I haven't been very active with my trains in ages, partly due to the lack of a workbench since a forced downsizing.. This past week I've been using my late mother's sewing machine cabinet/table to restore a couple old CB radios. (btw the first one turned out good and the second it waiting for me to start) And tonight I was just looking at it, wondering about actually converting it to a mini work bench. it's one of those sewing machine cabinets that the machine was on a hinge to fold down out of sight and the arm of it fold over to make a table like thing out of it when not in use. So I'm looking for suggestions on how to do this. Right now is see the top board possibly with a chains to instead of laying out flat, hold it got up straight and add a light to it. the base the that was level with the machine bottoms cut out and a new surface mounts a about 3 inches lower so projects could be left in place with the lid down in a cat proof hiding cave. And possible adding holder for tool to the lid or side in the well. So any ideas, suggestions, heckles, or whatever...?
Seems like the beginning of a good plan. But, why have the top board that folds-out horizontally level with the sewing surface turn into a vertical lamp holder? Seems like a waste of precious work space . One of those swivel lamps that has a base that screws to the side of the cabinet would give you easily adjustable light. Some of those lamps even have magnnifiers built into their shades and use circular flourescent light bulbs to bive even illumination around the magnified work. When you close the case, the lamp can just be swivelled out of the way and left in place, or lifted out of its holder and stashed under the machine of in a closet to make the cabinet look like a proper piece of furniture. I like the idea of recessing the work area so that it can be closed to a cat-proof area for in-progress projects. But, if you need to work over what amounts to a sill in the front, that will make issues for some projects. I don't know what your particular cabinet looks like. I have used several, all different. If there is a way to have the work surface rise and drop HORIZONTALLY, like some cabinets do with the machine, then that would work to get your work area level with the rest of the table. On other cabinets with fixed surfaces, sometimes the doors in the front go all the way to the top, so that you could just cut-out the sill that is behind them to get straight-in access to the lower work surface, and nobody would know that sill is gone when the doors are close. Steve
On this cabinet the machine was held be two hinges that brought it up level and then a smaller piece of wood in front of the hole with fold down and the machine would rest on that. I had some pics from when I tried to sell it one time but can't find them right now. (I gave up on trying to sell it since people expected to pay nothing for it even thought it's in great shape) I thinking have the front side fold down to match the work surface in side would work good. I like the idea of using a swing-arm magnifier lamp, I already have one on the desk I do electronics on, my eye sight isn't what it use to be.... And the fold top could have some permanently attached test track on it, powered by a power supply hidden under the work area.
The old Singer sewing machine tables are excellent platforms for a workbench. And that side hinged platform adds yet more space and is easily folded out of the way when not in use. Currently I am using an all wood adjustable height drafting table that I found used.
