The ULTIMATE DIY Portable HINGED Folding Workbench: Upgrade video 4 of 5

[@J_C4444]

Hey Charlie , I just had to pause your video to write this. Your videos are so thorough and informative that I just smile the whole time I watch any of your videos, your GREAT MATE! and I love watching your videos and can't wait for your next project whatever it maybe and find all of your videos very inspiring thanks a lot and keep doing such a GREAT JOB! It really is an absolute joy to watch your channel.

[@jiwbink]

VERY GOOD to see you change to the grinding wheel to clean up your hinges, proper use for the proper tool! GREAT VIDEO EXCELLENT PROTECT! THX FOR POSTING!!

[@s8129644]

You are an inspiration to me. As I am in a wheelchair but starting to rebuild my shed and stick of tools your work bench idea is amazing for me to use and it’s all bespoke as normally work horses are to high for me I made my own and now by adding your top which can be 1 long or 2 short it’s inspirational for myself and am looking forward to getting started! As per your cellar and BigDug I like you searched for an age and then seem on a random site BigDug and now I am half way to how yours looked in the video! Thanks again for sharing’ stay safe and clear of covid to you your family and your followers of which i am now one! Dale

[@sharonmc5192]

Only found your channel today and I have to say I love your simple approach to stuff and the fact that you have a realistic DIY'ers workshop. I am quite looking forward to trying to recreate your workbench idea. Its great!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Sharon. Yes you must. I couldn't manage without mine. I'm using it every day for the current wardrobe build.

[@kevinohara8671]

You have a very good manner and voice its quite refreshing some others are screechy and the Americans are great but I just feel like some of them are selling me something lol

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Kevin 👊

[@Smithb83]

20:51 they could double up at outfeed tables for a table saw/ mitre station in a kind of modular setup which would make a very versatile workshop! Thanks for the great videos charlie 👍

[@michael_mouse]

Nice idea Charlie boy!... many moons ago I made the same size work table with inch ply and steel dexion I got from work (cos Health and safety deemed Dexion unsafe... what a joke)... still I shouldn't complain, I got a free work table out of it... the only thing was, it was so heavy... I also fixed a circular saw underneath... worked at treat!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Michael. I bet that was a fantastically solid if rather immovable table! Still using mine although I often use it in separate pieces.

[@kathrynnewton8721]

Brilliant! SO refreshing to have someone not American (no offense intended) and with proper explanation. I’m a 66 yr old female fairly new to wood work and intend making some form of folding (wall mounted) work bench for my patio as I have no garage! Thanks Charlie

[@Bobby8270]

Great video. You’re a natural teacher.

[@uksnusreviews9455]

I started by looking at ways people used their Stanley Saw Horses. Now I feel like I have a lot of work ahead of me to get to this point, as I don't have a workbench and you've just solved a lot of my problems. You've created some too but I love what you have done 👍

[@rodw]

Great idea and even better execution of bringing it to life. Nice work !! Thanks for sharing, Rodney

[@rogerdutton9930]

Thanks Charlie, great to see all the stages of development. Very watchable mate, no drifting off subject and no blather! 😁👍 Stay well mate👌😁😎

[@CharlieDIYte]

You too, Roger. Thanks for that!

[@pietertuyn532]

I was looking the whole time for something suitable as workbench with mtf dog holes I think I found really good cheap and practical

[@gregghernandez2714]

This design is brilliant! I have an old bulky table in my garage that I will be getting rid of soon. I am looking for a solution that will optimize functionality and also be easy to store. This is by far one of the best solutions, and it is a nice big (or small) work surface. Thanks so much for the inspiration.

[@leejames9422]

Just coming across these extremely informative clips. Brilliantly broken down.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks 👍

[@WyrGuy2]

This is PERFECT and solves one of my problems having a small single car garage sized shop! The original sized work table was good... the ease and ability to 1/2 size it (or make two separate work tables from it is INCREDIBLE! So, other than a few different (Canada vs Great Britain) product modifications this is going to be my News Years ‘present’ to myself! I have known about the thin cutting disks for the angle grinder thanks to my welder buddy but the black fence strap hinge modification is BRILLIANT! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Aw, you're very welcome mate. Thanks so much for the comment and get that work bench made - I don't know what is do without mine now!!

[@WyrGuy2]

Charlie DIYte I already had two of the foldable Stanley saw horses and wasn’t really using them because of the same reason as you, they wobble weebled around! I’d let in my 2x4’s to put a plywood top on, still couldn’t make them stable... thought about building bases for them that also tied them together... too unwieldy and negated the reason for the take-apart work surface... the ‘ANGLE’ you put on them was the ticket! Bought two more Stanley’s today (pre-Christmas sale priced!) and the fence strap hinges with a few #8 lag screws. I have a Milwaukee m12 ‘multi-tool’ with a metal cutting blade as well as the thin cutting disks for my angle grinder so the hinge modifications are as good as done! Cool rainy (Pineapple Express en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple_Express) weather here on the west coast of Vancouver Island this week so the perfect time to build these... Thanks again! (And for a bunch of your other videos as well!) 😉😎

[@martincorbett8579]

Fantastic. You are a credit to the trade Sir. Thank you.

[@CharlieDIYte]

That's incredibly kind of you Martin. Thanks so much for the comment 👍

[@kh23797]

Inspiring video, Charles, especially as dad-in-law just donated me a similar Bosch angle grinder. My oven fan was u/s so I got a non-OEM fan from eBay as genuines were exorbitant. But I got sent the wrong one, with side, not top, terminals, so had to cut the fan cowl to fit. I used that 'skinny' disk... OMG, _so_ much easier than snips or hacksaw. They are a brilliant tool, especially alongside a welder.

[@raylarkin5004]

As I watched, it became clear how each solution and result worked so easily together with one another. This is a darn good DIY work top and at the end when you split them up into two, pure DIY genius. I can see uses far and beyond. I have had my plastic Stanley sawhorses fail as I used them quite hard until I reinforced the legs and replaced the spreader with angle iron. But I should add, I gave them job site work outs which likely wasn't their duty rating. PS, the hinge solution is excellent!

[@frankrodriguez8073]

Great video. A few days ago I was thinking about making a folding workbench against the wall in the garage. This way I can fold it when not in use and have space for the car. My plan is to place the hinges on the wall studs and one side of the top and another set on the opposite side for folding legs. I faced the same problem with hinges that are too weak. I recalled seeing similar hinges to the ones you used in very old churches and buildings and thought that they were not available. Thanks to your video I'm going back to the drawing board. Like Mohammad Faghihi said, it is great that you do not edit the video but show the mistakes and your creative way to overcome them. Once again, Thanks.

[@Edward-G-i1c]

Once again Charlie a great video that is within the capabilities of DIYers. A serious contender for a project for me come next spring.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Edward! If you haven't already got one of these workbenches, I can't recommend it highly enough - don't know what I'd do without mine now!

[@sanjaysami4315]

Really nice video and superb idea for the hinges. Just a note on the Zip disks - they are great for cutting through steel, but they do NOT like any lateral load. So when you use them to “clean up”, you run the risk of them exploding, which is a frightening experience to have.. avoid using them for anything except straight cuts

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes, I agree Sanjay. I shouldn't have used them for that 👍

[@jimkennedy8327]

Might suggest that you get in touch with one of the model train magazines and tell them about it. Many modelers do not have the room for a large modeling area and need something like this to use as a base for their trains. Great project and very well presented too.

[@davidsloan8435]

Worth a mention a bolt is part threaded and a set screw is threaded the whole length. the hinge is a great idea.

[@klmbuilders5385]

Great project! I actually need to make this right now. An 8' long portable bench to assemble components for a massive railing job would be ideal!

[@nopt1118]

Perfect Charlie. Another of your brilliant videos, goes to show how much one can achieve without a complex workshop. Thanks for sharing all your expertise.

[@williedwyer4587]

Brilliant Charlie. I have a small van and this will be ideal for on site work.

[@robertphillips4155]

Nicely done, good job on the video production. I know how many hours it takes to shoot the video and put it all together. I love that you are using true DYI methods and tools.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Robert, I really appreciate that. Yes, sometimes I'm editing for days ...

[@markrowland5393]

Very clever. I like the hinges. I watched the video but when I tried to comment it had disappeared. I'm pleased that it's now reappeared.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Mark. Sorry about that. I had to delete the old video as I erroneously referred to the hinges as strap hinges, so decided to re-edit it 🙄

[@jes1111yta]

@@CharlieDIYte - ah! That explains it - I thought YouBoob ate my comment ;-) The suggestion above to offset the beams sounds good, but do you think it might compromise the level between the two halves? Seems to me it might over-rely on the edges of the worktops - might work if you put hardwood edges. Another suggestion above about drilling for bench-dogs seems to underestimate the importance of absolute precision in the 20mm hole grid. I'm a fan of Peter Millard, too :-)

[@Thebratfudlad]

Hi Charlie, great video and a great looking/functioning bench. I recently cut a pattern of holes in a bench top using the Parf Guide system. It was very straight forward and produced super accurate hole layouts. One top tip though (which isn't mentioned in the instruction manual or videos) is that you need to drill your 3mm holes right the way through the bench as the centre pin of the 20mm hole cutter (forstner bit) needs to follow that hole. I drilled only deep enough to allow the locator pins to fasten the drilling jig to the bench top and wondered why I was struggling to drill the full depth with the 20mm cutter. Also, for the same reason, you need to make sure that there is nothing under the board which will prevent the whole bit passing through the hole. Hope this makes sense. P.s. I did mention this to Peter Parfitt and he is updating the instructions accordingly. I thought they'd sent me a dull 20mm bit 😩

[@authentic7122]

You have given me inspiration but with a twist. I have space to keep the full size workbench, so im thinking about building one on castors BUT it splits in half as yours does, but is still on castors so i can just roll a small table out onto my drive if i want to.. thanks and great video.

[@chrisw1462]

Great idea. I have a suggestion for keeping the halves level in the middle. Measure from the center of the hinge to the bottom of the table. I'm guessing something around 4" or a bit less. Then recut your support beams, with one side about 4" long, and use that measurement to cut a covex radius on the end that will be in the middle. Cut out a matching concave radius on it's mate. Install them with the radius hanging over the middle. Now when you unfold it, the center of the table will rest on the top edge of that radius. The hinge will be a bit off center, but it shouldn't have any chance for mismatch in the middle. It might wear faster than you'd like, but at that point it wouldn't be any different than what you have now.

[@vanmanmarc]

I like the hinges you made/used. Just a suggestion, if you find hinges with the holes are too close to the edge of the timber, maybe try weld on hinges. Obviously you cant weld to wood, but they come with no holes so you can drill them where you want.

[@WASAYRUDEBOYZ1]

This would be perfect for my garage. Keep up the good work mate 👍

[@johnrhodes3830]

This was my first exposure to your channel and I must say it was quite enjoyable. Your creative talent is truly impressive, and I picked up several pointers from you for future projects I hope to complete. I will keep up with your videos.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Good to hear from you John - thanks I really appreciate that and am chuffed you found the videos quite enjoyable 👍

[@markbonham3477]

Nicely done my friend!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Mark 👍

[@lezbriddon]

I used same hinges to make a ramp for the back of my van, and by putting the pins the same way i can slide it left and off it comes. ramp was a 5x3 sheet of ply with some 30mm angle on the edges, and some foot blocks to make it non slip, great for getting bikes in and out the van

[@sim-1296]

Absolutely Fantastic Portable Workbench (s). I work outside also. The Hinges are brilliant! I’m going to do this too. Keep up the Good Work Charlie.. Simon

[@faghihimohammad]

The beautiful thing about building the workbench is when it finishes, many more projects start :) This end is a new beginning...

[@sim-1296]

Mohammad Faghihi You’re Si Right!

[@sim-1296]

Mohammad Faghihi I meant to say you’re so right!

[@bozidar.dimovski]

Top job, magic happens. All the best.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks mate 👊

[@markpowell4701]

Outstanding job Sir. Looking forward to the next Video.

[@stevenbuckley1416]

Great ⭐️ it’s funny how problems can be solved. as with the gate Hinges. inspirational👍

[@dhyde9207]

Thanks for the ideas. I'm going to build this. One add-on I'll do is to run an aluminum (minimal weight) angle the length of where the top meets the 2 x 4 to eliminate the flexing. Cheers!

[@jaimegarcia2422]

amazing very clever charlie.you are the man!!!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Jaime👍🏻

[@huffster6344]

I realize this message my be too late for you to take advantage of it, but I'll add it just the same. You mentioned adding holes to the bench. If any of the edge holes line up when it is folded in half, you can use a long wooden dowel through both halves in two locations to create your carry handles. Keep up the great videos.

[@stephenwatson1873]

Charlie, never use the palm of your hand to hit the chisel as there is a nerve there and you can do serious damage to your hand, it’s one of the first things we learned as apprentice carpenter/joiner, great upgrade, and the hinge manufacturing is brilliant

[@CharlieDIYte]

Fair point. Thanks for that, Stephen. The things we do in the name of laziness!!

[@bookworm6763]

Interesting - I was actually *taught* at school to use my hand like that - I remember it being painful after doing lots of chiseling and being told that over time my hand would get used to it.

[@normanboyes4983]

Excellent job Charlie - loved the hinge idea and execution.👍👍

[@CharlieDIYte]

🛠Charlie DIYte Amazon Tool Store amzn.to/3fcLnY4 - all my tried, tested and much loved DIY tools. Help support me by Buying me a Coffee ☕ bit.ly/3xuQ3zb and unlock a host of benefits - thanks so much 🙏.

[@josefkonneker3921]

I was curious if you have completed the 5th video. Your videos and channel are an excellent resource for us DIY'ers and part-time professional carpenters. You do an amazing job explaining and visually showing us challenges and strategies for overcoming them.

[@DaveGalligher]

Beautiful job, Charlie, very nice and great explanation.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Dave!

[@brettm1118]

I love your garage When I discovered those thinner cutoff wheels, I was equally estatic. However, i would suggest in ADDITION to safety glasses, a full face clear shield. Once, I was slightly off at the angle of my angle grinder and the cutoff wheel literally exploded, sending shrapnel everywhere, embedding 1 pc into the drywall behind me. Cheers to the New Year from across the pond

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Brett - jeez you were lucky!! Wise advice! A very happy New Year to you too, and thanks for your support from across the pond - means a lot!!

[@alistaircollins7875]

I Love that work bench it has given me an idea for to build something in the week for myself and my eldest son thanks Charlie

[@IsaKocoglu]

Bloody marvellous! I love the strap hinge mod! Subscribed 🥰👍

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks mate, and thanks also for subscribing. Really appreciate that 👊

[@michaelpalmer937]

Well done , like the way it breaks down into 2 smaller units.

[@007JHS]

Charlie...You should see my folding workbench..it actually turned out about a 100mm higher than I'd planned.. but it is on castors and folds down to a width of only 600mm... It is a specialist piece for my X-Carve CNC machine.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Wow, that sounds awesome mate. 👏🏻

[@jameskleist9176]

You must be from the UK using metric but that is a Okay and I would like to say that your video was vary informative for me and I watched it for fun. Thank you very much!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks James. I'll try and quote metric and imperial going forward.

[@jameskleist9176]

@@CharlieDIYte I use metric myself I also have a conversion on an app.

[@pinkplonker8776]

Great job, very ingenius. A word of caution though... Those thin angle grinder discs are really good but, as well as safety glasses you should have a full face visor. The discs shatter easily and the flying bits can make a real mess. Do a google search for photos. Where I work the visor and glasses are compulsory. Keep up the great videos! Thanks

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks, I'll remember that. I'll wear my tree surgery visor next time!

[@jimclarke1380]

Great point. The entire idea of safety goggles is that they are strong enough to stop eye damage. If the projectile is strong enough to get through them it's going to be a catastrophic injury. So a visor may seem like overkill but it's going to be there to stop your day being ruined by a nasty surprise and an afternoon in a&e.

[@jeronomosp]

Nice upgrade - I've already made the basic one and it's working great but will definitely give this one a go!!

[@Poriginal1996]

This video was excellent! Great concept and very informative! A DIY lovers dream! Thanks for the video.

[@stevegeorge6546]

Great video, really enjoy your channel. At 21:00 though, I realised that for most of us the two separate halves and two pairs of saw horses are so versatile there's actually no need to bother with hinges.....

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Steve. I've got to say, I'm inclined to agree. For most jobs you'll probably only use half the workbench.

[@terryoconnor9133]

Excellent Video. Enjoyed it a lot. So concise and easy to follow. Even I could understand it. Kindest Regards Terry O’Connor (Co. Wexford)

[@zedman442]

Great job Charlie look splendid. I particularly like the half section I think would be very handy. One think you could do is strengthen the two joins as this will get bruised when butted together maybe with some metal plate.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks mate - good to hear from you! I was thinking exactly that the other day, and being soft wood it's highly likely they will get bruised, although with any luck the ply top will help a little there. I have a couple of joist hangers that I cut off that would have been perfect. A bit late now though!!

[@zeebor8236]

Perfectly done, small Suggestion: when cutting the hinges, instead of 1/3 1/3 1/3 it would work better 1/4 1/2 1/4 - that way the load distribution would be equall...

[@CharlieDIYte]

Fair point!

[@alext9067]

My thoughts, exactly. Good catch.

[@Leggooo]

Actually the 1/3 cuts he did are closer to the proper split for weight distribution because the 1/4 outside ends would result in weaker hinges. You want as close to a 60/40 split as possible so the thirds he did are perfectly acceptable for keeping strength up in case he decided to jump on those too 😂

[@CharlieDIYte]

@@Leggooo Thanks Jay. That's certainly what the dude in the metal shop where I got them from said. The metal is so thick that we're no way near the yield point in any event.

[@AquaPeet]

@@LeggoooI'd instinctively go for a 30-40-30 division. More meat in the middle and left enough at the ends. Edit: wait, that's exactly what you suggested *facepalm*

[@carlmason983]

One disc is a cutting disc the other is a grinding disc. Use a cutting disc for grinding at your own peril. Using a grinding disc for cutting is slow and removes touch material, but not so dangerous.

[@elpresidente8730]

A couple of points. 1: Safety specs and angle grinders.... I always use a light face shield in case the disc shatters auto protect against facial lacerations, I wear prescription safety specs under these. 2 you could use threaded bar and two nyloc nuts instead of a bolt.

[@ARepublicIfYouCanKeepIt]

Here's a thought: Recess brad hole tee nuts into the workbench surface. Then bolt through the supports into the top. Screws will come loose with this kind of movement, stripping the holes. Mechanical through fasteners don't have this issue. Plus, the whole affair can easily be disassembled for even more compact storage/lighter transport, or top replacement. Also, buy a sheet of rigid foamboard insulation and place it under the pieces you're cutting. The stock is fully supported, preventing blade binding and minimizing sliding/movement. Most importantly, saving your bench top. A single sheet of foamboard insulation is inexpensive and lasts a very long time.

[@Neuron43]

I think by positioning the latches at each end on the verticals instead of the underside of the bench surface, you'll be able to lock the bench open as well as closed. You might also make a pair of wooden handles, that when the halves are folded, the handles come together to form one handle for easier carrying. You could also ignore this comment. Nice bench!

[@david5150reed]

That is one well thought out plan for a work table. Great job sir...

[@JaberReviews]

A new subscriber here, after buying a new house I have lots of DIY to do and your videos / tool recommendations have given me the confidence to do a lot of the work myself. My dust collector and saw guide are working a treat and next on the list is this workbench. Thanks so much for taking and the time to put these videos together! Legend. It’s great that you are prepared to share your mistakes, refreshing and helps with the lessons learned. I wonder what thoughts you and your subscribers thought about putting in 2 x 4x2 ‘noggins’ either side of the cut and fitting a heavy piano hinge? Like a wallpaper table. Or, would the be likely to bow? Thanks - keep up the good work!

[@JaberReviews]

Actually, you wouldn’t be able to take the pin out of a piano hinge. Maybe a strap hinge or series of door hinges with the noggins? A quandary

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks mate. Really appreciate the sub and your kind comments 👊 I wouldn't get too hung up about the hinge. I would buy 4 saw horses and make two separate benches, and when you need them to function as one you can simply screw them together underneath, perhaps with an additional piece of 4x2 that overlaps each of the existing ones, or better still some sort of cut down just hanger or wide steel mending plate. The hinge was a funky idea but you do get a bit of sag so I tend to use 3 saw horses anyway and in fact on my recent wardrobe build I wanted the bench totally flat for making the doors, so I ended up screwing the supports under each joist as I've just described. You'll love this bench mate. It's a game changer 👍😉

[@oliverreedslovechild]

Only just found your channel Charlie, already subscribed and liked. Nothing against most of the US based woodworking and DIY youtubers, but it was nice to not have to listen to continued references to LOWES , or HOME DEPOT etc.as if they're the only places for DIY supplies.It was nice to hear Screwfix getting a mention too.

[@ayazmahmood8970]

Good Afternoon Very good table Very good job👍

[@jyvben1520]

for the long workbench use your third sawhorse (with an extra beam header or 2 ) in I ++ I configuration. I and I being the current sawhorses, ++ is the middle. the toggle clasps : i would set them on each beam.

[@kenknutson1938]

To add to the efficiency and to ensure accuracy of your notches "bunk" cut them. In other words lay the four pieces on the narrow edge butted up to each other (much as you showed in the assembly process), align the ends, clamp them together, mark your notch, set the angle on your circular saw, cut one "vertical" then cut the other. You can then use a chisel as you showed to remove the plugs. You could also set your saw back to 90 degrees and make a series of cuts across the notch which you can then bang out with a hammer. Clean up with a chisel. That was a lot harder to explain with words than with pictures but I hope my intent was clean. Good video nonetheless. Thanks for sharing your skills and your great attitude.

[@bethlangkamp6566]

Nice job Mate!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks 👍

[@darwinsape9901]

Woodworking 101..never cut on the line.... a transferable method.. cut on the waste side of the line - Great Video Charlie

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks!

[@mikedeman5351]

The hinge you made is a great idea but - question - would it not have been stronger if you had cut in the centre and removed half of each side? In that way, both halves of the hinge would be equally strong, and you could tighten the hinge to reduce play. It would have been easier to remove the waste too. Just a thought . . . . .

[@Arco326]

Love your videos.. Simple yet innovative...

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks buddy 👊

[@brianmcgrevey9832]

Very good Charlie......great idea with the hinges!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Brian!

[@flowrider5082]

Wonderfully explained and illustrated. Thank you for this excellent video. I now have a spring project. ❤️🇨🇦

[@dannywilsher4165]

You can drill and tap wood just like metal and use bolts in the big holes. The threads will hold amazingly well!!!

[@Stealth01030]

hi charlie loving the video the one thing you haven't mentioned was the length of the ply as you have 2 x 1235mm which is more than the 2.4m you originally said you had

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Ben. The ply is 2435mm long - sheets are officially 1200x2400mm but typically they're a little longer than that. With the hard wood edging strip - which I really recommend, it comes to 2470mm. And it's just under 900mm wide, or 937mm including the protective edge.

[@jonathanallen4707]

THE best "go to" place for help, advice and tips I have found! I'm a curtain fitter and still use tips I have found here without ANY fails hundreds of installs later. Constant new ideas and tips too. Thanks Charlie - great job! :-)

[@leonardorojas1781]

Very good solution!! Thank you!

[@bigfatpear]

a bloody nice bench.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks, mate. Yep, it's been a DIY game changer. Use it all the time, as you'll see in my next video, which I'll be posting some time this week. 👍

[@kevwarrilow45]

Awesome - and ultimate configurability - love it :)

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks mate!

[@TheducksOrg]

Very good. I think I would have put the toggle clamps into the thick beams vs the plywood top.. should do the same thing, right?

[@rocknumber11]

Your job is very good ... so did I work the table ...!!

[@Wateringman]

Instead of all that effort, I would just remove the pin of the strap hinges, push a long rod through their knuckles (loose enough to pull out when I need a smaller table) with a third sawhorse in the center under them. That not only provides better support than your hinge setup, but likewise eliminates all flex on the middle of the long table. Makes it better for striking objects hard in the center of the table. I would put a rounded end slit on the center of the two leaves of table as hand holds, for lifting and carrying them. And preventing slippage of table can be achieved by threaded rod through recessed holes on top of table lining up with bored holes on the 2 x 4 of the sawhorses, that will line up by putting registration marks on the side of the plywood surface.

[@dlamb2840]

You are quite simply a HERO!! I’m NEVER going to be as brave as you to cut (my magnificent original build table ) in half just in case I fuck it up, Great upload nevertheless. Maybe try it sometime later. Thanks Charlie.

[@CharlieDIYte]

That's incredibly kind - thanks so much for taking the time to comment! If you lovely people didn't comment I probably wouldn't bother doing these videos!! It was a bit of a leap of faith I've got to say - which is why it took 11 months to pluck up the courage. Pleased I did it though. I loved the old table but it was a bit of a beast to lug around.

[@RS-Amsterdam]

Great idea, finished it looks awesome. Thanks for sharing

[@jrunplugged]

Someone mentioned earlier using hitch pins, this could be disassembled for lighter carrying. Nice KISS solution overall thanks CHEF!

[@DavidPlass]

I also love the thin cutting discs. They leave much less of a burr on sheet metal too. Great build!

[@vstrom9586]

I believe they are called Zip Cuts

[@BronkBuilt]

Love this design. I really need to build one and my head is already full of ideas to modify to fit me better. Thanks.

[@natarajansugumar5671]

I am happy to see your works. Very useful for everyone. Good luck.

[@HelgeMoulding]

I built pretty much an identical setup, except I didn't hinge the beams. I only hinged the top, which was made of a slab door. To reinforce the notches in the beams I used a countersunk 15 cm mending plate on the top side of the beam over each notch.

[@osteoflow]

It makes more sense to me to do it this way, however you lose the two bench option which is not a biggie for me. I might piano hinge the top, and just use latches to hold the beams to the top. Pro's -More stable, easier to move around and store. Only two saw horses. Cons-not two table, longer beams. Also i agree about bunk cutting the notches, def less work if you are cutting the beams and going the 4 saw bench option. Set your drop saw angle, rotate the beam and cut the other side of the notch then cut the 90degrees and chisel out.

[@russellthompson3201]

Use the same type latches used to keep the workbench from folding to hold it together when closed.

[@franciscodelpinogarcia3193]

Well done, Thanks for your time, see you

[@alandh5400]

As you have four saw horses, why not use then all when you use it as a large table, you then take most of the strain off the hinges. But you have given me food for thought, really good idea.

[@jiwbink]

The journeyman joined has a great point. The rule for hole placement is no closer to the edge of material than one half the diameter of the hole. Ex. A 3/4" hole should not be closer than 3 /8" to the edge.

[@gasgiant7122]

Great bench, if people cut a little narrow you could pack out the gaps with washers!

[@johnbauer3801]

Charlie, excellent idea for a portable work bench, for handling you can use 1 inch wide web belts attached to the ends of the table top (under neath), or a portable wheel base like you made before in a previous video for moving large pieces of wood..I'm sure you already thought of that !