Hi Folks, As a lot of my work involves trapesing up flights of stairs in people's homes and and as I don't have a lot of space in my van, I have been contemplating a different bench /tressel set up. Currently I have two really knackered and bulky B&Q cheapo work mates that are way past their sell by date, however they are light and I can stand a door on them, clamp stuff to them and even grip stuf. I have been considering a Triton super jaws and my Triton stand, with a bit of ply as a portable table, but then if I want to use the Super jaws to grip something, I can't use the table at the same time. What other successful portable systems are folks using?
A couple of the light weight plastic trestles (Stanley Junior Saw Horse 7078F from our hosts) plus a simple lattice frame (about 1800mm long) made from CLS that sits in the notches on the top of the trestles. Makes a good cutting bench for boards and can fix mitre saw on top with a screw at each corner. Also have a two sheets of 9mm ply cut to half length of frame so can plonk them on top make a surface. Doing it in halves means I can combine surface with mitre saw. It can be a little wobbly if doing heavy work in which case I just screw on a couple more bits of CLS to brace it against an adjacent wall. No piece is heavy or has sharp corners - easy to carry up stairs and takes no more than a few seconds to set up. The plastic trestles won't damage delicate floors. It's hardly a workshop bench but it is cheap, easy to move, fits in a smallish room and means I don't need to bend to pick up stuff on the floor.
Get yourself a pair of toughbuilt trestles, they are brilliant, have a pair of C700, used with couple length of 4x2 & a whole sheet18mm ply cut in half, so easier to transport & handle, & you can have a half or whole sheet workbench (screwed to 4x2 bearers) depending on job in hand. Various models available,look at the C550, C650 they have a 1100lb to 1300lb capacity depending on model. http://www.toughbuilt.com/sawhorses/ http://www.mtmc.co.uk/ToughBuilt-C650-Saw-Horse-/-Jobsite-Table__p-102396.aspx
I suppose it depends on what you do, but I find less use for such as the years pass. eg for light work, door or window can be held in a corner, so it won't fall over. Or a block and wedge does a lot. I found that certain sizes of timbers can be taken into a job and worked in situ, just by bracing against an open window. But in general a pair of plastic trestles and a board does me. I tried the superjaws for a while but its just not practical for domestic jobs, too much of a beast.
Agreed DW, those super jaws do look a bit weighty, and like you I do find myself clamping wood to things that come to hand, l do like the compact tressel idea however the tough built look mighty weighty to carry around if there was a lighter pair with notches for 2x3 that would be brilliant.
Our host stock the Toughbuilt, so have a nosey at one, a C550 weighs about 13.5lbs, the basic C300 about 11lbs, but that won't take the 4x2's. http://www.screwfix.com/search?search=Toughbuilt http://www.toughbuilt.com/sawhorses/
The toughbuilt ones are really excellent, much better than the Stanley trestles (even the dearer) ones. They are reasonably weighty but not too much. The good thing is that you can drop the height from being workbench height to saw bench height very easily. PLus the higher number ones have little fold out clips that can hold sheet material off vertical so that you can cut or paint it. I have the Triton Superjaws which i only take out if I am going to cut joists or hang doors
Often at the end of a run of work I begin to hanker after more robust accessories such as these terrifying mechanisms. But that fades quickly on buying a new saw and sharpening my chisels.
There is always the centipede system http://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/...013-Support-Xl-8Ft-X-4Ft-Portable-Work-System
Hey Sospan, that's really cool and far out. DW, DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK its way too terrifying for you!
Thanks for that DW, looks v. useful for those quick jobs, Think I'm still looking out for some lighter, medium duty, compact tressels though.
Think I may have just found the ideal type as will be able to adjust legs, alter the wood top to suit requirements. http://www.healystool.co.uk/Faithfull-Steel-Wood-HD-Adjustable-Trestle-FAITRESTLEWO-id51626.aspx
I made something similar to this: http://www.multifunctionslab.com/ out of CNC grade MDF placed on a couple of lightweight folding trestles it makes a great versatile bench and takes up very little space to transport. Perfect if you have a track saw. Just add a few bench dogs and clamps. Here's the ones I use: http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-trade-clamps-forged-quick-lever-guide-rail-clamp-ax945902 http://www.axminster.co.uk/veritas-parf-dogs-ax930733 I'm going to make a few more in different sizes as sometimes a smaller one would be handy.
Thanks Steve, yes I have made one similar myself for a workbench in my workshop and also use the parf dogs which come in handy. Hoping I can make the tressels I mentioned, shorter if I buy them as noticed they are quite wide so would not work in more confined areas.