Bench Fix
What Were They Thinking.
I bought my little jewelers workbench because it was the right style, size for my space and needs and it was one of the lowest cost. Not exactly cheap, but worth the investment. It is fairly well made for the cost.
There was one glaring fault and that was with the slide out top tool tray under the bench top. The bottom drawer for catching dust and in my case wax chips, dust, and shavings works well. The slide support ABOVE the drawer prevent the front of the drawer from falling down at the front when pulled out for working.
As you can see in the first photo’s there are NO Drawer Guides on the top of the tool slide out tray. Therefore, the tray front drops down when pulled out and everything falls off the tray. What were the designers thinking? They must not use what they design.
The Fix
I immediately saw what was needed. Install some top guide rails. But me being me, I delayed this simple fix and put it off as a later “to-do” project. Of course I cussed myself (slightly) every time I pulled out the top tray and stuff fell off.
I was watching a video of a new sculpting product called Cx5. I ordered some to experiment with but that is another story. What grabbed my attention was the inventor/sculptor that was presenting his product was sitting at a workbench that is the exact version as mine. But there was one thing different. There were top guides above the slide out tool tray. The video was shot at a low enough angle that this feature was clearly visible.
I may have said those slight cuss words again (something about male dog puppies) when I realized the guides were installed in his version. His bench looked brand new. The manufacturer fixed the problem or the owner made the fix I was putting off.
Taking Action
OK, Enough procrastination. I had scraps of the multilayer plywood in my goodies pile. The width size you see it the picture is the what came out of the bin. I cut the ends back about two inches and made a slight bevel using my band saw. It’s always there at the ready. I saw no need to rip one piece and make two smaller guides. There was just enough room under the top for the scrap bin width.
Six screws and a little glue and in 20 minutes the project was done. What was I thinking, putting off this simple fix?
Now the tool shelf works as it should and I am a much happier camper.
