I’m looking for ideas on how to build a solid woodworking project table. Or semi solid as I’d like it to be mobile.

My work benches aren’t large enough, 2’x6’ or so and are stuck up against the wall so the project has to turn rather than walking around it. I prefer mobile so I can store it easier until I have a dedicated shop. The sawhorses and plywood just aren’t good enough anymore.

Look at paulkhomes.com

Some of the magazines like Wood and Popular Woodworking have free plans on their website, also some suppliers like Rockler.

Maybe find some type of torsion box table on wheels, that folds.

Sawmillcreek.org. Great forum full of lots of information and great people. Join and ask questions.

If by "solid," you mean won't move when you bump into it or are pushing or hammering on things that are clamped to it, there's no substitute for mass.

If by "solid," you mean strong - i.e., you can put basically anything you want on it without making it bow or sag - look at "torsion box" designs. They are basically the table equivalent of the I-beam or corrugated cardboard idea. Basically, you have a plywood top and bottom that are separated by a grid of plywood strips.

Just like the stiffness of an I-beam comes from the separation between the two flanges, maintained by the web, the stiffness of a torsion box comes from the separation between the top and bottom, maintained by the internal grid.

You can make a tremendously stiff, surprisingly lightweight work surface using torsion box construction.

If you need mass, too, you can fill the empty space in the grid with sand. (Or if the base is sturdy enough, by including a shelf in the base that you put a bunch of heavy stuff on.)

Here's an article and video on torsion box work surfaces.

https://www.finewoodworking.co...n-box-assembly-table

One drawback of torsion box surfaces is they they feel very "springy" when you hammer on them (or on things that are on them). You can moderate this somewhat by making the top out of MDF or adding a layer of MDF on top of the plywood top. MDF is pretty "dead" (shock absorbing).

4" Total Lock casters (Graingers), a rigid box frame of welded angle iron with a plywood storage box, solid core wood door for counter top (from a salvage yard), replaceable 1/4 tempered Masonite skin.

quote:

Originally posted by cne32507:
4" Total Lock casters (Graingers)

I get my industrial casters from Caster City. I have 4" two way locking (lock against rolling and lock against turning) on my all steel welding table/all purpose work bench. They offer all types of sizes, wheel material, bearings, etc.

Solid core door. Got mine from a local hospital that was remodeling. Had to drag it out of the dumpster. Used it, cut to size, to make a full size wing for my table saw.

I use my tablesaw (Delta Unisaw) and this wing as my “walk around” work bench. On it you might see projects, gun cleaning, other tools clamped down, projects being glued up, wood finishing, antique repairs and machine repair. When needed I’ll cover it with cardboard. Entire assembly can be mounted on wheels.

 
At the millwork shop where I worked for some time, we built our benches using 4x4 legs mortise and tenoned to a 2x6 "apron". The apron was cut out to accommodate two large tool drawers. The tops were 2x6 tongue and grooved (no glue, just screwed to the base), rough sanded to level them, then topped with a piece of 1/4" tempered hardboard. We would periodically replace the hardboard, as it got drilled and beat up, but the benches lasted for many years of daily hard work.