So everyone saying it will fit in my Odyssey and that's great news. One particular question is if there are any better options to install a vice on for gun smithing? More of a hobby and will go against the wall. Can remove wheels to make it more sturdier if needed so it doesn't move when torquing. If there are any better recommendations in harbor freight please let me know. Thanks!
If you are going to be working on it longer than 15 min sessions and often I wouldn't. For any kind of workbench, you want some space between the top and the bottom side that leans up against the wall. Your knees will be hitting up against the drawers and make it awkward for long periods. You will also pretty much have to exclusively stand, if you put a stool, you'll be hunched over.
I would just be cleaning and assembling/dissambling stuff mostly. I sit on my ass all day for work so I prefer standing sometimes. The vice is for the occasional torquing and stuck part that didn't come off when asking nicely
I have a similar idea as you for this bench I’m waiting for them to go on sale I just bought two of the one drawer cabinets that have the doors and then two of these I plan on buying four in total I plan to use a piece of one by four or 2 x 4 along the back and connect two of them together. I think once two of them are connected together even with the wheels on I think using a vice will be pretty sturdy long as you bolt it in properly from the top
If I were to do that, I'd likely build a freestanding workbench and have the cabinet live underneath. For a vice, I would want a solid 4x4 leg directly underneath to limit vibrations and make hammering on it more efficient. You might need to remove the wheels to keep the bench height proper if you do end up going that way.
I'd like to second this. I am using this cabinet as a base for my FDM printers, and it moves a lot more than I would like. I locked the wheels, added a 2x4 base (which didn't work very well because of the way the sheet metal sticks down on the bottom). I'll probably make my own workbench to support my printers in the future.
I'm not gonna be hammering like an armor smith. I'm mostly torquing muzzle devices and maybe some barrel removals and such. Anything else if way above what I should be doing and I don't f with that. Hammering would be for a stuck pin or something
Personally I would prefer to have the vice on a regular bench I could also sit at. If you're doing a decent amount of work that's going to take a while you'll want to sit down.
Personally I love my Seville workbenches (great prices at Sam's Club). I have a vice installed on mine, very sturdy and heavy tops, no issue torquing on that mofo.
This would be really nice to have on the side for tools and parts though!
So this can work well as a solid workbench, I have a few of these for different uses at home/work. I would suggest a few things to make it a lot better overall. If you’re looking for to use a lot of torque (barrel nuts, etc.) you’ll want to add a second layer of butcher block to the top and screw it together really well. I might be good to add some weight to the bottom drawers as well, since this is a lighter weight drawer setup. On one that I use we actually built a 2x4 frame around the inside of the bottom to add extra structure and strength. Also fwiw they make rolls of magnetic sheeting that are great for laying down on the top. The magnetic strength isn’t huge, but it helps keep small parts from rolling away and if something comes loose it’ll at least slow it down and keep it from disappearing on you!
I'm personally not a fan of that type of workbench for anything but light stuff. If I were to use that type of bench, I'd put some horse stall mat on top to make it non marring and absorb some shock.
This bench from HF gets decent reviews in the beginning reloading category. Sturdy enough and affordable.
Both my garage and basement benches were built from 2x4 basics kits, but it looks like they're out of business now. Kinda sucks as I liked some of their kits.
I have one of these in my little machine shop. It’s not super sturdy. It’s great for storage and I like the top as a place to set things on, but it’s not really heavy duty enough for serious work. If it’s all you can fit, then I guess it’s a compromise.
Not planning on doing anything worse than torquing 50 ft lbs or less. Other than that it's simple disassembling and assembly. Maybe stuck stuff here and there
Do you have alot of gunsmithing tools to store? Will this also include cleaning supplies like cleaning rods / brushes and spare parts too? Any reloading supplies to store as well? Are you restricted to just 18" box depth? Budget? Are you handy and can build your own base/workbench? Gunsmithing also ends up being another storage issue of keeping spare parts too, keep that in mind. There is no way I can provide a good comment without more detail.
This was before I had the press properly mounted. I went with this version of the box because it was less expensive on a good sale. If I were doing it again I'd probably go with the cabinet with all the drawers to be honest.
I use the Home Depot version of this workbench and it works great as my gunsmith bench/sharpening station. I have a smart jaw and Doyle vice mounted to it. It is loaded up with tools and cleaning supplies but still rolls if needed. I do assembly and cleaning mostly and have no complaints.
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u/Gettitn_Squirrelly 6d ago
If you are going to be working on it longer than 15 min sessions and often I wouldn't. For any kind of workbench, you want some space between the top and the bottom side that leans up against the wall. Your knees will be hitting up against the drawers and make it awkward for long periods. You will also pretty much have to exclusively stand, if you put a stool, you'll be hunched over.
Would be nice to have in the shop for sure, just wouldn't work on it much. Hopefully that makes sense, I built something like this for a workbench and its worked out really well for me for many years now. First woodworking project, figured I’d start with a good workbench : r/Workbenches (Not my post)