Portable shooting bench

[Sergeant Hartman]

I think it would be easier to cut your body..... actually how about sending me your guns... if you are over 6feet

[TassieTiger]

I would, but I’m busy digging a hole to put my shooting chair in....

[mickb]

Almost decided on an MTM predator table. http://www.osaaustralia.com.au/products ... ble-green/
Review here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXCOvx3YZrw

But price was about $180 shipped to me...

Ended up with BCF/outdoors brand fold in half poly table, 94x94, on special for about $60
https://www.bcf.com.au/p/lifetime-squar ... =BCF023025
Thought it might be a bit rickety but it does okay. I don't fire any big kickers though. Folds flat, can be carried like a suitcase into position.

[mickb]

I would, but I’m busy digging a hole to put my shooting chair in....

mate I hear you. 6'3" with a wingspan of 6'8", ancestors took a little longer to come down out of the trees I guess. I got to walk with my arms up like an orangutan to keep them out of the way. Well maybe not that bad. But on a serious note my suggestion to the OP is err on the generous side for table top size. I mucked about trying to get everything on smaller tables, got tired of knocking things onto the ground.

[TassieTiger]

My effort...

[Oldbloke]

Looks great tassie

[GQshayne]

Take the top off and mine assembles very flat. I put a 4x3 pine down the middle of my top, then clamp vice onto 4x3.
But to me - it’s very low as is...makes you hunch over and puts the butt on to the top of your shoulder which after a few shots hurts on recoiling firearms.
If your over 6 foot 2 - legs need to be extended...or top somehow lifted.

Yep, that is what I figured. 4 bolts and it is easier to transport. No problem when it is only used occasionally.

What are you sitting on????? I am 5'10" or thereabouts, and I reckon a milk crate with a cushion etc on it is about spot-on. A bit of leeway there obviously. Not tall enough for a normal chair though.

Extra sand bag under the rifle would help too, depending on what you have.

EDIT: Just saw your photo. Normal chair will be hard to use, and my rifle is a bit higher on bags than yours too. I reckon a mechanics stool would be perfect. No back rest to get in the way, and adjust up and down as needed.

[marksman]

nice table tassie
a drum stool is perfect height for me but I'm only 5.8"

[GQshayne]

OK fellas, I have hit a snag. I wonder if any of you have found the same issue. I have a solid top with a "keel" screwed onto it to be clamped in the vice jaws, like Marksman has. I am not using the plastic blocks supplied. When working out my sizing and position of the top, I had sandbags and a rifle on it, and it was very stable before I put the keel on. Excellent.

Then when I tightened up the clamps the top steel mounts flexed, and the timber vice top is then not level. Then the shooting table top wobbles side to side, as the vice top is no longer flat. I have tweaked the bolts in the sliding assembly up a bit to minimise movement, but it is a cheap tool. It does this even with a small amount of pressure on the vice jaws, nowhere near tight.

Anybody else found this problem? Production will vary, so maybe newer units are slightly different in some way. I have a couple of ideas for a possible fix, but just wondered what others have had to do, if anything.

[Oldbloke]

"Anybody else found this problem?
No. I used 2 bolts with large washers and wing nuts.
Down through the bench top, through the work bench. Clamp that on to the bolt. Then tighten up the wing nut underneath.

Edit; for me one of the benefits of using the bench is I get a new portable bench for doing a bit of work on. But as mentioned doesnt fold as flat as i would like.

[GQshayne]

"Anybody else found this problem?
No. I used 2 bolts with large washers and wing nuts.
Down through the bench top, through the work bench. Clamp that on to the bolt. Then tighten up the wing nut underneath.

That was one of my possible fixes OB, and a good option I think. Given the flex in the assembly, I am not sure other mods would work, rather just move the flex to another point. I wonder have the others that used timber as a clamp had the same problem as me.

Cheers,
Shayne

[TassieTiger]

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?

[GQshayne]

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.

[Member-Deleted]

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

[TassieTiger]

^same as mine. Those vice horses were $18 a while ago at Bunnings.

[marksman]

you should have put a patent out there Oldbloke

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 everyone's doing it Oldbloke
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

[Oldbloke]

I use one of these.

https://www.google.com/shopping/product ... rmr:1,cs:1

[Member-Deleted]

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

[GQshayne]

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.

[GQshayne]

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.