Adjustable Workbench

[halfdome, Danny]

I need an adjustable workbench. I don't want to ruin what the surgeon repaired in my shoulder and need to save my back and the rest of my body. I'm sure there are others who would like one too. Most of my projects are very heavy including a teardrop wall or floor to move by myself to the floor. I've been looking around at the electric & hydraulic lift tables and don't really want to spend $2,000 to $5,000 on a lift that still doesn't have a 4'x8' top. I saw this lift in a professional woodworking magazine and thought maybe I could weld up something symiliar and maybe use a trailer scissor lift at each end. Somehow they would need to be synchronized. The one in the photo uses a cordless drill. Anyone have any thoughts or ideas that would help me in building a safe table lift that would raise to about 32" and then drop within 6" of the floor? It would need to hold about 300 pounds. Danny

[Juneaudave]

Humm..with 26 or so inches of travel, we may need to bring in the engineers for this one. What other constraints might a fella have? For instance...I would assume that you would not want anything to protrude above the table regardless of height. I can see the use in this too!!!

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Danny,
Would the table top need to stay in the horizontal plane, or could it tilt at a pivot point.
Reason why I ask is glaziers use tilt tables to get large sheets of glass from horizontal to vertical and visa versa...
For the most part they are hydraulic and the lifting ram is driven by an electric pump.
Simpler ones just use counter ballances on the downward edge...

[Podunkfla]

Danny... I don't know how big a table you need? But fabricating something kinda like this shouldn't be too hard. You don't even really need the base platform if you put wheels on 2 legs. Just an idea...

[halfdome, Danny]

Danny... I don't know how big a table you need? But fabricating something kinda like this shouldn't be too hard. You don't even really need the base platform if you put wheels on 2 legs. Just an idea...

Brick, that one has some possibilities without the wheels. I like the one hand crank but can't see how it works. I want a 48" x 96" table top plus hardwood edging. I also need to be able to move it with my pallet jack depending on the size of the project I'm working on. I place my work bench in two or 3 spots depending on what I'm making.
Dean, I would rather have it stay in the horizontal position. In the past I would stand up a project on a 32" high bench and then muscle it to the floor, sometimes it was too much for one person. I just want to be able to lift a heavy project at or below the waist. I've tried building on the floor and it was too hard on the lower back with all the up and down stuff.
Some of the bench should be steel and some could be made of 2" x 4" or 2" x 6" lumber to keep weight and costs down. Danny

[Podunkfla]

Brick, that one has some possibilities without the wheels. I like the one hand crank but can't see how it works. I want a 48" x 96" table top plus hardwood edging. I also need to be able to move it with my pallet jack depending on the size of the project I'm working on. I place my work bench in two or 3 spots depending on what I'm making.

Danny... It works just like a big version of a scissor jack. The crank end needs a thrust bearing that lets the threaded rod turn. The other end is nothing more than a large captive nut in a pivot between the legs. Something like 3/4" allthread should work just fine for what you are contemplating. The handle end could be just a used wratchet extension? Then you could use a wratchet, speedwrench, drill motor or whatever to crank it with.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

OK, tiliting isn't good for your needs...
Say, that first pic you posted is basically a scissor jack on it's side mounted between a pivoting "X". I'm pretty sure that Brick's example has the same thing, just mounted up under the table top, instead of on the floor.
I'm thinking that set up might not be suited for a 4 x 8 platform...
I'd be neat if you could find a used scissor lift and just add a table top to it...
Have you considered using a rack and pinion set up?... That would be easy to add stop dogs to.
A worm gear set up would be good too, but probably more money...

Gage?!!!

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Danny,
Take a look at this site... Should give you some good ideas...
http://www.americanlifts.com/?gclid=CODivoGXpI8CFRoRYQodiwM3PA

[halfdome, Danny]

Dean, I've been to that site before but just didn't have what I'm looking for. I need to go to my customers shop and do some poking around. They have some material handling lifts that hold a unit of sheet goods. Maybe the foreman will have some ideas. Wouldn't mind finding it used but it would be fun to custom build one for my needs & share it with others who would need one. I have thought of making roll away cabinets to hold up each end of a smaller lift table since my bench now has lots of storage in it. They would stabilize the top and then roll away when you want to drop the project. I have a 3 wheeled fork lift but it can be pretty brutal on delicate decorative surfaces and then I still have to lift the project onto the forks, not a good thing to do. There are times when there is no room for the fork lift so the lift bench would be the best solution.
Brick, I think it would need some heavy duty all thread to lift & lower it. Those wheels are too foot loose & fancy free for my comfort but I guess some channel iron might help. Danny

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Wouldn't mind finding it used but it would be fun to custom build one for my needs & share it with others who would need one.

Danny,
My shoulders Thank You...
And my neck...
And my back...
And anything else that becomes arthritic between now and then.

So tell me... Why didn't we have this discussion, oh about 20-30 years ago???
I know why from my end... (Norwegian)

[asianflava]

The facilities guys at work have a table similar to what Brick posted. The only difference is that it uses a linear actuator instead of a crank. there is a small garden tractor battery mounted to the base that powers the actuator. There is an up/down switch assembly on a coiled cord, it is clipped to the edge for storage.

[halfdome, Danny]

Wouldn't mind finding it used but it would be fun to custom build one for my needs & share it with others who would need one.

Danny,
My shoulders Thank You...
And my neck...
And my back...
And anything else that becomes arthritic between now and then.

So tell me... Why didn't we have this discussion, oh about 20-30 years ago???
I know why from my end... (Norwegian)

Dean, it's been on my mind for about 15 years since seeing one for material handling but they are spendy and very heavy to move about. It would have been nice to know you back then that's for sure. Danny

[Gambam]

how about a motorcycle lift - you could add a larger work top area and widen the legs for added stability.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=94813

[emiller]

I saw something like that at Checker auto parts in Phoenix, AZ I believe it was around $150.00- $199.00, I'll have to swing by and check after work today.

[emiller]

Here's one for $129.00 http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/ ... _200054674