Collapsible or Portable Workbench

[Donut]

We are looking at getting some additional tools to expand beyond basic hand tools and drills we have been using for the past few seasons for robot construction. I particularly want to get a belt/disc sander, drill press, and a good vise (or two), all as bench top models since we don't have a large build space. We're not looking at lathes or mills yet since we don't have anyone who knows how to use them (that includes most of the mentors) and the tooling would kill our budget pretty quickly. I've been reading up on some of the tool and workshop advice threads from the past and have gotten pretty good information on tools to prioritize and some recommended brands.

I haven't seen much about workbenches for bench top tools in these threads, which I understand since the main requirement is just to be rigid and heavy. I was wondering if any teams have examples of collapsible or portable workbenches that would be suitable for mounting bench top tools to and a team could setup in their pit. If we're going to be getting smaller bench top tools I would want to be able to bring them to scrimmages and competitions, our band saw we bring already gets a lot of use by ourselves and other teams and I could see the other tools being equally helpful. We've been transporting all of our pit tools and robots in the compartments under a school bus or the back of a minivan the past couple of seasons so I can't see us easily transporting a rolling toolbox that is big enough to mount these tools to. I didn't find much when looking for portable work benches online, mostly saw horses or portable vises like the jawhorse. We could build something out of wood if it would be sturdy enough for the tools that would go on, that would make a good project for the team before build season starts.

So, I would love to see any portable workbench examples CD might have. Updated recommendations on benchtop tools are also helpful. Thank you all in advance!

[Jon Stratis]

Our battery cart was strong enough for this (we upgraded to a new one last year, but kept the same concept).

https://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/35785

Basically, a sturdy base, lockable wheels, and an old butchers block for a top. We had a vise mounted to it pretty much the entire time, and you could really pound on it. The best part, it was sized to fit in the compartment under a coach bus. Wheel it up, tip it on its back and slide it in. It took up the whole compartment, but that was fine with us!

[Mr.Paulson]

Our team bought this:

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/20262-u...lp:product:1:6

We have really liked it. The top is solid oak and the drawers are pretty heavy duty and are full extension. We keep all our hand tools in the drawers and larger stuff (chain, sprockets, gears, etc.) in the cabinet. There are other models with different layouts if you are interested in looking too.

The price is nice too, compared to other rolling tool chests.

Only issue is finding someone with a Sam's Club Membership. We had a mentor that was a member and paid him back.

[JVerstraete]

If you are looking for a portable workbench I would recommend taking a look at the work bench that Ron Paulk has to offer. He is a carpenter by trade but his designs should work nicely in FRC Build space.

http://www.paulkhomes.com/order-plans.html