Table the discussion....

[cncdoc]

Or should I say THE TABLE discussion...

 

When looking at the "plans table" for building the wings, etc., it shows a picture of a table with MDF supported by 1 " X 10" on legs (not sure what size) and the width is 42" to 48" wide and 12' to 14' long.

OK.

 

What is the purpose of the 1X10's wouldn't a 2 x 6 do just as well? or is there a reason why the front is 10"?

LEGS: At least 2 x 6 right?

 

Or is this just a suggestion. I have read about others' tables. Some say 14' is a good length, some say they barely need 12'. Is 42" too wide? or do you need as much width as is practicable?

 

To those almost done:

 

If you could have made it different, how would you have done it? What would you have added? Too tall? Too short? Better materials? ugly?

 

Inquiring minds want to know, and ironically, so does mine.

After all, this thing is going to be around the length of the project.

 

Dangling my toe in the pirahna tank.....

[dust]

Ok i would have made it the way i made my woodworking bench and the strake table

 

42" x 12'

 

framework of 2 x 6 buy them straight and use them FAST before they turn into pretzels, i mean within an hour or two

 

2 12 '

 

7 39"

 

cut all to length very very square

 

3 sheets 3/4 inch plywood sanded one side cut to 42inch at lumber yard

42" x 8, 42" x 4, 42" x8,42" x 4,

 

clamp and nail the 2x6's together in a box/ladder arrangement the clamps are needed to get it together tight 2x6 accross every 2' and at each end

 

nail 42x8' and 42x4' on one side

Flip and do the same but switch long and short side

shim flat while you are nailing the plywood down

 

cover one side with hard board and small finish nail it on so that later you can rip it off, this is a wear board, if you can find one 12 feet long so that you do not need a seam even better

 

set this on legs, it is very very very strong, it is a torsion box and it will not move or bend

 

my strake one 4'x5' is with an 1/8 of flat over 5' and solid as the day is long.

 

Wax with johnsons paste wax weekly, no silicones

 

enjoy the build

 

dust

[cncdoc]

Thank You O great Dusty One.

 

That is what I had in mind, I wasn't sure about some of the pine 1 X 10s at the local Home Repo Depot. But you took the guess work right out of it.

 

What about the legs and the height?

 

4 X 4s or more 2 x 6s for legs? Toe nail them at the end or screw them on. What do you think about using decking screws for the table (I have an framing air nailer that shoots glued nails into anything, I have a air brad nailer too, but it doesn't go berserk like the framing nailer does and shoots 3 nails in the same hole) I feel safer using screws (So does my dog).

 

Height is a big concern, because of the "bend over" back pain while working on bench projects. What's the major factor there?

 

One more thing.......

 

I read somewhere (and could probably quote it, but I won't) that someone made an 8ft table and a 4ft table and then put them together for the wings 'n longer stuff. Now, I am getting ready for the canard wing (Chapter 10) I may be beyond the little pieces, but just for the record, would the split table be a good idea or a waste of saw power...

 

Thanks for the brain "pickings"!

 

FYI: When I think of my time repairing dust collection systems and machines that are victims of poor dust collection (sometimes I have to wallow in MDF dust, I look like a turkey refugee from a "shake and bake" bag and itch in various places as the dust finds it's own escape route) I have to remind myself that when there's dust present, it's good to have adequate suction. So when something "sucks" it's not necessarily bad....

 

Need I say more.

[John Slade]

>What is the purpose of the 1X10's wouldn't a 2 x 6 do just as well?

Either would work fine.

 

>4 X 4s or more 2 x 6s for legs? Toe nail them at the end or screw them on.

Don't matter, so long as it's solid and doesnt move. I used two 2 * 4s and screws.

 

>Height is a big concern

Plans height was fine for me at 5' 7". I'd make it a bit taller if you're a tall person.

 

>would the split table be a good idea or a waste of saw power...

Depends how tight you are on space. My table spent most of it's time being my organization area. You'll find yourself working on lots opf jobs at once and its very nice to have someplace to spread everything out.

 

>Wax with johnsons paste wax weekly, no silicones

Hmmm. I'm not sure about that one dust. My table was fairly well beat up by the end of the job, but wax and epoxy dont mix. I'd rather keep wax away from the shop and sacrifice the table.

[dust]

No i'm not explaining it well. 1x 10's won't work for the table i described.

 

To creat the torsion box you nail the 3/4 plywood to the frame work and it is hard enough to hit the 2x6's let alone the 1x's

 

the wax is great, just keep the table waxed and all slopings come right up with a putty knife, it is not hard to wax table and polish all of the wax off. We were told to use wax paper, which i later switched to "wax butcher wrap" which is actually plastic.

 

The torsion box with 3/4 plwood on BOTH sides is great!!!

 

at to size, if you can fit the 12', do it if not go to 8 + 4 and use long threaded rod to connect, once you have the torsion box you can't get to the inside

 

if my official photagrapher would post the pictures of the strake(do you hear this slave, ya know it is hard to get good slaves anymore), then i would ask for pictures of the torsion box.

 

enjoy the build

 

Dust

[cncdoc]

Thanks again guys,

I was thinking of putting the table on casters with leveling jacking screws on it. That way I can move it around and re - level it when convenient to do so. I already have 2 workbenches, but they are 10' together but they have a lab type surface that nothing sticks to and nothing can burn or dissolve (if it's dropped it cracks) I wanted to join them all together.

 

This table will be around when I am flying to the Bahamas waving at John sitting in his hot - tub, so I want to build it right. It seems pretty stout by description.

Nobody said anything about using screws so I guess it's OK to use the 3" coated decking screws. I might even bolt the legs on so I can take the whole thing over to a local shop and have them run a 6" wood-working fly cutter over it to make sure it's flat.

 

Side point: I might be over in your neck of the woods next week John, I'll call first.

- I finally got the shed built, junk transferred from the garage/studio into it. Now the beast is perched on saw-horses in the middle of everything on the ground floor instead of occupying the recording booth. So, 7 weeks, 10 yards of concrete, $770 worth of lumber and building materials, a little blood, sweat and tears (not the musical group) and Voila! A (personal hobby on hold) recording studio is now an aircraft manufacturing facility (too).

I remember you told me to not let these things keep me from progressing for very long, so I didn't. Now it's getting more difficult to decide who to buy from and where to get it (MGS = hazardous material = more $$$ per gallon) I'll tell you more about it later, but February is CHAPTER 10 Month!!

 

oooops midnight.

 

Gotta go! Im turning into a pumpkin...

[mplafleur]

I hear ya dust. I just have to resize them so I can post.

 

Sheesh:o

[John Slade]

I might be over in your neck of the woods next week John, I'll call first.

 

OK, One day you'll have to bring the wife. We can have a steak, then enjoy the REAL hot tub.

 

when I am flying to the Bahamas waving at John sitting in his hot - tub

By the time you're flying to the Bahamas, I'll be flying to Europe.

[Rui]

I plan on using 3 of the engineered wood I-beam like joists that they are building houses with these days. Can be obtained in any length and won't warp on the way from the lumber yard to the house. btw, the lumber yard I now go to keeps the wood outdoors, they claim that storing wood indoors like Home Depot does is what causes it to warp quickly. I'm not sure I believe that but I have noticed that the wood I've gotten there has not warped as badly as the wood I've gotten from Home Depot.

 

I also plan on making the legs removeable. This way I can have a table thats about 1 foot high (ie. with legs removed) for taller jobs (ie. turtleback).

 

I like dust's torsion box idea, thanks!!

 

Also, from other builders I've learned that you can't have enough electrical plugs so I'll be putting plugs every 3 feet along the sides. Space isn't a big issue with me (32ft x 22ft shop) so I'll be making mine the full 48" wide.

[mplafleur]

Here's the small torsion box used for strake construction.

[dust]

hang the plugs from the ceiling, much better than anywhere eles

 

enjoy the build

 

Dust

[Rui]

I have 11 ft ceiling in my shop. A little hard to plug things in and out. I do have a plug there though (for a future garage door opener). I will try to use it, but I'll still put a bunch of pluga around the table.

[dust]

Make a bunch of short extensions, you won't regret it

 

enjoy the build

 

dust

[cncdoc]

I'm with you on the hanging receptacles. I use a 12 ga SO cord with a 4 gang box just about 6 inches over my head. I have worked in shops with table plug-ins and they work, but the cord is always getting in the way. With the SO cord and a kellums grip providing stress relief, I can bully the receptacle box around a bit.

 

I also mounted 8 new flourescent fixtures spread out over the work area (I gots to see what Im a doin') the attic looks like a plate of romex spaghetti right now. I have done a lot of rebuilding work and lighting is extremely important...Im surprised is isn't addressed here more fully. After all, we may not be dealing with microns on the build, but splitting the line of a pencil mark is within .020" range and that needs to be illuminated. I have done body work on Corvettes in poorly lit garages and when it gets outside to wash or buff I have seen subtle waves and dips that poor lighting didn't show.

 

I am getting older too (isn't everyone?) and my squint factor is increasing every year.

 

One more question for Dust, couldn't you slot the table to allow access to the inside without compromising the structural integrity of the design?

 

Ciau fer now......

[td_howard]

Originally posted by Rui

... I'll be making mine the full 48" wide.

 

Rui, you might want to reconsider this. My table is 4' wide and at 5'8", it's a real stretch for me to reach the other side. And trust me, there's ALWAYS something you need on the other side! I would go a shade narrower - Dust's 42" sounds about right. I don't think there is any assembly on the plane that needs more than that.

 

BTW, I also used the engineered floor joist system (two 12' along the sides, with a third one cut into 3 4' sections and used as cross-braces, glued and lag-bolted together. 3/4 MDF on top, 1/4" ply on the bottom). I check it occasionally, and even with temperatures and humidity all over the place this year, it is still flat.

 

Note also that if you're using the torsion box approach, attached legs (even removable ones) are probably not necessary and a couple of appropriately shimmed sturdy sawhorses would probably do the trick (might be hard to level, though). Mine sits on a welded steel box-beam frame that I got at an auction for $40. I think it was a welding table or something. Anyways, it's very sturdy.

[John Slade]

I'd second the 42" unless you're 6 feet tall or better.

[David Pierce]

I just finished my table, and I chose to use 2" x 8" that are 10 feet long. I used four of them with a 2 x 8 on the ends. I used 4 x 4 legs ( 6 ) that are double bolted (corners have 4 bolts)with 6" hex bolts. On the bottom of each leg I used lag bolts screwed in to make adjustments to level it. The top is 3/8" plywoood "rough" with a 3/4" composite board on top (very smooth, and very heavy)...needed two guys to move it on the table. The sizes worked with a 4 x 8 sheet + a 4 X 4 sheet and it is square and extremely heavy. It is not expensive, and cost me about $150 at Home Depot. Table is 48" by 144". I did the leg height at 30" plus the width of the top which give me a surface at 32" and I can get a chair under each side.

 

Best Wishes

[dust]

I really feel 48" is too wide, it is even hard to work in the center of a 48 inch wide table, 40 to 42 is great and has never failed us and i'm 6'3"

 

agree with the saw horses, three or four will do it

 

enjoy the build

 

mike

[Rui]

I plan on being able to access both sides of the table (ie. it won't be against a wall). This way all I'll have to reach is 24".

 

Thanks for the advice though. I've bought the material, now I just have to build it. Last night I finished my epoxy hot box. I modelled it on various boxes that I've seen on other builder's sites. Its 2'x2'x6'. It has two compartments, the top one being insulated and having a door for the pump and the bottom being open w/o a door or insulation for bulk expoxy storage.

 

I'll start on the table tonight.

[dust]

i'm sorry, i can access both sides of my table at 40" it is fine, i've just worked on 48" ones before and the reach to the middle is a stretch and all parts have fit on the 40"

 

enjoy the build

 

dust