Mobile worbench by Cibernox (customized)

[cibernox]

Hi,

I almost finished my own custom version of the mobile workbench, but I made some customizations to adapt it to my specific needs. In particular the root of all changes is that I needed to make it exactly 155cm/61" wide, and not a single millimeter more.

The reason is that I have very limited space in my two-car garage, so the only way I can still park a second car in it is if I stack this mobile workbench below another fixed workbench I have sandwiched between my storage cabinets.

Reducing the width in 25cm is about the maximum you can narrow the workbench while maintaining all its features. Any narrower and I'd probably have had to remove one of the modules to the side of the table saw.

Also mind you the 155m width limit must be even accounting for the amount that the folding side table protrudes from the side when folded, including witch the original design is around 183cm.















And the result is perfect, as I can store it completely out of the way and it fits the space with only a few millimeters to spare.



I didn't build my own router table or lift, as I bought from aliexpress a one that honestly, for the money is pretty great. I couldn't even have bought the materials from what this set costed me:


Another notable change is that unlike in the original design, the folding side table needs to fit almost flush between the two frames (it protrudes less then 2mm), so I used the same foldable brackets that are used on the outfeed table. I added some wooden blocks to ensure that when folded and with the box clasps tight, it forms a perfect 90° with the upper surface so it still can be used to mount projects.



Also, to save costs and maximize the space in the drawers, I made the workbench drawers from 9mm birch plywood (in fact I didn't use any 15mm plywood anywhere on the project, saving on cost), and the drawers don't have a double front That gave me 12mm of width and 15mm depth, which was exactly what I needed to make the drawers big enough to fit a 12x6 gridfinity grid on each drawer.


All the surfaces are black MDF board (Fibracolour), which I think makes for a very aesthetic result in my opinion.

I will share a few tricks and discoveries of my build in another post.

[Suso]

what a great job! I love the combination of birch plywood and black-tinted MDF.

[cibernox]

Ok, let me share some more details in case anyone is interested in my design choices:

The 3D printed handles.

I've used the 3D printed recessed handles designed by Alexandre Chappel that he made available for free to download, along with the needed 3D printed template and also a base for makita-style palm routers. You can find the handle here: https://www.alch.shop/shop/p/3d-printed ... r-template





I decided for this handle because it's very low profile (handles shouldn't protrude from the front frame if you want to be able to clamp pieces vertically using the t-track or the bench dog holes.

I don't use Incra-style t-tracks

Incra style t-tracks are quite rare to come by and also rather expensive. However, regular 19mm (3/4") t-tracks are readily available online in amazon and in chinese pages like aliexpress or Temu they can be purchased very cheap. The longest size (800mm) was less around 8€ each.
These t-tracks work for some bolt-attachments but they don't fit the awesome quick release ratcheting clamps commonly used with tracksaw guides:





Well, I did some experimentation and it turns out that they don't fit for a fraction of a millimeter. So if you are willing to grind a tiny bit out of the back of your clamps, you don't need to buy special t-tracks, and you will be able to use your clamps in all t-tracks of this workbench.



Before:


After:





The amount of material removed is very small and away from the tension zones, so I think it's unlikely for it to make the clamp any weaker and they can be used in tracksaw guides just like before. There are also very cheap chinese versions of this clamps like mines that cost ~25€ for a pair and I found them just as good as the ones from reputable brands.

That's all for now, I'll

[cibernox]

One more trick. You may have noticed that even though I have extended the sliding carriage beyond its equilibrium point, it doesn't tip over, even if it's not supported using the drawer that uses full extensions tracks.
The reason for that is that instead of making the runners from wood or any other material myself, I am using a aluminium miter bar also from Aliexpress like this one:


There miter bars have some nylon washers to adjust so they have zero side to side movement, and they also have a locking washer on both sides that engages with the t-track so it can't tip over. This allows to make most cuts without using the top drawer as a support, although if you are going to cut a very wide piece using the drawer still helps a little bit.