foldable or take down bench

P

Pieter.45

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Hello all,

I joined another club where I can shoot outdoors (finally!).
The only problem is there is absolutely no infrastructure at all.So I want to build a benchrest table myself.It must fold down or at least I must be able to take it apart.

I was thinking of using 4cm (1.6') square tubing and make some cross bars to sturdy things up.Top will be a thick wooden one..

Any ideas or sugestions?Or a drawing would be nice too.

It is for right hand use only,so I can keep dimentions down a bit.

It can be done,I've already shot a competition of such a foldable bench.And yes it was solid.Dumb not to take pictures,I know...

So go ahead guys feel free to answer.
 
Nice pics but I already figured that out...Nothing I can use.

Come on guys,someone must have made a bench table like I would like.
 
I have but don't have any pics and I have to make a new top. I made my original from pics I seen of some old 1000 yd shooting matches. Maybe I can describe what I mean. The top is what you see from a lot of varmit shooters. two foot wide in the front. Four feet long. one side is straight (oppisite side of shooter). Oh the shooting side, you come back from the front for about a foot and a half, then 45 degree angle (or whatever fits your fancy) until you have just over a foot or so width left and then on back parallel to the other side. Make four legs out of 1.25 or 1.5 cast iron pipes, one end threaded and about 34 inches long (make them long and cut to length when table is assembled to hit a top height of about 32 inches). Then I took 1/4 inch thick plate and cut to 4"x4" squares. Take pipe couplings (that fit the threaded pipe) and cut an angle in one end, then weld these to the 4x4 plates. Mount these with four bolts to the four corners of the top so that the angles face out from the bench (not much of an angle, I don't remember but could measure one of mine). Then screw the legs in all the way and cut them so that the bench is level and the right height. You can make small adjustments for the ground by screwing the legs out but the best way I found was to drive the legs a couple of inches in the ground (you have to take this in consideration when cutting the legs to length). The outward angle will steady the bench. To haul, I just unscrewed the legs and strapped them to the bench. The bench top I settled on was 1 1/8" thick (because I could get 2'x4' throw away desk tops from a friend that worked at a furniture factory). They seem thick enough, yet light enough to pack. Two piecs of 3/4 plywood works well to. I usually covered mine with indoor/outdoor carpet for comfort but won't on my next one. Hope this description helps. If you want more info, or pics, I'll have to make a top (which I've been putting off) to mount and I have to make one new leg (youngster decided to use one for a pry bar). One thing I found out was something to look at is how long do you need it. Measure the inside area of your trunk (if all you have is a car) and make sure it will fit and allow enough length to shoot off of.

Hovis
 
I used

a three legged one similar to the one with jpeg on the google site the first resonder listed . Very happy with it. It was more solid than the one with a swiveling top I later built. I must have given it away as I can't find it. The swiveling top one I built must be taken down to move. I think a top with 3 angled legs is probably as good as any. I bought a damaged door to use as the top. Light but warp resistant. Used home welded pipe fittings and steel plate to attach legs at angle. Max
 
Dan Lilja of Lilja barrels built a table that consist of a top and three removable pipe legs
that screwed into angled brackets on the bottom of the table top.
The table made a very solid shooting platform.
You might check his web site.

Hal
 
Hal said:
Dan Lilja of Lilja barrels built a table that consist of a top and three removable pipe legs
that screwed into angled brackets on the bottom of the table top.
The table made a very solid shooting platform.
You might check his web site.

Hal
Click to expand...


I built one like that, problem was getting it level. I finally took blocks of wood and use them as shims under my legs. I found that the 2nd bench I made (one listed above) was better with wood shims as the pipes did not dig into the wood as much, thus prolonging their life span.
 
From my experience

there is no such thing as a stable portable bench to shoot from. Do a search on the forums for concrete benches. I personally like the look of Mickey Coleman's benches at his range. Do this club a favor and make at least one good concrete bench. The idea will catch on.

I have made several wooden benches and shot off quite a few over my 12 years of competative SANCTIONED Benchrest and I have yet to see one that was a good platform to shoot from. Thurmont, Md has the best of them but they are mostly made of steel with a wooden top. Wood does not lend itself to stability over the long haul. The wood will shrink and joints loosen up; not a good plan IMHO. Anything that is not braced copiously will flex easily. Anything that flexes in not stable.
 
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I agree,nothing beats concrete.Only problem is it is a military shooting range.There isn't even a roof.And they wouldn't be amused to see a concrete table neither.It is a geste from the army to let civilians shoot there in the weekend.It is the only outdoor range in my neighbourhood.

So it has to be more or less portable.Size doesn't matter much,I have a pickup truck.

I think I will do something with Hovis' design,I was already thinking a bit that way.But I would have put the legs straight,not angeled.Angeled seems a better idea.Maybe I will make a metal frame to put the threaded ends in.That takes away any flex from the top.

Thanks to all who botherd to share their info,I'm much obliged.
When I get to it I will post some pics.
 
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Done

I've made my table.I did it like Hovis sugested.The result is quite solid,not like concrete,but good enough for me.

I used 1 1/4" pipe and a 5,5 cm top which I made glueing 3 plywood pieces on top of eachother.The legs store under the top so it's quite compact to store and transport.It's heavy but still portable.

Thanks for the input guys.
 

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Pieter.45 said:
I've made my table.I did it like Hovis sugested.The result is quite solid,not like concrete,but good enough for me.

I used 1 1/4" pipe and a 5,5 cm top which I made glueing 3 plywood pieces on top of eachother.The legs store under the top so it's quite compact to store and transport.It's heavy but still portable.

Thanks for the input guys.
Click to expand...

I like your bench, Peter, and I like your style. You don't mess around with the planing stage. You now have a good looking bench!

Concho Bill
 
I have made many benches, the first needed reinforced 2 weeks later.
Quite probably I'm not making any more. My current Bench is identical
to benches at kelblys except the top is an inch thicker. It also has 85
feet of rebar in it all welded. It sits on the usual T shaped formation also
with rebar and filled blocks. A 22 inch thick slab keeps my feet dry. It does
mot move.
After a dozen portables, I finally built one that was fair. The back
leg sits directly under the back sand bag, with a slight back angle.
The front legs are not really to far apart, but sit under the front rest.
Top is Layers of exterior plywood glued together. Pipe legs screwed into
flanges . It is not bench top width that makes it work, its the fact that
both ends of the load have support directly below it
 
As some of you know, I am into benches. I have seen benches that you have to hold, as well as the rifle, and I have seen benches that may outlast the planet. Pieter has built his first portable bench and he did it in near record time. I have a hunch that this will not be his last bench.

I believe that there is a point that a bench is "strong enough". The test of strong enough is when you can set a target rifle with a 36 X scope on it on a Pappas one piece rest and it will not move or vibrate when someone walks behind you.

Concho Bill
 
i used a discarded telephone pole, cut the legs to lenght with a chainsaw..then used treated 2x12s to tie it together...3/4 in. marine plywood for the top..not portable, but moveable !
ain't no stable take down benches, or not enough for me !!
 
Looks nice. I would add another leg at the rear. I know there not far apart but it really adds a lot to the stability. I guess we think quite a bit a like because I mention in my previous post about an angle on the top but I actually build mine with the curve like you did....I like that best. Nice job.

Hovis
 
Pieter.45 said:
I've made my table.I did it like Hovis sugested.The result is quite solid,not like concrete,but good enough for me.

I used 1 1/4" pipe and a 5,5 cm top which I made glueing 3 plywood pieces on top of eachother.The legs store under the top so it's quite compact to store and transport.It's heavy but still portable.

Thanks for the input guys.
Click to expand...

Pieter. Nice bench. You should start selling them.
Take 2 to the range. Put a "For Sale" sign on one.......
 
Pieter.45 said:
I've made my table.I did it like Hovis sugested.The result is quite solid,not like concrete,but good enough for me.

I used 1 1/4" pipe and a 5,5 cm top which I made glueing 3 plywood pieces on top of eachother.The legs store under the top so it's quite compact to store and transport.It's heavy but still portable.

Thanks for the input guys.
Click to expand...

A buddy of mine built a bench similar to yours. I think the difference is that the design called for angled wedges under the flanged pipe fitting that the (2") legs screwed into. This angles the legs which made the table top much more stable than the 3 legs being at 90 degrees. It is rock solid.

Also a piece of plywood just large enough to hold the front rest and back bag is attached with one bolt with 1/2" high tube which the bolt goes through at butt stock end as a spacer. Under the front end are 2 rollers so the rest & rifle can be swiveled without having to remove the rifle and then moving the rest to aim at a different target and then reassemble. Works great for prairie dog hunting. For straight bench shooting only the 1 bolt is removed to use the main table top.

"Aim small miss small", :D

gt40
 
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Bench

I built one similiar to the one Hovis described, only with three legs, two at the front and one in the back. I used two thickness of 3/4" plywood, 4x4x 1/4 flat iron, 3/4" nipples and black pipe. I cut the one end of the nipple on a 19 degree angle and welded them to the flat iron and bolted them to the table. I threaded both ends of the pipe and screwed a cap on one end to prevent it from sinking into the ground. The bench is as steady as any portabe bench could be. If you are interested I can send you some pics and a print, if I haven't lost it. Actually I built four to take dog shooting, my two grandsons, my son and I. Worked very well. The original plan came form some guy in Florida and I found it on some site, either a post or from Accurate Shooter.
 
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