AX-O

AX-O

Well Known Member
I am building some workbenches this weekend and was wondering what people have found to be the ideal depth dimension. I don't want to be reaching too far but I need enough surface to lay all my part down and work comfortably. The work benches will be set next to a wall so I will not be able to reach it from all directions. Oh.. What type of surface should I use for the top? Particle board or MDF? Thanks for any help guidance.
 
I would do my best to engineer a way to have access from both sides. You will be spending a lot of time turning parts if you are unable to walk around to the other side for access. In my opinion, 36? is the ideal width. I have made my work bench free standing with hinged wings on each end which will support the entire wing section. If you are working on the tail, you don?t require a long workbench. The wings need a pretty long surface upon which to build?thus the hinged wings. My working surface is plywood covered in a heavy weight kraft paper. The paper is a great working surface as it is easy to broom off and you can pen notes to yourself as you work. Every couple of months, I replace the paper cover for a fresh start.
Don
 
My primary Work bench is a solid core 36" Wood Door. I framed up a support structure of 2X4s with a shelf underneath (Indispensible) & installed heavy duty locking castors. It works against the wall or pull it out to get to all sides.

Derrell
RV7A Finish
Alpharetta, GA
 
I use 2 - 24 inch wide benches and it is real easy to get around and reach from either side. I slide two of them together when I lay the wings on them with the aileron and flaps installed. You won't be doing a lot of that though. Since you are up against a wall, literally you might be better off with a 36 inch wide bench. BTW I am 5ft. 6 inches hence the need for a narrow bench. :p
Be sure and leave a couple of inches overhang to clamp stuff down. I used 3/4 MDF and it works great.
 
I built a couple of the EAA 1000 workbenches, but I ended up using them for my grinder, dimpling table, disc/belt sander, bandsaw etc etc. They're nice because you can borrow somebody else's and put 2 or 3 of them together and make really long tables or a wide table, but I didn't find 2 of them by themselves useful.

So for my "main" workbench I used the same construction method's as the EAA tables, but just made it much larger. For a work surface I went to home depot (or lowes...whatever), borrowed one or their straight edges from the tool section, and picked out the straightest "fire door" I could find. These suckers are heavy, straight, and pretty much warp proof. Then I used some MDF for the shelf underneath. Also, I left about 6 inches of overhang on the ends so I could clamp stuff to it. This sucker is easily heavy enough and sturdy enough that you can rivet on it no problem. I made it the same height as my EAA tables so I can still drag one of those next to it if I really need an extra few feet.

This is just what works for me.
 
John you are so right about the long table. I have two of the EAA tables also and they are used for the same thing you use yours for, Grinder, Band saw, drill press and storage. The 2 ft X 8 ft. MDF table gets used everyday as the primary build table. There are pictures on my website in the photo gallery.
www.jimsairplanes.com
 
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Mdf?

What's MDF? I've built three tables, but the tops of two of them are pretty beat up and I might overlay the tops with something that I can replace...plus, as someone has suggested, it would be nice to have some overhang for clamping parts.
 
rv6builder48138 said:
What's MDF? I've built three tables, but the tops of two of them are pretty beat up and I might overlay the tops with something that I can replace...plus, as someone has suggested, it would be nice to have some overhang for clamping parts.
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Medium Density Fiberboard. Looks like particle board made out of paper. It has a very fine texture to it. No splinters and easy to drill into. They make cheap door trim and baseboards out of it. Great material for table tops, haven't seen anything else it's good for.
 
N916K said:
Medium Density Fiberboard. Looks like particle board made out of paper. It has a very fine texture to it. No splinters and easy to drill into. They make cheap door trim and baseboards out of it. Great material for table tops, haven't seen anything else it's good for.
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I have a BUNCH of MDF scrap lying around. Some nice long pieces, wide pieces, etc etc. 99% of the time, I'm not building directly on the workbench....I have a nice big piece of MDF sitting there and I can just drill right into it. Also, after you've messed it up a bit, you can take a cheap plane to it, knock down all the really rough spots and it's smooth enough that it won't scratch up the aluminum too badly. It's also nice because you can swing the MDF around on top of the bench to get at things from different angles.
 
Timely subject

I happened to build a couple of new benches this weekend. I went 2'x8'x 42" tall. (I'm 6') The bench I started working on was a 4x8 sheet of plywood on a couple of sawhorses. I went to Home Depot and got about 12 2x4's and I think I used 15 total, had 3 here. So far I like them, I may cut them down a couple of inches in height. We'll see how they work in the long run. They also have shelve support at about 20" height. I have plans I drew on the computer if anyone is interested. Very simple to make
newbenches7km.jpg
 
I followed the EAA1000 table specs (http://www.eaa1000.av.org/technicl/worktabl/worktabl.htm) except I added a 3" lip around the edge. If I remember correctly, the EAA1000 table specs doesn't include a lip - I have found the lip invaluable to hold all kinds of stuff down to the table. I used MDF for the table top and a sheet of 1/2" ply for the shelf.

Here is more or less how I did mine:
http://rvplane.com/?categoryid=1&dayid=21

I also mounted my backriveting plate flush with the table:
http://rvplane.com/?categoryid=1&dayid=24


Finally, I finished the top of the table with polyurathane. This really hardened up the top. I think I put on 2-3 coats:
http://rvplane.com/?categoryid=2&dayid=30


Good Luck!
 
One thing I made while building my 9 was a set of stools. 2 foot by 4 foot and about 18 inches high. I made them basically like the Chapter 1000 tables. Once the plane was on it's gear these tables where great for standing on while working on the engine and windshield. The stool could be stacked to make a sturdy 3 foot high stool, great for working on the top of the tail of a A model. I made them nice and large so I wouldn't accidently step off the side of them.

I left them in Michigan when I moved. I'm sure when it comes time to hang the motor on the new plane I'll be makeing more of these stools.
 
Ditto...

I followed the EAA1000 table specs except I added a 3" lip around the edge. If I remember correctly, the EAA1000 table specs doesn't include a lip - I have found the lip invaluable to hold all kinds of stuff down to the table. I used MDF for the table top...
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I ditto the lip idea...I used a 2" lip around 3 sides (one side is against the wall) and I find myself using 1" and 2" spring clamps holding stuff down all the time. It's very helpful. I also used 3/4" MDF and added a sliding shelf just under the table top to hold my plans in place (I slide the shelf out, look at the plans, slide it back in and get to work).

-John
Houston
RV-7A (Wings)
 
EAA table with a lip

compren said:
...I used a 2" lip around 3 sides (one side is against the wall) and I find myself using 1" and 2" spring clamps holding stuff down all the time. It's very helpful....
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I didn't build a lip into my tables, and I wish I had. For my entire table, I used a very uncommon product called "wood". It comes from large plants, called "trees", which grow near my house. I've got some pictures of the workbench creation here, if anyone is interested: http://www.rv8.ch/gallery/v/workshop/
 
Benches

I built a pair of EAA 1000 benches. They have been perfect for just about everything. I had previously built a 6' X 4' bench, which is now against the wall and holds the bending brake, grinder, and spare parts. The EAA benches are perfect for moving around the wing jig. They can be scooted together when you need more space and moved apart when you need to get around. All in all, one of the best tips I got online.

Regards,

Michael Wynn
RV 8 Wings (tanks)
 
Do a search it was discussed before...never mind Go here and read all the improvements. Put it on castor wheels, put a lip on the edge, think about an aditional surface for storage, make the top changeble when the old one gets bad.

Regards
Rudi
 
Ditto on the lip. I really wish I would have built mine that way! You will want to clamp down MANY parts.
 
cheap work bench

Like everyone else, I built a pair of EAA tables. The first one built is now used to hold the prints, (perfect size) the second I increased the size by about 30% and is used to hold the grinder, vise ect... As a large work table, I placed a sheet of OSB across a couple of saw horses then laid a couple pieces of 1/2inch drywall on top. This creates a clean work surface, can mar it up with tools, drills ect... draw and make notes on it and when it becomes tattered just flip it over and go again. Also it is the perfect size and height for my -8 wings.
pat
 
I designed my own with some help from various people's designs. I started by making a plans table (kinda like a drafting table setup). I use it to store parts/hardware and plans. I then built a 8'X3' table with two shelves for storage. I put it on castors, and it has the overhang. I should take some pictures to post, but haven't got around to it yet. I also have a stone top table I put the grinder and vise on, it will eventually get all the power tools, and probably the C-frame and stuff too. This i figure should get me through the empennage.
 
I built the first of 2 work tables this weekend with the help of one of my friends. Turns out he is some kind of wood working guru. The top is 7 ft by 3 ft made out of 1/2 inch particle board. Under that there is a sheet of 1/2 inch plywood. The bottom shelf is 6 ft by 27 inches. The bench is set on top of four 125 lbs lock-able wheels. The hardest thing to do was making the back riviting plate flush with the particle board. Thanks to all for the good ideas.


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re: the back rivetting plate. Maybe others will disagree, but I personally think you'll find it more useful if it's oriented the other way (vertically instead of horizontally if you want to think of it like that). This will keep your skins from hanging off while you're rivetting. Just a thought.

And good call on the DRDT...that thing rocks.
 
jcoloccia said:
re: the back rivetting plate. Maybe others will disagree, but I personally think you'll find it more useful if it's oriented the other way (vertically instead of horizontally if you want to think of it like that). This will keep your skins from hanging off while you're rivetting. Just a thought.

And good call on the DRDT...that thing rocks.
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we talked about that for like 10 minutes. I guess we went the wrong way. the perfect solution was to buy another plate and form a "T" shape.
 
The hardest thing to do was making the back riviting plate flush with the particle board
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How did you end up doing that?

It'd be easy with a router if you had a template - but making the template would be a (minor) pain.
 
mdredmond said:
How did you end up doing that?

It'd be easy with a router if you had a template - but making the template would be a (minor) pain.
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We used a router. I made the template using the riveting plate however; cutting the edges straight and final fit was the problem. I wanted a nice fit, did not want the plate moving around. So a lot of small cuts and the final fit was done with sand paper and a little love from a rubber hammer, I think it came out ok. By the way. I drilled two 2 inch holes on the 1/2 inch plywood to facilitate removal of the particle board. Also a 1.5 inch hole under the riveting plate for the same reasons.
 
By the way. I drilled two 2 inch holes on the 1/2 inch plywood to facilitate removal of the particle board. Also a 1.5 inch hole under the riveting plate for the same reasons.
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Oh, so the particle board comes off? Very cool. That is a great looking bench - I gonna build me two.
 
Just to provide a counterpoint to the above (VERY) nice benches. A couple recommendations re: benches helped me before I built mine and have since served me very well into the fuselage:

1. Don't inset the back rivet plate--Most are 1/4" thick, so just pick up some scraps of 1/4" plywood or MDF. That way you can orient the back rivet plate any direction you want... this will change depending on the size/shape/part of what you are riveting. Moreover, I think that most builders will find having longer back riveting plates (pick up from Lowes for $10) to be really helpful for doing the trailing edges where you want the entire edge weighted down while back riveting. If you do have multiple back rivet plates, the inset is less useful. Also, unless your workbench top is absolutely flat, you may not want to be back riveting trailing edges on it anyway. I use the flat surface I built for my elevators, flaps, rudder, and ailerons and the back rivet plate goes on top of that surrounded by whatever MDF or plywood is necessary to support the pieces.

2. Plan on drilling a lot of holes (many of them accidental, many intentional) on your workbench top. Plan on spilling primer on it. Plan on spilling lacquer thinner and pop on it. Make it disposable and easily replaceable.

3. If you can find good locking casters, use them. This is the one thing I would add to my benches if I stopped building long enough. However, casters that don't lock REALLY well are worse than no casters at all.

4. Plan on your shop organization to change dramatically from what you thought it was going to be before you started building airplane parts. Thus, don't spend too much time over-thinking shop organization unless you've built things like airplanes before! That was definitely true for me and I'd even done a lot of woodworking before! :eek:

Hope this helps. Have fun.
 
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Workbenches

Others have discussed the top. Make sure you go with the overhang. A couple of other things I have found extremely helpful are electrical outlets under each table, I have mounted several on each table mounted to the legs so you are never out of reach of power. I have a re-windable drop down from the ceiling of my garage for power supply to the tables. I made a special cord with plugs on each end to plug the two tables into each other. This way they can be moved apart, turned, or together as necessary. I also have an airline underneath with connections at various locations to plug in those hungry air tools. :)
 
Definitely go with overhang so you can clamp.

Now that my project is nearing completion, I plan on replacing the top. It was all so nice and perfect on day one. As time goes on, plan on everything imaginable happening to it.

 
Tables....

Just don't get too fond of your beautiful table top, if you build it that way. When you start match drilling rudder stiffners, etc., you will be drilling and clecoing INTO THE TABLE TOP / top of the workbench. At least that's the way I was taught, and it works great.
 
A quick addition to this thread...if you plan on building the EAA tables as listed here: http://www.eaa72.org/tech/Table/Table.htm I noticed the dimentions for the lower shelf are incorrect. It should be 33" x 83" to fit as designed. Not a big deal if your cutting the wood yourself (as I did), but if your planning on having it cut on the pannel saw at Home depot or the lumber yard, its something to be aware of.

Mike
 
Workbenches

AX-O said:
I am building some workbenches this weekend and was wondering what people have found to be the ideal depth dimension.

I decided to build the basic EAA benches, but when I got to Home Depot, I had them crosscut a 3/4" finish grade plywood sheet into a 5' and 3' section. Then I had them rip the 5' piece into two 2' x 5' pieces. I also did the same with a 1/2" sheet for the lower shelves, and I had them do a 4' x 8' sheet of MDF the same way. The MDF makes a cheap, smooth, non-scratching work surface, and when you drill into it, who cares? So, anyway, I ended up with two 24" x 60" benches, which can be put back to back, end to end, etc.. And when the plane starts to expand and things get tight, they will fit up against a wall. Also, you get a bonus 36" x 48" work table!
The best thing- I got everything including twenty-two 2x4x8' studs home from HD in a little Mazda MX-6. One trip, with all windows and hatch closed!
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Wheels

Similar to an earlier comment in this thread, I recommend wheels be a part of any shop fixture. Your shop will need to be frequently reconfigured as the shape of the project changes. When I want a table or tool to stay in one place while in use, I usually install 2 wheels and 2 legs so it will be stable but easily moved like a wheelbarrow.

For instance, I find the DRDT-2 needs different clearance around it depending on the shape of the skin being worked. Mine is on a welded frame with a roughly 3x6 wood top so I have storage room underneath and can turn it to use my other work table as skin support as needed.
1899271336433b0255b80b8.mid.jpg


I like having the main work bench out from the wall so it is accessible all around. Mine is a 4' x 8' behemoth that has frequently had 4 people working around it at the same time. It's big enough to handle any skin with aplomb.
1512661319433b01f39100b.mid.jpg


Hose reel - Get one and install near/above assembly area.

Electric cord reels - Get a couple and install near assembly area
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Small (like 24" x 18") rolling table with multiple shelves - I use this for Cleco buckets, rivet trays, and tools that I am using at the moment. This table goes where I go in the shop and is filled for whatever job is underway.
White metal rolling table

Oh yeah, Make sure to relocate 500 miles so you have to set up a new shop 1/2 way though your project!! :eek: You will definitely get it right the 2nd time! :D
 
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Overhead Tool bench

I made a sloping shelf above the bench for tools.

It was worth it's weight in gold.

The tools were right at hand but out of the way.
Pete.
benchou0.jpg
 
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