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208K views 49 replies 21 participants last post by  GarryP 
#1 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
 

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#2 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
Garry, I think that it looks like a great idea. You've likely already seen this, as there are many similarities to what you've got planned, but I thought I'd share the following anyways.

Dubbed the "Ultimate Tool Stand," I built one this spring for my shop (I'll have to get some pictures of mine uploaded soon), as I had many of the same goals in mind as what you identified. It's been a great addition to my shop, and I think what you've got planned will be very versatile and useful.

http://christophermerrill.net/ww/plans/UTS/Tool_Stand_1.html

Hope you can glean any ideas that can be tacked on to what you're planning. Again, looks great! Good luck with the build, I'll be looking forward to the finished product!
 

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#3 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
Looks like a version of the Paulk bench. The only possible issue I see is how close the saw and router table are to each other.
 

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#4 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
Stoli - Yes, I tried to incorporate many of the good ideas from Lumberjocks and others. The Paulk workbench makes a lot of sense to me. One big advantage is having a handy place for tool laydown without cluttering the workbench top.

I'm not sure I see the issue with the router placement. It's the same as many others which mount the router in the table saw rails to be able to use the table saw fence for the router.

SawdustSeamhead - Thanks for the link and the encouragement. I hadn't seen that workbench before. Lots of good ideas I can consider.
 

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#5 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
You can see a brief video of the construction concept at
 

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#6 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
Very cool design.
 

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#7 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
Looks good. I'm a little concerned about the way the wheels fold to lower the bench to the ground. If I was looking at it right it seems that all the weight is on the hinge screws, so maybe I would look at that, it could be strong enough, IDK.
Also I downloaded the model. The file size is pretty big, (9859.67KB) the bigger the file the longer it takes to refresh and load.
You can cut the size more than half (4330.62KB) by purging unused items. Check it out.
Rectangle Azure Font Parallel Screenshot

Before you try it, look at "FILE" and you will see what the size is. Purge, save model, go back to File and see what the size dropped down to.
 

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#8 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
KevinJeffery - Thanks for the tip on reducing the file size for the Sketchup model. Done.

Good point about the loading on the hinge screws for the casters. Those hinges will have to be heavy duty as well as the fasteners (maybe use through bolts instead of screws). It might also be good to rout insets for the hinges to help take the load.
 

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#9 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
As long as it has some real good casters with brakes I think that it can be a very good workable idea.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
 

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#10 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
Charles - Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, good casters will be crucial. It's currently drawn with 5" x 2" heavy duty casters (rated 900 lb. each) with roller bearings. I'm considering going to 6" diameter wheels. My biggest worry is that it will be too hard to move but I'm fairly confident I can do it. Worst case, I take it apart and rebuild it as two separate mobile benches.

I don't think I want to use brakes since this means the bench would always be on the casters with a potential to develop flat spots from long periods when not using it. Plus brakes are sometimes hard to access depending on which direction the wheel is pointed.

The idea as drawn is to use a bar to raise the bench on casters for transport, then lower it on substantial wooden feet for use. A bar could be inserted in the hole as shown below to lever the caster and bench. The spacer block would hinge into place to support the load on the caster or laid flat unload the caster and support the load on the foot.
Automotive exterior Automotive design Font Gas Auto part
 

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#11 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
something similar here.

It's a cool work surface!
 

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#12 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
What about a solid mounted caster with something like one of these
 

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#13 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
KevinJeffery,

Thanks for the Floor Lock idea. Four of those will work great. And I found a set of four for around $70 that should do the trick.

 

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#14 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
I am a late joiner to this blog. Gary your design will work perfectly for my narrow shop area. I have a 1930's cabinet saw that will be separate from the bench, bit to use the bench as a run out table I'll adjust the height of the table to match the saw.

As I said I am a late joiner . . . so not yet well versed in the ways of the blog, but, please let me know you I aquire the drawings (c/w your mods). Hopefully electonically.

Great project, thanks for posting.
 

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#15 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
You can download it from Sketchup at https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=2365a9a808bf701928b0a3696528436d I don't really have a set of drawings. Take the idea and create it to fit your needs.
 

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#16 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
I have downloaded the plans and the reader, and have spent time examining the plans.

This concept will work so well in my shop space - and I am excited to get into the project. But as I am a bit green, I have several dimension questions that no doubt trivial to the experienced builder are important to me.

Such as, the depth of the two torsional boxes, the over all dimensions of the unit you built, the weight reducing cut out dimensions. Do find any flexing of the lower torsional box around the casters?
 

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#17 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
The boxes are about 7" deep overall with 4" cutouts. I added reinforcing blocks in the corners to distribute the load from the asters. The photos will help.
 

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#18 ·
Design

I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm a contract engineer so we have to move every few years. My shop is usually one side of a two car garage with makeshift shelves. I sometimes add some cheap cabinets but end up leaving them when we move. A good dust collection system is out of the questions so I usually do a lot of my work in the driveway. This means carry saw horses and plywood for makeshift benches and wheeling tools on rollers in and out. There are many trips back and forth for hand tools and supplies.

So here's my proposal. One big rolling workstation that combines the table saw, router, work surface, drawers, cabinets, and a place to set up other tools like the miter saw or maybe a planer. With everything on one platform, there is little time spent running back and forth - all tools normally needed are handy. The design is modular so it can be disassembled for moving or modifications. The bottom platform and the work surface are torsion boxes.

Of course there are drawbacks. It's heavy - 1200 to 1400 lbs. It needs a fairly level driveway - not that common.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a hare-brained scheme? You can download the Sketchup model from the Sketchup Warehouse.
Crash cart Rectangle Gas Font Automotive lighting


Product Rectangle Gas Automotive exterior Technology
Gary the images help a lot. I am contemplating bending some steel to take the place of the reinforcing blocks. the steel would run from the top of the casters to the under side of the lower torsion box.

The idea is to have the load carried from the lowest point of the assembly, transfer that load up to the top of the casters. Would you comment on the necessity of this idea? Is it perhaps over design?
 

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#19 ·
Taking the plunge - Starting the project

Actually, I started this project some weeks ago. I've been working on the design for a while. I recently bought a new table saw to incorporate into the UMWW. Besides wanting a decent quality saw, my requirements were 110 V and less than 15 amps so I could power it from a standard garage circuit and hybrid design with a small cabinet mounted on legs that could be removed. The candidates were the Ridgid R4512, Sears 21833 and the Grizzly GO661. The nearest HD with the Ridgid was 2 hours away and the Grizzly with shipping added was much more expensive so I chose the Sears primarily because I could get it locally. I pretty happy with it so far.



But I wanted the saw anyway, so this purchase didn't commit me to the UMWW project. So I posted the design on LJ partly wishing someone would shoot it down. But, no, everyone was encouraging and helpful.

So last night I ordered the caster and floor locks. 6" 900 lb polyurethane casters from SES Caster Co. on Ebay (model # CR51R06SX0X.PPXMGRX) for about $13.00 each plus shipping:



And a "set of four 7-1/2 Albion LF Series floor locks from Amazon for $57.00 :



Next is updating the design for these items then actually starting on the bottom platform.
 
#23 ·
Platform and Work surface

So the UMWW is pretty well completed and I've been using it for a few weeks now. I'm very pleased with it and I'll submit some posts to cover the construction.

First I built the rolling platform torsion box. The 2Ă—4s are acting as clamps while the glue sets up.

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


The corners were cut away to reduce the height and reinforced with 2Ă—8s to carry the wheel loads.

Wood Natural material Wood stain Hardwood Plank


The finished rolling platform:

Wood Rectangle Gas Hardwood Plywood


The Work surface torsion box was built using the rolling platform as a work surface.

Wood Flooring Hardwood Gas Automotive exterior


And the finished work surface:

Hood Wood Automotive exterior Bumper Gas


Then the casters and floor locks were added. Later I added a 1/2" pad under the casters to give the floor locks more clearance on the uneven driveway. I simply place a 1/2" pad on the concrete when I use the stops to support the workbench.

Automotive design Table Audio equipment Wood Motor vehicle


The completed rolling platform:

Wood Rectangle Flooring Composite material Gas


Next, the cabinets.
 

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#24 ·
Platform and Work surface

So the UMWW is pretty well completed and I've been using it for a few weeks now. I'm very pleased with it and I'll submit some posts to cover the construction.

First I built the rolling platform torsion box. The 2Ă—4s are acting as clamps while the glue sets up.

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


The corners were cut away to reduce the height and reinforced with 2Ă—8s to carry the wheel loads.

Wood Natural material Wood stain Hardwood Plank


The finished rolling platform:

Wood Rectangle Gas Hardwood Plywood


The Work surface torsion box was built using the rolling platform as a work surface.

Wood Flooring Hardwood Gas Automotive exterior


And the finished work surface:

Hood Wood Automotive exterior Bumper Gas


Then the casters and floor locks were added. Later I added a 1/2" pad under the casters to give the floor locks more clearance on the uneven driveway. I simply place a 1/2" pad on the concrete when I use the stops to support the workbench.

Automotive design Table Audio equipment Wood Motor vehicle


The completed rolling platform:

Wood Rectangle Flooring Composite material Gas


Next, the cabinets.
Shore is gonna be a doozzie! That's sum kinda fine work, Garry! You're gonna be relly a proud pup when you can show us the finished bench. Keep'em cummin.
 

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#31 ·
Cabinets and drawer boxes

The cabinets support the work surface which is planned for a final height of 38-39" to fit me (I'm 6'3"). I left 1/4" for shimming to make sure it's not above the table saw surface. The outside dimensions are 20"x 20" x21-3/4" tall. Plywood edges are exposed since I didn't want to invest the time to trim them for a workbench.
Table Wood Rectangle Desk Hardwood


The drawers are designed to use the drawer bottom as the sliding surface after an idea I've seen here on LJ. They are sized to allow flexibility by making the nominal heights 2-1/2", 5", and 7-1/2" and creating slots on 2-1/2" centers for the slides. I can rearrange the drawers by moving them to different slots. The nominal dimensions are 19" wide x 19.5" deep. I can safely pull them out 16" without worry.
Wood Automotive design Engineering Table Toy


Since I'm using 1/2" plywood and didn't want to weaken the sides by routing slots, I created the slots by adding 1/2" x 2" strips on the cabinet sides.
Brown Wood Rectangle Beige Flooring


I needed ~20 drawer pulls and came up with a cheap solution out of stock 1Ă—2 pine. I cut a groove in one face and angled one edge 15 degrees.
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Automotive exterior


Next is mounting the table saw.
 

Attachments

#32 ·
Cabinets and drawer boxes

The cabinets support the work surface which is planned for a final height of 38-39" to fit me (I'm 6'3"). I left 1/4" for shimming to make sure it's not above the table saw surface. The outside dimensions are 20"x 20" x21-3/4" tall. Plywood edges are exposed since I didn't want to invest the time to trim them for a workbench.
Table Wood Rectangle Desk Hardwood


The drawers are designed to use the drawer bottom as the sliding surface after an idea I've seen here on LJ. They are sized to allow flexibility by making the nominal heights 2-1/2", 5", and 7-1/2" and creating slots on 2-1/2" centers for the slides. I can rearrange the drawers by moving them to different slots. The nominal dimensions are 19" wide x 19.5" deep. I can safely pull them out 16" without worry.
Wood Automotive design Engineering Table Toy


Since I'm using 1/2" plywood and didn't want to weaken the sides by routing slots, I created the slots by adding 1/2" x 2" strips on the cabinet sides.
Brown Wood Rectangle Beige Flooring


I needed ~20 drawer pulls and came up with a cheap solution out of stock 1Ă—2 pine. I cut a groove in one face and angled one edge 15 degrees.
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Automotive exterior


Next is mounting the table saw.
Interesting and innovative build. Looking forward to the next chapter!
 

Attachments

#35 ·
Mounting the table saw

A few months ago I bought a hybrid saw so I could remove the legs to mount it on my mobile workbench. I built a box to support the saw and house a chute to channel the dust to the exhaust port. My original intention was to slope the front panel all the way back to the outlet so the chute that came with the saw wouldn't work. During construction, I ended up with a square chute to get steeper angles and extended the suction pipe into it. I realized later that I could have saved some effort and used the saw's dust chute.

Rectangle Wood Tints and shades Box Linens


The suction pipe is angled to fit the chute:
Wood Table Flooring Floor Material property


A simple clamp holds the suction pipe in place:
Wood Gas Electronic device Plywood Machine


The back is removeable in case I ever need to modify it:
Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Gas Composite material


2" PVC connects the suction pipe to the blast gate in the bottom of the exhaust air manifold:
Fixture Automotive exterior Gas Composite material Pipeline transport


I cut out the front to make a small area for storing push sticks and guides:
Motor vehicle Tool Bumper Automotive tire Gas


Next will be electrical wiring.
 

Attachments

#36 ·
Electric power

Being mobile, the table is dependent on power from a garage outlet so I installed a flexible line with a plug to connect the table's electric system to a power cord. "Old work" boxes worked great and luckily the table cutouts were exactly the right size. The system is sized at 20 amps although it probably only needs 15 amps. I routinely start the tablesaw with the vacuum running with no trouble. I've only tripped the breaker or GFI once or twice when ripping some nasty lumber that kept trying to bind the blade.
Wood Gas Electrical wiring Cable Wire


Electrical wiring Cable Gas Wood Networking cables


This feeds power to outlets for general use and dedicated outlets for the tablesaw and router.
Automotive exterior Gas Vehicle door Tints and shades Bumper


The space between the table saw and the work surface table is the perfect location to make the outlets and switches accessible yet protected.
Pneumatic tool Handheld power drill Wood Tool Saw


The system also feeds switched outlets for the vacuum and the compressor.
Gadget Office supplies Font Rectangle Wood


The table saw will use the standard paddle switch and I've ordered a similar one for the router. I considered having a switch that turns on the vacuum at the same time, but since I would want it to work with the tablesaw, router and other tools, I thought it would quickly get too complicated. Since the vacuum switch is convenient, it's little trouble to turn it on manually. Plus it reminds me to make sure the air gates are correctly positioned for the tool I'm using.

Next I'll be working on the final positioning of the table and completing the router cabinet/tablesaw extension.
 

Attachments

#37 ·
Testing the dust separator

I posted two projects related to the dust collection system designed into this mobile workbench. Click the links for the compact Thien dust separator and the rotary blast gates.

The dust separator seemed extremely effective with almost no carryover to the vacuum. I was anxious test and document how effective, so I followed the example of some LJers and set up a test. I measured the contents of the dust separator bin and dumped it on the floor. I also swept up the shop floor which included a collection of leaves blown in when the garage door was open. I had to remove the leaves manually since they blocked the suction nozzle.

The contents of the bin = ~3.5Ă—15 x 15 = 787.5 cubic inches
The amount of dust in the vacuum after the test = ~5.5 cups = 79 cubic inches
Dust separator effectiveness for this test = 90%

Here are some before and after photos and video of the separator cyclone in action.

Volume of sawdust (~790 cubic inches)
Motor vehicle Automotive design Automotive exterior Wood Bumper


Volume of fine dust in vacuum after the test:
Paint Amber Automotive lighting Motor vehicle Gas


Measuring the dust after shaking out the filter (~79 cubic inches):
Bucket Gas Flooring Wood Cylinder


Here's a brief video of the cyclone separator in action:


And here's a brief video of the dust/air flow in the air manifold.


What I learned:
  • 90% is good but I was actually disappointed that the results weren't even better. I had previously seen almost no perceptible carryover. Perhaps the heavy loading affected the efficiency. I cleaned out the vacuum and will monitor the results over a long term with normal loading.
  • The heavy loading also seemed to cause dust to build up in the air manifold although it didn't seem to block flow. I've added a curved baffle which I hope will keep the dust moving. More later.
 

Attachments

#38 ·
Testing the dust separator

I posted two projects related to the dust collection system designed into this mobile workbench. Click the links for the compact Thien dust separator and the rotary blast gates.

The dust separator seemed extremely effective with almost no carryover to the vacuum. I was anxious test and document how effective, so I followed the example of some LJers and set up a test. I measured the contents of the dust separator bin and dumped it on the floor. I also swept up the shop floor which included a collection of leaves blown in when the garage door was open. I had to remove the leaves manually since they blocked the suction nozzle.

The contents of the bin = ~3.5Ă—15 x 15 = 787.5 cubic inches
The amount of dust in the vacuum after the test = ~5.5 cups = 79 cubic inches
Dust separator effectiveness for this test = 90%

Here are some before and after photos and video of the separator cyclone in action.

Volume of sawdust (~790 cubic inches)
Motor vehicle Automotive design Automotive exterior Wood Bumper


Volume of fine dust in vacuum after the test:
Paint Amber Automotive lighting Motor vehicle Gas


Measuring the dust after shaking out the filter (~79 cubic inches):
Bucket Gas Flooring Wood Cylinder


Here's a brief video of the cyclone separator in action:


And here's a brief video of the dust/air flow in the air manifold.


What I learned:
  • 90% is good but I was actually disappointed that the results weren't even better. I had previously seen almost no perceptible carryover. Perhaps the heavy loading affected the efficiency. I cleaned out the vacuum and will monitor the results over a long term with normal loading.
  • The heavy loading also seemed to cause dust to build up in the air manifold although it didn't seem to block flow. I've added a curved baffle which I hope will keep the dust moving. More later.
Interesting result. When I first pieced mine together, I left the parts loose so I could experiment. One thing that made a big difference was raising the "suck" pipe (mine is upside down from yours) higher such that there was more space between the end of the pipe and the face of the opposing plate. It seemed counterintuitive that a wider gap there spun out more dust, but I think maybe the gap was originally too close to the area of the pipe cross section and was limiting the "spin" in favor of an omnidirectional vertical suck, if that makes sense.

In it's current form, the outlet is only about 1 to 1 1/2 inches into a chamber that is around 5" high, and pretty much everything but sanding dust is near-totally spun out (planer and jointer shavings, table saw and router chips, drill press shavings, etc). Have done some bandsaw and scrollsaw dust, but not in any kind of controlled test like you have done. I should do that and see how it goes.
 

Attachments

#39 ·
Final details for the UMWW

Shims were cut to raise the table to ~1/16" below the tablesaw surface. Because of the gap required by the tablesaw fence, I sanded a shallow angle on the leading edge of the table to ensure work will slide smoothly onto the surface.

Hood Bumper Wood Gas Automotive exterior


My Bosch router table is 27" wide, the same dimension as the depth of the tablesaw. I drilled four holes in the fence rails and mounted it in a similar method. Then built a cabinet to fit under it and shimmed it as needed.

Automotive tire Waste containment Motor vehicle Bumper Automotive exterior


Automotive tire Tread Gas Tire Machine


Automotive exterior Gas Machine Auto part Bumper


I made my own fence clamps and modified the Bosch fence to clamp to the tablesaw fence when needed.

Wood Automotive exterior Engineering Naval architecture Bumper


Wood Flooring Gas Engineering Composite material


Here are some pics of the miter saw setup at the other end of the table. It's removable so the surface remains flat or other equipment like a planer can be set up there.

Wood Table Household appliance accessory Creative arts Composite material


Wood Table saws Flooring Gas Composite material


Table Wood Tool Hardwood Flooring


Here's a pic of the air hose storage. The quarter segment block swings out of the way to get the hose off but stays in place to keep the hose in place. You can see one of the table shims above the hose.

Gas Plant Wood Composite material Cable


The foot pads on the floor locks were too small to comfortably lift the table so I clipped on some larger plywood footpads. Here they are in the up and down positions. Note that I place a piece of 1/2" plywood under them for the proper height. This compensates for the 1/2" shims I added under the casters to provide more clearance for the floor locks due to the uneven concrete in my driveway.

Wheel Tire Automotive tire Tread Wood


Tire Wheel Automotive tire Tread Motor vehicle


Next will be my overall impressions of the UMWW (hint: I'm pleased).
 

Attachments

#40 ·
Final details for the UMWW

Shims were cut to raise the table to ~1/16" below the tablesaw surface. Because of the gap required by the tablesaw fence, I sanded a shallow angle on the leading edge of the table to ensure work will slide smoothly onto the surface.

Hood Bumper Wood Gas Automotive exterior


My Bosch router table is 27" wide, the same dimension as the depth of the tablesaw. I drilled four holes in the fence rails and mounted it in a similar method. Then built a cabinet to fit under it and shimmed it as needed.

Automotive tire Waste containment Motor vehicle Bumper Automotive exterior


Automotive tire Tread Gas Tire Machine


Automotive exterior Gas Machine Auto part Bumper


I made my own fence clamps and modified the Bosch fence to clamp to the tablesaw fence when needed.

Wood Automotive exterior Engineering Naval architecture Bumper


Wood Flooring Gas Engineering Composite material


Here are some pics of the miter saw setup at the other end of the table. It's removable so the surface remains flat or other equipment like a planer can be set up there.

Wood Table Household appliance accessory Creative arts Composite material


Wood Table saws Flooring Gas Composite material


Table Wood Tool Hardwood Flooring


Here's a pic of the air hose storage. The quarter segment block swings out of the way to get the hose off but stays in place to keep the hose in place. You can see one of the table shims above the hose.

Gas Plant Wood Composite material Cable


The foot pads on the floor locks were too small to comfortably lift the table so I clipped on some larger plywood footpads. Here they are in the up and down positions. Note that I place a piece of 1/2" plywood under them for the proper height. This compensates for the 1/2" shims I added under the casters to provide more clearance for the floor locks due to the uneven concrete in my driveway.

Wheel Tire Automotive tire Tread Wood


Tire Wheel Automotive tire Tread Motor vehicle


Next will be my overall impressions of the UMWW (hint: I'm pleased).
Just found this blog and it's very interesting. Looking forward to the wrap up.
 

Attachments

#41 ·
Overall impressions of my Ultimate Mobile Woodworking Bench

I have to say I'm very pleased with the UHWB. I started work on it a few months ago and it's been usable for the last month and a half. These last two weeks on Christmas vacation gave me time to really focus and get it finished. After way too many years of makeshift garage workshops in rented houses, it feels great to have an organized workspace that I know I can take with me almost anywhere. I built a small bookcase for my wife's craft room and it went very smoothly.

Here are my impressions so far with a series of walkaround pics below. If you want more details, check my other postings. I'll also answer any comments or emails.

Side view (with sled stored beside the tablesaw):
Wood Gas Flooring Cabinetry Automotive exterior


Size - The work surface is 48" x 76.5". The max width of the tablesaw and router table is 52", the overall length of the benchtop and tablesaw surface is 9'-2". The fence adds another 14" for a total overall length of 10'-4".

Convenience - The best part is having all my tools ready to hand in the drawers on the bench both for getting them out and putting them away. The big work surface gives room to move things out of the way when I need to push another piece through the saw. The cutouts in the side are great places to keep dust brushes, clamps, squares, and hand tools handy without being in the way.

Mobility - On the big 6" swivel casters, the table moves with a solid push on the smooth garage floor. It has some heft (I estimate 800 - 1000 lbs) so most tasks don't require the floor locks. It sometimes takes a push crosswise to get the casters to swivel in the right direction. It works well in the driveway but takes a bit more effort due to the slight slope, dip and twist in the concrete. The torsion box frame is rigid enough that I have to shift it around to find the right location to keep the table from rocking.

Floor locks - The floor locks individually seem to have a little play in them but when they're all engaged the table is rock solid. To get enough clearance for the uneven driveway, I had to raise the table by putting 1/2" plywood under the casters. I keep four pieces of 1/2" to put under the floor locks when i actuate them. I also had to extend the foot pad on the floor locks to make it easier to actuate them (lifting the table in the process).

Storage - There are lots for drawers for storage and I seem to have hit on the right mix of 2", 4.5" and 7" deep drawers. There are still some options for storage for hanging storage and a space between two of the cabinets. The only thing I don't have designated space for is my power saw but that would only be needed for breaking down full sheets. With a folding infeed table, I wouldn't be needing it anymore., so that will be one of my first projects.

Dust control - The compact dust separator works well even though powered only by a shop vacuum. The exhaust air manifold directs the suction to either the tablesaw, router cabinet or hose. The hose can be connected to the router fence or used as a typical vacuum hose for cleanup. A future upgrade would be to build a more powerful suction fan to replace the shop vac.

Electrical - There is an open outlet at either end, dedicated outlets for the tablesaw and router, and switched outlets for the vacuum and compressor. The tablesaw and router have safety paddle switches. The vacuum switch can be reached over the saw table but I have to remember to check the air manifold to make sure it's aligned to the tablesaw.

Tablesaw - The bench works great as an outfeed table. The Shopfox W1410 fence is accurate and solid. An upgrade will be a folding infeed platform and a device to help lift a sheet of plywood up to the table.

Router - Luckily, the Bosch table I had could be used within the tablesaw fence rails. The router cabinet gives useful storage. Dust control can be connected to the cabinet and fence at the same time and seems to work fine.

With the sled on the table saw:
Wood Automotive exterior Gas Bumper Tool


With the sled stowed on the side (left) of the tablesaw. Note the storage for push sticks, stop blocks and the router table fence.
Bumper Automotive exterior Machine Auto part Automotive wheel system


The router table extension with cabinet. You can see the switches and outlet in a protected location at the end of the table.
Motor vehicle Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Table


Next to the router table is the exhaust air manifold, the dust separator, the rectangular Ridgid vacuum and the Makita MAC700 compressor. The 2-1/2" vacuum hose tucks away between the cabinets below the air manifold.
Wood Automotive tire Bumper Automotive exterior Gas


Opposite the tablesaw is another outlet and the plug for the power feed. The table overhangs about a foot giving a safe place to hang the air hose and opportunities for other storage as needed.
Automotive exterior Lcd projector Wood Gas Audio equipment


This side shows most of the storage drawers which are interchangeable so they can be rearranged as needed.
Motor vehicle Vehicle Bumper Automotive exterior Rolling


Tucked away to make room for the car but still very usable.
Automotive tail & brake light Vehicle Car Vehicle registration plate Shelf
 

Attachments

#42 ·
Overall impressions of my Ultimate Mobile Woodworking Bench

I have to say I'm very pleased with the UHWB. I started work on it a few months ago and it's been usable for the last month and a half. These last two weeks on Christmas vacation gave me time to really focus and get it finished. After way too many years of makeshift garage workshops in rented houses, it feels great to have an organized workspace that I know I can take with me almost anywhere. I built a small bookcase for my wife's craft room and it went very smoothly.

Here are my impressions so far with a series of walkaround pics below. If you want more details, check my other postings. I'll also answer any comments or emails.

Side view (with sled stored beside the tablesaw):
Wood Gas Flooring Cabinetry Automotive exterior


Size - The work surface is 48" x 76.5". The max width of the tablesaw and router table is 52", the overall length of the benchtop and tablesaw surface is 9'-2". The fence adds another 14" for a total overall length of 10'-4".

Convenience - The best part is having all my tools ready to hand in the drawers on the bench both for getting them out and putting them away. The big work surface gives room to move things out of the way when I need to push another piece through the saw. The cutouts in the side are great places to keep dust brushes, clamps, squares, and hand tools handy without being in the way.

Mobility - On the big 6" swivel casters, the table moves with a solid push on the smooth garage floor. It has some heft (I estimate 800 - 1000 lbs) so most tasks don't require the floor locks. It sometimes takes a push crosswise to get the casters to swivel in the right direction. It works well in the driveway but takes a bit more effort due to the slight slope, dip and twist in the concrete. The torsion box frame is rigid enough that I have to shift it around to find the right location to keep the table from rocking.

Floor locks - The floor locks individually seem to have a little play in them but when they're all engaged the table is rock solid. To get enough clearance for the uneven driveway, I had to raise the table by putting 1/2" plywood under the casters. I keep four pieces of 1/2" to put under the floor locks when i actuate them. I also had to extend the foot pad on the floor locks to make it easier to actuate them (lifting the table in the process).

Storage - There are lots for drawers for storage and I seem to have hit on the right mix of 2", 4.5" and 7" deep drawers. There are still some options for storage for hanging storage and a space between two of the cabinets. The only thing I don't have designated space for is my power saw but that would only be needed for breaking down full sheets. With a folding infeed table, I wouldn't be needing it anymore., so that will be one of my first projects.

Dust control - The compact dust separator works well even though powered only by a shop vacuum. The exhaust air manifold directs the suction to either the tablesaw, router cabinet or hose. The hose can be connected to the router fence or used as a typical vacuum hose for cleanup. A future upgrade would be to build a more powerful suction fan to replace the shop vac.

Electrical - There is an open outlet at either end, dedicated outlets for the tablesaw and router, and switched outlets for the vacuum and compressor. The tablesaw and router have safety paddle switches. The vacuum switch can be reached over the saw table but I have to remember to check the air manifold to make sure it's aligned to the tablesaw.

Tablesaw - The bench works great as an outfeed table. The Shopfox W1410 fence is accurate and solid. An upgrade will be a folding infeed platform and a device to help lift a sheet of plywood up to the table.

Router - Luckily, the Bosch table I had could be used within the tablesaw fence rails. The router cabinet gives useful storage. Dust control can be connected to the cabinet and fence at the same time and seems to work fine.

With the sled on the table saw:
Wood Automotive exterior Gas Bumper Tool


With the sled stowed on the side (left) of the tablesaw. Note the storage for push sticks, stop blocks and the router table fence.
Bumper Automotive exterior Machine Auto part Automotive wheel system


The router table extension with cabinet. You can see the switches and outlet in a protected location at the end of the table.
Motor vehicle Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Table


Next to the router table is the exhaust air manifold, the dust separator, the rectangular Ridgid vacuum and the Makita MAC700 compressor. The 2-1/2" vacuum hose tucks away between the cabinets below the air manifold.
Wood Automotive tire Bumper Automotive exterior Gas


Opposite the tablesaw is another outlet and the plug for the power feed. The table overhangs about a foot giving a safe place to hang the air hose and opportunities for other storage as needed.
Automotive exterior Lcd projector Wood Gas Audio equipment


This side shows most of the storage drawers which are interchangeable so they can be rearranged as needed.
Motor vehicle Vehicle Bumper Automotive exterior Rolling


Tucked away to make room for the car but still very usable.
Automotive tail & brake light Vehicle Car Vehicle registration plate Shelf
Well "engineered" Garry. Dang it's nice!
 

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