Shop barge, Let's build a work bench.

In reply to akylekoz :

Nice build thread. I've already learned a couple things. BTW, is the SketchUp you are using for your 3D model?

I’m using Solidworks, funny thing I just tried sketchup on my sons computer and couldn’t figure out how to size a box.  Maybe more than two minutes is required.

That bench took about ten minutes.

I'm 100%self taught on SketchUp; super little bit of auto cad LT back 'round the turn of the century. Learned that just looking over the shoulders of the in-house machinists on a 6 week job! And they had only had a week long class in it. Have access to the latest autocad on the work computer, but it is so much different than the old program, and played with sketchup since, and cant do much with it.

Tried a couple free trials online, including colidworks, but couldnt do a thing with 'em! No teacher

I’m not great at Solidworks but use it for a living.  I think it’s time for a Solidworks GRM thread, just for car stuff, there are a few users on here.   I will definitely help with the remedial part, I’m basically self taught so I only know what I use.  

This is a cool accidental feature, there are several dowels in a nice perpendicular to the edge pattern.   Nice rest to start square from.

Zero progress this weekend due to closing down my happy place.

If only I had a nice flat welding table to fab up my new bench.  My plan is to tack the two long sides first then connect them with the short side pieces.  Once it looks like what I want and verify that the tool boxes will fit, finish welding it.

Precut tubes made the building the main box go quick.

First tool box fit nice.

I wanted the fresh side of the table facing up...that was a trick.   I didn’t die but may have peed a little.  How much does a .750 x 45 x 84 slab of steel weigh?

akylekoz said:

I wanted the fresh side of the table to facing up...that was a trick.   I didn’t die but may have peed a little.  How much does a .750 x 45 x 84 slab of steel weigh?

804 LB. .....How's the hernia?

akylekoz said:

I’m not great at Solidworks but use it for a living.  I think it’s time for a Solidworks GRM thread, just for car stuff, there are a few users on here.   I will definitely help with the remedial part, I’m basically self taught so I only know what I use.  

I like this idea. I used Solidworks for 8 years before changing jobs and switching to Catia V5 and Ideas for 3 years before leaving engineering. I just got a full educational version of Solidworks and am happy to be back on that after using Fusion360 for personal stuff for the last few years.

I’d love a thread with some VERY remedial instructions. But only have a “real” computer at work these days. And the “new sheriff in town” is going to severely curtail my free time. No more standby till something breaks. I gotta start doing make work to justify my pay!

akylekoz said:

I’m not great at Solidworks but use it for a living.  I think it’s time for a Solidworks GRM thread, just for car stuff, there are a few users on here.   I will definitely help with the remedial part, I’m basically self taught so I only know what I use.  

I know enough to be dangerous in it.

In reply to akylekoz :

It's funny how one person can look at something and another can see it so differently.  I never thought to do that with a tool box.  That is brilliant.  I am planning a new bench for the garage, but do not have your metal skills.  We will be talking two by fours.  Speaking of not looking at things....I had a house where I built an awesome bench, really nice and solid.  I didn't take into account that the doorway going into the room wasn't standard.  The move was a disaster and I didn't have time to dismantle the bench.  The sad thing is the fella who bought the house is in bad health, so the bench is probably just used for storage.  

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

804 LB!

I was using the car lift and some motorcycle straps to lift and flip the table top and misjudged how high it would go.  Picking it straight up first and placing it on something low is what I should have done.  What happened is while picking it up from one side in an attempt to lift and flip it the first 90 degrees all at once it slid off of the table ( that was on wheels).  That table shot out at me, fortunately I was hiding behind the lift post.

In reply to thedoc :

If this steel plate didn’t just fall in my lap I would have built a nice bench out of wood with the tool boxes under it and still on wheels.  I just have a hard time committing to a permanent structure in the space I have.  With this one I can shove it in the corner and it will only take up just I little more room than my old bench.  

New thought, a wooden barge out of 4 x 4s could also be on wheels and maybe cheaper to build.  

In reply to 03Panther :

Sound like this is should happen.  There are several good forums out there and SW has built in tutorials but they are often over my head or specific to an advanced problem.  In my experience the tutorials are frustrating as a beginner, they will tell you to use a button that is hidden in a tool bar somewhere.  

In reply to akylekoz :

New thought, a wooden barge out of 4 x 4s could also be on wheels and maybe cheaper to build.  

Other than the plate top, wood has gotten so expensive, the metal may be just as cheap!

In reply to 03Panther :

This is why my walls amen ceiling are not covered.  I’ll wait for $10 osb again.

5.5 inches is exactly the width of a 1 x 6.

And the space between my boxes.