If you make the top of the lift cart into a small pallet just taller than the cart when fully lowered, you could leave the rotary table and tools on it and lower the cart when it’s under the bench, leaving the pallet behind with the tools on it and still use the cart for its intended function. Hopefully that makes sense, looks like you have the room under the bench, and no need to buy a second cart.
Was going into the comments to make the same suggestion. I think the plan would be that 99% of the time the top pallet would live on the cart but for those times you needed the cart as a lift cart you could go and park the top off to the side and use it for its lifting function.
I feel the cruel twist of Irony here... "I'm changing my woodworking bench cause I don't do woodworking anymore"... Proceeds to make more sawdust than I've ever seen you make :)
I've watched your videos for a while now. I don't do any sort of machining, but watching you, Quinn, ToT, Abom, and Inheritance Machining is very inspiring and entertaining for each your own set of reasons 🙂 I only just now realised that, apart from your skillset and interesting projects, part of what makes your videos so enjoyable is your voice, and the way that you talk and narrate. It's so very calming and pleasant!
Haha, "Do I need a bench that can hold 20k lbs in the shop?" -- I can relate!! One thing that makes your channel so special is how you do so much with so little space. Love it.
Nothing better than having a workshop that you are happy to walk into, looks absolutely inviting. PS Absolutely understand having everything that can be on wheels.
A good workbench is one of the most important tools in the shop. I just bought 4 new bench top materials for my shop. These were 1-1/4 MDF with light colored Formica on one side and they are 29 x 96 and incredibly heavy. I got them for the unbelievable price of $5 each from a surplus warehouse. They have gray table molding all around and also have rounded corners, something I really appreciate as I frequently run into them in my small shop space. I plan on mounting them onto repurposed kitchen cabinets that I have been collecting for the past year from my local building material recycling company. Now I just need to play Tetris, moving things around in my shop to get the cabinets, and my tools, into their final positions. Great inspiration James, thanks.
We have one of those hydraulic cards at work and we use it all of the time to load things into our vans. Not that it would apply to you, but they will bleed down when you have weight applied to them, so don’t trust them to hold something that you are relying on.
Regarding the butcher block below your granite surface plate: This will probably bend and sag a few mm over time. I have a 60mm thich beech plate, on which my 160kg milling machine rests. The intention was to spread its weight to the ends of the plate and support one side with the wall. After only a few months the area where the milling machine sits has sagged and now rests on the cabinets below. Which I actually wanted to avoid, because my floor doesn't allow so much weight, hence the intended load transfer into the wall.
Nice video. Consider making a shallow box to fit on top of the lift table. Make the height so that when fully raised it is at workbench / mill height to make transfer easier.
I love how the surface plate was sitting in your shop for 6 months but you felt the need to research the caster size so you could order them in time so you don't have to wait for them a couple of days after getting the cart. Sometimes I am also like this.
Very nice, James. I have my 12 x18 Grizzly B plate sitting on 3/4 plywood on top of the 18 x 27 (don't ask me, that's how big it is) version of the same Kobalt tool chest. I didn't want to spend the $$ on the fancy casters (also didn't know about them a couple of years ago), so I added a floor lock (I also only have access to the front casters so the floor lock is the best option). Thanks for the demonstration of how the Pyramids were constructed using only people power ;). One fine memory: in 1975 my wife & I spent most of a Saturday negotiating the purchase of two cars at the Charlottesville, VA Chevy dealer. During that afternoon, the salespeople moved three Corvettes so that a white fourth one could go out for a test drive three different times (four cars out, three cars back; four cars out, three cars back, etc.): wish we had cell phone video 45 years ago . . . Best regards, Charlie
Just a thought for your hydraulic lift table. Make a short table that the lift fits under. Make it 14-1/2” taller than the lift table fully collapsed. This way you can park the table in its prefered location, leave the lift table under it and then when you need the fixturing, you can lift it up and move it. When you need the table by itself, is can be slid from under tye table and then slid back when needs to be stored again.
It’s amazing how far you have gone from the beginning to now. I’ll be sad to see the G0704 go that was the hook that got me to watch at first. But time changes and things progress.
9:18. Thank goodness! I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles to find dimensions for consumer products. I feel like a novice sometimes if I have to hand measure something store bought to re-create the spec sheet that's probably floating around somewhere.
Love the red oak! Many times I've thought I've had the perfect solution to an issue then a totally non-expectant near ready made solution pops up! Keeping the eyes and the mind open to new possibilities pays off in many walks of life!
Never underestimate the value of a good workbench or deadlifts! Your video actually had me solve a conundrum I have had converting a rolling cabinet for my pillar drill!
That new bench is awesome, I could use one of those. Along with one of everything else in that shop of yours. What does your metal stock storage look like, don’t think I’ve ever seen your metal storage. Basically I’m looking for ideas to organize my shop. Right now it’s more like the city dumping grounds.
GOOD NEWS! This has been your workout for today!😄 Your comment about the sharp knife prompted me to get out the knife sharpener and stones and sharpen the two most often used knives in the kitchen! (While watching your video of course!)
I would make a wooden box on top of the plate, it will protect the stone and you could put something heavier on top. Easy to just put on its side when using the stone
You can build a platform to put the parts on so you can use the cart without having to move the heavy parts. I'm imagining a kind of pallet jack kind of set up. You can still store the cart under the platform/pallet.
I appreciate the honesty you have with us. Specifically I didn't have time to get to it. That realistic point of view really resonates with me, and i am sure i am not the only one.
For the material cart, I recommend making a shelf table that will sit on its own legs when the cart is all the way down. Then you can use it for the mill fixtures but slide it out for other jobs. Kinda like the pallet jack. That's what I do in my shop
I bought my lift table from Northern Tool and picked it because it had a double-lift arrangement that takes the table up to 52". The standard lift carts have a single bracket that limits the height. The extended design uses a double bracket that increases the height substantially. When you get a second lift cart, choose the one with the estended lift range. Thanks for all the info you provide in your videos. I learn something every time.
I bought a wooden version of your new bench at an auction. After adding locking casters it is a perfect 'work while standing' height. Saves my back, provides a surface to place work in progress along with the required tools. So yes, it is something that benefits a shop. I have a separatre lower height bench for rough work.
Great video! The verbalizing of your inner monologue through the video was hilarious and made me chuckle throughout 😂👏 great stuff mate! New setup looks Stella!
I like it. I’m not organized enough to keep things looking nice when moving around (plus I have a bunch of motorcycles and projects around). But great ideas .
It would be life changing to have such a large shop as yours, when your shop is actually small, nothing goes on wheels as there's no place to move it anyway.
Clean, well-executed, even “pretty” equipment sets a subconscious attitude that carries forward to all the work you do in the shop. To say nothing of the advantages of utility and organization. Great improvements.
I made myself a white workbench from old kitchen countertop some years ago. I really like working on it. It gives nice contrast with all the parts, and does not steal light if you are working with something small. It gers dirty instantly though, and damages easily. Then upon some meditation on that kitchen countertop - I went to a mall and got myself all kind of cutting boards, like 1 thick butcher style, a couple of thin made from bamboo, some from plastic, some silicon pads to put under the boards or to just throw on the table if I need to put something sharp/hot. Boards are stored vertically at the small compartment near the bench legs. Then, boards from real kitchen end up in my shop to serve a bit more when they are no longer good for the food.
I did something really similar with a rolling tool cart, except I used an offcut of beech kitchen countertop. WARNING: real wood moves, specifically it expands across the grain with heat and humidity. If that top is a vaguely tight fit in the top of the tool cart, the wood movement can be enough to jam it in there and then bow it upwards. Ask me how I know.
For your heavy tools on the cart, you could set it up like a reverse-forklift: make a stand that holds the tools like a palette, then make fixed-in-place "forks" that live under the bench. Use the jack to get it to clear, drive it onto the forks, and let it down. Now you have the stroage plus use of the cart!
I custom ordered a Bench-Pro Harding for my CNC router. Great bench and great service to custom order. Its not inexpensive but a worthwhile investment.
I too have a small workspace so I can sympathise and understand the juggling involved in adapting as our needs change. Thanks for letting us see your reasoning and working-out as you went along. Enjoyed it.
Hey James, wonder if you should actually flip your new granite plate on the cart 180°. In the video you put the center foot in the center but if your top starts to sag from the weight there’s more chance of the plate “drooping” too. But if you flip it, the side with two feet would bear closer to the stronger bent edges spreading more of the weight once again.
I always enjoy your videos and I don't question any of your decisions. I believe everyone has a right to their own way of achieving their goals. I know you are planning on a cover for your Mill accessories to keep grit and junk from getting into them... Thanks for sharing ... Please stay safe and well ....
Harbor Freight's US General brand is the best value in tool cabinets. They're made of heavy gauge sheetmetal with ball bearing slides. It easily rivals the expensive and high end toolboxes like Mactools and Strap-on.
I feel pretty safe in saying that you won’t regret using your lift cart as a storage device. I think I have mentioned it in your comments section before but I mounted my 4x6 horizontal bandsaw to one of those carts and it has been a huge Boone to my storage. I bought one of the 1000lb lift carts specifically to unload my bench mill from the truck and have reveled in the decadence of preserving my back ever since. Heck, I might copy your idea for storing my dividing head and rotary table on a lift table. That’s worth picking up another cart. That’s a good one.
30:23 I work in automotive and have had great luck with “Emblem Adhesive” and/or “Weatherstrip Adhesive” (3M or Kent Automotive brands). Napa, or many auto stores should have them, amazon I’m sure as well. Great for metal to rubber or plastic. Can be messy but I’ve found it really stands the test of time. Great example would be the harbor freight magnetic trays. Those magnets eventually pop loose. I clean off all the old glue and some weather strip stays strong and has a little flex for the abuse it takes.
I have an 18x36 Grade B I bought years ago from Grizzly; maybe his came from the same place? Plenty flat enough for my woodworking, and it's nice to have a big area that's known-flat. I remember when I discovered transfer punches; what wonderfully useful things.
I'm mostly a metal guy with little desire to work with wood due to due to how messy it is. Without a full-blown dust system, it's a bad situation in an attached garage. Anyway, I recently went through a very similar purge, selling off several sanders and grinders, getting rid of the stands, and replacing them all with a belt sander mounted to a toolbox nearly identical to yours. Ironically, I built a CNC router based around a 24 x 36" granite surface plate and like you - again - bought a toolbox very similar to yours. I, too, was concerned about the 400-lb plate on the weenie wheels, so screw-type leveling pad mounts were fabricated and riveted on. And, like you - again - I was concerned about the top warping, so a subframe was welded up and riveted inside below the top, with tubes crossing where the surface plate sits. Similar challenges usually mean similar solutions.
I just LOVED the wardrobe changes. ‘California’ work boots ( we call ‘em thongs… I think you guys call ‘em flip-flops)… And then presto-changeo…. Steelcaps 👏👏👏👏👏 Great shop video mate 👍 Robert ( Sydney, Australia)
Use the lifting cart as a pseudo pallet jack. In its lowered position, it could slide up under a wooden 'pallet' of sorts (really, just a slab of plywood with a 2x4's along each of 2 sides) and then it could lift up the wooden pallet. It can even be stored in that way. If you want just the lifting cart, just pull it out. Want the heavy tools? Pump up the lift a few inches, it will lift the 'pallet' and away you go.
Like the shop upgrades! mine is a small shop,like you source quality pieces. been doing the same as my shop will be a source of income when I retire in a few years.
King Starboard is HDPE sheet made for marine applications. You can order it from Boat Outfitters in any custom size in 1/16" increments. They will radius corners/edges for a small surcharge. Available in several colors. I've used it for custom panels in my travel trailer, sailboat, and my Clausing 8520 will sit on a sheet of it between the mill and stand. Maybe consider it for future projects.
When HDPE (and most other plastics) are restrained with close fitting fastener holes, the plastic will heave if the temperature rises above that which it was fastened at. Better to use slots or oversize holes and not tighten fasteners too tight.
I don't often upvote a video or comment, because of the impact it has on my delicately balanced video suggestions I've curated; but the gridfinity inclusion alone won me over. Great content!
I have a suggestion for the vice fixings. I imagine you’re not going to be taxing that vices strength given that the bench isn’t bolted to the floor but you might want to consider making metal or 3D printed sleeves to match the bolts to the vice mounting holes so that any twisting force on the base of the vice isn’t only resisted by the clamping force of the bolts and friction.
Rather than buying an extra cart that would take up more floor space, I would make a table with short legs to store your indexer, rotary table, etc. You can lower the cart so it can be removed and used for other purposes. G.
James I am unsure if you have ever heard of this adhesive but if you ever need to go with metal to rubber sheet or some rubber gasket look into E6000. You can tell by the smell it will provide solid results. It's a truck I learned from Harley building and a great material for bonding the rubber floor boards to the metal.
I also use one of those lift carts for storing my chop saw under my bench. A tip, pull the bolts from the foot pump so it is removable. Weld a piece of tube to the handle and you have a holster for the foot pump when not in use so you’re not tripping over it.
Nice setup!.. I have to say though.... flip-flops in the shop, scares the hell out of me... a lathe chuck or rotary table to the toe will only remove it
You should see when I rearrange my work area. We have a 2stall but one side is for the wife’s car and I have more then enough benches and machines for a 3 stall stuffed in to the other stall….. I change the layout prettt frequently trying to find the ideal layout and it’s literally playing Tetris moving stuff to rearrange lol
Oh gridfinity - how I have a love/hate relationship with you... I've taken to making a 48mm variant of gridfinity using 1/4" MDF on my laser cutter. I still use 3d printed inserts for those laser-cut boxes for complex shapes, but churning out boxes on the laser is way faster, even with the glue-up afterwards (which really isn't a problem when I have something delightful to watch during batch-gluing).I even went so far as to write a quick-n-dirty web-app thats generates SVG shapes to run through the cutter.
James, I did a similar thing with my newly purchased PM-1030V lathe. I mounted it on a Home Depot hardwood butcher block after cross cutting and ripping it to fit ontop of my new Harbor Freight ICON 25x72 tool chest. PM cost for their lathe cabinet was ridiculous, plus it was on back order. Using the HF tool cabinet for both my machinist tooling and surface for this lathe was ideal. I also see you have the same surface plate project in mind as Quinn released today in her video, given your MIC 6 aluminum stock. Thanks for your videos.
I guess the next sneaky trick would be to set up a series of trays full of heavy junk that you can pull out onto the cart that has the same slippy HDPE on the bottom from slots in a cabinet?
I need those casters for mine! I have a 3D printer on top of my tool box(same one you have in this video) and it's been driving me nuts. Thank you for this!
Have you thought about making a wooden pallete for the heavy stuff that perfectly fits the lifting kart so you can park the pallete under the bench and still use the cart? Cause if u need a fixture you need to pump up the cart anyway... and if you dont need the cart it parks under the pallete.
My father and I built a workbench together when I was 13 or so. Top was made from red oak 2 x 4s, glued and pinned, then planed flat on both sides. Legs are 4 x 4 cedar. I've had it now for 15 years. I'm 61 now, and I guess my kids will end up with it....
If you make the top of the lift cart into a small pallet just taller than the cart when fully lowered, you could leave the rotary table and tools on it and lower the cart when it’s under the bench, leaving the pallet behind with the tools on it and still use the cart for its intended function. Hopefully that makes sense, looks like you have the room under the bench, and no need to buy a second cart.
That's a great idea, you could also make drawers for heavy items that pull out of their cabinet and go directly onto the cart.
Genius, I’m going to do exactly that. Cheers!
I was thinking the exact same thing.
Was going into the comments to make the same suggestion. I think the plan would be that 99% of the time the top pallet would live on the cart but for those times you needed the cart as a lift cart you could go and park the top off to the side and use it for its lifting function.
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner... Love that solution and will use it for my new shop I'm building.
I feel the cruel twist of Irony here... "I'm changing my woodworking bench cause I don't do woodworking anymore"... Proceeds to make more sawdust than I've ever seen you make :)
That's funny😁
Nice to see that you and Mrs Clough 42 were wearing safety sandals while you were cutting that timber, James! 😂
Was just going to say something about that, but figured someone else had mentioned... and - there you are! Thanks!
I've watched your videos for a while now. I don't do any sort of machining, but watching you, Quinn, ToT, Abom, and Inheritance Machining is very inspiring and entertaining for each your own set of reasons 🙂
I only just now realised that, apart from your skillset and interesting projects, part of what makes your videos so enjoyable is your voice, and the way that you talk and narrate. It's so very calming and pleasant!
I always appreciate how much you utilize your shop space. A realistic approach to what the majority of people deal with.
Haha, "Do I need a bench that can hold 20k lbs in the shop?" -- I can relate!!
One thing that makes your channel so special is how you do so much with so little space. Love it.
I couldn't help but try to picture setting my 9k lbs Sprinter adventure van on the table.
@@JBLewis 😂
Nothing better than having a workshop that you are happy to walk into, looks absolutely inviting. PS Absolutely understand having everything that can be on wheels.
I can appreciate a machinist who deadlifts so he can lift his tools with relative ease!
I enjoyed the moment that you told the workbench top to "stay". I have been known to do that myself. 🤣
I do it food when I'm cooking!!
Heavy metal is well behaved!🤣
A good workbench is one of the most important tools in the shop. I just bought 4 new bench top materials for my shop. These were 1-1/4 MDF with light colored Formica on one side and they are 29 x 96 and incredibly heavy. I got them for the unbelievable price of $5 each from a surplus warehouse. They have gray table molding all around and also have rounded corners, something I really appreciate as I frequently run into them in my small shop space. I plan on mounting them onto repurposed kitchen cabinets that I have been collecting for the past year from my local building material recycling company. Now I just need to play Tetris, moving things around in my shop to get the cabinets, and my tools, into their final positions. Great inspiration James, thanks.
We have one of those hydraulic cards at work and we use it all of the time to load things into our vans. Not that it would apply to you, but they will bleed down when you have weight applied to them, so don’t trust them to hold something that you are relying on.
Regarding the butcher block below your granite surface plate: This will probably bend and sag a few mm over time.
I have a 60mm thich beech plate, on which my 160kg milling machine rests. The intention was to spread its weight to the ends of the plate and support one side with the wall. After only a few months the area where the milling machine sits has sagged and now rests on the cabinets below. Which I actually wanted to avoid, because my floor doesn't allow so much weight, hence the intended load transfer into the wall.
Nice video. Consider making a shallow box to fit on top of the lift table. Make the height so that when fully raised it is at workbench / mill height to make transfer easier.
I love how the surface plate was sitting in your shop for 6 months but you felt the need to research the caster size so you could order them in time so you don't have to wait for them a couple of days after getting the cart.
Sometimes I am also like this.
Very nice, James. I have my 12 x18 Grizzly B plate sitting on 3/4 plywood on top of the 18 x 27 (don't ask me, that's how big it is) version of the same Kobalt tool chest. I didn't want to spend the $$ on the fancy casters (also didn't know about them a couple of years ago), so I added a floor lock (I also only have access to the front casters so the floor lock is the best option).
Thanks for the demonstration of how the Pyramids were constructed using only people power ;).
One fine memory: in 1975 my wife & I spent most of a Saturday negotiating the purchase of two cars at the Charlottesville, VA Chevy dealer. During that afternoon, the salespeople moved three Corvettes so that a white fourth one could go out for a test drive three different times (four cars out, three cars back; four cars out, three cars back, etc.): wish we had cell phone video 45 years ago . . .
Best regards, Charlie
Just a thought for your hydraulic lift table. Make a short table that the lift fits under. Make it 14-1/2” taller than the lift table fully collapsed. This way you can park the table in its prefered location, leave the lift table under it and then when you need the fixturing, you can lift it up and move it. When you need the table by itself, is can be slid from under tye table and then slid back when needs to be stored again.
Was about to write the same
It’s amazing how far you have gone from the beginning to now. I’ll be sad to see the G0704 go that was the hook that got me to watch at first. But time changes and things progress.
25:54 It's like that tile game as a kid.
Amazing upgrades. I really like the cutting board addition to the lift.
9:18. Thank goodness! I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles to find dimensions for consumer products. I feel like a novice sometimes if I have to hand measure something store bought to re-create the spec sheet that's probably floating around somewhere.
Love the red oak! Many times I've thought I've had the perfect solution to an issue then a totally non-expectant near ready made solution pops up! Keeping the eyes and the mind open to new possibilities pays off in many walks of life!
Surprisingly interesting video. Very satisfying watching someone upgrade their shop so nicely.
Never underestimate the value of a good workbench or deadlifts! Your video actually had me solve a conundrum I have had converting a rolling cabinet for my pillar drill!
That new bench is awesome, I could use one of those. Along with one of everything else in that shop of yours. What does your metal stock storage look like, don’t think I’ve ever seen your metal storage. Basically I’m looking for ideas to organize my shop. Right now it’s more like the city dumping grounds.
GOOD NEWS! This has been your workout for today!😄 Your comment about the sharp knife prompted me to get out the knife sharpener and stones and sharpen the two most often used knives in the kitchen! (While watching your video of course!)
I would make a wooden box on top of the plate, it will protect the stone and you could put something heavier on top. Easy to just put on its side when using the stone
That block is a perfect complement to the black toolbox and surface plate. A relatively cheap, simple, and elegant solution.
Looking great and practical, I like it 🙂
Thank you for bring Gridfinity to my attention! I will now proceed to melt much plastic.
That's using the grey matter to get that bench upright! Good solution!
You can build a platform to put the parts on so you can use the cart without having to move the heavy parts. I'm imagining a kind of pallet jack kind of set up. You can still store the cart under the platform/pallet.
I appreciate the honesty you have with us. Specifically I didn't have time to get to it. That realistic point of view really resonates with me, and i am sure i am not the only one.
For the material cart, I recommend making a shelf table that will sit on its own legs when the cart is all the way down. Then you can use it for the mill fixtures but slide it out for other jobs. Kinda like the pallet jack. That's what I do in my shop
Yeah, that's exactly what I started thinking about after turning off the camera.
I use that stay command too!
I bought my lift table from Northern Tool and picked it because it had a double-lift arrangement that takes the table up to 52". The standard lift carts have a single bracket that limits the height. The extended design uses a double bracket that increases the height substantially. When you get a second lift cart, choose the one with the estended lift range. Thanks for all the info you provide in your videos. I learn something every time.
I bought a wooden version of your new bench at an auction. After adding locking casters it is a perfect 'work while standing' height. Saves my back, provides a surface to place work in progress along with the required tools. So yes, it is something that benefits a shop. I have a separatre lower height bench for rough work.
Your backyard is screaming for a dedicated workshop building. More space = more tools 🛠️
Frankly I was surprised there wasn't a 3d printer junk yard out back!😉
Great video! The verbalizing of your inner monologue through the video was hilarious and made me chuckle throughout 😂👏 great stuff mate! New setup looks Stella!
I like it. I’m not organized enough to keep things looking nice when moving around (plus I have a bunch of motorcycles and projects around). But great ideas .
You have many great ideas and problem solved along the way.
I enjoy your videos.
It would be life changing to have such a large shop as yours, when your shop is actually small, nothing goes on wheels as there's no place to move it anyway.
Clean, well-executed, even “pretty” equipment sets a subconscious attitude that carries forward to all the work you do in the shop. To say nothing of the advantages of utility and organization. Great improvements.
I made myself a white workbench from old kitchen countertop some years ago. I really like working on it. It gives nice contrast with all the parts, and does not steal light if you are working with something small. It gers dirty instantly though, and damages easily. Then upon some meditation on that kitchen countertop - I went to a mall and got myself all kind of cutting boards, like 1 thick butcher style, a couple of thin made from bamboo, some from plastic, some silicon pads to put under the boards or to just throw on the table if I need to put something sharp/hot. Boards are stored vertically at the small compartment near the bench legs. Then, boards from real kitchen end up in my shop to serve a bit more when they are no longer good for the food.
I did something really similar with a rolling tool cart, except I used an offcut of beech kitchen countertop. WARNING: real wood moves, specifically it expands across the grain with heat and humidity. If that top is a vaguely tight fit in the top of the tool cart, the wood movement can be enough to jam it in there and then bow it upwards. Ask me how I know.
For your heavy tools on the cart, you could set it up like a reverse-forklift: make a stand that holds the tools like a palette, then make fixed-in-place "forks" that live under the bench. Use the jack to get it to clear, drive it onto the forks, and let it down. Now you have the stroage plus use of the cart!
I custom ordered a Bench-Pro Harding for my CNC router. Great bench and great service to custom order. Its not inexpensive but a worthwhile investment.
I too have a small workspace so I can sympathise and understand the juggling involved in adapting as our needs change. Thanks for letting us see your reasoning and working-out as you went along. Enjoyed it.
Hey James, wonder if you should actually flip your new granite plate on the cart 180°. In the video you put the center foot in the center but if your top starts to sag from the weight there’s more chance of the plate “drooping” too. But if you flip it, the side with two feet would bear closer to the stronger bent edges spreading more of the weight once again.
Over time, I will want to rotate the plate to spread the wear so I don't end up digging a hole in it.
I always enjoy your videos and I don't question any of your decisions. I believe everyone has a right to their own way of achieving their goals. I know you are planning on a cover for your Mill accessories to keep grit and junk from getting into them... Thanks for sharing ... Please stay safe and well ....
It’s a great workbench. Enjoy using it.
I love what you do and the way you do them.
Harbor Freight's US General brand is the best value in tool cabinets. They're made of heavy gauge sheetmetal with ball bearing slides. It easily rivals the expensive and high end toolboxes like Mactools and Strap-on.
You make it look so easy. Thank You
I saw you manhandle that 200 lbs with relative ease. Seems like you have mended well. Be well.
Gridfinity huh is James a fellow Void Star Labs fan lol. Looking forward to seeing how you incorporate the gridfinity system. 👍👍
Just nice. My shop is smaller. So I have smaller tools and machines for smaller things to make. 😁
I feel pretty safe in saying that you won’t regret using your lift cart as a storage device. I think I have mentioned it in your comments section before but I mounted my 4x6 horizontal bandsaw to one of those carts and it has been a huge Boone to my storage. I bought one of the 1000lb lift carts specifically to unload my bench mill from the truck and have reveled in the decadence of preserving my back ever since. Heck, I might copy your idea for storing my dividing head and rotary table on a lift table. That’s worth picking up another cart. That’s a good one.
30:23 I work in automotive and have had great luck with “Emblem Adhesive” and/or “Weatherstrip Adhesive” (3M or Kent Automotive brands). Napa, or many auto stores should have them, amazon I’m sure as well. Great for metal to rubber or plastic. Can be messy but I’ve found it really stands the test of time. Great example would be the harbor freight magnetic trays. Those magnets eventually pop loose. I clean off all the old glue and some weather strip stays strong and has a little flex for the abuse it takes.
I can’t wait for the grid Xfinity holders. I’m really curious what you will come up with.
I have an 18x36 Grade B I bought years ago from Grizzly; maybe his came from the same place? Plenty flat enough for my woodworking, and it's nice to have a big area that's known-flat.
I remember when I discovered transfer punches; what wonderfully useful things.
I'm mostly a metal guy with little desire to work with wood due to due to how messy it is. Without a full-blown dust system, it's a bad situation in an attached garage. Anyway, I recently went through a very similar purge, selling off several sanders and grinders, getting rid of the stands, and replacing them all with a belt sander mounted to a toolbox nearly identical to yours. Ironically, I built a CNC router based around a 24 x 36" granite surface plate and like you - again - bought a toolbox very similar to yours. I, too, was concerned about the 400-lb plate on the weenie wheels, so screw-type leveling pad mounts were fabricated and riveted on. And, like you - again - I was concerned about the top warping, so a subframe was welded up and riveted inside below the top, with tubes crossing where the surface plate sits. Similar challenges usually mean similar solutions.
great upgrades, when bolting a vise down that has large holes, I prefer to take up the space as the vise will become loose and move around
I just LOVED the wardrobe changes.
‘California’ work boots ( we call ‘em thongs… I think you guys call ‘em flip-flops)…
And then presto-changeo…. Steelcaps
👏👏👏👏👏
Great shop video mate
👍
Robert
( Sydney, Australia)
That setup is perfect. It fits your perfectionist style. Thanks for sharing.
Use the lifting cart as a pseudo pallet jack. In its lowered position, it could slide up under a wooden 'pallet' of sorts (really, just a slab of plywood with a 2x4's along each of 2 sides) and then it could lift up the wooden pallet. It can even be stored in that way. If you want just the lifting cart, just pull it out. Want the heavy tools? Pump up the lift a few inches, it will lift the 'pallet' and away you go.
Like the shop upgrades! mine is a small shop,like you source quality pieces. been doing the same as my shop will be a source of income when I retire in a few years.
King Starboard is HDPE sheet made for marine applications. You can order it from Boat Outfitters in any custom size in 1/16" increments. They will radius corners/edges for a small surcharge. Available in several colors. I've used it for custom panels in my travel trailer, sailboat, and my Clausing 8520 will sit on a sheet of it between the mill and stand. Maybe consider it for future projects.
When HDPE (and most other plastics) are restrained with close fitting fastener holes, the plastic will heave if the temperature rises above that which it was fastened at. Better to use slots or oversize holes and not tighten fasteners too tight.
@@grandpasbarn2806 just follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
I like the 360 access to the bench. It really makes it the center stop of the shop.
I don't often upvote a video or comment, because of the impact it has on my delicately balanced video suggestions I've curated; but the gridfinity inclusion alone won me over.
Great content!
Excellent explanation on your reasoning but those safety sandles make me nervous... Steel boots whenever I step in the shop are a must... 🥺
I have a suggestion for the vice fixings. I imagine you’re not going to be taxing that vices strength given that the bench isn’t bolted to the floor but you might want to consider making metal or 3D printed sleeves to match the bolts to the vice mounting holes so that any twisting force on the base of the vice isn’t only resisted by the clamping force of the bolts and friction.
You don't need to explain of being excited using a new PH3 screwdriver, I totally get it :)
Love the lift table. I would just like another 200/250mm lift that would put right on for my mill.
Great tip on the steel strap used for spring steel for parallels! Thanks!!
For a moment I thought you are going to cut that spring steel with your sharp knife :)
23:07 Aww I like the non-scripted and less formal talk and expression, loved it.
#3 is rare for me too
Rather than buying an extra cart that would take up more floor space, I would make a table with short legs to store your indexer, rotary table, etc. You can lower the cart so it can be removed and used for other purposes. G.
Way to get that plate moved! My knees would have been screaming, plus it's way past my capacity!
James I am unsure if you have ever heard of this adhesive but if you ever need to go with metal to rubber sheet or some rubber gasket look into E6000. You can tell by the smell it will provide solid results. It's a truck I learned from Harley building and a great material for bonding the rubber floor boards to the metal.
I also use one of those lift carts for storing my chop saw under my bench. A tip, pull the bolts from the foot pump so it is removable. Weld a piece of tube to the handle and you have a holster for the foot pump when not in use so you’re not tripping over it.
...And now I want casters like yours)
Nice setup!.. I have to say though.... flip-flops in the shop, scares the hell out of me... a lathe chuck or rotary table to the toe will only remove it
Looking forward to your mill update
excellent!
You should see when I rearrange my work area. We have a 2stall but one side is for the wife’s car and I have more then enough benches and machines for a 3 stall stuffed in to the other stall….. I change the layout prettt frequently trying to find the ideal layout and it’s literally playing Tetris moving stuff to rearrange lol
James Clough
Sokoban Champion 2024...
Oh gridfinity - how I have a love/hate relationship with you...
I've taken to making a 48mm variant of gridfinity using 1/4" MDF on my laser cutter. I still use 3d printed inserts for those laser-cut boxes for complex shapes, but churning out boxes on the laser is way faster, even with the glue-up afterwards (which really isn't a problem when I have something delightful to watch during batch-gluing).I even went so far as to write a quick-n-dirty web-app thats generates SVG shapes to run through the cutter.
James, I did a similar thing with my newly purchased PM-1030V lathe. I mounted it on a Home Depot hardwood butcher block after cross cutting and ripping it to fit ontop of my new Harbor Freight ICON 25x72 tool chest. PM cost for their lathe cabinet was ridiculous, plus it was on back order. Using the HF tool cabinet for both my machinist tooling and surface for this lathe was ideal. I also see you have the same surface plate project in mind as Quinn released today in her video, given your MIC 6 aluminum stock. Thanks for your videos.
Cue the bids/begs for the G0704! And put me in that queue!
I can watch you work all day long. So clean and well planned.
I guess the next sneaky trick would be to set up a series of trays full of heavy junk that you can pull out onto the cart that has the same slippy HDPE on the bottom from slots in a cabinet?
safety flip flops for the win!
Safety sandals FTW?
I need those casters for mine! I have a 3D printer on top of my tool box(same one you have in this video) and it's been driving me nuts. Thank you for this!
I bought the small Starrett granite plate.
Have you thought about making a wooden pallete for the heavy stuff that perfectly fits the lifting kart so you can park the pallete under the bench and still use the cart? Cause if u need a fixture you need to pump up the cart anyway... and if you dont need the cart it parks under the pallete.
Age old question. How can I pack more tools into my garage? Well done.
My father and I built a workbench together when I was 13 or so. Top was made from red oak 2 x 4s, glued and pinned, then planed flat on both sides. Legs are 4 x 4 cedar. I've had it now for 15 years. I'm 61 now, and I guess my kids will end up with it....
i have some good news for you. you made it when your 13, have had it for 15 years then im afraid you are mistaken. you are not 61. you are 28. enjoy.
@@freelectron2029 Oh, if only :)
@@freelectron2029 his father likely had it and passed it down to him when his father passed.
@@cadenmccorvey4153then he didn’t help build it when he was 13 or so.
What do I think? I think you are far more intelligent (with a hint of OCD) than me so, it’s a pleasure to watch you in your shop.