Compact/portable workstation?

[LFS19]

Currently, I have no room to set up a work shop.
Luckily I work mainly with hand tools as of late, so I don’t currently have a lot of heavy electrical equipment to find space for aside from maybe my router (which doesn’t exactly qualifiy as heavy like my miter saw would).

I’m therefor wanting to make my woodworking as small and compact as possible, and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions.
I’d expect an all in one solution to be unlikely, so I guess I’ll be after a good quality, all encompassing tool box that can fold out to provide easy access, and then something with a surface and a vice that I can work off of.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Ttrees]

Maybe ideas could be gleaned from checking out the Ron Paulk workbench
Just a thought

 

[Sideways]

My advice is to think hard about what interests you and therefore what tools you will use on what size workpieces. Also the portability requirement. Let this drive the decision about workholding and the design of your bench.
A workmate is a surprisingly versatile tool. I can't think of anything as light with the same stability and rigidity. I have an original 70's cast aluminium workmate that i've refurbished and fitted with solid maple jaws. I use it every week but it's not much use as an assembly table and too light for serious planing.
A mdf worktop with dog holes like a festool MFT3 or just a cheap cnc cut top on trestles is pretty versatile. Used with a tracksaw and dust extraction it is an alternative to owning a tablesaw. It's also big enough to use as a small assembly table and workpieces can be held with clamps. It's also going to be a poor support for hand planing.
I don't have a "proper" bench but i'm in the middle of making my own mini workbench for use in my own small space. The top is just a metre long x 25cm but thick hardwood with heavy vices. I plan to add a knock down splayed leg frame in the "moroubo" style. The idea is to be strong and heavy and stiff enough to let me plane the parts for smaller items of furniture but disassemble for storage. The top weighs 26kg - the limit of what I'm willing to lift every time I move it and too heavy to wrestle in and out of a car. I have hopes for this but it isn't finished or proven.
If you can "borrow mass" by bolting even a folding workbench to a wall, this could make it much easier to get a compact bench that is suitable for planing.

 

[Sideways]

And by the way, for ideas, google Timothy Wilmots MFTC. He's blogged about a pretty neat mobile solution based around a stack of festool tool boxes.

 

[MikeJhn]

Well you could look at the Triton workcentre: http://www.tritontools.uk.com/ they have recently updated it, may be better than the previous model I had and sold on.

Mike