I am interested in hearing what others have done to make an adjustable
height workbench. When I mean adjustable, I mean a workbench that is
adjustable in heights ranging from ~12" to ~40". In my search for
information on this subject, I have found very little. The best
approach I have seen so far is to adapt a hospital bed frame with
hydraulics or a scissors table to make a medium duty workbench/table.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might be able to offer.
TMT
The June 2004 issue of "Woodwork" magazine has an article by Roger
Heitzman about building a layout table up on an electric scissors
lift.
It's range is from about 12" to about 55". It's on castors.
Some of these scissor lifts have capacities measured in tons, and you
don't have to put the thing on castors.
So I imagine a very strong bench could be built up on one, even strong
enough to pounding with chisels, etc.
bmw
[email protected] (Too_Many_Tools) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I am interested in hearing what others have done to make an adjustable
> height workbench. When I mean adjustable, I mean a workbench that is
> adjustable in heights ranging from ~12" to ~40". In my search for
> information on this subject, I have found very little. The best
> approach I have seen so far is to adapt a hospital bed frame with
> hydraulics or a scissors table to make a medium duty workbench/table.
>
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might be able to offer.
>
> TMT
Thanks for the pointer to the article in the "Woodwork" magazine.
It was just what I was looking for.
Meanwhile, I have found several hospital beds that I will be using for
the fountain for adjustable layout tables. They are hydraulic and are
VERY WELL BUILT. Anyone who is looking for a medium duty adjustable
table should take a look at your local surplus store for these type of
items.
TMT
[email protected] (bryanwi) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> The June 2004 issue of "Woodwork" magazine has an article by Roger
> Heitzman about building a layout table up on an electric scissors
> lift.
>
> It's range is from about 12" to about 55". It's on castors.
>
> Some of these scissor lifts have capacities measured in tons, and you
> don't have to put the thing on castors.
>
> So I imagine a very strong bench could be built up on one, even strong
> enough to pounding with chisels, etc.
>
> bmw
>
>
>
>
> [email protected] (Too_Many_Tools) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > I am interested in hearing what others have done to make an adjustable
> > height workbench. When I mean adjustable, I mean a workbench that is
> > adjustable in heights ranging from ~12" to ~40". In my search for
> > information on this subject, I have found very little. The best
> > approach I have seen so far is to adapt a hospital bed frame with
> > hydraulics or a scissors table to make a medium duty workbench/table.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might be able to offer.
> >
> > TMT
Do a search on hydraulic scissors lifts. These are made by
Southco and Bishimon (among others). Topped with a couple
of sheets of particleboard and you've got one hellava stout
bench. Of course buying a lift will set you back anywhere
from $1000 to $3000. At auction you might be lucky to find
one for $500-$600. That's the bad news.
Alternatively you could go to Harbor Freight or Northern
(among others) and buy a cheapo deluxe ATV lift for $100ish.
You'd need to design around it's flaws (they creep
down/don't have the range of the industrial lifts/would
probably require additional corner supports/legs).
UA100
Too_Many_Tools wrote:
>
> I am interested in hearing what others have done to make an adjustable
> height workbench. When I mean adjustable, I mean a workbench that is
> adjustable in heights ranging from ~12" to ~40". In my search for
> information on this subject, I have found very little. The best
> approach I have seen so far is to adapt a hospital bed frame with
> hydraulics or a scissors table to make a medium duty workbench/table.
>
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might be able to offer.
>
> TMT
If you're talking about a woodworker's bench, with a vise or two,
dogholes and dogs, made for holding parts while working on them
and a good solid, flat surface to hack & hew on, I don't understand
the need to have the height range you specified, especially below
maybe 30 inches. It's far easier to raise or lower your body -
sit or kneel to lower, stand on a platform to raise, than to move
the table top up or down.
There is a pair of bench "legs" that has a height adjustment range
of about 18 inches, but they only go down to about 28 inches.
Now if you're willing to make a hole in your shop floor -
What's the 12 - 40 inch range for?
charlie b
Upscale wrote:
>
> "charlie b" <[email protected]> wrote in message >
> > maybe 30 inches. It's far easier to raise or lower your body -
> > sit or kneel to lower, stand on a platform to raise, than to move
> > the table top up or down.
>
> What if someone uses a wheelchair? You're not thinking far enough Charlie.
You're absolutely right - I "stand" corrected ( on my way to go stand
in the corner for a while. Where'd I leave that damn pointy hat?).
Sorry about that Upscale.
charlie b
Well thank you Mike.
Not something that would work for me and my main work bench but, again, for
me, it offers some interesting possibilities for an assembly/finishing
bench.
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Mike at American Sycamore" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > Here is the web site and phone number and correct spelling of Geoffery's
> name
> > Geoffery Noden at 609-882-3300
> > www.geocities.com/adjustabench
>
> Getting a gateway error on the link Mike.
>
>
[email protected] (Too_Many_Tools) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I am interested in hearing what others have done to make an adjustable
> height workbench. When I mean adjustable, I mean a workbench that is
> adjustable in heights ranging from ~12" to ~40". In my search for
> information on this subject, I have found very little. The best
> approach I have seen so far is to adapt a hospital bed frame with
> hydraulics or a scissors table to make a medium duty workbench/table.
>
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might be able to offer.
>
> TMT
I am proud to report that my school owns three of the Jeoffery Noden
adjustable benchs. They work great. The benches are easy to adjust
and we find this feature to be very handy. Not only because of the
different heights of my students, but for different task. From hand
planning to assemble work the height being adjustable is a pleasure to
work with. I bought mine at the Woodworks woodworking show.
Mike from American Sycamore
"Mike G" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> You probably will continue to not find too much. A good work bench is, of
> necessity, usually a heavy affair to resist the stresses of the work done on
> it. I would imagine that any construction suitable for what you are looking
> for is going to have to include some industrial grade machinery.
>
> --
> Mike G.
> [email protected]
> Heirloom Woods
> www.heirloom-woods.net
> "Too_Many_Tools" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I am interested in hearing what others have done to make an adjustable
> > height workbench. When I mean adjustable, I mean a workbench that is
> > adjustable in heights ranging from ~12" to ~40". In my search for
> > information on this subject, I have found very little. The best
> > approach I have seen so far is to adapt a hospital bed frame with
> > hydraulics or a scissors table to make a medium duty workbench/table.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might be able to offer.
> >
> > TMT
Here is the web site and phone number and correct spelling of Geoffery's name
Geoffery Noden at 609-882-3300
www.geocities.com/adjustabench
Highly recomended
Mike from American Sycamore
www.americansycamoreretreat.com
John Carlson <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On 22 May 2004 15:02:57 -0700, [email protected] (Mike at American
> Sycamore) wrote:
> >
> >I am proud to report that my school owns three of the Jeoffery Noden
> >adjustable benchs. They work great. The benches are easy to adjust
> >and we find this feature to be very handy. Not only because of the
> >different heights of my students, but for different task. From hand
> >planning to assemble work the height being adjustable is a pleasure to
> >work with. I bought mine at the Woodworks woodworking show.
> >
> >Mike from American Sycamore
>
> Are these things as solid as a traditional bench? It seems to me that
> something that moves like this would be bound to rattle around a bit
> under the stress of, say, heavy planing.
>
> -- jc
> Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection.
> If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net
John,
They are very solid and they do not move around even with heavy
planing. Frank Klausz used one at the Woodworks Woodworking shows and
he was very pleased with the bench. He was doing alot of hand planing
and dovetail work.
Mike from American Sycamore
[email protected] (Too_Many_Tools) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I am interested in hearing what others have done to make an adjustable
> height workbench. When I mean adjustable, I mean a workbench that is
> adjustable in heights ranging from ~12" to ~40". In my search for
> information on this subject, I have found very little. The best
> approach I have seen so far is to adapt a hospital bed frame with
> hydraulics or a scissors table to make a medium duty workbench/table.
>
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might be able to offer.
>
> TMT
A cheap trick I used on a card table to make it the same height as the
kitchen table for Thanksgiving use was to take some black pipe, drill
holes through it, and use a cauter pin to adjust the height of the
legs placed into the pipe.
You might be able to use the same concept for a bench. I'd use a
heavier guage pinning mechanism, though.
Jay
"Mike at American Sycamore" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Here is the web site and phone number and correct spelling of Geoffery's
name
> Geoffery Noden at 609-882-3300
> www.geocities.com/adjustabench
Getting a gateway error on the link Mike.
Joe Del Rosso wrote:
> "Too_Many_Tools" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> I am interested in hearing what others have done to make an adjustable
>> height workbench. When I mean adjustable, I mean a workbench that is
>> adjustable in heights ranging from ~12" to ~40". In my search for
>> information on this subject, I have found very little. The best
>> approach I have seen so far is to adapt a hospital bed frame with
>> hydraulics or a scissors table to make a medium duty workbench/table.
>
> Hi,
>
> I haven't used one but do a google search for "hydraulic motorcycle
> workbench". This should give you some good ideas. And there are also
> adjustable height workbech legs but you must adjust them manually. These
> may not work well if a heavy piece is already on the bench and you need to
> adjust it..
Taking two ends of reductio ad absurdam, a couple of 2x6s laid across a
couple of Workmates won't go that range but will go a couple of heights,
while a service-station lift with a benchtop built on it should cover any
reasonable range from "under the floor" to "through the roof" and handle
any load up to and including "Hummvee" but it won't be cheap.
>
> Joe
--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
"Too_Many_Tools" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am interested in hearing what others have done to make an adjustable
> height workbench. When I mean adjustable, I mean a workbench that is
> adjustable in heights ranging from ~12" to ~40". In my search for
> information on this subject, I have found very little. The best
> approach I have seen so far is to adapt a hospital bed frame with
> hydraulics or a scissors table to make a medium duty workbench/table.
I use a wheelchair so I've looked into this extensively. I've worked with
crank adjustable work benches at one hospital rehab department. (I have to
assume there's also electric or pneumatic ones available). These are the
maple slab types of benches too, heavy and solid. They lowered to
approximately 20" and they raised up has high as 36". Not meeting your specs
completely, but not far off.
I think they've gone out of business, but there has to be other similar
manufacturers around. I've been looking for some source up here in Canada
for some time, just haven't found it yet, but I know they're out there. The
details for this bench was:
Midland Manufacturing
- Hi Low Work Bench
- Model 208WB
- Serial 7083
On 22 May 2004 15:02:57 -0700, [email protected] (Mike at American
Sycamore) wrote:
>
>I am proud to report that my school owns three of the Jeoffery Noden
>adjustable benchs. They work great. The benches are easy to adjust
>and we find this feature to be very handy. Not only because of the
>different heights of my students, but for different task. From hand
>planning to assemble work the height being adjustable is a pleasure to
>work with. I bought mine at the Woodworks woodworking show.
>
>Mike from American Sycamore
Are these things as solid as a traditional bench? It seems to me that
something that moves like this would be bound to rattle around a bit
under the stress of, say, heavy planing.
-- jc
Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection.
If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net
"Too_Many_Tools" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am interested in hearing what others have done to make an adjustable
> height workbench. When I mean adjustable, I mean a workbench that is
> adjustable in heights ranging from ~12" to ~40". In my search for
> information on this subject, I have found very little. The best
> approach I have seen so far is to adapt a hospital bed frame with
> hydraulics or a scissors table to make a medium duty workbench/table.
Hi,
I haven't used one but do a google search for "hydraulic motorcycle
workbench". This should give you some good ideas. And there are also
adjustable height workbech legs but you must adjust them manually. These
may not work well if a heavy piece is already on the bench and you need to
adjust it..
Joe
"charlie b" <[email protected]> wrote in message >
> maybe 30 inches. It's far easier to raise or lower your body -
> sit or kneel to lower, stand on a platform to raise, than to move
> the table top up or down.
What if someone uses a wheelchair? You're not thinking far enough Charlie.
You probably will continue to not find too much. A good work bench is, of
necessity, usually a heavy affair to resist the stresses of the work done on
it. I would imagine that any construction suitable for what you are looking
for is going to have to include some industrial grade machinery.
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Too_Many_Tools" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am interested in hearing what others have done to make an adjustable
> height workbench. When I mean adjustable, I mean a workbench that is
> adjustable in heights ranging from ~12" to ~40". In my search for
> information on this subject, I have found very little. The best
> approach I have seen so far is to adapt a hospital bed frame with
> hydraulics or a scissors table to make a medium duty workbench/table.
>
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might be able to offer.
>
> TMT