Thinking about upgrading my workbench

[Stephen Cherry]

I was thinking about upgrading my work bench to something a little more substantial, and ran across this granite surface on an acution site. It's 20" thick, and 10' by 20' in size. Looks like it would be pretty stable.




They also have some steel ones, this one is 6" thick, and 4.5' x12'



Do you think these would be stable? Also, how heavy do you think they would be? I'm thinking that if I get one, I would get some casters from harbor freight so I could roll it around, but I'm guessing I would need to go for the heavy duty casters.

[Shawn Pixley]

Why think small? You need a bench the size of Ayers Rock made from unobtainium. You will of course need the HD casters and extened hold downs

[Joe Leigh]

I was thinking about upgrading my work bench to something a little more substantial, and ran across this granite surface on an acution site. It's 20" thick, and 10' by 20' in size. Looks like it would be pretty stable.




They also have some steel ones, this one is 6" thick, and 4.5' x12'



Do you think these would be stable? Also, how heavy do you think they would be? I'm thinking that if I get one, I would get some casters from harbor freight so I could roll it around, but I'm guessing I would need to go for the heavy duty casters.

Yeah, but is it absolutely flat?

[mike holden]

I spent many years building fixtures and models on these types of surface plates. And to answer Joe Leigh, YES! they are flat!
I have often thought that these would make excellent woodworking benches, even though they would fail Chris Schwarz's workbench test.
If you have the room, I would buy one and use it in a heartbeat.
Mike

[Stephen Cherry]

I spent many years building fixtures and models on these types of surface plates.
Mike

Mike- how are these surface plates intended to be used? I have used mini versions of this type of thing as a reference in vertical height measurements, but what types of things would be built on one?

[bob svoboda]

uhh. I think I'm busy on moving day....

[Jim Matthews]

Maybe I'm thick as a brick, but could the OP be pulling our collective chain - a little?

[Stephen Cherry]

Maybe I'm thick as a brick, but could the OP be pulling our collective chain - a little?

Ok, at 168 lbs per cubic foot, the granite is about 56,000 lbs. Does anybody have any idea how I could move this into the basement shop? I'm thinking it would be easier to get the steel one down the stairs since it's only going to be about 13500 lbs.

[David Weaver]

Allis HD41 on one side of the basement, stone on the other side, tie a cable between them and pull until the reference stone drops into the basement. Fix wall afterward.

[Dave Verstraete]

Ok, at 168 lbs per cubic foot, the granite is about 56,000 lbs. Does anybody have any idea how I could move this into the basement shop? I'm thinking it would be easier to get the steel one down the stairs since it's only going to be about 13500 lbs.

I think if you just brought it in the front door, it would probably get to the basement all by itself

[mike holden]

Mike- how are these surface plates intended to be used? I have used mini versions of this type of thing as a reference in vertical height measurements, but what types of things would be built on one?

The large surface plate would allow you to prototype a car (I am in the Detroit Area) and prototyped the LeBaron Convertible and the C-body Chrysler on a similar plate. I also used such plates to build the models for the engine nacelle on the V-22 Osprey and what I believe was the intake for the stealth bomber. That part was a black box government project, every part had its own origin so you did not know how it went together, but the shape is distinctive, and when pictures were published, I became sure that that is what it was. No official confirmation though.
In a more general answer, those surface plates were the workbenches for pattern and fixture shops. A known flat surface, certified angle plates and certified risers along with height gages allowed the building of anything the designers could draw up. Every part on a car, and on aircraft had its pattern made on just such benches.
As an aside, the benches when installed, or moved, required reflattening as they do sag. Unlike a wood benchtop though, the bench is leveled using optical devices (look like a transit the surveyors use) and adjusting the multiple support points to level the surface. In the steel plates we might also cut v-grooves with one vertical wall for the use of "line blocks" which help setup the pattern or model.
Finally, the large plates were used to "cube up" a model. Each body panel, and glass panel on a car were made with bases that were designed to fit together and create a full sized model. Considering that back then the models were made of mahogany ply, the cubed up car was stunning to see. The shop generally got about 10 minutes to ooh and aah over it before it was painted flat black for the customer. (if you were looking over the design, then the mahogany plies were distracting - but boy! they looked good!)
Mike

[Don Morris]

I wouldn't get them because they're probably too difficult to put square bench dog holes in them.

[Russell Dunham]

35000 pounds huh? It sounds like you need about 500 of your closest friends to help you get it down the stairs. Don't promise them dinner, that's like upwards of 5 grand in pizza and beer!