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Author Topic: Homemade Sturdy Shooting Bench  (Read 3054 times)

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Offline mjfa

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Homemade Sturdy Shooting Bench
« on: August 30, 2005, 08:41:13 AM »
I designed and built the following shooting bench.  It is sturdily made out of steel and plywood with leveling feet and could be disassembled for transportation into 4 flat parts by removing 8 bolts and nuts.



Here are detailed plans and list of materials for any interested fellow.





Shooting Bench
List of Materials:
1 ea. 16 ga  1"x1"x 20' square steel tube (for top frame)
1 ea. 12 ga  2"x 2" x 20' square steel tube (for leg assemblies and brace fabrication)
10 ea. 2"x 2" tube end PVC cap
Welding wire or rods (depending on your welding equipment)
1/3 sheet 3/4" plywood (top)
1/3 sheet plastic laminate (top)
2 ea. 5/8"x 5" hex head bolt (to attach the brace tube between the two leg assemblies)
4 ea. 5/8"x 2" hex head bolt (leveling feet)
4 ea. 5/8" flat washer
2 ea. 5/8" lock washer
6 ea. 5/8" hex nut
4 ea. 5/8" jam nut
6 ea. 5/16"x 4" hex head bolt (to attach the metal top frame between the two leg assemblies)
12 ea. 5/16" flat washer
12 ea. 5/16" lock washer
6 ea. 5/16" hex nut
12 ea. #8 x 1-1/2" phillip flat head wood screw (to attach the wood top to the metal top frame)
1 qt. industrial strenght contact cement
1 qt. enamel paint
1 qt. lacquer thinner
1 pint acetone
1 qt. mineral spirits (if enamel is oil based only)

Tools:
Measuring and marking tools (measuring tape, square, pencil, scratch awl, centering punch)
Metal cutting and welding equipment
Angle metal grinder with abrasive disk
Eye, body and breathing protection gear
Power drill with 3/4", 3/8" and 3/16" hi-speed metal drill bits
Metal file
SS wire brush
Wood saw
Router or Laminate Trimmer with laminate trimming bit
Sanding block with 100 grit sandpaper
1-1/2" cheap bristle brush (for laminate edging)
Laminate pressing roll
3" painting roll with adhesive aplicator roll
Paint spraying equipment (desired but not mandatory)
Cleaning rags
Phillips screwdriver
15/16" and 1/2" wrenches

8 hr aproximate building and finishing time
$70 aproximate materials cost
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Offline ed1921

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Homemade Sturdy Shooting Bench
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2005, 10:56:56 AM »
How much does it weigh?
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Offline Lawdog

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Homemade Sturdy Shooting Bench
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2005, 11:21:33 AM »
mjfa,

Great looking bench.   :toast:   You should post this on all the other forums here at Graybeards so others could take advantage of your generosity in sharing.  Lawdog
 :D
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Gary aka Lawdog is now deceased. He passed away on Jan. 12, 2006. RIP Lawdog. We miss you.

Offline mjfa

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Homemade Sturdy Shooting Bench
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2005, 05:29:30 PM »
Quote
Great looking bench.  You should post this on all the other forums here at Graybeards so others could take advantage of your generosity in sharing. Lawdog


I have followed your suggestion and have posted a link to this thread on some of the other Graybeards forums, will continue with the rest later.  Thank you Lawdog, for your kind words and suggestion.


Quote
How much does it weigh?

Don't know for sure, but it's on the neighborhod of 60 lbs, I guess.
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Offline THE#1hunter

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Homemade Sturdy Shooting Bench
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2005, 12:46:48 AM »
As Lawdog said, thanks for your generosity, did the idea just come about, or were you planning a bench such as that for awhile?
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Good Luck, Be Safe, and God Bless  :D

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Offline mjfa

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Homemade Sturdy Shooting Bench
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2005, 04:24:30 AM »
Quote
did the idea just come about, or were you planning a bench such as that for awhile?


After looking for awhile at different shooting benches I decided it could be easy to design a little improved one.  With the following goals in mind I used TurboCAD program to design it:

• Appropriate shape and size without being too bulky
• Stable and level able platform
• Dismountable onto flat parts for ease of transportation
• Sturdy and fairly resistant to weather
• Ease of fabrication and maintenance
• Low cost

Once working with TurboCAD it took me about 1 hr to complete the design accordingly to my goals.  Of course it is not my first time designing and building simple metal and wooden structures, and this should helps.


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Offline riddleofsteel

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Homemade Sturdy Shooting Bench
« Reply #6 on: September 04, 2005, 10:54:45 AM »
I just bulit a bench based  on these plans. I got the folding legs from Northern Tool and the plywood panel and bolts from Home Depot. Total build time was less than two hours, not including the coat of cammo paint for wood protection.
It is suprisingly solid, folds flat enough for car trunk carry and is light enough to carry out to the varmit hunt.



http://www.boogerbench.com/
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...for him there was always the discipline of steel.

They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.
Song of Solomon 3:8

Offline tcman

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Homemade Sturdy Shooting Bench
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2005, 10:05:27 PM »
Man that is some kind of nice...... Way more time than I have so I ended up buying one of the MTM predator benches. I know it's not as sturdy but it'll have to do me for now.
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Offline flyer05

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Homemade Sturdy Shooting Bench
« Reply #8 on: September 15, 2005, 02:07:48 AM »
riddleofsteel, that how I did mine, works great.
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Offline Dogmann

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Homemade Sturdy Shooting Bench
« Reply #9 on: November 14, 2005, 02:47:02 PM »
MJFA  -nice bench- PM sent.
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