[drsingh]

Bosch/Dremel tools and accessories available at 40%cashback at Paytm. com. Looks like it's a good deal for wannabe Dremel owners.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Salvaged an empty plastic reel...

Will use this for the electric extension box.

Will buy a couple of ball bearings (not sure if I can find one which would be a tight fit into the ID of the reel’s central pipe), a suitable CPVC pipe and 5 nos. CPVC 90 deg. bends to make the stand for the reel.

Originally Posted by diyguy

Good luck with your build. Getting the sockets to fit that area may be problematic.

I am not exactly planning to fit the sockets into the cavity of the reel as displayed in that pic (the pic was just for reference). It will be a plastic box with 2 sockets that protrudes outside.

Got a 3/4" 1 m pipe, some bends and a tee. Result:







The stand is very stable. Need to see how it holds up when the cable is loaded into the reel and the extension box is screwed to the reel. Next - buy a 30 m 3 core cable, box, 2 sockets etc. Forgot to get the pvc pipe end caps while at the hardware store! Need to get them and secure the whole stand using the PVC solvent weld.

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Next - buy a 30 m 3 core cable, box, 2 sockets etc.

It looks great! Awesome. On the 30m cable, I was told to unravel the whole cable as on heavy load there is heat build up and it catches fire when rolled up partially. So evaluate the need for 30m or less. Was told there were couple of stage fires and the shop guy was good enough to give me a warning!

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by diyguy

It looks great! Awesome. On the 30m cable, I was told to unravel the whole cable as on heavy load there is heat build up and it catches fire when rolled up partially. So evaluate the need for 30m or less. Was told there were couple of stage fires and the shop guy was good enough to give me a warning!

Yeah, the seniors here Nick and Jeroen has already warned us about it, a few pages back. Will have to unwind the whole cable from the reel if I am going to plug a heavy appliance to it. Appreciate the heads-up man!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Gannu, that is very good indeed. Imaginative use of simple, easy to obtain materials. Excellent.

[adrian]

I am going to get a 3 feet by 2 feet 2.5 feet high metal workbench built in the following design (Image taken from Internet).



I was planning to use 40 x 40 x 6 angle iron for the frame and 1/2 inch steel sheet for the surface. But on discussion with the blacksmith, he advised that a 1/4 inch steel sheet would suffice and also instructed to change over to square tubes for the structure. While the 1/4 inch steel sheet appears to be OK for the DIY workloads, I cannot somehow agree to the square extrusion part for the reason that with age, rust should develop from the inside. So should I stick with the angle iron for the structure or am I becoming paranoid with the rusting part ? Your inputs please. The cost of build , as per preliminary calculations, will be around 5K.

regards arun

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by adrian

While the 1/4 inch steel sheet appears to be OK for the DIY workloads, I cannot somehow agree to the square extrusion part for the reason that with age, rust should develop from the inside. So should I stick with the angle iron for the structure or am I becoming paranoid with the rusting part ? Your inputs please. The cost of build , as per preliminary calculations, will be around 5K.

regards arun

Arun, during the last weekend we were invited to the inauguration of a friend's engineering workshop and I saw his old workbench there which was built using powder coated square tubes as legs, a 1/2" nylon plate as the top plate of the table above which a steel sheet was screwed using countersunk bolts. Looked damn sturdy! The angles would be perfectly fine IMO but if you intend to install a heavy benchvise or an bench grinder at the corners of the workbench, consider opting for the square tubes.

If you are concerned about the rust, why not get the tubes galvanised? The innards would be covered with the tubes being dipped into the solution. You can have the outside powder coated.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by adrian

... So should I stick with the angle iron for the structure or am I becoming paranoid with the rusting part ? ...

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

... If you are concerned about the rust, why not get the tubes galvanised? The innards would be covered with the tubes being dipped into the solution. You can have the outside powder coated.

It is good to be paranoid for these things, especially if you are in an environment that promotes rusting. It is not that difficult to rust-proof the tubes though (has to be done *after* welding) - it needs an alkali wash to clean up the insides, and paint poured in (till a tube is full, and then out) after sealing one end.

On tubes v/s angles, thick rolled angle profiles (say 40mm side) resist bending more than extruded square profiles due to inherent material properties (rolled v/s extruded). The bending forces will come from the loads visualized for the table, as well as any heavy hammering or bending that you might to do on the table. If the loading is not visualized to be high, go for the square profiles.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by adrian

I am going to get a 3 feet by 2 feet 2.5 feet high metal workbench built in the following design (Image taken from Internet).

Attachment 1370837

I was planning to use 40 x 40 x 6 angle iron for the frame and 1/2 inch steel sheet for the surface. But on discussion with the blacksmith, he advised that a 1/4 inch steel sheet would suffice and also instructed to change over to square tubes for the structure. While the 1/4 inch steel sheet appears to be OK for the DIY workloads, I cannot somehow agree to the square extrusion part for the reason that with age, rust should develop from the inside. So should I stick with the angle iron for the structure or am I becoming paranoid with the rusting part ? Your inputs please. The cost of build , as per preliminary calculations, will be around 5K.

regards arun

Two points

1. Why such a thick table top? If you want rigidity, then a 3 or 4mm thick sheet over a 50mm solid teak base would be better (and lighter). 12.5mm (1/2") plate is quite heavy, would be around 50kg+ for your size( http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/st...l#metric_units), which at around Rs.100/kg would be Rs.5K. Then getting it flat is another task.

2. Good quality rolled angle iron is much better than square sections. Not the least, as it will be available in various thickness, while square tubes offer limited options.

I suggest that you first weld the steel parts, then take it for acid/alkali cleaning. Then get it powder coated/painted. Properly done it would last a life time. If you use thinner sheet with wood backing, then add a angle iron bracket to slide it under the top sheet.

Another idea is to replace the top steel sheet with a 3mm SS plate (along with 50mm wood backing)

[adrian]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

The angles would be perfectly fine IMO but if you intend to install a heavy benchvise or an bench grinder at the corners of the workbench, consider opting for the square tubes.
If you are concerned about the rust, why not get the tubes galvanised? The innards would be covered with the tubes being dipped into the solution. You can have the outside powder coated.

Thank you Gannu_1, the necessity of the workbench became evident after the purchase of the mini angle grinder Bosch GWS 6-100. I am thinking of painting the workbench as DIY as the powder coated surface will get scratches over years from tool hits and the like. With the good old paint, all you have to do is touch it up. More over the cost of galvanizing and powder coating can be invested on a higher gauge angle iron.

Originally Posted by DerAlte

On tubes v/s angles, thick rolled angle profiles (say 40mm side) resist bending more than extruded square profiles due to inherent material properties (rolled v/s extruded). The bending forces will come from the loads visualized for the table, as well as any heavy hammering or bending that you might to do on the table. If the loading is not visualized to be high, go for the square profiles.

Thank you DerAlte, bending of metal is definitely on the table and so I think I will go with the angle iron.

Originally Posted by Aroy

Two points

1. Why such a thick table top?

2. Good quality rolled angle iron is much better than square sections. Not the least, as it will be available in various thickness, while square tubes offer limited options.

Thank you Aroy, I chose a thick table top and angle iron structure with the intention of increasing the weight of the workbench. As the dimension of the workbench is small ( ie a 2 by 3), I didn't want it to topple over with a bench vise on top or move around when bending metal. This is the vise that will go on top of the workbench.





After reading the angle grinder stories from the internet, I was getting really afraid of the power tool and went for the safety helmets and shields. Unfortunately I learned that the helmet and shield cannot be used together. The respiratory mask and eye protection was already with me from the time I bought my Hitachi DV 13 VSS impact drill.





Welding / Grinding Helmet



Safety Helmet



Gloves



Gum boots

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by Aroy

... Another idea is to replace the top steel sheet with a 3mm SS plate (along with 50mm wood backing)

That is how it is done conventionally. The wood provides sound damping. Only steel sheet is very noisy unless it is 1" thick (impractical).

[Thad E Ginathom]

As the dimension of the workbench is small ( ie a 2 by 3), I didn't want it to topple over with a bench vise on top or move around when bending metal.

Good point, and I feel that the answer is to bolt it to the floor. You really do want this thing to be stable: the last thing you want is to have it falling on top of you.

You should investigate the ergonomics of the height carefully. What will be the angle of your arm when hammering? What height will the vice jaws be at when you are cutting or filing?

[adrian]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I feel that the answer is to bolt it to the floor.

Thank you very much for the guidance. Will definitely make provisions for bolting in the foot plate.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

You should investigate the ergonomics of the height carefully. What will be the angle of your arm when hammering? What height will the vice jaws be at when you are cutting or filing?

I am 5'8" and with the proposed height of 2.5' for the workbench, the top plate will be positioned midway of my thigh bone. So while hammering a work secured in the vise, at the impact point, the angle at the elbow will be 90 degrees. Is it good or bad ? Kindly enlighten.

regards adrian

[Thad E Ginathom]

Is it good or bad ? Kindly enlighten.

I was offering questions, rather than answers! I don't really know: I built a jewellery workbench once, but one sits at that, and then it has to be higher than you'd think, bringing the work closer to the eye.

What you say sounds about right, but was hoping people with experience might answer.

Another idea for safety/security is that, as well as the floor bolts, you can fix the rear legs to the wall. You could put a U shape bracket on each leg.

[adrian]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I was offering questions, rather than answers!

And those questions were thought provoking Ergonomics is something that is ignored to a large extend in workplaces, at least in India. So any experienced works-man who can enlighten us on the ergonomics of a workbench ?

And thank you very much for the wall clamp idea. Was thinking hard on how to drill the floor without getting shot in knuckles by the members of the family
regards adrian