After cutting a slot to receive the tapped bar (the one you cut out of the scissor jasck), glue and screw the two 2x4s together on all sides to make a very solid block. Last year, I built a tool flip cart (kind of like this one but just for two tools, https://www.instructables.com/id/Multi-Tool-Flip-Top-Table/ ) I ended up using a piece of the old work bench in a critical view point. One ton 12v electric car jack one ebay motors for 70-90 bucks. Great job on the step-by-step instructions. In that case my bench was too high. I adjust the height of my bench at least 3-4 times during construction of each and every project that I make. Enjoy! The jack was screwed to center of the lower beam, and a scrap piece of aluminum was added to the middle underside of the upper beam to act as a pressure and wear plate. If the throw on this (9") isn't long enough I may, one day, end up making some bench dogs and drilling some holes. Hell YEA Hi, I've added your project to the "Make Your Own Bench-Vise!" The open area is 13" deep from the table edge to the cross beams, 29" wide and 29" high at table's lowest setting. This thing looks sturdy enough to hold anything! ), The old house my wife and I bought had an old bench it the garage. Is that enough support to keep the whole thing from wobbling? Very nice. Might be good for a project, idk though, Im just a newb. In 2018, I posted this updated video explaining the bench design. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. As far as diagrams I have none it was all done in my head as I went along. After the paint was dry I lightly hand-sanded everything with 220 grit sandpaper, and gave the pieces a few coats of semi-gloss spray lacquer. Without these blocks in place the jack only supports the table top at the direct center, so blocks are necessary to remove any wobble or teeter. I used pieces of an old 1/4" thick rubber mudflap to create bumpers to add to the upper beam structure as well as each support block. The table structure was turned right-side up, and the beam portion was created by fitting it into place, piece by piece. How much room do you have for legs under your desk ? Thanks for reading along. If so, how did it turn out? Locate where you want the rod to go through. Being able to adjust the bench height is simply more ergonomic, and easier on my back! I have a small charger and an AGM battery to power the jack that I have mounted under the table top. on Step 13. Make sure the holes on the front drawer face are as tight on the dowels as possible. :{). Love the design I matched up two 2x4 blocks that will hold the tapped bar. Save one of the tapped cross bars that are on the threaded rod. I never did. Next I glued the retainer block to the backside of the vise jaw so the threaded rod holes line up (image 3). I have been trying to figure out how to do make a rock solid adjustable height assembly table for quite a while now. Mocking all of this up and making a few sketches and taking key measurements is very important! You can see this in the first image. Thanks for checking this out : ). Should I ever be compensated to write, I will make full disclosure. Did you make this project? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Wood Whisperer is proudly sponsored by brands that Marc trusts. This is where things get a little tricky. The threaded rod must travel through it at the same distance below the work surface as your vise faces. If theres enough interest Ill try and cobble something together. The Wood Whisperer, The Wood Whisperer Guild, TWW, and TWW Guild are trademarks of The Wood Whisperer Inc. All rights reserved. I bored out the holes that the dowels would slide through a bit so it was snug but it could slide. You have to lock it down by tightening fluted knobs installed in the posts. Further measurements and dimensions will depend on your specific needs, but I'm going to include plenty of tips and details that should be helpful as we go along. Those are for brand new jacks. This is a truly brilliant idea. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. No rush. Edit: Currently working on getting plans made. Question Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. All content on The Wood Whisperer is copyrighted, and may not be reprinted in full form without my written consent. Finally, a way to blend a love of cars and woodworking. Answer Details are covered in the following steps, and should be helpful if you're interested in making something similar. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. hammer dowel in close vise to to dry in that position. 7 years ago That way if I have a big piece and need to extend it from a work bench to a table saw extension for more support, everything is level and even. Marie. the reason I used a battery is the jack draws a lot of amps so it was either use a battery or I had to buy some other thingy to operate the 12 volt jack and the battery was cheaper.I leave a small battery charger on all the time so the battery is always charged. These were glued and screwed precisely to each leg with the help of a little scrap wood jig. The way I did this part works but it is not what you should do. All rights reserved. Nice build but I'm not a fan of the Jack being visible as it is really ugly. Designed and developed by Underscorefunk Design. I will try this next weekend. The only differences are that I used metal pins to hold the legs at different heights and I used a 12V electric scissor jack that I had bought for one of my cars. It would have saved me time and been much easier. The inner legs were tied in place, loose enough to allow them to wiggle freely within the upper portions of the outer leg sleeves. Please learn from my mistake. Thank you for making this possible. Here is where I wasn't thinking. - /r/woodworking is your home on reddit for furniture, toys, tools, wood, glue, and anything else that has to do with woodworking as a hobby or profession. After all the planning and building, there's that moment of truth that's really exciting . ill upload a picture of the finished bench. 6 years ago Before I started my build I was looking for other examples to work from and hadnt seen this one. These portions will later be firmly attached to the upper beam, with the inner leg portions attached loosely within. I'm even more glad to be using my grandfather's old tools. However, there are millions of products and services on the web, and I only promote those products or services that I would use personally. This isn't required of course, and I'd recommend using new materials if that's an option! Reply Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2022, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. on Step 5, Really excellent job, and very inspirational too! To mount the legs to the lower beam, I added a plywood boss (< explanation) to each leg. The drive nut on the threaded rod does have 2 washers on it already. But you may have reasons for doing it with the battery. One thing that isn't mentioned that I would do is to add a washer to the outer jaw to keep the wood from crushing where the leadscrew tightens against it. I have a my grandfather's Tommy bar as mentioned or I have one of his old 3/4" sockets that I drive with my drill. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". I was using one of the drawer faces to make sure the 2x4 was flush to the front of the counter top. I have one that I built the same way. 7 years ago Additional photos here https://imgur.com/gallery/hZ8IaII, For those asking for plans, I just spoke with a buddy of mine who agreed to do up some plans in sketchup for me. https://www.instructables.com/id/Multi-Tool-Flip-Top-Table/. Good point. The only variants to the 36 rule in my shop are the band saw and the floor-standing drill press. Nicely done. I built my table tablesaw height so it could function as an outfeed table but I am going to try to incorporate your idea into it. The scissor Jack is from Canadian Tire any automotive store should carry them. The table top is 30" by 48". Thanks for the idea, I will be buolding one. Im sure you can get the jack at any automotive store I bought it at Canadian tire here in Canada. I'm pleased with how it all came together. Participated in the Before and After Contest. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Just a tip. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Legs were glued, brad-nailed, and screwed in place as shown in the photos. It will probably take a week or two, but I should have some plans soon. That bench was also very difficult to move. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. I am very interested to know what you think of the updated video. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The longer and larger the threaded rod the better your vise will be. If you can make it so that the jack doesn't need to collapse fully, then you'll improve the longevity quite significantly. But, I like it low when working with hand tools, especially when I am planing a board. You may need to do this occasionally if things start binding. I had a bunch of left over oak plywood scraps from previous projects that I wanted to use up. What a great idea. This Tommy Bar was his, as was the socket. All jokes aside, that is very impressive! Motorcycle jacks are better for this bench design because of their wide and stable platform. If a tornado comes though all that will be left standing are the concrete walls of my basement and this vise. With the stress of the jack pushing up the table top, have you noticed any bowing? The main design challenge with this table was creating a functional single-point, center lift mechanism, with four peripheral telescopic legs that provide smooth lift guidance without sticking or binding up. Did your friend ever make the sketchup plans for this? After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Its made of mostly maple some birch and little bits of zebrano teak and Jatoba just stuff that was lying around the shop. Ah bummer, that's no good. The inner leg pieces had pieces of paracord added so they could be tied to the upper beam structure. Im really loving this project. nice idea! I even built a box to raise my jointer to 36 bed height. The table has three easily-set heights: 30", 35.75", and 41.5". The jack came with an attached remote with up and down buttons that I mounted on the front of the table. For this project at least, it was a happy moment of truth and not a "back to the drawing board" realization! I hooked it up to a motorcycle battery . You are creative, motivated, productive people. on Introduction, great work, ey. If you build your own Jack Bench, then please use the motorcycle jacks as recommended in the plans. It does not store any personal data. Then I held this block up to it's back side and scribed through the rod hole where the rod will travel through the block. After extensive testing I now use and recommend motorcycle jacks. Im not even sure if it would be useful in any way, just a thought about how it might be a nice way of keeping track on how tall the table is when raising it. I always give honest opinions, findings, and experiences on products. You have done great things for the craft or should I say sport. Many of the people who have purchased plans for the Jack Bench have told me how much they love their Jack Benches. the exposed end of the threaded rod is a 3/4" hex head. The beams were made with 5 1/2" wide pieces of 3/4" plywood along with pieces of 4 3/4" wide pieces of 3/8" plywood, and glued and brad-nailed together. I am really glad to be giving it a second life. The Wood Whisperer abides by word of mouth marketing standards and holds integrity in the highest regard. 1 year ago. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Im in the process of designing my own variation of this awesome table, but came upon a stumbling point. Thought this was a great idea - and modified it to make a raising cabinet for my table saw. Hope you like it. This is fantastic. I love this table just cuz! Maybe I can find a way to make it work. Very nice Job, I can see many uses for this! An update: 7 months inThe main reason for my failure (and your success) is likely a simple matter of weight. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". What a great idea, I want one. Where can I find and electronic scissor jack? I got an old sewing machine when I was just a kid, and I've been making stuff ever since. But your design the jacks are only used for lifting. After you peg the corners u could even lower the jack and take all the pressure off the jack. Plywood provides precision and stability over time, whereas solid wood would be prone to expanding and contracting with changes in environment humidity, etc. Other heights could be achieved with different support blocks, and the table could be raised even higher by adding blocks on top of the jack itself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKUVgv_iLtM, adjustable height range between 30" and up to about 42", sturdy and strong, but relatively lightweight. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question. I had a question about the base. The jack I used has a effective lift range of 11.5 inches. This is an adjustable-height table that lifts up and down using an automobile scissor jack. Cool idea with the lift to adjust the height. Good night, Irene! Cut a slot in the end of your dowels to receive wedges and hold everything tight later. This site uses affiliate links. This is a surprisingly light-weight but rigid structure. The inner leg pieces were buffed with superfine steel wool and waxed with furniture wax. 2 years ago. Dont know if this helps let me know. In the fullness of time, it may be that a different approach to the whole thing is called for - but there are far more urgent things to get on with first! Thanks for sharing the plans. Reply Cut the profiled trim off the tops of the drawer faces. 3 years ago. Just wonder one thing, have you thought about adding a ruler to the part of the wood that gets exposed as it rises? I'm sure there are several ways to hide this by boxing it in. Slide the drawer face over the dowels to the sanded shoulders of the dowel. About: Make. Also, the bench sat behind my table saw and the bench got in the way whenever I ran a long board through it. Of course, that'll restrict the range available. I originally used regular automotive jacks, but then I discovered motorcycle jacks! Support blocks are then placed in each leg and the top is lowered onto the supports. Fine piece of craftsmanship and I love the Jack. I just wonder about the power drain on the battery and having to recharge it. The jack is used to raise or lower the top surface to just above the desired height. In my case it's definitely not used daily, or even weekly really. Reply About: I am a work in progress, but I'm working on it. Repeat! Added on April 19, 2010. I had one laying around. Very cool. 2017 Copyright. There are lots of workbench designs out there, but I had some very specific ideas when I designed the Jack Bench Adjustable Height Workbench in 2007. 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Everything was put into place inverted on my worktable, and pieces of birch plywood were added as shown, first with glue, brad nails, and then screwed into counter sunk holes. This looks awesome. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely our own. Then drill through the bottom part way from both sides to leave clean holes with no splintering. Press J to jump to the feed. Given this, please assume that any links leading you to products or services are affiliate links that we will receive compensation from. Thanks for the interest. Your email address will not be published. Not yet. 1 year ago, Thanks! Properly sized but joined. I had to sand the dowels down just a hair in order to hammer them on. The casters were attached to the outer legs now, and the lower beam was test-fit to decide on the necessary height to attach it to these outer legs. Viewer Project It was made as a craft and hobby table, designed with a few goals in mind: This table was made to be adjustable on a per-project basis, depending on which height is most comfortable to work at: for sitting and sewing, standing while building models, soldering, tinkering, etc. 3 years ago. Nice design, Hi everybody thanks for all the nice comments on my assembly table. The inner leg portions are made in the same manner, from four pieces that are just a hair under 2" wide, resulting in a finished outside width of just under 2 3/4". Get and use whatever you have that meets your size needs though. Did you make this project? With the help of the bosses added in the last step, the legs were easy to affix to the lower beam in perfect position. 1 reclaimed scissor jack The bigger the better. My Grandfather died 35 years ago. It is on Zambus 2600 lb casters so it rolls real nice and locks down beautifully, my 2 year old can move it. So clever! The threaded rod was so affordable and so handy I've been thinking of getting a couple more and making a small apple press for cider (the threading may be too wide for that), a bottle cutter, a tortilla/pizza dough press or a router lift. I wanted them to slide inside each other easily, but not so much that there is excessive wobble or slop. VERY cool project! Definitely worth patterning after. Wow! You can easily get that off an ATX computer power supply. The first step was to lock the upper pieces of the outer leg portions to each other as precisely as possible. My father, brother and I eventually split up his tools. Some of them have also sent pictures of their completed benches. I don't think I'll do that often. Height adjusts from 28 to 48. The others rise on 2 jacks one that support each side all the time. Gonna have to try that! I like the electric adjustable table modification that PhantasticOne suggests. About a 1/32" total gap on top and side of the inside leg portions provided what I felt was the right amount of play. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Please submit links to how-to pages and videos, pictures of beautiful and amazing pieces you made for us to admire, or help you finish. I'm putting one of these on it! It doesn't match with the rest of the wood?". Eight support brackets were made from scrap plywood. WOW!!! : ), Question To do this, the upper structure could not be built separately - it needed to be built into the existing lower structure, using it as a guide, in order to ensure that they mated together precisely. Please wear eye protection and hearing protection. These are glued and brad-nailed together, with a finished outside width of 4 1/4". Price and other details may vary based on product size and color. The jointer is also much easier to use at a more upright height. I't build one if I had a place to store it when not in use. And did you just use one layer of of MDF/plywood as the base? If you're willing to snap a photo or two, I'd really love to see it! Birch ply construction. Torsion boxes are strong and lightweight and easy to make out of plywood. Reply Let me know when you install the Airbag kit, so I can get photos of the dropped table! Also, how long did you make the legs? Do the corners support all the weight very well, since it looks like you only have the one post that actually rests on the jack? Then I cut a slot out of the support 2x4 to fit the tapped bar retainer block (image 2). the threaded rod is what ive ever needed. What is the range of heights available with it? 2 reclaimed oak false drawer fronts. I think this has given many of us food for thought. Could you give more details on the scissor jack assembly? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. You'll see that in the next step. on Step 16. on Step 6. : \Mine is still fine, but I've only raised and lowered it a few times, just for random projects where I need my table higher or lower. Quick question though. These are all BIG maybes. This flat top will be flush with the top of your workbench. Required fields are marked *. Locate the positions you want the dowel slide to through. Anyway, I built a new assembly table using your torsion box design. there is 3 different heights middle one being the exact height for table saw out feed. This block is going to be fixed to the under side of your workbench right behind the mounted vise face. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. If you wouldnt mind, I would like trying my hand at building this, but maybe making it a 46 for the top. I adjust it high for most work, especially machine work, like when I am routing the edge of a board. Quesiton: the weight of the entire table (and project) appears to be on the head of the jack which looks to be about a dollar bill folded in half. This accounts for the height of my casters, so if you're making this be sure to adjust leg length according to your own specific needs. Thanks for sharing. Share it with us! and terrifying. So far so good. How did you attach the torsion box top to the top of the posts? Jack Bench by Charlie Kocourek. The top of the bench had been thru a lot, paint, burns, unknown chemical spills. I agree with the others. I noticed you have power running to the table. The jack only lifts or lowers the top, and isn't actually used as support once the table is set at the desired height. I adjust is even higher for detail work, like when I am doing marquetry or veneer work. I could see putting a larger one on to span the pressure more evenly. Maybe I will have to look more seriously at this project someday! The middle height is the exact same as my table saw so I can use it as a outfeed table. I thought you might be interested in it since you gave yours away and will have to build a new one when you get your new shop. I think you have solved my problem. "Thanks" I just put it to good use . I love the adjustable scissor lift design. I didnt realize that there was comments thats why its taken me so long to reply. Thanks! Share it with us! as far as strength the 4 corner legs do all the holding with pins that I turned on the lathe . Also the drawers are soft closing which are fantastic I will never buy regular closing drawers again. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. We need you safe, healthy and moving. Cut the threaded rod out of the scissor jack. Amazing work! The table parts were disassembled and painted by hand. Thanks again if you have any more questions dont hesitate now that I know these comments are here. How do you recharge your motorcycle battery? Regarding tools needed, this project relies heavily on two main things: Other tools used include: drills and drivers, orbital sander, clamps. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. I didnt build the table, but from what I saw in the pics that appeared to be how he built it. Had an old jack laying around in the way . It's doubly neat that you were able to honor your grandfather's legacy. The table top is lifted by either hand cranking the jack or using a power drill with a homemade crank rod. Or better yet, maybe you can on yours and post pictures to help me out. These are 5 1/2" inches tall, made from 3 1/2" wide scraps and were glued and brad-nailed together and finished to match the rest of the table. However in order to make these useful I had to first glue them all up into larger panels. The lower beam is attached securely to the outer leg sleeve portions, and the upper beam is attached loosely to the inner leg portions. I was doing a lot of carving around the time when I designed the Jack Bench. As for charging it not required very often at all the battery last a long time many ups and downs. It hasn't been used in that long. I'm in the process of designing and building a work bench for my garage. Great project I had the same question as most u other guys, where do I get the jack so i can build this thing. . No. The table's base structure is made of two torsion boxes, or beams, between which the car jack rests. The reason I used a motorcycle battery is the Jack draws a lot of amps and my electrician buddy figured this was the most economical way to deal with it. Your scissor jack is simply lifting a table top while I have a dirty great saw (DeWalt portable table saw) screwed to the top. 3x6 layered mdf top. Which works well.So the bottom line is that if you only have a reasonably light table top to shift, then go for the scissor jack. My company was demolishing some old offices and I reclaimed whatever I could that I thought I might use one day in projects. To my suprise it wasnt to expensive. 1 year ago The first challenge with this project was to build in just the right amount of wiggle room with the telescoping legs. Being able to EASILY move my bench around is truly a luxury and I am so glad that I included that in my bench design! That is a great idea. 3 years ago If it does end up being a pain Im guessing that the scissor jack just needs 12volt DC power. I had a pile of paint samples in my cupboard, and decided to mix them all together and see what I ended up with. So, that first workbench was too low, and too high, and too heavy to easily move around. Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKUVgv_iLtM for example, which has a fantastic locking mechanism built in. 6 years ago. When the supports are not in use, they stow inside little nooks built into the table structure. The outer sleeve portions of each leg are each made of four pieces of 3/4" thick plywood that are 3 1/2" wide. I've used it for a couple small sewing projects at the lowest setting, as well as for some standing sewing machine tinkering at the middle height. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The table appears to be lifted by a center column. I matched the 2x4 blocks, located the space to hold the tapped bar and I dado cut half out of each 2x4. I cut the slot all the way to the sanded shoulder that the drawer face will be snug up against. I got mine from the junkyard/auto salvage yard for $5. And if you tighten the knobs on the shaft, you can keep it up indefinitely. I've admired the flip top tool table design as well. Question now is whether I simply abandon the idea or go out and buy another jack - and wait for it to fail again. This is the tapped bar that was on the end of the threaded rod we cut off the scissor jack. I don't think I built up enough thickness in the face plate to drill holes into the thin long grain. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. You can buy a converter of some sort to handle it but it was 120 bucks and battery and trickle charger 80 bucks. The basic structure of the legs were built first. Learn. thanks for sharing, Good question - the answer is explained in detail in step 1 : )But in a nutshell - the top basically teeters on the jack, so blocks are used to support it when raised. I ended up ripping the bench out but still felt that I was throwing away history. In this instructable you will need to used a sawsall, a belt sander, a drill, a table saw and other power tools.

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