My assembly table endeavors / questions...

[Brad Ridgway]

i've been needing/wanting an assembly table for a while as i have nothing flat / large enough in the shop and assembling on my garage floor was getting old. all day yday and i've now got the basics done - just shy of 4x8 with the skins attached. not sure where its going or how i'll move it around in my small shop, but thats besides the point.

i had gone to the trouble of drilling holes in all the ply pieces for the grid to allow me to attach my vacuum pump for more clamping pressure while i screwed down the skin. i attempted to seal the gaps with tape all around both skins where they met the grid and figured there was roughly 6 cubic feet to remove. I have an old thomas pump that i was sure specs could pull 3cfm in Joe's setup. Anyway it would never create a vacuum and i let it run at least 10 minutes.... i could not feel/find a leak anywhere, but i'm guessing there was one somewhere... so weight & screws ended up being my only clamping pressure.

Anyway. pretty good experience, though the top isn't dead flat throwing a straighedge across reveals some slight dips (guessing <1/32?) but not real bad (they are from inaccuracies in ripping the core strips) as i had a very flat /level base for assembly. i'm thinking i'll fold up some foil to shim the hardborad top that goes on top to get it really close...

if only i could find some cheap hardwood to skirt it



questions:

1) the hardboard is only 3/16... i'm slightly worried if i try to countersink screws that its not going to come out well... should i brad nail only in a few spots? i do want it replaceable as in the woodwhisperer design...

2) was thinking that some kind of leveling compound on the top skin would be great. I don't want the stuff they make for concrete floors (but same idea) but anything else (of ahobby/craft variety) that could flow and adhere to mdf and dry solid and flat to remove those minor dips?

3) i think the torsion construction would allow me to store on the long edge without any tendency to bow / warp... anyone feel otherwise (esp if that happened to be for long periods)?

[Brad Ridgway]

Sorry one more question as well...

my hardboard as noted above is 3/16 (from the blue borg - they carried this and 1/8). Seems alot of people recommend 1/4. Are both common sizes ? I don't want to set the skirting level for what i have if there's a risk i couldn't get the same thickness later on (and a new top would be above the skirting)

thx

[glenn bradley]

Sorry one more question as well...

my hardboard as noted above is 3/16 (from the blue borg - they carried this and 1/8). Seems alot of people recommend 1/4. Are both common sizes ? I don't want to set the skirting level for what i have if there's a risk i couldn't get the same thickness later on (and a new top would be above the skirting)

thx

3/16" is readily available at the BORGs at this point in history and 1/4" seems to have disappeared. My lumber yard carries 1/4" so no problems for me. YMMV.

P.s. I stuck my 3/16" hardboard down with double stick tape. No problems in 5 years (the replaceable top turned out to not need replacing near as often as I thought it would).

[Harold Shay]

The hard board will stay put with the double stick tape, I used Norm's design for the legs and wheels and it works great. I have mine the same heigth as the table saw and it works great for infeed or outfeed if I need it.
Harold

[Don Jarvie]

When I made my assembly table it was just a simple 3x6 plywood table on castors.

Instead of a hardwood top I got some big cardboard boxes and stapled the cardboard to the top. This provided some cushion for putting things together.

When the cardboard got crappy I replaced it.

[Steve Kohn]

I also used Norms design for the legs and torsion box design. However I modified the feet to use regular double locking casters. After using the table at the 3 foot X 6 foot torsion box size (covered with an auxiliary top to make the table 80 inches by 42 inches) I realized it was too big to really utilize.

So I simply took the top off, made more legs, and cut the torsion box in half. I also added a shelf under the tables.

Now I have 2 tables of an ideal size, 42 X 40.