Solid !!The Stand/Base
As I've mentioned, the stand is essentially a direct implementation of Christopher Schwarz's $175 Workbench. My shelf is different, and I changed some part dimensions and locations slightly, but it's the same stand.
This rendering shows some details about the locations of the stringers and stretchers. It doesn't show the location of the top-most hole in each front leg, but it's 2" top-to-center.
![Rectangle Parallel Wood Font Machine]()
The stand required four 2"x8" yellow pine boards, plus some leftovers from the boards I used on the torsion box frame for the cleats (full-resolution image).
![Rectangle Font Parallel Slope Pattern]()
I didn't take any in-progress photos, but here's the completed stand without the shelf panel.
![Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Flooring]()
Here it is with the shelf panel installed (with just glue-no screws).
![Wood Rectangle Natural material Plank Hardwood]()
Here's a photo of cleat, already drilled and counterbored, used to bolt the top to the stand.
![Wood Flooring Floor Table Rectangle]()
Schwarz's article clearly explains how to build the stand, but here are some notes specific to my build:
- When making the legs, I cut four lengths of 2×8s, glued each pair together, and then cut out the legs from the glued slabs. That gave me nice smooth, square leg sides.
- I don't have a dado blade, so I used my regular blade (a medium-kerf Tenryu blade) to nibble out the tenons (as if it were a very narrow dado blade). That was slow, and the tenons had lots of small grooves from the beveled blade that I had to sand down. It worked, but I probably should have taken the time to create some sort of of jig or guide board and used my router.
- I used drawbores to help attach the stringers that connect the front and back legs. I used only one peg per joint, and I placed the holes too near the ends of the tenons, but I really like the technique. It may not add any strength to the joint, but it sure did clamp the stringers to the legs well.
- After I built the end assemblies, I had to deepen the top two dog holes in each front leg. That means I had to drill into the tenons.
- I used only one bolt on each side of the long stretchers. The dog holes in the legs didn't allow me to use two bolts on each side. The stand seems solid enough, but I still would have preferred two bolts per side. I just didn't plan things out carefully enough here.
After the stand was complete, all I had to do was drill and counterbore the holes in the top for the mounting bolts and add the top. Here it is, ready for finishing and adding the casters.
![Table Wood Rectangle Bench Hardwood]()
Mobile Torsion Box Workbench
Background, Research, and Requirements
This is the first of a series of blog entries describing a mobile torsion box workbench I recently completed. I posted a project summary a few days ago (Mobile Torsion Box Workbench). The overall series will cover construction plans and details, material costs, and odds and ends. In this entry, I'll describe some of the factors and thought processes that led me to build this bench the way I did.
Some Background about Me
I'm an occasional woodworker. I probably average three or four projects a year. Like many of you, my "shop" is my garage, and my wife and I actually park our cars in it. That means that my tools have to be relatively compact, and that they must be mobile. For example, my table saw is a Ridgid R4510 which, when folded, takes up little space.
I'm mostly a power tool woodworker. I have an old block plane, but I've never sharpened or learned how to use it. In addition to the table saw I mentioned, I have miter, circular, and jig saws, a router, a drill press, and some hand drills. I don't own a jointer or planer; that (and the lack of hand planing tools and skills) means that I have to depend on buying relatively straight and flat lumber-no buying rough lumber and milling it into perfectly flat, square boards for me. For some silly reason, I've never bought a power sander, so I still do that by hand.
My joinery usually consists of rabbets, dadoes, dowels, or, increasingly, pocket holes. (I get a lot of use out
of my Kreg jig.) I learned how to make half-lap joints for the doors on an TV console I built. Until this project,
I had never cut a mortise or tenon. I often build things from MDF, usually veneered. I may never plane the edge of a board, but chances are good that I'll veneer, then flush trim the edge of one. I want a sturdy bench, but I probably won't do any really heavy-duty bashing on it.
Until now, my primary work surface was a five-foot cafeteria table with folding legs, supplemented by a 25-year
old Black and Decker Workmate (which is a very useful tool, even though it's a bit small and low). I've been
thinking about building a real workbench for years. The problem was always deciding what to build; there are so many intriguing designs out there. Several times, I thought I had settled on a particular design (more about some specific ones later), only to reconsider and then end up doing nothing. Paralysis by analysis.
A few months ago, my wife suggested that we clear some space along the front wall of our garage to accommodate a reasonable bench (say six feet long, two feet deep, and three feet high). Once we did that, I had no excuse for not building a bench. (Buying one was never really an option. Like you, I'm a lumberjock and would rather build than buy, hopefully learning some things and saving some money in the process.)
Here's a photo of my bench-to-be's home. Note that that's a good place to store the bench, but not a good place to use it. The lighting in that spot is really poor, and there's no free space on either side. Plus, I guarantee I'd step in that litter box multiple times per work session.
![Property Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood]()
Another key point about that storage location is that I wanted to keep the bench narrow (so it wouldn't stick out from the wall any more than the freezer or drill press), and I didn't want any face vice handles jutting out that we might bump into. Finally, I needed to make sure I could still open those breaker box doors without moving the bench (not a big deal, because the bottom of those doors is a hair over 39" from the floor.)
Bench Designs I Considered
As I mentioned, I looked at a lot of workbench designs. Here are links to, and comments about, some of the more interesting ones.
Requirements
In the end, I decided I needed these features (copied from those designs):
In addition, I thought of some features that would be nice to have:
Coming Up…
In the next entry, I'll describe my completed bench and include more photos of it.
This is the first of a series of blog entries describing a mobile torsion box workbench I recently completed. I posted a project summary a few days ago (Mobile Torsion Box Workbench). The overall series will cover construction plans and details, material costs, and odds and ends. In this entry, I'll describe some of the factors and thought processes that led me to build this bench the way I did.
Some Background about Me
I'm an occasional woodworker. I probably average three or four projects a year. Like many of you, my "shop" is my garage, and my wife and I actually park our cars in it. That means that my tools have to be relatively compact, and that they must be mobile. For example, my table saw is a Ridgid R4510 which, when folded, takes up little space.
I'm mostly a power tool woodworker. I have an old block plane, but I've never sharpened or learned how to use it. In addition to the table saw I mentioned, I have miter, circular, and jig saws, a router, a drill press, and some hand drills. I don't own a jointer or planer; that (and the lack of hand planing tools and skills) means that I have to depend on buying relatively straight and flat lumber-no buying rough lumber and milling it into perfectly flat, square boards for me. For some silly reason, I've never bought a power sander, so I still do that by hand.
My joinery usually consists of rabbets, dadoes, dowels, or, increasingly, pocket holes. (I get a lot of use out
of my Kreg jig.) I learned how to make half-lap joints for the doors on an TV console I built. Until this project,
I had never cut a mortise or tenon. I often build things from MDF, usually veneered. I may never plane the edge of a board, but chances are good that I'll veneer, then flush trim the edge of one. I want a sturdy bench, but I probably won't do any really heavy-duty bashing on it.
Until now, my primary work surface was a five-foot cafeteria table with folding legs, supplemented by a 25-year
old Black and Decker Workmate (which is a very useful tool, even though it's a bit small and low). I've been
thinking about building a real workbench for years. The problem was always deciding what to build; there are so many intriguing designs out there. Several times, I thought I had settled on a particular design (more about some specific ones later), only to reconsider and then end up doing nothing. Paralysis by analysis.
A few months ago, my wife suggested that we clear some space along the front wall of our garage to accommodate a reasonable bench (say six feet long, two feet deep, and three feet high). Once we did that, I had no excuse for not building a bench. (Buying one was never really an option. Like you, I'm a lumberjock and would rather build than buy, hopefully learning some things and saving some money in the process.)
Here's a photo of my bench-to-be's home. Note that that's a good place to store the bench, but not a good place to use it. The lighting in that spot is really poor, and there's no free space on either side. Plus, I guarantee I'd step in that litter box multiple times per work session.
Another key point about that storage location is that I wanted to keep the bench narrow (so it wouldn't stick out from the wall any more than the freezer or drill press), and I didn't want any face vice handles jutting out that we might bump into. Finally, I needed to make sure I could still open those breaker box doors without moving the bench (not a big deal, because the bottom of those doors is a hair over 39" from the floor.)
Bench Designs I Considered
As I mentioned, I looked at a lot of workbench designs. Here are links to, and comments about, some of the more interesting ones.
- Dave Munkittrick's Ultimate Tool Stand is aimed at power tool woodworkers like me. I'm not sure why I decided against it. Maybe I questioned how well something made entirely of MDF would have lasted, and I didn't want to paint every last square inch of it so a stray drop of water wouldn't have caused it to swell. Still, it looks very versatile. If I had room for two benches, I might still consider this one.
- Blum Tool's Bench Horse is a torsion box with folding legs, and uses pipe clamps as vises. I searched the U.S. Patent office web site and found some drawings of its internals that would have allowed me to replicate it. I don't really need full portability, though-just mobility within my garage.
- John White's New-Fangled Workbench (and New-Fangled Workbench Revisited) looked interesting too. It also uses pipe clamps for vises, and I really like that sliding planing beam. On the other hand, I was worried about how flat I could make the top, and that it might be too fussy. Plus, I'd probably lose a lot of those little panels on the top.
- Ron Paulk's Ultimate Workbench is just plain cool. Watch the video, and I bet you'll agree. It uses a grid of dog holes, and I bet those storage areas along its perimeter would be very useful. I don't really need the full portability this bench provides, and I didn't want to have to set it up using its saw horses.
- Tom Caspar's Torsion Box Workbench is aimed at people like me who don't have jointers and planers. It looks like it would be very solid.
- Most of the benches documented in Christopher Schwarz's second workbench book were interesting, particularly the 24-hour Workbench and $175 (now $280) Workbench. The former has a top built from four sheets of plywood, while the latter has a laminated solid-wood top. I didn't think I could pull off the laminated top, and thought I could do something cheaper than four layers of plywood.
Requirements
In the end, I decided I needed these features (copied from those designs):
- Legs flush with the front of the bench top. (Schwarz's book absolutely convinced me this was a good idea.)
- Fold-up casters (also from Schwarz's book).
- No protruding handles, as I mentioned above. In fact no vises-I wanted to use the Veritas Surface Vise and Surface Clamp, along with my collection of F-clamps.
- Height-adjustable planing beam.
- Numerous space dog holes (for the surface vise).
- Provision for pipe clamp "face vises".
- A sturdy shelf (for storage or holding tools and supplies while I work).
In addition, I thought of some features that would be nice to have:
- The ability to use the bench as an outfeed table for my table saw.
- A removable top. I wondered if I could hold the top in place with "bullets" and swap in a router table top as needed.
- A "tall mode". If I could use locking casters, maybe I could use the bench wheels-down for routing, where a taller bench might be nice.
Coming Up…
In the next entry, I'll describe my completed bench and include more photos of it.
Attachments
21 - 32 of 32 Posts
Making it Mobile (but Stable)
After I bolted the top to the stand, I encountered a problem: the bench was solid, but it wobbled. Three legs touched the floor, but one hovered slightly above it-not by much (less than 1/8"), but enough to be annoying.
No problem, I thought. I'll just trim the longer of the two front legs. So I made a little jig to support my router so I could use a flat-bottomed straight bit to nibble off the end.
![Wood Wood stain Flooring Rectangle Hardwood]()
![Wood Drinkware Kitchen appliance Tableware Gas]()
That didn't take long and worked very well.
![Wood Creative arts Flooring Aircraft Hardwood]()
I flipped the bench back over and patted myself on the back. The wobble was gone. But… I moved the bench back to its storage location. It wobbled worse than before. I know I don't plan to work on it there, but still, I don't want it to wobble. That's embarrassing.
At that point, I realized that trimming the legs was useless, because different legs would need to be trimmed by different amounts depending on where the bench was. I needed another solution, but I decided to worry about it later, and concentrate on adding the casters so I could move the bench around more easily.
I've seen a variety of mechanisms for making workbenches movable:
I decided to go with a variation of the first design. I thought it offered the best combination of solidity and simplicity. I started by making the caster boards flip to the outside of the bench, as in the Schwarz videos above. That worked well. I placed the casters so they were directly under the legs, where they are most stable. I didn't think I'd need the latches featured in the second Schwarz video. I thought the bench looked a little goofy when parked, with the caster boards and casters in full view, but I left it like that while I revisited the wobble problem.
I know that the simplest (and cheapest) solution to the wobble was a shim or two, but I didn't want to use (and keep track of) shims. I wondered about thick rubber pads under the legs. Maybe they'd allow the bench to conform to uneven spots on the garage floor. But then I found these Heavy Duty Lifting Levelers at Rockler and decided to try them. The best things about them for me were that they were relatively compact, could mount on the side of the legs, not under them, but still had a lip that would curl around under the leg (for strength). You adjust the height with an Allen wrench that fits into a socket on the end of the leveling bolt.
The levelers would fit on the insides of the legs, under the shelf, but it would be hard to get an Allen wrench in there to adjust the height. So I decided to change the casters to flip to the inside and put the levelers on the outside. That would look better.
To make that work, I had to move the casters away from the ends of the caster board so they would clear the stretchers. I worried that that would make the bench less stable when I moved it. It did, but it wasn't too bad. But now I encountered another problem. Any time I rolled the bench along its length, the caster boards would collapse inward, and the bench would fall to the ground. Not good… I'd need latches after all. I remembered seeing latches for sliding patio doors before. (One piece mounts to the door, the other to the jamb, and a U-shaped bar slides into holes in both.) I was able to find them at Home Depot.
Here's how it all turned out. I used screen door hinges to mount the caster board to the insides of the legs. I offset the hinges so the knuckles would rest on the floor when the caster board was folded up. (I still don't understand why Schwarz had to cut notches for the knuckles in his implementation.)
![Wheel Wood Tire Table Drawer]()
This photo shows how I had to move the casters closer together to clear the stretchers.
![Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain]()
I had to cut shallow notches to mount the levelers. I used my router and a 1/2" rabbet bit for that.
![Wood Material property Wood stain Hardwood Plywood]()
Before moving the bench, I flip the caster boards down and slide the locks into place.
![Wheel Wood Floor Toy Rolling]()
When the bench is parked, the sliding U-shaped part of the lock hangs there unobtrusively.
![Furniture Wood Drawer Flooring Floor]()
I'm happy with how it all works. The funny thing is that I don't need to use an Allen wrench to adjust the levelers. I can just rotate the bolt with my hands (it never has to move very far to contact the floor). So I could have left the casters so they flipped out and mounted the levelers to the insides of the legs.
I still think it looks better now, but I'm not sure I'll be able to use the bench in "tall mode" with its wheels down and locked due the the close spacing of the casters. Oh well…
If I had to do it all over again, I might opt to use very low-profile ball casters and still make the caster boards flip to the inside. Then I don't think I'd need the sliding locks at all.
After I bolted the top to the stand, I encountered a problem: the bench was solid, but it wobbled. Three legs touched the floor, but one hovered slightly above it-not by much (less than 1/8"), but enough to be annoying.
No problem, I thought. I'll just trim the longer of the two front legs. So I made a little jig to support my router so I could use a flat-bottomed straight bit to nibble off the end.
That didn't take long and worked very well.
I flipped the bench back over and patted myself on the back. The wobble was gone. But… I moved the bench back to its storage location. It wobbled worse than before. I know I don't plan to work on it there, but still, I don't want it to wobble. That's embarrassing.
At that point, I realized that trimming the legs was useless, because different legs would need to be trimmed by different amounts depending on where the bench was. I needed another solution, but I decided to worry about it later, and concentrate on adding the casters so I could move the bench around more easily.
I've seen a variety of mechanisms for making workbenches movable:
- Mounting casters on a hinged board attached to the bottom of the legs, such that the entire mounting board and casters are under the legs when the bench is moving. See the Christopher Schwarz blog articles The Easiest Way to Make Your Bench Mobile and Mobile Base Mark II.
- Mounting casters on a hinged board that is attached to the side stringers, with another hinged board that locks the caster board in place, elevating the bench just enough to allow it to roll. See these YouTube videos: Workbench wheels lift mechanism and Retractable Landing Gear for your Table.
- Combination casters/levelers like the WoodRiver Machine Leveling Caster Plate Mounted 4 Pack.
- Hinged casters that mount on the side of the legs or stringers with foot-activated levers, like Rockler's Workbench Caster Kit.
- Casters on blocks with pegs on top that fit into holes in the bottom of the legs. These are meant for occasional use and probably require the use of a jack to lift the bench. I can't find a link, but I remember reading about this idea in some woodworking forum.
I decided to go with a variation of the first design. I thought it offered the best combination of solidity and simplicity. I started by making the caster boards flip to the outside of the bench, as in the Schwarz videos above. That worked well. I placed the casters so they were directly under the legs, where they are most stable. I didn't think I'd need the latches featured in the second Schwarz video. I thought the bench looked a little goofy when parked, with the caster boards and casters in full view, but I left it like that while I revisited the wobble problem.
I know that the simplest (and cheapest) solution to the wobble was a shim or two, but I didn't want to use (and keep track of) shims. I wondered about thick rubber pads under the legs. Maybe they'd allow the bench to conform to uneven spots on the garage floor. But then I found these Heavy Duty Lifting Levelers at Rockler and decided to try them. The best things about them for me were that they were relatively compact, could mount on the side of the legs, not under them, but still had a lip that would curl around under the leg (for strength). You adjust the height with an Allen wrench that fits into a socket on the end of the leveling bolt.
The levelers would fit on the insides of the legs, under the shelf, but it would be hard to get an Allen wrench in there to adjust the height. So I decided to change the casters to flip to the inside and put the levelers on the outside. That would look better.
To make that work, I had to move the casters away from the ends of the caster board so they would clear the stretchers. I worried that that would make the bench less stable when I moved it. It did, but it wasn't too bad. But now I encountered another problem. Any time I rolled the bench along its length, the caster boards would collapse inward, and the bench would fall to the ground. Not good… I'd need latches after all. I remembered seeing latches for sliding patio doors before. (One piece mounts to the door, the other to the jamb, and a U-shaped bar slides into holes in both.) I was able to find them at Home Depot.
Here's how it all turned out. I used screen door hinges to mount the caster board to the insides of the legs. I offset the hinges so the knuckles would rest on the floor when the caster board was folded up. (I still don't understand why Schwarz had to cut notches for the knuckles in his implementation.)
This photo shows how I had to move the casters closer together to clear the stretchers.
I had to cut shallow notches to mount the levelers. I used my router and a 1/2" rabbet bit for that.
Before moving the bench, I flip the caster boards down and slide the locks into place.
When the bench is parked, the sliding U-shaped part of the lock hangs there unobtrusively.
I'm happy with how it all works. The funny thing is that I don't need to use an Allen wrench to adjust the levelers. I can just rotate the bolt with my hands (it never has to move very far to contact the floor). So I could have left the casters so they flipped out and mounted the levelers to the insides of the legs.
I still think it looks better now, but I'm not sure I'll be able to use the bench in "tall mode" with its wheels down and locked due the the close spacing of the casters. Oh well…
If I had to do it all over again, I might opt to use very low-profile ball casters and still make the caster boards flip to the inside. Then I don't think I'd need the sliding locks at all.
Attachments
You are on a roll!!!Making it Mobile (but Stable)
After I bolted the top to the stand, I encountered a problem: the bench was solid, but it wobbled. Three legs touched the floor, but one hovered slightly above it-not by much (less than 1/8"), but enough to be annoying.
No problem, I thought. I'll just trim the longer of the two front legs. So I made a little jig to support my router so I could use a flat-bottomed straight bit to nibble off the end.
![Wood Wood stain Flooring Rectangle Hardwood]()
![Wood Drinkware Kitchen appliance Tableware Gas]()
That didn't take long and worked very well.
![Wood Creative arts Flooring Aircraft Hardwood]()
I flipped the bench back over and patted myself on the back. The wobble was gone. But… I moved the bench back to its storage location. It wobbled worse than before. I know I don't plan to work on it there, but still, I don't want it to wobble. That's embarrassing.
At that point, I realized that trimming the legs was useless, because different legs would need to be trimmed by different amounts depending on where the bench was. I needed another solution, but I decided to worry about it later, and concentrate on adding the casters so I could move the bench around more easily.
I've seen a variety of mechanisms for making workbenches movable:
- Mounting casters on a hinged board attached to the bottom of the legs, such that the entire mounting board and casters are under the legs when the bench is moving. See the Christopher Schwarz blog articles The Easiest Way to Make Your Bench Mobile and Mobile Base Mark II.
- Mounting casters on a hinged board that is attached to the side stringers, with another hinged board that locks the caster board in place, elevating the bench just enough to allow it to roll. See these YouTube videos: Workbench wheels lift mechanism and Retractable Landing Gear for your Table.
- Combination casters/levelers like the WoodRiver Machine Leveling Caster Plate Mounted 4 Pack.
- Hinged casters that mount on the side of the legs or stringers with foot-activated levers, like Rockler's Workbench Caster Kit.
- Casters on blocks with pegs on top that fit into holes in the bottom of the legs. These are meant for occasional use and probably require the use of a jack to lift the bench. I can't find a link, but I remember reading about this idea in some woodworking forum.
I decided to go with a variation of the first design. I thought it offered the best combination of solidity and simplicity. I started by making the caster boards flip to the outside of the bench, as in the Schwarz videos above. That worked well. I placed the casters so they were directly under the legs, where they are most stable. I didn't think I'd need the latches featured in the second Schwarz video. I thought the bench looked a little goofy when parked, with the caster boards and casters in full view, but I left it like that while I revisited the wobble problem.
I know that the simplest (and cheapest) solution to the wobble was a shim or two, but I didn't want to use (and keep track of) shims. I wondered about thick rubber pads under the legs. Maybe they'd allow the bench to conform to uneven spots on the garage floor. But then I found these Heavy Duty Lifting Levelers at Rockler and decided to try them. The best things about them for me were that they were relatively compact, could mount on the side of the legs, not under them, but still had a lip that would curl around under the leg (for strength). You adjust the height with an Allen wrench that fits into a socket on the end of the leveling bolt.
The levelers would fit on the insides of the legs, under the shelf, but it would be hard to get an Allen wrench in there to adjust the height. So I decided to change the casters to flip to the inside and put the levelers on the outside. That would look better.
To make that work, I had to move the casters away from the ends of the caster board so they would clear the stretchers. I worried that that would make the bench less stable when I moved it. It did, but it wasn't too bad. But now I encountered another problem. Any time I rolled the bench along its length, the caster boards would collapse inward, and the bench would fall to the ground. Not good… I'd need latches after all. I remembered seeing latches for sliding patio doors before. (One piece mounts to the door, the other to the jamb, and a U-shaped bar slides into holes in both.) I was able to find them at Home Depot.
Here's how it all turned out. I used screen door hinges to mount the caster board to the insides of the legs. I offset the hinges so the knuckles would rest on the floor when the caster board was folded up. (I still don't understand why Schwarz had to cut notches for the knuckles in his implementation.)
![Wheel Wood Tire Table Drawer]()
This photo shows how I had to move the casters closer together to clear the stretchers.
![Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain]()
I had to cut shallow notches to mount the levelers. I used my router and a 1/2" rabbet bit for that.
![Wood Material property Wood stain Hardwood Plywood]()
Before moving the bench, I flip the caster boards down and slide the locks into place.
![Wheel Wood Floor Toy Rolling]()
When the bench is parked, the sliding U-shaped part of the lock hangs there unobtrusively.
![Furniture Wood Drawer Flooring Floor]()
I'm happy with how it all works. The funny thing is that I don't need to use an Allen wrench to adjust the levelers. I can just rotate the bolt with my hands (it never has to move very far to contact the floor). So I could have left the casters so they flipped out and mounted the levelers to the insides of the legs.
I still think it looks better now, but I'm not sure I'll be able to use the bench in "tall mode" with its wheels down and locked due the the close spacing of the casters. Oh well…
If I had to do it all over again, I might opt to use very low-profile ball casters and still make the caster boards flip to the inside. Then I don't think I'd need the sliding locks at all.
Great pictoral documentation and written explanation!!! The links are handy too.
Enjoy your bench!!!
Attachments
What I am is in a hurry.Making it Mobile (but Stable)
After I bolted the top to the stand, I encountered a problem: the bench was solid, but it wobbled. Three legs touched the floor, but one hovered slightly above it-not by much (less than 1/8"), but enough to be annoying.
No problem, I thought. I'll just trim the longer of the two front legs. So I made a little jig to support my router so I could use a flat-bottomed straight bit to nibble off the end.
![Wood Wood stain Flooring Rectangle Hardwood]()
![Wood Drinkware Kitchen appliance Tableware Gas]()
That didn't take long and worked very well.
![Wood Creative arts Flooring Aircraft Hardwood]()
I flipped the bench back over and patted myself on the back. The wobble was gone. But… I moved the bench back to its storage location. It wobbled worse than before. I know I don't plan to work on it there, but still, I don't want it to wobble. That's embarrassing.
At that point, I realized that trimming the legs was useless, because different legs would need to be trimmed by different amounts depending on where the bench was. I needed another solution, but I decided to worry about it later, and concentrate on adding the casters so I could move the bench around more easily.
I've seen a variety of mechanisms for making workbenches movable:
- Mounting casters on a hinged board attached to the bottom of the legs, such that the entire mounting board and casters are under the legs when the bench is moving. See the Christopher Schwarz blog articles The Easiest Way to Make Your Bench Mobile and Mobile Base Mark II.
- Mounting casters on a hinged board that is attached to the side stringers, with another hinged board that locks the caster board in place, elevating the bench just enough to allow it to roll. See these YouTube videos: Workbench wheels lift mechanism and Retractable Landing Gear for your Table.
- Combination casters/levelers like the WoodRiver Machine Leveling Caster Plate Mounted 4 Pack.
- Hinged casters that mount on the side of the legs or stringers with foot-activated levers, like Rockler's Workbench Caster Kit.
- Casters on blocks with pegs on top that fit into holes in the bottom of the legs. These are meant for occasional use and probably require the use of a jack to lift the bench. I can't find a link, but I remember reading about this idea in some woodworking forum.
I decided to go with a variation of the first design. I thought it offered the best combination of solidity and simplicity. I started by making the caster boards flip to the outside of the bench, as in the Schwarz videos above. That worked well. I placed the casters so they were directly under the legs, where they are most stable. I didn't think I'd need the latches featured in the second Schwarz video. I thought the bench looked a little goofy when parked, with the caster boards and casters in full view, but I left it like that while I revisited the wobble problem.
I know that the simplest (and cheapest) solution to the wobble was a shim or two, but I didn't want to use (and keep track of) shims. I wondered about thick rubber pads under the legs. Maybe they'd allow the bench to conform to uneven spots on the garage floor. But then I found these Heavy Duty Lifting Levelers at Rockler and decided to try them. The best things about them for me were that they were relatively compact, could mount on the side of the legs, not under them, but still had a lip that would curl around under the leg (for strength). You adjust the height with an Allen wrench that fits into a socket on the end of the leveling bolt.
The levelers would fit on the insides of the legs, under the shelf, but it would be hard to get an Allen wrench in there to adjust the height. So I decided to change the casters to flip to the inside and put the levelers on the outside. That would look better.
To make that work, I had to move the casters away from the ends of the caster board so they would clear the stretchers. I worried that that would make the bench less stable when I moved it. It did, but it wasn't too bad. But now I encountered another problem. Any time I rolled the bench along its length, the caster boards would collapse inward, and the bench would fall to the ground. Not good… I'd need latches after all. I remembered seeing latches for sliding patio doors before. (One piece mounts to the door, the other to the jamb, and a U-shaped bar slides into holes in both.) I was able to find them at Home Depot.
Here's how it all turned out. I used screen door hinges to mount the caster board to the insides of the legs. I offset the hinges so the knuckles would rest on the floor when the caster board was folded up. (I still don't understand why Schwarz had to cut notches for the knuckles in his implementation.)
![Wheel Wood Tire Table Drawer]()
This photo shows how I had to move the casters closer together to clear the stretchers.
![Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain]()
I had to cut shallow notches to mount the levelers. I used my router and a 1/2" rabbet bit for that.
![Wood Material property Wood stain Hardwood Plywood]()
Before moving the bench, I flip the caster boards down and slide the locks into place.
![Wheel Wood Floor Toy Rolling]()
When the bench is parked, the sliding U-shaped part of the lock hangs there unobtrusively.
![Furniture Wood Drawer Flooring Floor]()
I'm happy with how it all works. The funny thing is that I don't need to use an Allen wrench to adjust the levelers. I can just rotate the bolt with my hands (it never has to move very far to contact the floor). So I could have left the casters so they flipped out and mounted the levelers to the insides of the legs.
I still think it looks better now, but I'm not sure I'll be able to use the bench in "tall mode" with its wheels down and locked due the the close spacing of the casters. Oh well…
If I had to do it all over again, I might opt to use very low-profile ball casters and still make the caster boards flip to the inside. Then I don't think I'd need the sliding locks at all.
I set a goal to finish this blog this weekend, and I'm happy to say that I just did that. I'm glad you think it's worth reading.Attachments
Great work, Ron-I'm going to adapt your approach for my bench.Making it Mobile (but Stable)
After I bolted the top to the stand, I encountered a problem: the bench was solid, but it wobbled. Three legs touched the floor, but one hovered slightly above it-not by much (less than 1/8"), but enough to be annoying.
No problem, I thought. I'll just trim the longer of the two front legs. So I made a little jig to support my router so I could use a flat-bottomed straight bit to nibble off the end.
![Wood Wood stain Flooring Rectangle Hardwood]()
![Wood Drinkware Kitchen appliance Tableware Gas]()
That didn't take long and worked very well.
![Wood Creative arts Flooring Aircraft Hardwood]()
I flipped the bench back over and patted myself on the back. The wobble was gone. But… I moved the bench back to its storage location. It wobbled worse than before. I know I don't plan to work on it there, but still, I don't want it to wobble. That's embarrassing.
At that point, I realized that trimming the legs was useless, because different legs would need to be trimmed by different amounts depending on where the bench was. I needed another solution, but I decided to worry about it later, and concentrate on adding the casters so I could move the bench around more easily.
I've seen a variety of mechanisms for making workbenches movable:
- Mounting casters on a hinged board attached to the bottom of the legs, such that the entire mounting board and casters are under the legs when the bench is moving. See the Christopher Schwarz blog articles The Easiest Way to Make Your Bench Mobile and Mobile Base Mark II.
- Mounting casters on a hinged board that is attached to the side stringers, with another hinged board that locks the caster board in place, elevating the bench just enough to allow it to roll. See these YouTube videos: Workbench wheels lift mechanism and Retractable Landing Gear for your Table.
- Combination casters/levelers like the WoodRiver Machine Leveling Caster Plate Mounted 4 Pack.
- Hinged casters that mount on the side of the legs or stringers with foot-activated levers, like Rockler's Workbench Caster Kit.
- Casters on blocks with pegs on top that fit into holes in the bottom of the legs. These are meant for occasional use and probably require the use of a jack to lift the bench. I can't find a link, but I remember reading about this idea in some woodworking forum.
I decided to go with a variation of the first design. I thought it offered the best combination of solidity and simplicity. I started by making the caster boards flip to the outside of the bench, as in the Schwarz videos above. That worked well. I placed the casters so they were directly under the legs, where they are most stable. I didn't think I'd need the latches featured in the second Schwarz video. I thought the bench looked a little goofy when parked, with the caster boards and casters in full view, but I left it like that while I revisited the wobble problem.
I know that the simplest (and cheapest) solution to the wobble was a shim or two, but I didn't want to use (and keep track of) shims. I wondered about thick rubber pads under the legs. Maybe they'd allow the bench to conform to uneven spots on the garage floor. But then I found these Heavy Duty Lifting Levelers at Rockler and decided to try them. The best things about them for me were that they were relatively compact, could mount on the side of the legs, not under them, but still had a lip that would curl around under the leg (for strength). You adjust the height with an Allen wrench that fits into a socket on the end of the leveling bolt.
The levelers would fit on the insides of the legs, under the shelf, but it would be hard to get an Allen wrench in there to adjust the height. So I decided to change the casters to flip to the inside and put the levelers on the outside. That would look better.
To make that work, I had to move the casters away from the ends of the caster board so they would clear the stretchers. I worried that that would make the bench less stable when I moved it. It did, but it wasn't too bad. But now I encountered another problem. Any time I rolled the bench along its length, the caster boards would collapse inward, and the bench would fall to the ground. Not good… I'd need latches after all. I remembered seeing latches for sliding patio doors before. (One piece mounts to the door, the other to the jamb, and a U-shaped bar slides into holes in both.) I was able to find them at Home Depot.
Here's how it all turned out. I used screen door hinges to mount the caster board to the insides of the legs. I offset the hinges so the knuckles would rest on the floor when the caster board was folded up. (I still don't understand why Schwarz had to cut notches for the knuckles in his implementation.)
![Wheel Wood Tire Table Drawer]()
This photo shows how I had to move the casters closer together to clear the stretchers.
![Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain]()
I had to cut shallow notches to mount the levelers. I used my router and a 1/2" rabbet bit for that.
![Wood Material property Wood stain Hardwood Plywood]()
Before moving the bench, I flip the caster boards down and slide the locks into place.
![Wheel Wood Floor Toy Rolling]()
When the bench is parked, the sliding U-shaped part of the lock hangs there unobtrusively.
![Furniture Wood Drawer Flooring Floor]()
I'm happy with how it all works. The funny thing is that I don't need to use an Allen wrench to adjust the levelers. I can just rotate the bolt with my hands (it never has to move very far to contact the floor). So I could have left the casters so they flipped out and mounted the levelers to the insides of the legs.
I still think it looks better now, but I'm not sure I'll be able to use the bench in "tall mode" with its wheels down and locked due the the close spacing of the casters. Oh well…
If I had to do it all over again, I might opt to use very low-profile ball casters and still make the caster boards flip to the inside. Then I don't think I'd need the sliding locks at all.
Attachments
Materials, Costs, and Sources
The following table summarizes the project costs in different categories in U.S. Dollars (full-resolution image).
![Font Material property Parallel Number Screenshot]()
I didn't include sales taxes, shipping costs, or cost of the screws and other supplies.
The cost of the basic bench is not too bad. Mobility (lateral, not just upward) has its costs. The Veritas products are definitely splurges. (But I had to have something to put on my Christmas list…)
The following table summarizes the project costs in different categories in U.S. Dollars (full-resolution image).
I didn't include sales taxes, shipping costs, or cost of the screws and other supplies.
The cost of the basic bench is not too bad. Mobility (lateral, not just upward) has its costs. The Veritas products are definitely splurges. (But I had to have something to put on my Christmas list…)
Attachments
Nice breakdown of your costs incurred. This is a big help, to those of us, trying to wrap their mind around material choices and budgetary constaints!!!Materials, Costs, and Sources
The following table summarizes the project costs in different categories in U.S. Dollars (full-resolution image).
![Font Material property Parallel Number Screenshot]()
I didn't include sales taxes, shipping costs, or cost of the screws and other supplies.
The cost of the basic bench is not too bad. Mobility (lateral, not just upward) has its costs. The Veritas products are definitely splurges. (But I had to have something to put on my Christmas list…)
You are certifiably OCD, a perfectionist or anal retentive!!! NONE of which are a bad thing! Lol.
I tease because, you engineered and analyzed your work bench build as I would like to!!!
Now go make saw dust, projects and some dings in that marvelous bench!!!
Attachments
Ha!Materials, Costs, and Sources
The following table summarizes the project costs in different categories in U.S. Dollars (full-resolution image).
![Font Material property Parallel Number Screenshot]()
I didn't include sales taxes, shipping costs, or cost of the screws and other supplies.
The cost of the basic bench is not too bad. Mobility (lateral, not just upward) has its costs. The Veritas products are definitely splurges. (But I had to have something to put on my Christmas list…)
You made my wife laugh. For the record, I don't track my costs that carefully. I just tossed all the receipts in a drawer and figured I'd list the actual amounts while I was writing the blog. I didn't know the exact total cost myself until yesterday.Attachments
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