I'm thinking to build some sort of table, about 4' x 8', and thinking
possibly to make the height adjustable. I've seen some plans using
scissor jacks and some using a ratcheting latch of sorts. I'd like to
keep the bottom clear so I can store sheets of plywood and then maybe
a set of slim drawers to hold tools, clamps, etc. Maybe after I think
(and write) about this I'll talk myself out of the idea of making the
height adjustable. Perhaps just a simple X of 2x4's and another of
say 2x10's with a plywood top would be "adjustable" enough. Scissor
jacks seem to have about 10 to 16 inches of range, but how many
"stops" is one really going to want? It seems like a couple of inches
would not be that significant, so maybe 3.5", 7.5", and 11.5" would
serve 90% of my needs. I'm also thinking to wire outlets around the
perimeter as well.

Thoughts?

PS it was handy recently to have an old solid core door about 24"
about the ground so my son could work in his 4H project. I doubt I'd
build my cart (plan to put wheels on it) that low, so here is another
case for adjustable height or just another set of X plywood panels?

kansascats wrote in news:4737043b-3fd9-4969-94f6-
:

I'm thinking to build some sort of table, about 4' x 8', and thinking
possibly to make the height adjustable. I've seen some plans using
scissor jacks and some using a ratcheting latch of sorts. I'd like to
keep the bottom clear so I can store sheets of plywood and then maybe
a set of slim drawers to hold tools, clamps, etc. Maybe after I think
(and write) about this I'll talk myself out of the idea of making the
height adjustable. Perhaps just a simple X of 2x4's and another of
say 2x10's with a plywood top would be "adjustable" enough. Scissor
jacks seem to have about 10 to 16 inches of range, but how many
"stops" is one really going to want? It seems like a couple of inches
would not be that significant, so maybe 3.5", 7.5", and 11.5" would
serve 90% of my needs. I'm also thinking to wire outlets around the
perimeter as well.

Thoughts?

PS it was handy recently to have an old solid core door about 24"
about the ground so my son could work in his 4H project. I doubt I'd
build my cart (plan to put wheels on it) that low, so here is another
case for adjustable height or just another set of X plywood panels?


Why does the height need to be adjustable? From the range provided, it
seems like you'd be using the table as a workbench and not simply
attempting to level it.

One commercial design I saw years ago used legs with holes and a pin to
adjust the height and keep the legs in place. Building something out of
wood wouldn't be too difficult. (And if you space the holes every 2" and
provide a little more than 2" of leveling adjustment you can have any
height between the minimum and maximum you want.)

Once it's loaded with tools and "stuff" you probably won't want to lift
it to adjust it (and many adjustment methods will be difficult to
operate.) A jack could still be used to lift the weight off the legs to
make adjustments, though.

Puckdropper

On 8/8/2011 12:13 AM, Puckdropper wrote:
wrote in news:4737043b-3fd9-4969-94f6-
:

Why does the height need to be adjustable? From the range provided, it
seems like you'd be using the table as a workbench and not simply
attempting to level it.

It is very often nice to use the bench as an assembly table and lower
makes access to the top of the assembly easier to get to.

On 8/7/2011 11:49 PM, kansascats wrote:
I'm thinking to build some sort of table, about 4' x 8', and thinking
possibly to make the height adjustable. I've seen some plans using
scissor jacks and some using a ratcheting latch of sorts. I'd like to
keep the bottom clear so I can store sheets of plywood and then maybe
a set of slim drawers to hold tools, clamps, etc. Maybe after I think
(and write) about this I'll talk myself out of the idea of making the
height adjustable. Perhaps just a simple X of 2x4's and another of
say 2x10's with a plywood top would be "adjustable" enough. Scissor
jacks seem to have about 10 to 16 inches of range, but how many
"stops" is one really going to want? It seems like a couple of inches
would not be that significant, so maybe 3.5", 7.5", and 11.5" would
serve 90% of my needs. I'm also thinking to wire outlets around the
perimeter as well.

Thoughts?

PS it was handy recently to have an old solid core door about 24"
about the ground so my son could work in his 4H project. I doubt I'd
build my cart (plan to put wheels on it) that low, so here is another
case for adjustable height or just another set of X plywood panels?

The only thing that has stopped me from making a featured work bench is
that I want the height to be adjustable and I want it to be stable and
mobile. ;~(

If you are considering storing full sheets on bottom the top is going to
have to be larger than your 4'x 8' suggestion, That is going to be
tough if you want to use 1 sheet for the top. Best easy solution would
be to use 2 5'x5' sheets of BB plywood.

You probably want the height adjustment to be easy, you might have a lot
of weight on the bench when you decide to raise or lower the bench, so a
bottle or screw jack would afford you the luxury of height adjustment
with out straining a body part. It would not be unusual to raise or
lower the bench several time before removing the project and this would
be especially true if the adjustment was easy. I would like mine to go
down to maybe 20-24" and up to 36" high so the range you listed does not
seem too limited although I would probably suggest 5-6 more inches.

That obliviously was not a solution so much as more to consider to help
you decide which direction to go.

On Mon, 08 Aug 2011 07:30:41 -0500, Leon wrote:

Why does the height need to be adjustable? From the range provided, it
seems like you'd be using the table as a workbench and not simply
attempting to level it.

It is very often nice to use the bench as an assembly table and lower
makes access to the top of the assembly easier to get to.

Yes, it would be nice. But adjustable legs, IME, tend to introduce a
little instability due to the slop inherent in an adjustable joint. A
real PITA for hand planing as an example.

The best I can come up with would be a lower leg, say a 4x4, with 1x4
extensions going up two opposite sides. The extensions should be drilled
about every 2" and at least 12" of the upper leg (also drilled at 2")
should be engaged at all times with at least 2 bolts at opposite ends of
the overlap.

--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

On 8/8/2011 11:36 AM, Larry Blanchard wrote:
On Mon, 08 Aug 2011 07:30:41 -0500, Leon wrote:

Why does the height need to be adjustable? From the range provided, it
seems like you'd be using the table as a workbench and not simply
attempting to level it.

It is very often nice to use the bench as an assembly table and lower
makes access to the top of the assembly easier to get to.

Yes, it would be nice. But adjustable legs, IME, tend to introduce a
little instability due to the slop inherent in an adjustable joint. A
real PITA for hand planing as an example.

The best I can come up with would be a lower leg, say a 4x4, with 1x4
extensions going up two opposite sides. The extensions should be drilled
about every 2" and at least 12" of the upper leg (also drilled at 2")
should be engaged at all times with at least 2 bolts at opposite ends of
the overlap.


Have considered the wobble potential and especially with me also wanting
the table to be mobile. I have played with the idea of screw jacks
similar to how a planer raises and lowers its bed and or cutter head.

"kansascats" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking to build some sort of table, about 4' x 8', and thinking
possibly to make the height adjustable. I've seen some plans using
scissor jacks and some using a ratcheting latch of sorts. I'd like to
keep the bottom clear so I can store sheets of plywood and then maybe
a set of slim drawers to hold tools, clamps, etc. Maybe after I think
(and write) about this I'll talk myself out of the idea of making the
height adjustable. Perhaps just a simple X of 2x4's and another of
say 2x10's with a plywood top would be "adjustable" enough. Scissor
jacks seem to have about 10 to 16 inches of range, but how many
"stops" is one really going to want? It seems like a couple of inches
would not be that significant, so maybe 3.5", 7.5", and 11.5" would
serve 90% of my needs. I'm also thinking to wire outlets around the
perimeter as well.

Thoughts?

PS it was handy recently to have an old solid core door about 24"
about the ground so my son could work in his 4H project. I doubt I'd
build my cart (plan to put wheels on it) that low, so here is another
case for adjustable height or just another set of X plywood panels?

Kansascats,

I don't think that this is what you're looking for exactly, but it might
give you some insight into what might work for you.

http://www.adjustabench.com/

You could always just go with a leg set, at about half the cost of a whole
bench, but that may be overkill as well.

Hope this is of some help.

Peter.

On Aug 8, 12:49*am, kansascats wrote:
I'm thinking to build some sort of table, about 4' x 8', and thinking
possibly to make the height adjustable. *I've seen some plans using
scissor jacks and some using a ratcheting latch of sorts. *I'd like to
keep the bottom clear so I can store sheets of plywood and then maybe
a set of slim drawers to hold tools, clamps, etc. *Maybe after I think
(and write) about this I'll talk myself out of the idea of making the
height adjustable. *Perhaps just a simple X of 2x4's and another of
say 2x10's with a plywood top would be "adjustable" enough. *Scissor
jacks seem to have about 10 to 16 inches of range, but how many
"stops" is one really going to want? *It seems like a couple of inches
would not be that significant, so maybe 3.5", 7.5", and 11.5" would
serve 90% of my needs. * I'm also thinking to wire outlets around the
perimeter as well.

Thoughts?

PS it was handy recently to have an old solid core door about 24"
about the ground so my son could work in his 4H project. *I doubt I'd
build my cart (plan to put wheels on it) that low, so here is another
case for adjustable height or just another set of X plywood panels?

http://www.adjustabench.com for a store bought adjustable bench.
Might give you some ideas.

R

I started to build an adjustable bench that was featured in Woodcraft magazine about one or two years ago.

The adjustable part was a jack that raised a box supporting a winged top. I stopped after I thought it through that I'd have to find a place for it in my already crowded shop. I am now building a workbench that I found in Wood magazine that rolls over the table saw. That way, I'll have a place to assemble something without having rollout the saw.

If your still into an adjustable bench, look for the plans at Woodcraft's website.

Good luck.

MJ

all good info..

so far I'm still thinking to build something a tad over 4' x 8' so
near the bottom I can store some plywood sheets (or maybe I just need
to come-up with another solution to my stash -- I have a roll-around
cart, but with 20 sheets there is not much rolling going to happen).
That does make the choice of a top a challenge. I have been thinking
to make the bottom 2/3rds or so ridgid -- room for the playwood, say
12" or so, and room for some drawers, maybe another 12". So the base
would be around 30" high. I might need to make something a bit
smaller so I can get down to a 24" "low-end" top. Then the "top"
could be extended from 24" to say 40", but the stops do NOT need to be
infinite. They would be in 3", 4" or maybe even 6" increments.

I dunno -- I'm sort of in the dreaming state of this idea right now..

"kansascats" wrote in message
...

I'm thinking to build some sort of table, about 4' x 8', and thinking
possibly to make the height adjustable. I've seen some plans using
scissor jacks and some using a ratcheting latch of sorts. I'd like to
keep the bottom clear so I can store sheets of plywood and then maybe
a set of slim drawers to hold tools, clamps, etc. Maybe after I think
(and write) about this I'll talk myself out of the idea of making the
height adjustable. Perhaps just a simple X of 2x4's and another of
say 2x10's with a plywood top would be "adjustable" enough. Scissor
jacks seem to have about 10 to 16 inches of range, but how many
"stops" is one really going to want? It seems like a couple of inches
would not be that significant, so maybe 3.5", 7.5", and 11.5" would
serve 90% of my needs. I'm also thinking to wire outlets around the
perimeter as well.

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How about threaded rod at the corners, with a sprocket on each and a light
chain to drive them all up from a crank on one corner.

-- Jim in NC