I'm working (in stages) on a big work bench and storage unit to go the
full length of the back wall of my shop. I originally planned a single monolithic steel top bench 56 feet long. I've since decided to make it
semi modular because somebody will want to disassemble and sell it.
Probably at the estate sale after I die.

I also asked my wife if she had any ideas about how to get more out of
it. She made what is actually a fantastic suggestion. Put 6 or 8 foot
long wing benches in every 8 feet. This allows me to my 8 foot modules
with drawers one at a time, and in the long run will increase the bench
top surface by nearly 1.5-1.8 times. Sure that's more surface are to
suffer from HSD (horizontal surface disease), but it means its also more
space to pile up things out of the way to make room for the current
project.

I have some steel tube (its pretty expensive right now), and I have 1/4
inch steel plate for the entire project.

Drawers are the problem. I can make plywood drawers (probably one or
two at a time unless the price comes down) that will easily manage
hundred of pounds. More specifically though drawer slides are the
problem. I recently found a source for 250lb 30 inch slides at a pretty reasonable price. I think the seller wound up with a huge surplus lot.
I've purchased 32 sets so far, and will purchase a probably that many
more. Now what I am looking for are LONG ASS HEAVY DUTY drawer slides
for the wing benches. I think 60 inch is a minimum, and 72 would be
better. I've found a fair number of 60 inchers. The good news is every
set I've found is rated for 500lbs. The bad news is every set I've
found is relatively expensive. I may not do all the wings that way, but
I hate to create dead space in the middle of all this investment either.
I'd like to setup at least one 6foot wing with slide out drawers/trays
for storing six foot stock. Long stock will probably still have be
stored outside for now.

Now before any of you all go off and tell me about buying a hodge podge
of desks, file cabinets, and bins at auctions and yard sales... for the
purpose of this I just don't care. I want something better than that.
I have a hodge podge of stuff already, and that will probably all go
upstairs over my office.

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"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news:t3cm9f$1og$1@gioia.aioe.org...

...Now what I am looking for are LONG ASS HEAVY DUTY drawer slides
for the wing benches. I think 60 inch is a minimum, and 72 would be
better. I've found a fair number of 60 inchers. The good news is every
set I've found is rated for 500lbs. The bad news is every set I've
found is relatively expensive. I may not do all the wings that way, but
I hate to create dead space in the middle of all this investment either.
I'd like to setup at least one 6foot wing with slide out drawers/trays
for storing six foot stock. Long stock will probably still have be
stored outside for now.

-------------------

The lowest "drawer" could be a separate bin or stock rack on casters.

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On 4/16/2022 4:10 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Bob La Londe"  wrote in message news:t3cm9f$1og$1@gioia.aioe.org...
...Now what I am looking for are LONG ASS HEAVY DUTY drawer slides for
the wing benches.  I think 60 inch is a minimum, and 72 would be
better.  I've found a fair number of 60 inchers.  The good news is every set I've found is rated for 500lbs.  The bad news is every set I've
found is relatively expensive.  I may not do all the wings that way, but
I hate to create dead space in the middle of all this investment either.
 I'd like to setup at least one 6foot wing with slide out drawers/trays
for storing six foot stock.  Long stock will probably still have be
stored outside for now.

-------------------

The lowest "drawer" could be a separate bin or stock rack on casters.

That is a good idea. I have considered something along those lines.
Also the upper drawers do not necessarily need to be full extension if I
just want to be able to use the space. They can be half extension with
a roller support or reversed drawer slide on the back half. The back
portion could be open to one or both sides.





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"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news:t3f0t7$1lpk$1@gioia.aioe.org...

On 4/16/2022 4:10 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news:t3cm9f$1og$1@gioia.aioe.org...
...Now what I am looking for are LONG ASS HEAVY DUTY drawer slides for the wing benches. I think 60 inch is a minimum, and 72 would be better. I've found a fair number of 60 inchers. The good news is every set I've found
is rated for 500lbs. The bad news is every set I've found is relatively expensive. I may not do all the wings that way, but I hate to create dead space in the middle of all this investment either. I'd like to setup at
least one 6foot wing with slide out drawers/trays for storing six foot
stock. Long stock will probably still have be stored outside for now.

-------------------

The lowest "drawer" could be a separate bin or stock rack on casters.

That is a good idea. I have considered something along those lines.
Also the upper drawers do not necessarily need to be full extension if I
just want to be able to use the space. They can be half extension with
a roller support or reversed drawer slide on the back half. The back
portion could be open to one or both sides.

----------------------

A drawer for small items may not need roller slides, just rails. I initially set up my shop bench on cut-down wooden bureaus for tool storage and haven't needed to change them, although they accumulated heavy loads of tools and
pipe fittings.

I have both wooden and metal roller-slide machinists' tool chests. There
isn't much difference, except that the rollers are more trouble to re-engage
if pulled out too far.

The trade school where I'm taking evening adult-ed Auto Repair has
magnificent tool cabinets. I'll try to remember to write down the brand.

I know how to fix the vehicles I have now but they are 20+ year old tech
that could have to be replaced any time now. Thanks to road salt cars age quickly in New England. The spray from the tires and the car ahead gets into and corrodes everything. My BIL was an Audi mechanic and sufficiently
familiar - and frustrated - with the new stuff that he also drives
20-year-old cars he can fix in his barn without the dealer's computer.

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"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news:t3cm9f$1og$1@gioia.aioe.org...

I'm working (in stages) on a big work bench and storage unit to go the
full length of the back wall of my shop. I originally planned a single monolithic steel top bench 56 feet long. I've since decided to make it
semi modular because somebody will want to disassemble and sell it.
Probably at the estate sale after I die.

I also asked my wife if she had any ideas about how to get more out of
it. She made what is actually a fantastic suggestion. Put 6 or 8 foot
long wing benches in every 8 feet. This allows me to my 8 foot modules
with drawers one at a time, and in the long run will increase the bench
top surface by nearly 1.5-1.8 times. Sure that's more surface are to
suffer from HSD (horizontal surface disease), but it means its also more
space to pile up things out of the way to make room for the current
project.

---------------------

The trade school auto shop has 6-caster 6' x 2' Husky tool chests with wood tops, ~$1000 each. Although I'd choke on the price (which came from my
taxes) they are very nice and strong enough to support the instructor's son sitting on a drawer.

Several of them were damaged in shipping. When I've taken the time to track such things down to the salvage dealer I've gotten very good deals on them, like a 60 gallon air compressor minus the pump for $75. The trick is knowing what I can or can't fix.

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On 4/19/2022 4:21 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Bob La Londe"  wrote in message news:t3cm9f$1og$1@gioia.aioe.org...

I'm working (in stages) on a big work bench and storage unit to go the
full length of the back wall of my shop.  I originally planned a single monolithic steel top bench 56 feet long.  I've since decided to make it
semi modular because somebody will want to disassemble and sell it.
Probably at the estate sale after I die.

I also asked my wife if she had any ideas about how to get more out of
it.  She made what is actually a fantastic suggestion.  Put 6 or 8 foot long wing benches in every 8 feet.  This allows me to my 8 foot modules
with drawers one at a time, and in the long run will  increase the bench
top surface by nearly 1.5-1.8 times.  Sure that's more surface are to
suffer from HSD (horizontal surface disease), but it means its also more space to pile up things out of the way to make room for the current
project.

---------------------

The trade school auto shop has 6-caster 6' x 2' Husky tool chests with
wood tops, ~$1000 each. Although I'd choke on the price (which came from
my taxes) they are very nice and strong enough to support the
instructor's son sitting on a drawer.

Several of them were damaged in shipping. When I've taken the time to
track such things down to the salvage dealer I've gotten very good deals
on them, like a 60 gallon air compressor minus the pump for $75. The
trick is knowing what I can or can't fix.

Trust me. I've looked at a lot of different "tool boxes" as bench
drawers. They won't cut it. I own Old Craftsman, new Craftsman, Husky
(Home Depot brand), Waterloo, and Harbor Freight boxes. I even have a
great big stainless steel roll around box I bought at Max Club back in
the day. My goal is to eliminate most of them saving only a couple
bottom boxes or carts for tool carts for individual machines in the
shop. The rest will make some cheap dumpster diver very happy when I
list them on cragislist or market place... or YEESH! have a driveway
sale. I also have several quite decent work benches. One I think will
get moved outside under a shade for work I'd rather do outside, and the
others will probably go upstairs above my office for stuff I projects
I'd like to leave setup, but rarely use like reloading shotgun shells
you can't buy anymore.

They even make big long steel benches with banks of drawers that will
"almost" work. In my last house I had a laboratory bench in the garage
that would have been great if my wife hadn't used it as a dumping ground
for every little thing. The biggest problem with the lab bench is most
of the drawers were pretty small. I like shallow drawers for some
things, but they were also very narrow.

For the most part every main bench drawer will be "about" 44 inches wide outside dimension and 30 inches deep. Every bay will be built the same
with six sets of slides. For deeper drawers I'll utilize more than one
set of slides on the same drawer. This will allow me to make drawers
for "almost" any application. Shallow drawers for hand tools, medium
drawers for some power tools, and deeper drawers for bulky/heavy things.


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