Teeny tiny workshop and bench

[Craigus]

Further to my recent thread, it seems my hopes of having an outbuilding available for a small workshop are not looking promising. I may be able to free up our rear porch though.... smallest workshop ever on it's way. The plan is attached. It's 1.15 x 2.45m overall 8)

Red is the workbench, I can get a shelf at high level above it to help with storage and the blue is an area I can hang things, clamps etc.

In terms of bench design, I was going to go with a Paul sellers type design, but now with such small space I need to incorparate cupboards below. Does anyone have any suggestions or links they can share that may help?

I am still planning on making it pretty heavy so that it doesn't move around, else I may as well just use a workmate (which is too lightweight and annoying). Since it is so small, is it worth considering a hardwood top since material costs will be reduced?

That is if it is even worth going with a permanent bench. I'm not fussed on the cost of building it and figure the experience of doing it will be massively helpful. I just really want a vice, I'm already a bit sick of using clamps in inventive ways.

Also, vice mounting, I guess I need it in the middle so that I can get better access to all sides of the work rather than on the left?

Sorry for the long post. Any thoughts?

Thanks guys, this forum has already been so helpful.

 

[Craigus]

I should add, I don't need to store all my stuff in there, I can keep timber elsewhere and in the summer I can take stuff outside, I just need a good work surface.

 

[DiscoStu]

As the door encroaches on so much space could you consider changing the door for a sliding door to give you more room? If not I'd look at using the back of the door for storage as well. You won't need too many clamps though as you won't be making anything too big in there to require loads of clamps! Good luck with it.

 

[GLFaria]

Further to my recent thread, it seems my hopes of having an outbuilding available for a small workshop are not looking promising. I may be able to free up our rear porch though.... smallest workshop ever on it's way. The plan is attached. It's 1.15 x 2.45m overall 8)
...

I am still planning on making it pretty heavy so that it doesn't move around, else I may as well just use a workmate (which is too lightweight and annoying). Since it is so small, is it worth considering a hardwood top since material costs will be reduced?
...
Also, vice mounting, I guess I need it in the middle so that I can get better access to all sides of the work rather than on the left?

Sorry for the long post. Any thoughts?

Thanks guys, this forum has already been so helpful.

Wow! I promise never more to complain about my 3 square meters of workspace - with no door to complicate matters.

You really must replace that door, but I'm not sure a sliding one is the best answer in your case. Anyway, you do need a door, given that, like me, you are close to the kitchen - pans and kettles can generate a lot of steam that will condensate on your tools.

"...pretty heavy so that it doesn't move around" ??? And where is it going to move?

I have used a (good and old, of the heaviest type) Workmate for years, as I still have not managed to find a way of installing a workbench in my workspace. Not the best thing to work on, but it has its own incorporated vice and also the advantage of flexibility - I often shift mine around to get a better position or lighting for working. And in case you need the space it can be folded and stored. I agree it is a lightweight and may move a lot, but if you prop it against a wall it is good enough for you to plane any size of board or plank you may manage to get in such a small space.

Good luck

G.

 

[GLFaria]

Might this help?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A7yBJqRedo

G.

 

[marcros]

would an old workmate be more suitable. You certainly dont have a huge amount of space, and at least that would fold up when not in use.

You could look at add-ons as required. I am planning to make a moxon vice for mine, and possibly put a replacement top on. The old ones are infinitely more stable than the new.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Support ... -Workmate/ is similar to the one that I have. (sorry the only picture that I could link to from work (it is model 825 type 2 I think). The only limitation could be (heavy) handplaning, but you are not going to be tackling huge boards in the space that you have.

 

[Craigus]

Thanks for the input.

I guess also I would like some storage in there under the bench so that I don't have to constantly be moving all my tools around to different parts of the house and shed. Currently they are just stacked up in there in various boxes etc. Wife suggested making a cabinet to keep them in, but then thought it could double as a workbench.

Any larger stock prep I could do in the kitchen on the floor on the rare occasion it's needed. I can do glue-ups in the house as well for bigger things (wife is very understanding!).

The door that intrudes is an outside PVC door, I would have re-hung it if it were timber but that's not an option so I will have to make do. The porch is unheated so it won't be left open when I'm working in there. The other advantage is that there is power and lighting in there already, which there isn't in the outbuilding.

Any thoughts on the vice. I guess the old Record ones will be the reccomendation?

 

[skippy75]

I thought mine was small! You will certainly have to get creative about storage.

Have you considered some kind of fold up work bench? You could still have the paul sellers design but just hinged to the wall with fold down legs. Storage underneath could be on casters to allow you to reorganise the space as needed.

 

[markblue777]

For quite some time I used a workmate with some 18mm ply fitted to it (removing the standard boards you get on it). I also cut a whole in the middle for a router insert. I still use this when I need a portable bench (when the winter is here and have to move to the front room to do a little bit of work, instead of working on the bench made in the back garden). (my table saw is also a workmate with mdf on it and a circ saw attached under it)

The good thing about it is that they can all just be folded up when not in use.

To handle the moving that can occur in planning just put a board across the bottom of the work mate and put a few bricks/a bag of sand across it, I found this keeps it pretty sturdy.

This is a link to a post I done on my popup bench, it will give you an idea of what it looks like

homemade-popup-workbench-and-router-fitting-t78462.html


Cheers
Mark

 

[Craigus]

Any thoughts on my bench design?

It is becoming more Roubo looking even though it started out as a small Paul Sellers style bench, but that had to be adapted as I don't like the idea of a well, and the apron had to go because I need storage under the bench. So now it is a complete hybrid.

I'd appreciate some advice on fixing the top to the base? Also on where to mount the vice on such a small bench in a tight space?

 

[AndyT]

The best design and configuration will depend on what sort of thing you want to make - can you tell us a bit more about that? And do you plan to do everything by hand or is this mostly a flat surface for assembly?

I'd be tempted to go for a very flexible vice/clamping system.

On my own bench (which is longer but has very little space at either end) I used to have a stiff rail a few inches below the top, on which I used a pair of diy size 'table vices' - the sort that clamp in place from underneath. This let me position them where needed, and using two of them was almost better than one big vice, except that the max opening was much less, of course.

Alternatively something like the Zyliss system might suit - have a look on YouTube for some product demo videos.

Another thing to consider - if you want to cut mortices by hand on the bench, it really helps to work over a leg, to eliminate bouncing. Maybe your top slab will be meaty enough to work on it anywhere, but you will have very little scope for moving the work around to get it in the firmest spot, while your four legs are so much out in the corners of the space. Maybe you could make a two door cupboard underneath with a really solid central divider?

 

[paulrockliffe]

What's the wall made out of? Because of the lack of space you need to really think about everything that uses up any space, like those legs. You could easily build nothing more than the worktop and fix it to the three wall, if it's brick it'll be stronger than those legs anyway. Would be cheaper and frees up more space for storage. Re the tenons and bouncing, you could always make a support leg that can be fixed in place, but you could also look at using a steel support between the two walls to give you the strength without losing drawer depth.

I'd then be looking to fit a series of drawers underneath for tools, a couple of deepish ones, but then lots of shallow and very shallow ones, depending on what tools you have. Add dividers too to make it as easy to access your tools and to keep it organised, without wasting space. If the walls are suitably parallel, bearing slides fixed straight to the wall would be very simple. You could add a front panel for the drawers to close against, or not bother.

Is there a way to make the vice quick-release or slideable? If you could move it around from left to middle to right that would probably be useful. I'd aim for as much high level shelves storage as you can get in above doors or windows etc, though without pictures I'm just throwing suggestions out there.

Is it a window at the far end behind the door? If not, I'd be looking at cupboards with lots of shelves right up to the ceiling. If there is a window there, a fold up bench at that end might be useful as extra space, so long as you lock the back door. If you want to use a workmate, you could consider adding some fixings to the floor so it can be bolted down.

 

[powertools]

In your situation with such a small space and bench I would go for a Zyliss vice or two.
I have a bigger space than you and a bench fitted with a Record vice but also have 4 of the Zyliss vice kits that get more use than the fixed Record vice.