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Thread: Workbenches/Storage areas/Cabinets

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Chatsworth, GA
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    2,064

    Workbenches/Storage areas/Cabinets

    My electrical should be compleated this weekend and it will be time to look at making some workbenches and storage cabinets. Does anyone have any multiple functional benches/cabinets? Like a workbench that has a saw(scrollsaw,or other item) mounted to it that maybe rotates under the table out of the way so you can have full use of the workbench when you need it. I want to have full use of everything, but for the items that are not used alot to be mounted in a way that they can be flipped out and used at any time without having to dig them out of the corner and clamping them to a table. Since I have 10ft ceilings I'm looking at shelving around the upper part of the ceiling for bowls, and storage. I don't want the shop cramped up with stuff I don't use alot. That's why I need multi-functional cabinets/benches. If you have something like this please post a picture(s). Please any help or pics would be greatly appreciated.
    Donny

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
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    22,492
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    You're way ahead by already taking the approach you are. Anything not used at least monthly can be in another room or out in a shed. Anything you don't use weekly can be in a storage cabinet, shelf or somewhere out of the immediate area. Save your immediate workspace for those things that you use every time you are at that location. Well done. That lesson took me years to learn ;-)

    Most of my shop fixtures were developed by reading and looking at everything I could. This seemuingly endless volume of material can then influence your own application of these ideas. All of our shops are different and we all do things differently. Most of the fixtures and methods I have discarded were done "as shown". The ones that stick around were tailored to my space and methods (right or wrong ).

    Here's some of my organizational stuff to add to the flood of ideas you can find:
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by glenn bradley; 12-18-2010 at 9:52 AM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Phoenix, AZ
    Posts
    1,417
    oh man... now my "projects list" just got expanded by 5...

    Donny, one thing I really like is to have a long extension table on the table saw, then build cabinets underneath it, and to put a router into the end of the extension wing with the router cabinet below. Saves a lot of space.

    And a combined "assembly table / tablesaw outfeed table" is good, with lots of built in storage below it too, giving you a 3-purpose bench.
    Thread on "How do I pickup/move XXX Saw?" http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=597898

    Compilation of "Which Band Saw to buy?" threads http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...028#post692028

  4. Hey Donny,

    (I'm in the American south, we don't say Hi or hello.....)

    I remember reading many years ago, in one of the woodworking mags, about a system that a man had in his shop. He had numerous benchtop tools -- a mortiser, a drill press, an oscillating spindle sander, etc.

    He had mounted each of those devices to plywood bases that were all the same dimension. And on the top of his bench, there was a "receiver" for just such a plywood base. When he needed to use a benchtop tool, he'd get it off it's shelf (base attached), and slide the base into the receiver. Bingo! a bench-mounted benchtop tool.

    And now that I think more about it, maybe the receiver was something that was removeable, and was held in place by the face vice? If you can plan/make such a system, the bench could also be completely available for milling wood, for assembly and glue-up, for planing and such............

    And all you need is enough shelf-space to store the benchtop tools on pre-made bases.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Fort Pierce, Florida
    Posts
    3,498
    I have a planer table similar to Brad's. When the planer is down I have a work surface and I have a box with a drawer that sets on top and has a grinder and a buffer mounted on it. The drawer holds related 'stuff'. I take it off and set it on the workbench when i want to use the planer.
    Retired - when every day is Saturday (unless it's Sunday).

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Fallbrook, California
    Posts
    3,562
    I haven't built anything fancy, but I did set up a drill press mortiser station that is very handy.
    DP_M_1alt-453x600.jpg

    The cart is a Craftsman tool chest that I found on one of their great sales and I attached some plywood to the top. On top of the plywood I placed my Delta bench top drill press and a Steel City mortiser. The drawers house all my bits, other items used with the drills or mortiser as well as my portable drills. When I have something that needs to be drilled I have one place to find what I need.
    Don Bullock
    Woebgon Bassets
    AKC Championss

    The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.
    -- Edward John Phelps

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