Tool column for small shop

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JOAT

New User
Theo
Hi guys. Been awhile. I've been hanging out with some metalworking guys, learning a lot. Awhile back I posted about a take-apart workbench I made. Worked just as expected. However. Took up a lot of valuable floor space in my 8X12 shop, and about killed my back when I used it, because nothing to lean back against. http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f29/knockdown-workbench-24167/ You can see the tool column here.
1-column.jpg

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And you can see how my vise, with base bolted on goes on the column.
I've got bases for my HF portable metal bandsaw with shop made stand, the vise of course, my new HF bench drillpress, and pounderonner. I'll be making more for other tools, to include a bowling ball engraving/carving vise.

The solution for me was to cut the stand apart from the seat part of the workbench. Then I cut the stand in two, glued extension pieces inside it, bracing outside, ultimately making it about two foot tall. I tried it out, with the vise mounted, and while the height was just right, it wasn't steady enough. The solution was to glue a "foot rest" on each side of the column. I don't need to exert pressure, just having my feet on them gives the stability I needed for filing. Now I can sit in my folding chair, shift the stand a bit as needed, and when it's not being used, it's light enough that, if need be, I can sit it to one side, out of the way, or even hang it out of the way. Wish I'd done it this way in the first place, being able to sit back in my chair is great on my back, really extends my work time. That's the reason I built the sit down workbench in the first place, my back won't let me stand in one spot for very long at a time anymore.

Here's a few pictures of how I did it. I noticed I didn't have a picture of the final column, but I think you all can pretty much figure out what it looks like anyway.
Here's the column cut in half and the first extension piece being glued in.
3-column.jpg

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Now pieces being glued on the top, and bottom, before they're joined.
Last picture. Top and bottom joined and glued. There were more glue blocks glued on this to strengthen it, plus "foot rests" glued on later, but I think that's enough to give you a good idea what it looks like. No plans, so if any of you make something similar, you'll probably wind up with something only remotely resembling this. I glued on a few of my octagon chess piece bases for decoration too. It looks a tad crooked in that last picture, but it isn't, don't know why it looks like it. Works out like a champ for me. Cost? About zip. Scrap 1/2" plywood and glue.
5-column.jpg

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JOAT

New User
Theo
A bit of shop time today, where I got my new HF bench drillpress all put together. $40, new in the box, with a coupon. Hums nicely, no visible runout, I'm quite pleased. Here's a picture of it on the tool column.
And this time I remembered to get a picture of the finished column. You can see the 'footrests' at the base. Steady as a rock using the drillpress, didn't even need to use the footrests. Was able to work close to an hour and a half today, with it, and my folding chair. The two foot height puts the drillpress at just the right height, same with my other tools.
 

Canuck

Wayne
Corporate Member
That's a clever idea and excellent solution for working in close quarters!:eusa_danc:eusa_danc

Do you just have the one column and then switch power tools as you use them?

That would well for a grinder and sharpening station, I bet.

Thanks for sharing the idea and the pics!

Wayne
 

Ray Martin

New User
Ray
This looks like a really good idea... not just for a small shop. My back isn't all that great either. I do appreciate any tips like this on how to extend shop time.
 

JOAT

New User
Theo
Just the one column. In the first picture the slightly rectangular wood piece in the lower right is the base for the vise - two 1/2" pieces of plywood, glued together, somewhere around 12"X14". The next picture the vise is bolted to the base, and the whole thing is atop the column. The drillpress has its own base bolted to it, as does each tool I mount atop the column. Hard to tell but the stop at the back of the top of the column actually has a 1/2" or so overhang, so the back of the tool base will not lift - probably overkill, but just in case. Same way, the front of each base has a hole drilled, matching a hole in the top of the tool column. That is to hold the base from shifting, just in case. So far none of the bases have shown any tendancy to shift or slide; however, I did find the front of the vise base lifting slightly when I was energetically filing a metal project. A 1/4" bolt solved that, and proved the worth of the holes.

I feel it would be a good addition to any size shop, especially if you've got a bad back. Right now I've got three tools, with bases bolted on, to use on it - drillpress, vice, portable metal bandsaw - four if you count my pounderonner. I'll be making a base for my bench grinder, if I can find it, I have the feeling it walked away with one of my sons. I believe I'll be putting my small bench wood bandsaw on a base also, possibly my other bench drillpress, my portable belt sander as soon as I make a stand for it, and anything else I can think of that will work well on it. It would work well in the house too. It's one of those things that are so stupidly simple, and work so well, that you wonder why you didn't think of it long ago - which is exactly the way I feel. I think if you made a slightly tilted top, with a rectangular hole to slip over the column 'hook' it would make a nice drafting or drawing table. And with a flat top, with a raised border, you'd have a nice place to assemble models, or work on something with small easily lost parts. Hope some of you guys get some use out of my idea.

Later
 

JOAT

New User
Theo
That drill press tells me that the stand is plenty strong, Theo. Nice job. :icon_thum

The drill press itself only weighs about 37 lbs. I put plenty of glue blocks on the outside, so there's loads of overkill in it, no telling how much weight that thing could take. Actually I put a lot more glue blocks on it (and in it) than reasonably needed, but I wanted to actually find a use for some of my smaller leftover pieces rather than just toss them.
 

JOAT

New User
Theo
Thought I'd show you that the drill works great on the column. Don't even need to put my feet on the rests to hold it steady. Wish I'd thought of this long ago, could have done a lot more, a lot faster.
 
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