Portable gun builders bench plans

[smallpatch]

A short time ago..... Someone posted images, and if I remember correctly plans for a portable, walk around gun builders bench.
Id like to build one for demonstration purposes at a "making history" celebration.

Does anyone recall who or where this was?

I did a search, but didn't com up with anything.

[David Rase]

Dane,
That Was BJH who had the plans available.
David

[smallpatch]

Thanks David,

I'll see if I can make contact.

Any other ideas will be entertained as well!!!

Acer, 
I found one of yours in a search...... More photos and dimensions??

[Acer Saccharum]

Dane, unfortunately, I don't have plans drawn up.

My portable bench is very fussy about how the legs fit to the bench. If it's a sloppy fit between the legs and the top, the bench wobbles quite a bit. That said, I'm quite pleased at how portable it is, and it has served me very well over the years. I had to re-fit the legs once, and an about to do that a second time. I will replace the ropes, as they are somewhat dried out, and starting to fray.

Bench, end view:


album: http://s12.photobucket.com/user/Tom45-70/library/Workbench?sort=3&page=1

Rope tightening system:

[Dave B]

Great bench Acer, I like how portable that would be. What flavor of wood are you using there? I have one that I built from old grothe spruce. It is light weight and some what stable but not as rigid as I had hoped. It works for those show and tell opportunities just fine. I will post a pic later today.

[BJH]

Sorry I didn't see this thread get started. I still have the plans available. Dane, I probably can e mail you pics as I never learned to post them on the forum. BJH

[Bill Ladd]

BJH - I'll host and post 'em for you if you'll email them to me.

[rich pierce]

I made one like Acer's and it works great.

[StevenV]

here are some pics of a"portable" bench I saw at Dixon's Gun Makers Fair two years ago. It belonged to Ian Pratt. It caught my attention so much I made by own, one of the best decisions I made to improve gun making. The bench is just under 200lbs, around 180lbs. and portable. Take the legs off and you have three pieces when put back together makes for a very sturdy bench. Bench only needs to be wide enough to hold a vise, any bigger (wider) it holds junk. Steve

[Dave B]

Here is the bench I was talking about earlier.



The table top is wide enough for my chisel rolls and thats about it. It is perfect for the demos I have done on gun stocking.

[Jerry V Lape]

I needed something very portable and that can be stored easily.  So here is yet another concept.  Knocks down with two bolts and two wedges.  Dovetail groove in center was useless experiment.  The vice is on a steel plate so the center line of the jaws are over center of the bench.  Rubber feet work good to anchor it.  If I am doing heavy work like planing I can stablize things very well by stepping on the bottom spreader.  I find the grip clamp to be very useful and the little dowel dogs on each side of the rest can be wedged tight as well. 

[bowkill]

Here is one i am going to build, took the pictures at tip curtis shop....