Well........

Its been raining here in the greater DC area for several days (or has it been weeks). I cut the two MDF boards to size for the top of the bench and picked up the 5/8" IKEA top to cut it and found...



I mean serious warped. The center the bulge is about 1/4" high (low). The MDF is fine. I suspect the nice people at IKEA oiled the top surface and not the bottom (which is the side that swelled).

I've decided to go with a third layer of MDF and laminate 1/8" hardboard all around to finish it.

Maybe the hardwood will flatten and can be used for a table. Or a bowl.

Rolling benches

So four hours later, the frame has retractable casters. Essentially, there are a set of rails



inset inside the legs (from 2 x 4s) and a pair of 2 x 4 hinged with two 2 1/2 swivel casters. The picture on top is the caster plate folded under the frame, lifting the bench about 3/4 inches off the floor. All held together and to the legs with lag bolts. To engage/disengage the caster, lift up an end and grab or kick the casters with your foot. Lower tech than the table saw base. But it works well.




Next, gluing up the top. But first, need a cutting guide for the circular saw. Meta projects.

Benched

I've been off-line for a bit. Suffering from the dog-in-Rome syndrome. I started getting parts in for my drum sander (24" width). Then I got a bunch of great cigar boxes and thought, "I'll make a CB ukulele". Then came a dial guage and I thought, "I'll make a thickness guage". I then realized, " I have too many projects started and nowhere to carry them out."

So the current project is the bench above. Its 24 x 49 and ~35" high. It will have a 7" vise under the overhang. The top is two layers of 3/4" MDF and an IKEA 5/8" counter-top. The base of 4x4 legs with 2x4 spreaders and 3/8" threaded rod to hold it together. I plan to put casters that fold out of the way so I can move this around.