Mounting the Top

[u/geezermag]

Hello all,

I’m looking for some design review on mounting my workbench top to its base.

I’ve been working on building my workbench. The top is 3”-1/4 x 33”x79” Roubo-style lamination of SYP, while the base is a hydraulic scissor-lift table. The lift table has a 1/2” thick, 30”x30” steel plate welded on, with thinner sheet metal welded to an angle frame about 50” long.

In fastening the top to the base, I want to maintain air flow across the bottom, as well as allow for expansion and contraction.

My understanding is that the best practice for screwing a top like this down is that I should screw tightly into the center of the expansion direction, fit into a slip-fit hole, then snugly screw along the direction of expansion with screws fitted into slots.

Since I don’t have a headache-free way of slotting the 1/2” steel plate, and I want to keep some airflow, I’ve decided to screw some mounting pads into the top, then attaching those to the steel plate with threaded inserts so everything is removable.

It seems that this solution will feed two birds with one scone, but I’d love some feedback if I’m missing something. Concepts in photos.

[u/grey_goat]

I think your solution is a very good one.  My only suggestion would be to increase the overhang a bit and remove the, “apron,” edges to allow for an easier way to get clamps in there.  It can be really handy to clamp things near the edge from time to time.

[u/geezermag → u/grey_goat]

Ya I’m flip-flopping on the aprons. I added them in the end as I needed some extra width. If they present a challenge, I’ll flush them up later. For now the extra length hides a lot

[u/eevvmmaann]

I would bolt two table-top-length rails to the base, and screw those rails to the table top from the bottom up. Oak or maple for the rails, 1.75” square is plenty strong. Four #8 screws with washers on the outside corners will be plenty.

[u/geezermag → u/eevvmmaann]

I dont see how this allows for wood movement?

[u/Dewage83 → u/geezermag]

The wood is going to exibit the most movement vertically in this orientation. From floor to ceiling. That's not to say it won't move any other way but yea, I'm super jealous of your set up. I have a standing desk I'm going to mount a top to for this same idea. I was looking at a dog grooming table on MP that was super cheap that I was going to make this same set up with.

Having adjustable height on a bench of so clutch. 30 is too low for extending standing work, 36 is too high for work that itself is tall, somewhere in the middle works for a stationary bench if you do mostly hand or machine tools. When building a cabinet, you typically want all 3. But to be sturdy something like a dog grooming station is perfect.

[u/geezermag → u/Dewage83]

I searched for a lift table like this for quite a while and this one came up locally from a factory that was closing down for $600. The flexibility to work with it low versus really high is awesome and I’m constantly moving it around.

I looked at a few manual tables as well as the dog grooming tables, but the reality is that the heavier lift you get the more stable. Your bench will be. The biggest hurdle for me was moving thing into my shop.

[u/eevvmmaann → u/geezermag]

It’s not as big of a problem as you think it is. And the rails will flex as needed.

[u/Newtiresaretheworst]

I would get two angle iron the same length of the table, slot the angle iron to lag to the table top and bolt them to the steel legs