New tops on the old benches

[Treerat-sniper]

Since we're in "lockdown" I'm getting some long overdue projects done before turkey season opens up. My old portable shooting benches needed some new tops. They started out as Honda 4-wheeler shipping crates (used to wrench at a dealership). I welded them up back in 1997 or 98 & put 1/2" treated plywood on them. These went out to SD for prairie-poodle hunts, upside down in the back of the trucks for 5 or 6 years. They've been sitting in my backyard range ever since.

After 20+ years, the plywood was getting a little ragged! I had a new 4x8 sheet of 3/4 treated ply aging in the garage nicely. Finally re-did them last weekend (some before and after pics):

*Edit- There are two of these benches, virtually identical. The black coloring on the top of the OD green one is rubberized undercoating to prevent the metal from being damaged by the chromated copper arsenate in the plywood.

 

[Terry]

Very Nice!

I like the new style top.

 

[jobhopper66]

Your choice of materials is interesting because my portable bench is made from John Deere lawnmower shipping crates. I spent 12 years at a John Deere dealership and discarded shipping crates were my main source of free building material. Your design is better than mine and I might have to build a new one!

 

[SSL]

Nice benches. I tried coating the top of mine with liquid truck-bed liner last year. Don't remember the brand, but it gave a slightly "wrinkled" texture rather than some of the mixes that cure into a pretty aggressive one that can be a little rough on the elbows! I hope that takes care of weathering for a long time.

 

[Treerat-sniper]

Your choice of materials is interesting because my portable bench is made from John Deere lawnmower shipping crates. I spent 12 years at a John Deere dealership and discarded shipping crates were my main source of free building material. Your design is better than mine and I might have to build a new one!

I wrenched at a JD dealer for a time as well (over a dozen years ago). It seems like most manufacturers have gone the route of the re-usable shipping shipping crate. Cost saving for them but unfortunate for guys like us!

 

[Big Mc]

Since we're in "lockdown" I'm getting some long overdue projects done before turkey season opens up. My old portable shooting benches needed some new tops. They started out as Honda 4-wheeler shipping crates (used to wrench at a dealership). I welded them up back in 1997 or 98 & put 1/2" treated plywood on them. These went out to SD for prairie-poodle hunts, upside down in the back of the trucks for 5 or 6 years. They've been sitting in my backyard range ever since.

After 20+ years, the plywood was getting a little ragged! I had a new 4x8 sheet of 3/4 treated ply aging in the garage nicely. Finally re-did them last weekend (some before and after pics):

*Edit- There are two of these benches, virtually identical. The black coloring on the top of the OD green one is rubberized undercoating to prevent the metal from being damaged by the chromated copper arsenate in the plywood.

Had new carpet for my bass boat. Plenty left to cover my portable bench. No raw elbows now. Tommy Mc