Portable shooting bench

Equipment and accessories for shooting. Safes, firearm storage, bipods, carry cases, slings etc.

Re: Portable shooting bench

Post by GQshayne » 25 Jun 2019, 10:40 pm

TassieTiger wrote:You must be doing it up pretty right to get the steel flexing?
Could you put some spikes on to the clamps as to allow more bite into your timber “keel” for less pressure?


Not at all. In fact it flexes before it is tight enough to be secure. It is the sliding mount, with its single mounting bolt, that allows the movement. I have adjusted it to remove play, while still allowing it to move, but as soon as any load is put on it, the assembly tilts. In your photos I see that your stand is different to the Bunning unit. Perhaps yours is better designed.

Your idea is not bad, and I tried something similar on that clamping edge to stop the pivoting. I reduced clamping pressure enough to be able to lift the top out of the clamps with one finger, but it still tilted. I think any solution will need to be on the other side of the clamp, where the gap is opening up. A locating tab or similar to hold the surfaces together. Two bolts would be the most secure option of course, as OB has done. A bit more fiddly, and bolts can be lost, but in the end perhaps the best option.
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Re: Portable shooting bench

Post by Member-Deleted » 26 Jun 2019, 2:09 am

Not trying to steal any bodies thunder but these are the bits that I built mine out of and have no problems with the bench these I think were the types that were originally put on here and I copied it like many did top bench to it is simple and cheap all I done was weather proof it with grey and the keel is glued and bolted when my rifle is sitting on it there is 250mm of free board either end of the bench top :thumbsup:
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Re: Portable shooting bench

Post by TassieTiger » 26 Jun 2019, 9:18 am

^same as mine. Those vice horses were $18 a while ago at Bunnings.
Tikka .260 (Z5 5x25/52)
Steyr Pro Varmint .223 - VX 3
CZ455 .22 & Norinco .22 (vtex 4-12, bush 3-9)
ATA 686 U/O 12g & Baikal S/S 12g.
Adler a110 reddot
Sauer 30-06 - VX 3
Howa 300 win mag. SHV 5-20/56
Marlin SBL 45/70
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Re: Portable shooting bench

Post by marksman » 26 Jun 2019, 9:19 am

you should have put a patent out there Oldbloke :thumbsup:

I have the bunnings craftright work bench and although I do think that there are better made that a tradie would own this one does the job as a good sturdy very cheap base for a bench, the only upgrade would be tent pegs in the legs if your top is a bit on the heavy side
a mate made one as well and put on a real big sucker of a top :lol: everyone's doing it Oldbloke :lol:
the drum stools I am talking about are at the moment around $50 off ebay, I paid $50 for 2 and I have seen them at aldi so they must be alright :drinks:
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Re: Portable shooting bench

Post by Oldbloke » 26 Jun 2019, 6:15 pm

The greatest invention in the history of man is beer.
https://youtu.be/2v3QrUvYj-Y
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Re: Portable shooting bench

Post by Member-Deleted » 26 Jun 2019, 8:52 pm

This is what I sit on it's hollow and when i'm coming home I turn it upside down and use it for carrying stuff it's a step up stool electricians use them a lot :thumbsup:
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Re: Portable shooting bench

Post by GQshayne » 26 Jun 2019, 8:59 pm

Yep, out of the same factory it seems. I did consider a better quality one, Ryobi have one for $100, but then that sort of defeats the purpose of doing it without spending much money on something that may only be used a couple of times a year. So I stayed with the cheapie.

I have put bolts and wingnuts on each side of mine, which means that it now sits perfectly flat, and is more stable. Side to side it does not move, but I noticed it did front to back, as the support brackets down the bottom of the legs move on the bolts. If the bolts are tightened up more they crush the box section the legs are made out of. I considered welding the two bits to stop them moving, but easier and requiring no re-painting etc, was to use self drilling metal screws to pin the bracket to the legs. They have no movement in their holes, unlike the bolts. Very little movement now. I also put a shelf in across these supports, held on with bolts and wing nuts. Good spot for those bits and pieces we all have to keep them off the ground.

Tomorrow I will tinker with how to use the adjustable front rest I have. I have a big sandbag that is much better to use, but of course is not height adjustable. So I will see what I can do with the gun rest to improve it. It does not have a proper top on it, so I usually put a small sandbag on it, which is not the best. I will change that (will think about how to do that tomorrow), and then set it up so it does not move on the timber top under recoil. Bit of rubber or something perhaps.

I am also tinkering with the idea of making an adjustable base for the big sandbag to sit on. So it can be adjusted for height, and also moved around a bit before then being locked down so it cannot move. It is very stable compared to the adjustable gun rest, so being able to use it would be an advantage. I think the adjustable base can be designed to work with the big bag, and also the gun rest, so it will support both. Hmmmmm…….. we shall see what I can come up with.
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Re: Portable shooting bench

Post by GQshayne » 29 Jun 2019, 9:05 pm

Righto, finished my bench today.

I needed to have the bench top in two pieces so I would fit in my vehicle easily. This makes it harder of course, as you lose the strength of the single piece of timber. The portable bench top, being made of MDF is not overly strong, so it does not have enough support for two separate pieces of timber.

Here is the end result. I have added a shelf in the bottom, located by captive bolts with wing nuts for ease of fitting and removal. The "stunt" rifle in the photo is my recently acquired Tikka 17 Rem project gun.

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Two sections of timber, with a steel support to hold them together.

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The MDF flexes even with a small weight on it, so I have used two small pieces of box section ally to make it more rigid.

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I like to use the big sandbag when I can, instead of the adjustable gun rest. But of course then you do not have your height adjustment. Also, the gun rest would move easily on the hard laminex top. So I have used a piece of ply with some divots in it for the gun rest legs to sit in. It has a rubber sheet glued to the back so it will not slide, yet it can be moved to where you need it. It also has some nuts countersunk into it, so that the legs off the gun rest can be fitted, and then it serves as a height adjustable base for the big sandbag.

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Seems to me that it will work well. A milk crate is about the right height for a seat.
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