All about locksmith workbenches

Few inventory in a garage or workshop is as in demand as a good workbench. From one glance, you can understand what his owner is doing and what tools he is used to working with. A comfortable and functional workplace is highly valued by garage craftsmen. In today's article we will look at what a locksmith workbench is and what it is for.

A locksmith's workbench is a specialized table, on the tabletop of which locksmith work is carried out. It must be heavy, strong and stable. These conditions are necessary so that during impacts, sawing, felling and similar work, it does not stagger, does not move out of place and does not bend. In such structures, cast iron, tubular or welded legs are used. Most often, a 40 or 50 mm thick board acts as a tabletop. It is best if the wood is hard.

To avoid gaps between the boards and not to suffer from fitting the board to the board, the front side of the tabletop is sheathed with sheet iron, aluminum, plywood or linoleum. The material with which the upper side will be upholstered depends on the type of work that is supposed to be done on the table.

A locksmith's workbench is a necessary thing in almost every garage, if at least some repair work is taking place in it. And his presence in the workshop is a must. It is much more convenient to place the part on the table and work with it than, without the described inventory, to manipulate on the floor or knee.

The locksmith's workbench is a rather versatile product, since it can be upgraded for almost any purpose set by the owner. Various desktop tools (emery, vice) can be fixed on it.

Depending on the scope of use, locksmith's workbenches have their own differences and characteristics. They are used for a garage, small workshop or car service. These tables can be single or multi-seater. Multi-seat tables for one person, if there is enough space to accommodate it, may not be very convenient, and there is little point in such an installation.

Due to its long length, several working areas can be located on it. One is for small jobs that require high precision, while the other can be a place for rough operations. However, such conditions become a big disadvantage if several craftsmen work in the room, and there is only one workbench, albeit a multi-seat one. Either the masters will interfere with each other, or one will have to wait until the other finishes the work.

There are a lot of models and varieties of locksmith's workbenches. And each of them is designed for specific work on it. It will not be possible to mark the main advantages and disadvantages, since each master identifies them in the process of work. It is important that the floor in the place where you plan to install your purchase is perfectly level. Otherwise, distortions, wobbling and bending of the structure under load are possible.

So, Having bought a workbench and equipped it with the entire set of necessary tools that is available in the workshop, the user may face the problem of lack of space to work with some part. When buying, he could not foresee the fact that he would have to work with a part of this size, and not a little smaller.

As a rule, all the shortcomings are associated with those points that cannot be taken into account. Based on the listed problems, we can conclude that, in general, the larger and more spacious the workbench, the less difficulties there will be in placing everything you need, and the master will not be faced with a shortage of work space. At the same time, the saying "a lot is not a little" is recalled. This is partly true, the only question remains whether your room will have enough space to accommodate a large workbench.

Besides, a large structure implies a very large weight, and you need to somehow solve the problem of installing this "monster" in a regular garage.

Too large constructions are a rather specific inventory, and they are not as in demand as small and medium ones. If necessary, small workbenches can be moved with much less labor costs than one large one. If it becomes necessary to rearrange in a workshop or garage, then 2 small workbenches can be placed at a corner, installed on 2 different walls, which will win a little free space. With a long workbench, such a number will not work. From all of the above, we can conclude that its size is in some cases pluses, and in others - minuses.

There are a wide variety of locksmith workbenches designed for different purposes and jobs. Let's get acquainted with the most popular and relevant ones.

Consider the description of the main types of workbenches, which are used in a garage workshop and light production.

• Joiners. This type of workbench is almost always made entirely of wood and is designed to only work with wood pieces. Such a model can be single or double, depending on the number of people who work for it at the same time. Equipped with a longitudinal or transverse vise. The table top is without fail provided with holes for installing wooden stops.

• Carpenter's, or carpenter's. This workbench has a width of 1 m and a length of 6 m. This size is necessary for working with boards and their trimming for workpieces. Boards are clamped with special wedges and stops.

• Locksmith. The described product is a work table with compartments for storing tools (boxes, shelves). Modern devices are equipped with pull-out metal drawers, which are equipped with powerful guides, which can easily support a large weight. In this case, the workbench does not tip over. Such models are often referred to as production models. The back wall serves as a vertical place for placing all kinds of tools, and the lamp on top provides good visibility on the work surface.

• Wall. Has the appearance of a corner board that is attached to the wall. The design provides for additional abutments of the countertop against the wall, which eliminates the likelihood of a breakdown of the structure. The described product has the ability to quickly fold.

• Portable. This type of workbench is equipped with folding telescopic legs that can be removed into the worktop. A portable workbench does not take up much space and can be marked even on a balcony or loggia. When folded, this option is quite compact, and it can be easily transferred from one object to another.

• Collapsible. It can be either wooden or metal. All parts are screwed together.

• Student. Designed for teaching in labor lessons and is located in many educational institutions. Has cast iron legs and thick wood table top. Equipped with a minimum set of accessories for learning the basics of carpentry craft.

• For working with a jigsaw. This is a device that allows you to work with cutting tools at high precision. It looks like a small platform of an elongated shape, made of plastic, but sometimes of metal. It can be mounted on a table or placed on the floor. The design resembles a miter saw frame.

• Miter saw workbench. The appearance of this structure is very similar to that of a construction goat. There are special holes in the center of the tabletop for attaching the end-facing tool. Larger models have retractable supports with rollers at the end, which allows long board lengths to be trimmed.

• Battery operator's workbench. At first glance, this is an ordinary locksmith's table, which is slightly altered for repair work with batteries.

• Combined workbench. It can be used for both carpentry and locksmith work. On such a product, you can work equally well and productively with metal and wood. A wear-resistant worktop reinforced with sheet metal is provided. Serves for a long time.

Workbenches can also be divided according to the type of construction.

• Single-column. As a rule, this is a small workbench, since the pedestal acts as a weighting agent for the structure. Such models are used in garages and small workshops.

• Double bollard. This workbench has a large size and weight, compared to a single-pedestal. It can accommodate a desktop tool of greater weight and size.

• Chetyrekhtumbovy. Heavy overall workbench that can be operated by 2 people at the same time. Such models are mainly purchased for use in manufacturing.

• Bestumbovy. This workbench can even be installed on a balcony. Depending on the model, it can have different ways of attaching it to the table on which it will be fixed. In fact, this is just an overlay metal panel on an existing table to protect it from mechanical damage.

In addition, design options can be:

• collapsible;
• movable - the legs of the workbench are on wheels, and if necessary, it can be rolled;
• with additional compartments for storing tools;
• illuminated working area;
• with the presence of a back wall.

To choose the right bench for you, you need to use certain rules for finding the optimal design. First of all, the structure must be of such a size that it fits into the space allocated for it.

If possible, it is better to take a model with a margin of size and weight. In the future, you can complete the free space at your own discretion.

A good addition to the product itself will be the presence of sockets and lighting in it. This will save the master from the need to carry extension cords and install additional lighting. Sockets must be equipped with short circuit protection. On the most expensive models, there may be cranes through which compressed air flows. This allows pneumatics to be operated at a distance from a noisy compressor.

Desirable so that the width of the working area is at least 80 cm... This will allow you to place large parts without fear of dropping them. But not all garages have the ability to install such a product. If there is not enough space, then the way out of this situation will be to purchase a corner workbench or a narrower model. It is optimal if the narrowed version is longer - this compensates for the lack of width.

If there is no separate workshop, and there is a need for a repair area, then a small home workbench can serve as a way out of this situation. The main criterion for such a construction is compactness. The tabletop of such workbenches is small, the tool compartments are small. Since the described product occupies part of the room, then, to save space, workbenches can be something in between a rack and a locksmith's workbench.

For the apartment option, you can use a folding multifunctional model, which is located on the balcony.

The optimal height of the workbench is that at which, standing in front of it, the palm is completely adjacent to the tabletop, but at the same time the back and arm at the elbow do not bend. For a person with average height, the optimal height can be 700-900 mm.

As stated earlier, the length of the workbench may vary and depend on the tasks that are performed on it. It is believed that indicators from 1.6 m to 2 m are sufficient for tasks that can be performed in a simple garage (also 2 pedestals are quite enough). Garage locksmiths argue that a 2-meter part cannot have a small weight, therefore, lifting it alone will be quite problematic.

Locksmith workbench "Gefest-VS-105-EPO" is presented below.