Saturday, November 29, 2014
A Modern Woodworking Workbench
Hackaday: This is a post about workbenches, but not the benches you’re probably thinking about. Workbenches meant for electronics development are simple matters – just about any flat surface, a few shelves for equipment, and an anti-static mat will be fine for every conceivable use. Workbenches for woodworking are a separate matter entirely. There’s actually quite a bit of history behind the development of the woodworking workbench, but the basic idea is a thick laminated wood top, integrated vices, holes in the work surface for bench dogs, and ergonomics that allow for comfortable use of hand tools. The basic design of these benches hasn’t changed much in several hundred years, and [Dirk] thought the design was ready for a modern update.
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11 comments:
I have mixed feelings about this. but mostly positive. The only negative I have is just me being snobby thinking thats not a traditional solid shaker woodworking bench. Besides that, i guess another negative is its stability and life span. The whole reason most fine woodworking benches are a few hundred pounds is because the craftsman needs a tough, heavy duty, level table to work on. This bench seems pretty stable but I'm still scared to have the mechanics as part of my workbench. I definitely like the idea because you could use it as out feed or wing support for a number of tools in your shop even if they aren't all the same height. If you are working on a tall project that isn't quite tall enough to work on from the ground you could lower the table to the perfect height. I like how the video section of the article describes how it could be built because most woodworkers want to build their own bench as opposed to buying one (unless you can find a nice shaker bench, ugh, that would be so great). I definitely love the idea and would want something like this in my shop, but I don't know if it would take the place of my everyday workbench. I also like the combination of traditional woodworking and modern technology. While I like to think I'm a purist when it comes to woodworking I'd use a CNC machine and I use power tools. Using old and new is a really fun way to make great pieces.
Yeah, the adjustable height is a pretty cool feature. Endless versatility as a out feed table or ability to use in different working positions. But 800 pounds?! That's some pretty serious weight. The article says it's on casters and is mobile, but that must be a pain to push around, which would limit its utility as a "do anything" table. Honestly, a table like this would kind of scare me because I wouldn't want to mess it up or damage the finish! The video says it has a linseed oil finish, and though it says it's easy to repair scratches, the whole thing just seems like a glass cannon, so to speak. But hey, you can never have enough clamps and this thing really does have an awesome amount of clamps.
I think this is a brilliant design but not without its faults. I could see integrating this table into multiple tables for a russian doll style arrangement to maximize shop space. along with some Air Casters this could easily create a wide arrangement of multiple table arrays. Possibly even flipping the mechanism to live in the table top and a maylined stabilized leggin system would allow for the table to sit on another and and retract its legs for storage. all in all a wonderful design and creation. Perfect for a smaller shop or a garage set up for someone who needs one table to move around for projects. I would like to see a steel assembly for larger projects like a winch or even a motorcycle project.
First glance-ah look a Drew comment-
But in regards to the article I think this workbench is a good idea but I don't think i would buy one. With the amount of weight it has it must be really hard to push around. The Doors to Chosky proved to me that its possible for me to move that kind of weight but then again its not on the ground with casters. in addition I don't think the design is revolutionary. My grandfather built one of these in the 60s, not exactly to the quality of this but it preformed most of the tasks explained in the article and also had lots of clamps.
This has a lot of good qualities. The best part of this seems to be the adjustable height. Having whatever you are working on always be at the right height would be amazing. Also the author was cool enough to supply a CNC file so if you have access to a CNC you can make your own fairly easily, assuming you understand the Arduino bit. My only complaint is that there is not enough drawer space. If I was making one for myself I would include a little more on the shelving side of things.
So I'm just going to say that I love the adjustable height! Being a whopping 5 feet tall, the world was not built for someone my size and sometimes, especially in the shop, apple boxes are my best friend. It would be great if I could adjust the tables and make them shorter, working on them would be a lot easier. People who are saying that 800lbs is really heavy (yes, yes it is) but they probably didn't watch the video, so as you can see, it's still pretty mobile (or I'm just too gullible and believe anything). And being heavier makes it sturdier, right? Anyway, like what Drew said, having mechanics underneath is a little unnerving because all that sturdiness I just mentioned might not actually be there.
Honestly, I probably don't know what I'm talking about but it all seemed pretty cool anyway!
The most useful feature that this bench has is by far the vises.. I don't really see anyone using the automatic height adjustment all the time. Typically I can easily work on projects at the same height and when a table top height isn't quite good enough then I will just move it down to the ground. Maybe there's more of an application for furniture and fine detail woodworking, and while I think this is quite cool, I don't think I'd see any use of this in a theatrical wood shop.
Looks like a great project for someone who's into gadgetry, and I'm happy to see the elements of traditional western work bench are still relevant to the modernized wood-worker. I share Drew's concern about the sturdiness just a little. You can't back-drive an Acme screw, so I wouldn't worry too much about the table sinking under the weight of a heavy project or mallet blow, but the design requires the bench to sit atop four uncross-braced spindly legs with a bearing connection at both top and bottom. The designer here has tried to re-introduce stability by housing the table in a kind of guide-box to which you clamp the bench top when stationary. The only load those slip-critical connections are taking then is the side load applied by the inevitable swaying of the bench top. Seems like a plausible solution, if not all that elegant. I suspect a future design will find a better way of bracing the bench top. Speaking of the bench top, one issue I see with putting so much effort into a bench like this is the tendency to treat it like a product rather than a tool. It's important to pour just as much care and craft into your tools as you do your projects, but in the end, you have to be able to use the tool as it was intended, and worrying about repairing scratches is a symptom of caring too much. Last thing, I can only assume there is normally a cover of some kind over the chain and sprocket and stepper motor. Woodwork is messy business, and keeping shavings and dust out of those moving parts is going to be critical to the success of this bench.
This seems like a terrific work table.
Personally I feel that every carpenter should at some point create their own workbench rather than buying a pre-made one or building one from someone else's designs. No one knows how you work better than you do.
Further more, no one can forsee how you will utilize the workbench in the future. Therefore every workbench should always remain in a state that allows it to evolve to the situation and the necessary requirements. This bench for example could probably use some sort if coverings to guard the threads and roller chain from sawdust build up and grime collection.
The remote with preset heights can also prove to be extremely useful but I wonder if it would be better to install a rocker foot pedal for quick and instant height adjustments when your hands are occupied with the project.
I think that this table is really cool, and all around it would be awesome to own. It's so well though out, and it seems highly versatile. When I read that it was height adjustable I was a bit concerned, but looking at the mechanism it seems to be okay and I wouldn't be that worried about banging away at it with a hammer. The only thing that's a bit concerning about it are the clamps to keep it in place, but those seem to be there for extra support/stability just in case. Overall, I think the best thing about this work bench is the clamps, because they are awesome and big and because clamps are always useful. I think that this work bench could be expanded on in a lot of different ways, but I think that workbench needs differ so much from person to person that there's never going to be one that everyone can agree on. That being said, I think this one could be applicable to many people, because of the fact that in many ways it keeps things simple by nat having a million drawers or all sorts of folding things. Besides its weight, it's actually a very accessible workbench. If I had the money to make one of these, I probably wouldn't. I'd probably assess where I'm going to be working and build fixed height workbenches that suit my needs, and make a couple that could be rearranged. As a single workbench though, this is highly effective and it would be really cool to own one.
This table is a very cool concept and I think it is executed quite well overall. The adjustable hight of the table is a huge plus. I can't tell you how many times I have been working at a table that is either too high or too low to work at and I am struggling to find a comfortable hight to work at. The adjustability of the table also allows for it to be an excellent runoff table for saws. The biggest drawback to this product is its weight. As portable as it claims to be, weighing in at 800 pounds I find it hard to believe that it's getting transported from worksite to worksite all that easily. Because of that I find the casters to be a tad useless. I'd feel much more comfortable with something this heavy to just sit on the ground. As nice as the table is, I think that this idea has to be rethought before it makes its way to a buyers market.
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