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Aluminum/Wood rolling work benches/carts

Racey

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Had some extra materials from some jobs left over so I made a few work benches for the shop. Hardwood tops on aluminum fabricated carts, and whipped up some drawers as well.

I wanted them to be way stronger than they needed to be, so i fabricated hanging trusses along the bottom. One of the carts holds around 1,000lbs of tooling for my lathe on the bottom shelf, several chucks, faceplates, steady/follow rests, etc. Edge grain Ash butcher top work surfaces should last a lifetime.

Lots of welding to make these little bastards.

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Javajoe

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I like that bottom truss. Real strong. Those took you a while. Bad ass. Should way out live all of us. You should weld your name and date on the bottom of them.
 
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HNL2LHC

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Impressive!!! I’d be happy with those in my shop.
 

v6toy4x

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I give those a 9.5

I really like the bottom truss, works and looks good, how come a right hand and left hand?
Wait a minute, are those drawer boxes dovetailed? I gotta deduct one pt if not!
 

rivermobster

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Those are mega bad azz...

:notworthy:

P.S. Remember how in the old days people would put rollers on the back of their flat bottom trailers?

Might come in handy on those trusses. You know, for when you start selling em and shit...

😁
 

Racey

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I give those a 9.5

I really like the bottom truss, works and looks good, how come a right hand and left hand?
Wait a minute, are those drawer boxes dovetailed? I gotta deduct one pt if not!

That way they can be cornered into an L if ever needed. No dovetail, just glue and brad nails and a nice tight fit 😉
 

RiverDave

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Why multiple chucks??

I gotta be honest in all of my machining I have never used a faceplate. I can’t even imagine a scenario where I’d use one?
 

Racey

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Why multiple chucks??

I gotta be honest in all of my machining I have never used a faceplate. I can’t even imagine a scenario where I’d use one?

You've never changed between an independent 4 jaw and a scroll chuck?

I actually change chucks pretty often on that machine, i built a davit crane that drops onto a post on the back of the bed to hoist them off and on, those big chucks are too damn heavy to lift onto the pins

Aluminum driveline guard tubes for example the extrusion is never actually round, and way out of concentric, the only way to properly grab them is with a 4 jaw. 4 jaw chuck also has way higher holding power if you are hanging something long but not long enough for the steady rest.

i have a 14" 4 jaw, a 12.5" Bison 3 jaw that the scroll is kinda worn, doesn't repeat great, and a brand new bison 6 jaw 10".

Collett chucks for J3 and 5c for doing bar work.

They all have their uses.

Faceplates are great for bell housings, occasionally truing up a wheel. that is a 26" faceplate, you can do some interesting work on it. I also have a smaller faceplate, probably around 12".

Every Casale V-drive has it's bearing bores done on a lathe on a faceplate with a fixture.

It's nice to have options at your disposal 😉
 
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