Replies

1. 
   tms | Feb 23, 2005 07:33pm | #1

   Maybe I'm mistaken but isn't one of the advantages of a torsion box, the low weight for a given surface stability?

   One of the advantages of my traditonal bench is its' mass. If you could combine a torsion box top with a way of stiffening the bench laterally, you might have something. But I like a bench that doesn't move when I push on it.

   Tom

1. 
   UncleDunc | Feb 23, 2005 08:32pm | #4

   One of my unbuilt workbench fantasies features a torsion box top and several hundred pounds of sand or lead shot in the base for inertia.

1. 
   tms | Feb 23, 2005 08:37pm | #5

   Hey Unc,When you put your fantasy to paper, be sure to post the design, it sounds interesting. Really, another advantage of a torsion box is that they are relatively cheap in material cost. So you'r fantasy shouldn't be too far off.Tom

2. 
   parrothead | Feb 23, 2005 10:20pm | #9

   It is true that one of the advantages of a torsion box, is the low weight for a given surface stability, but depending on the application it does not have to be lite.  Many think of hollowcore doors when they think of torsion boxes but they can be much more.

   I built a moble cart a couple of years ago from plans I found on the internet. It had a torsion box construction for the bottom. The difference is that the torsion box was made from 3/4" MDF, and was on the bottom of the cart.  The purpose here was to keep it flat/square when moving it around. The entire cart took three 4x8 sheets of MDF, and it ended up being very heavy and solid as a rock

   Mike

    We are the people our parents warned us about. J. Buffett

3. 
   WillN | Feb 23, 2005 11:46pm | #12

   I've made a couple of torion boxes for various things, ramps, computer printer shelf. Its just like the other person said-they are light and strong. I don't see the point for a bench top. They would be useful for non-hammering work surfaces, assembly and such.
   Here's my basic method. I use 1/2" Baltic Birch Ply-its already pretty flat which how you want to start anyway. I'll rip a bunch of strips 1" wide. I used to spend a lot of time notching them-like a cargo hatch. (Ramps I've made for heavy handtrucks loaded with stuff are about 1" deep at the center, tapered to nothing at the edges with 'cells' about 6" x 6")
   Now I would just mark a grid, chalkline, square whatever, Cut enough strips for the whole length and then enough blocks (strips that'll fit between the long stringers) to fill out the grid.
   Then I'd run a bead of glue down the grid lines and lay on the strips-tacking it with a brad nailer once you were sure the stringers and the blocking were tight and square.If you're never going to see it I'd use Gorilla Glue.
   Its just like blocking out the floor of a house. The most important thing is to have it all fit nice and tight with perpendicular cuts. (properly blocked floor joists have been proven to have almost the same strength in the direction of the blocks as in the direction of the joists)
   The brads will hold it while the glue dries-but you'd better make sure its flat. (I've used drywall screws as well and then removed all of them when the glue had dried).
   I guess if I was going to make a bench top to hammer and chisel on I might build the box deeper-maybe 1 1/2" to 2" and I'd want some depth on the work surface-maybeglue on an 1" thick of solid wood. If your torsion box is constructed properly the energy of your pounding will be transferred through the torsion box.

2. 
   kenney66 | Feb 23, 2005 07:33pm | #2

   david marks made one on woodworks.  check out diynet.com they probably have the plans on their website.

   kenney

3. 
   RickL | Feb 23, 2005 07:35pm | #3

   Ian "torsion box"  Kirby, who wrote the original article in FWW years ago on torsion boxes, actually designed a bench like you mentioned. He even built in the capabilities to use it as a veneer press with cauls. Kirby writes for one of the "other" hobby mags at the present. I forget where I saw the article on his bench but I have it stuck in my archives somewhere. Just don't ask me to dig it out this year. Torsion boxes are great. I made one for my extension table for my table saw fence and had the thing stored out in a damp garage for 5 years and it's still as flat as the day I made it.

4. 
   Michmesquite | Feb 23, 2005 09:42pm | #6

   Scott

   I needed to make an assembly table quickly for a set of cabinets I am about to build. I purchased a hollow core 36" x 96" plat panel interior door from Home Depot for $80. I will throw a sheet of 1/4" hardboard on for protection. 

   While this torsion box is excellent for an assembly table, I would never use it for a workbench, as others have said, it is WAY too light.

   _________________________________

   Michael in San Jose

   "In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." Bertrand Russell 

5. 
   AlanWS | Feb 23, 2005 10:01pm | #7

   If you look in Scott Landis's "The Workbench Book" I'm pretty sure the Kirby torsion box bench is discussed. Whether it's what you want probably depends on the kind of work you want to do on the bench, as it should be nice and flat, but might not be up to a lot of pounding or anchoring benchdogs. But if you built a solid part of the top for that, it might work. Or you could adapt it to John White's approach with pipe clamps for end vise, and replaceable panels resting on the pipes for chopping. White's bench is described in detail in FWW #139, or briefly in "The Workbench" by Lon Schleining.

1. 
   redrock1 | Feb 23, 2005 10:25pm | #10

   HI...I built the torsion top from the Marks plan. It was simple to do and it weighs a ton, as I recall it took almost 3 sheets of MDF. I love it, never had a decent assembly table before. Built a house full of cabinets and furniture using saw horses, tablesaw tops, and any other flat space not covered by tools or junk. How I wish I had it a long time ago.

   Len

6. 
   AntzyClancy | Feb 23, 2005 10:14pm | #8

   I don't believe this is a good idea. A bench needs to take a pounding, which is not exactly an advantage of torsion boxes. They make much better assembly tables.

   IMHO

7. 
   GHR | Feb 23, 2005 11:31pm | #11

   Some of my benches have torsion box tops - 3/8" ply over 1-3/4" high ribs. The entire bench is lightweight.

   I can hand plane on them. I hand finish my mortice/tenon joints on them.

   It all depends on how you design and use your bench.

8. 
   singcore | Nov 30, 2012 03:43pm | #13

   Singcore, a torsion box manufacturer based in McCleary, WA, manufactures pre-fabricated torsion box workbenches, benchtops, and much more.  Check out the website http://singcore.com.  Hope this helps.