Building a workbench - cross-stack plastic tubs for drawers

[BukitCase]

As requested - note the notched top lip on these receivers - the heavier the insert (and the older you are ) the more you'll appreciate just how much EASIER it is to put a device into a receiver.

Example - (no pic, sorry) I have a 6" vise mounted to a 12" piece of 10" channel, heavy wall 2" tubing running thru the center of the channel, both ends capped with 1/2" FB that I mount on the hoe bucket (pictured) for various tasks - the whole assembly weighs probably 90 pounds, but is EASILY inserted since you do NOT have to line it up perfectly with the receiver, just REST the end on it, THEN wiggle things around til it slides in. The cutaway top lets you do this.

The older you get and the heavier things you use receivers for, the smarter this easy mod becomes... Steve

 

[k0ua]

As requested - note the notched top lip on these receivers - the heavier the insert (and the older you are ) the more you'll appreciate just how much EASIER it is to put a device into a receiver.

Example - (no pic, sorry) I have a 6" vise mounted to a 12" piece of 10" channel, heavy wall 2" tubing running thru the center of the channel, both ends capped with 1/2" FB that I mount on the hoe bucket (pictured) for various tasks - the whole assembly weighs probably 90 pounds, but is EASILY inserted since you do NOT have to line it up perfectly with the receiver, just REST the end on it, THEN wiggle things around til it slides in. The cutaway top lets you do this.

The older you get and the heavier things you use receivers for, the smarter this easy mod becomes... Steve

Dang Steve, That is just too easy. I need to remember that one..

 

[dragoneggs]

Hey Sodo, you are making great progress! The old kitchen cabinets you had look eerily familiar to one of the walls in my garage/shop! I'm ready to rip them out and I love your idea of removable totes. I built benches for our greenhouse with smaller square tubing and thought that might be the ticket for a new work bench if I beefed them up a bit. Good suggestions on getting extra bins just in case. My last workbench I doubled up 3/4in plywood with the plan of skinning it with some thin stainless. Never got around to doing that though for some reason. Next time!

Once I built a custom potting bench for my sister and formed the stainless over and around the wood top and really liked how it turned out. Even cut a hole into the top to sweep the potting soil into a bucket below and wrapped the stainless sheet around the inside edges of the square hole. I even impressed myself! :laughing:

 

[handirifle]

First a question, what are all the round holes in the wall for? Outlets? I thought those would all be rectangles.

On the totes, a question, is there room for a lid? If not, expect little mouse turds to show up on a regular basis. Also, you will have to watch the amount of weight you put in the tubs, since the lips of the tub will have a limit to what they will hold. Put too much weight in the top one and it will look like the World Trade Center on 9-11. Maybe some support for the bottom?

I like the looks of the whole thing though and has my mind turning. I was thinking of a way to add drawers under my bench, but knew it would be a mouse haven with open tops.

 

[aczlan]

The round holes are from where he blew in insulation behind the pegboard.

Aaron Z

 

[handirifle]

Ahhh thanks.

 

[Sodo]

Haha yeah that would be a LOT of outlets. I hardly ever plug in a 120v tool anymore, since battery powered tools have come so far. I've been blessed by freedom from cords by DeWalt, - it's been 10 years now. Of course the chopsaw etc and the welder, have their plug-ins.

Fingers crossed no mouse turds. But you raise an interesting point I hadn't thought of. This place has been empty since mar 2016 and there was NO mouse turds in the cabinets I took out. NONE. That's really odd. You've got me wondering if someone poisoned the entire place. That's not normal, there should be some mouse turds, right? I wonder how you can find out if it's safe.

I've never had a kind thought toward rodents but like a canary in a coal mine, when they're gone you gotta wonder why. :shocked::shocked::shocked: I have plenty of years left in this world, wonderful kids, and grandkids (in my sights :thumbsup: ). I don't like being around poisons or cancer. Cancer tends to cut things short. We lost the best grandpa in the world 6 years ago. GONE. Forever. Final. And far too soon; I expected 15 more years with my father-in-law.

The tubs are thick plastic and rated for 100 lbs. You're probably thinking of these plastic tubs
which are engineered to shatter after a few short years; quicker if you ever move them around. You have to be pretty careful with these tubs, don't knock them together. Or if they fall off a shelf they shatter. Good WalMart product to take your money - then plug up the landfills. Rubbermaid (to me) means the product will time-out in a few short years.

I'm using these type, which U-Line shows holding much heavier stuff than I will ever put in my workbench. I suppose they are engineered to last longer, but not sure how much longer. If they time-out in 10 years (and if no longer available) that's a problem. Buying spares now doesn't really solve the time-out problem.

 

[BukitCase]

"That's not normal, there should be some mouse turds, right? I wonder how you can find out if it's safe."

See if your local county extension agent can point you to anyone that does this, some might even be free - then gather a few samples - dirt, sweepings, whatever, SOMEBODY in your area oughta be able to analyze 'em -

Pretty sure it isn't ricin, or you'd already be posting thru a medium (as in, DEAD) but there could be arsenic, blood thinner (used in mice baits, they bleed to death internally) -

Anyway, agreed this does NOT seem normal, good call being concerned... Steve

 

[MossRoad]

Regarding mice... was the building empty or full of stuff when you got it? Maybe there was nothing in there for them to eat, or no place to nest, so they didn't hang around. Maybe it just wasn't attractive to them as housing. Was the previous owner a neat freak? For example, I've never seen a mouse turd in my in-law's garage or yard barn in 20+ years. My father-in-law is constantly moving things around and sweeping all the time.

 

[muddstopper]

Cat????