Space-Saving Bench Mount For Powered Tools
“A few years ago I was using my 2-car garage as a shop. There wasn’t much room for my bench-mounted tools, so I made a retractable tool mount that slides under my work bench,” says Dexter Beals, Live Oak, Florida. “It puts any bench-mounted tool I need to use in front of the bench, without taking up valuable space on the bench. When I’ve finished using the tool I can quickly loosen a pair of wing nuts and slide the tool mount out from under the bench.”
The retractable tool mount is made from 3/4-in. grade AC plywood and measures 15 in. long by 9 in. wide. Beals cut a pair of long slots in the plywood, spacing the slots far enough apart to allow the tool mount to slide between them. The slots match studs that he bolted on under the bench.
Beals uses the tool mount with his bench grinder, scroll saw, and belt sander. He bolted a wooden base onto each tool and uses a pair of thumb screws to attach the base to the tool mount.
“It works somewhat like slide-out kitchen cutting boards,” says Beals. “The thumb screws tighten the base down so the tool always stays put despite the vibration from operating tools. It also works great on my portable Black & Decker Workmate.
“I can use as many different tools as I want with the mount, as long as I make a new base plate for each one.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dexter Beals, Live Oak, Fla. (housedoc310@aol.com).
“A few years ago I was using my 2-car garage as a shop. There wasn’t much room for my bench-mounted tools, so I made a retractable tool mount that slides under my work bench,” says Dexter Beals, Live Oak, Florida. “It puts any bench-mounted tool I need to use in front of the bench, without taking up valuable space on the bench. When I’ve finished using the tool I can quickly loosen a pair of wing nuts and slide the tool mount out from under the bench.”
The retractable tool mount is made from 3/4-in. grade AC plywood and measures 15 in. long by 9 in. wide. Beals cut a pair of long slots in the plywood, spacing the slots far enough apart to allow the tool mount to slide between them. The slots match studs that he bolted on under the bench.
Beals uses the tool mount with his bench grinder, scroll saw, and belt sander. He bolted a wooden base onto each tool and uses a pair of thumb screws to attach the base to the tool mount.
“It works somewhat like slide-out kitchen cutting boards,” says Beals. “The thumb screws tighten the base down so the tool always stays put despite the vibration from operating tools. It also works great on my portable Black & Decker Workmate.
“I can use as many different tools as I want with the mount, as long as I make a new base plate for each one.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dexter Beals, 310 DuVal St. NW, Live Oak, Fla. 32064 (ph 321 501-8379; housedoc310@aol.com).
