Marietta, GA Build (36"x48")

Well, I found some 1" OD, 0.049 walled 4130 tubing so I decided to use that instead of the conduit. Probably not the best material but since I build aircraft I have tons of it available up to 23 feet in length. I polished it up all bright and shinny and then got lazy and just accepted the sizes, 3 x 36" and 3 x 48".

I built the table today. Basically it’s the standard EAA workbench except instead of 24" x 96" it’s 48"x60". You can Google it or just as me if you can’t find it.

http://www.eaa1000.av.org/technicl/worktabl/worktabl.htm

That’s a great resource. I like the design, but it feels a bit derivative, except that page quotes process in 1992 dollars, so maybe it’s not…

Just looking at the surrounding pages makes me feel old… But it is a nice, simple table. They say the standard size is 24x60, so you have double the eaa size.

The advice constantly given to new folks is to start the machine smaller and just get new pipes to make it bigger, but I started with that size and I had a good time. Keep your z short and your patience high and if it’s not fun, cut it in half before quitting. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up with a low rider (which would be much more rigid at that size).

Also, you build aircraft? Any photos you want to share? That sounds pretty interesting. Are you planning on using the CNC for any of that work?

The workbench has been around since before 1978. Not sure who came up with the original but I believe it was Tony Bengelis who first published it.

I just stuck the tubes together and they rock back and forth. Not very sturdy. Making it shorter won’t solve that either. Maybe make it less noticable I guess.

I feel my first mod coming on…

I have some old photos over on Google+. I haven’t updated them since my mom died and they are rather boring. Just a lot of steel tubes and an old fat guy sitting in it making airplane noises.

Am I going to use this machine to do work for my aircraft? Maybe. Cutting jigs out of MDF would be cool. I can’t print the jigs because even just tacking the tubes generates enough heat to ether melt the plastic or you end up putting the jig attach so far away from the critical junctions it isn’t useful.

We shall see! The real test will be watching the machine in the first runs. I can always make the machine smaller. Once you cut the tubes short you can’t go back without shelling out more cash.

–jb

Okay, nevermind I am back to 30"x30". I can see where it quickly becomes a problem. I have a second piece of MDF and I will build on that and follow the plans.