not your average framer »

If you've got enough space to make a nice big flat bench, butting your underpinner against one end and fitting a support for your mountcutter onto the other end, with the working surface of your mountcutter flush with the bench top seems to be a good way to go. I'm working towards doing this in my new shop premises. I have not done this yet, but that's still my plan.

I've been sorting out a few of the issues before getting started, for some reason I can't understand why the legs on my Cassesse CS-88 are all different lengths. Surely this can be what Cassesse intended? I you can probably guess, the bench top will be the same height as my underpinner, that is when I have figured out what to do about the differences in the leg lengths.

I'm still working out what size my main bench will be. I am hoping it will be 4 ft wide and maybe 7 ft long. Lots of things need relocating first. I got rid of the fridge last week, which was not what I wanted to do, but I'm running out of space and will have to keep the milk in a thermos flask.
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cleaver
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Re: Workbench

Post by cleaver »

Keeping the milk from going off can't be hard in this weather, Mark!

I like a couple of bench ideas from Pete Bingham's wonderful book: fixing a length of guttering just below working height, so you can 'sweep' hand tools etc in there when you need a clear deck (but they're still to hand).

Also, leaving a raised top lip all around the bench, that takes a sheet of hardboard (so it's easy to swap it for a new bit of hardboard when the old bit gets scuzzy). I guess you could keep the rough bit of hardboard to slot in for the messy jobs, and keep the clean bit for 'best'.
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prospero
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Re: Workbench

Post by prospero »

A word on workbench coverings......

I recently revamped my main 'clean' benches and replaced the (quite worn) carpet coverings with Flotex. This stuff isn't cheap,
but I managed to find a large 'end of roll' remmant that did the whole lot. Full retail is about £60 sq/m, but it cost me lass than
half that and it's a very attractive woodgrain pattern which looks good and easy on the eyes. It doesn't harbour 'bits' and doesn't
shed fibres. I have the bench edges rounded so there is no hard edge the damage frames when I slide them face-down over the edge.
And the carpet is cut so it slightly overlaps the edge to provide further cushioning. It's not the best idea to skimp on this. You might find
a bit of old carpet kicking about and decide to use it. Or find an offcut for a fiver. But this is your workplace where you are going to spend
a lot of time at and anything that makes the job go smoother is worth every penny.

** I also have a small roll of green 'conservatory carpet' that is handy for a temporary work surface. £3 from LDLs. :lol:

If you are assembling frames face down then be aware that cardboard/MDF is surprisingly abrasive. So are the green cutting mats. :|

The mucky bench (painting/ frame making) is exactly 6' x4' which corresponds to sheets of MDF I have. When it get gunged up with
paint and glue and wotnot I flip it over. When it's totally manky I toss it and put on a new sheet. A sheet last about a year.
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Re: Workbench

Post by poliopete »

"A word on workbench coverings........." by prospero

The advice he gave in the above post is priceless. :D

There is no need for bench edge "lips" or guttering to risk damaging frames when sliding them face-down over the edge. This is essential as I seal the frame package and also, often need to mark, with a pencil, underneath.

I would only add, make your bench as large as poss', otherwise one big job will bring work to a holt :(

My current bench is 7" x 7" with second-hand draw units built in underneath. It is the right height for me to comfortably reach over to cut 4" x 3" glass so no need for a sloping bench. I have at least 5" of space around my bench and each piece of kit is sited in order of use. A couple of very soft fabric offcuts kept handy are very useful to work on if the moulding finish is particularly sensitive. These offcuts are plain green and useful to lay customers work on at the design stage.
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Re: Workbench

Post by Not your average framer »

poliopete wrote:I would only add, make your bench as large as poss', otherwise one big job will bring work to a holt :(
I agree 100%.

Also the storage space under the bench is a great place to store lots of things to be quickly accessed while working. I like to store my mountboard in vertical compartments under the main bench and you can do this while having the bench top flush with the top surface on your underpinner.
Mark Lacey

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cleaver
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Re: Workbench

Post by cleaver »

Thanks again, all.

Prospero, great point on coverings...sounds like your bench top is plusher than my living room! Reminds me of that old Viz gag: "Get that luxury carpet feeling all over your home for less....by strapping two bits of wood covered in expensive carpet to your feet"

Pete & Mark, yes to the big as possible advice! Bit hampered by workspace size, but will go all out for as big as it'll take.
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Re: Workbench

Post by The Common Framer »

One other thing - I put mine on wheels - brilliant for flexibility in a small space!

cheers

matt
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Post by Richard Photofusion »

Lockable casters all round, and a couple in the middle for good measure. Looking forward to enhancing my pair of 8x4 flat benches when we move in the next few months. Planning lots of storage :)
Jim Miller
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Re: Workbench

Post by Jim Miller »

My recommendation would be to build the table out of 1/2" thick melamine-covered particle board, except use 3/4" for the top. You can attach slats to the bottom panel and underside of the top in mirror-image, with grooves to slide the vertical parts in. This table would go together like a puzzle. Be sure to design with perpendicular vertical parts, so that it cannot wobble in any direction, and fasten the structural members together using 1" aluminum angle; cut to 4" and use 1/2" x #6 panhead sheet metal screws.

The pictured table is more than thirty years old and has been disassembled, moved, and reassembled three times, and it is still rock-solid. You can configure the interior for vertical sheet storage, shelves, or any other purpose, but the main point is that wasted space under the table can be totally eliminated.

For height, I suggest that the top be an inch or so below your elbow.

At the WCAF Expo in Las Vegas this week, the new class on "Tables and Fixtures", featuring this table design, was well-attended.
Attachments
ARTFRAME Mat table-LoRes.jpg
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Jim Miller
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Re: Workbench

Post by Jim Miller »

Here are pictures of a similar table, including one showing the assembly. It is 12 feet x 3 feet x 42" tall, set up for dry mounting and vertical storage.
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Photo-Mounting Table-Done.jpg
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Jim Miller
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Re: Workbench

Post by Jim Miller »

Oops...the assembly photo didn't show, so here it is.
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Table-new for DryMounting-LoRes.jpg
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Not your average framer
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Re: Workbench

Post by Not your average framer »

The top surface of my new bench is probably going to be covered with self adhesive laminate flooring. It's very smooth, washable and extremely hard wearing. A cheap piece of remnant carpet, or a surplus piece of mountboard can be used on top of this as a removable work surface to protect frames if they are likely to be marked by contact with the flooring laminate. BTW, I won't be cutting glass on this bench, so there won't be any small glass particules to worry about.
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