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  1. #1
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    Dec 2015
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    basic ski/board tuning bench

    we are in a reasonably short-term living situation and although i have a small one car garage, i don't have a shop or a bench and would like to build or buy a sturdy, stable, functional bench that will not take a ton of room and i can take it apart when we leave.

    i have a few ideas in mind but are there any ideas or preexisting products that warrant consideration? i am renting so i can't build a permanent structure.

    i didn't think i would be able to ride last year but caught spring after all and ended up using a folding plastic banquet table and it sucked. obviously ok and not ideal for applying base cleaner and wax (as is the floor) but worthless for tuning vises and scraping.

    i can't work off the floor effectively anymore because of my knee.

    shower me with thick streams of wizzdum please. i need it. i want it.

  2. #2
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    I am in a similar situation. I have steel saw horse that folds up. Mounted a 2x6 to it as a bench, screwed down 2x4s wrapped in bike tube on each end to set skis on. Simple

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  3. #3
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    Feb 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by nickwm21 View Post
    I am in a similar situation. I have steel saw horse that folds up. Mounted a 2x6 to it as a bench, screwed down 2x4s wrapped in bike tube on each end to set skis on. Simple
    Same setup here, works great. These work on a dining room table.
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  4. #4
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    can't beat two of these:
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    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
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    On another tangent.
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    StableMate makes very sturdy, saw horses at a couple heights. The legs fold and can be stored. You can bolt on a piece of plywood to have a surface for tools and connect vises or anything you can dream up:





    On another version I inlaid a t-track as well.
    Best regards, Terry
    (Direct Contact is best vs PMs)

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  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    basic ski/board tuning bench

    I made two bases that can sit on any table: 2x4 base with 4x4 posts. I stretched a cut piece of inner tube over the top of the each post and stapled them down.

    Great for waxing or mounting

    Bad photo here (I’ll see if I can post a better one later)



    I’m sure you could come up with something similar for a snow board


    [edit] here’s a better shot

    Last edited by acinpdx; 11-10-2017 at 09:01 PM.

  7. #7
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    Nov 2007
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    ^ ^ ^ that's a good simple and effective design, similar to mine

  8. #8
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    Jan 2009
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    Park City
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    I️ bought a swix off of fleabay for cheap. Well $100 instead of $450.


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    I rip the groomed on tele gear

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
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    1,064
    I don't have a decent photo, but I setup a pair of Ts made out of screwed-together 2x6 chunks. Notched them for edge tuning and covered them with a cut-up bike intertube (stapled down). Then I use big C-clamps to attach the Ts to a patio railing, and then use a cam strap to hold the ski down to the "bench" when I'm scraping. Works pretty smooth and with about 60 seconds of teardown everything packs down into a single 5 gal bucket when I'm done. It would also work on any sort of solid workbench surface.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    northern BC
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    I bought a black and decker work mate, it folds up real easy hangs on the wall, I made jigs from 2x4 or 1x4 that i can clamp into the moveable table for ski tuning/saw tuning/bike tuning/ a metal working vise ect
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    3,884
    I have a shitty ikea desk, with a vise mounted on it. shelves made of 2x6ish wood and L brakets above, and 2 shitty plastic office supply cabinet things below it. I also have two goodwilled clamping desk lamps attached tot he shelving above for proper lighting. It does everything i could want except provide a sturdy surface to hammer things on (due to the flimsy, hollow nature of the "wood" ikea desk). But otherwise its dialed.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
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    1,887
    before I built my bench, I used a folding DeWalt sawhorse and used the bottom of Swix ski vise clamps to attach a 3/4" piece of MDF for a work surface. You can't really put a ton of weight on the tips and tails when waxing (brushing), but it worked great for the amount of space it took up. Very similar to what Terry posted above, minus the drawers. If you already have a vise set, then it's a $50 proposition, tops. (Edit: not the greatest, but found a pic)


  13. #13
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    Oct 2011
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    Workmate off CL for cheap. Handy for other things too.

  14. #14
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    Apr 2002
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    I can advise against the Swix portable tables. The cheap ones, anyway. Far too much movement for doing edgework easily/effectively. Fine if all you want to do is wax, but you don't even need anything specialized for that. Also, the Swix 'vice' that uses the insert for the binding (so you snap it into the binding instead of real vices) similarly sucks.
    [quote][//quote]

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
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    Among Greatness All Around
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    Have a Harbor Freight (or order on line and ship) then get the following: Their Workmate type- US General folding workbench https://www.harborfreight.com/foldin...egs-47844.html
    and 2 of their Haulmaster foldable roller stands to support the skis or snowboards tip and tail (you could drill a hole and pin or screw so the rollers do not turn, or just secure the skis or snowboards with a vice and not worry about the roller moving) https://www.harborfreight.com/132-lb...and-68898.html Add your favorite ski vise or snowboard tuning stands clamped to the bench (and you could even clamp a bit longer board to it (that is what I did- scrap piece of plywood to catch some of the wax shavings.

    Another option is the Kuu portable ski tuning horse as a small bench. It is found on Ebay and other places for about the same or a bit more money than the above 3 items together (really depends on the Harbor Freight coupons and sales going on. And it would definitely travel better than the Harbor Freight.

  16. #16
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    Jan 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    I bought a black and decker work mate, it folds up real easy hangs on the wall, I made jigs from 2x4 or 1x4 that i can clamp into the moveable table for ski tuning/saw tuning/bike tuning/ a metal working vise ect
    I have a black & decker workmate stashed and no real workbench for skis, in a rented facility, same problem as op. Would like ideas for ski jigs for the workmate. You don't happen to have any pics of them set up?

  17. #17
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    Mar 2008
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    northern BC
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    I'm on the road, I will post some pics maybe monday
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  18. #18
    Join Date
    May 2007
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    My main bench has a setup similar to the acinpdx photo. Except mine consists of two separate wider blocks with no connecting 2x4s

    My other rig...

    Screw two large size $5 right angle irons to the wall studs* an appropriate distance apart. Wrap each with that non-slip porous rubber matting that people put under pots and pans in the kitchen. Hold in place with masking tape. $15 waxing bench. Been using that all season in my southern hemisphere ski shed.

    Then rig some giant garden trash bag or other wax strapping capture thing underneath. I had a series of cardboard boxed cut to the same height all taped together and running the full length of my skis plus some extra overlap.

    *stud finder required.
    Life is not lift served.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    Skiing during your summer
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    Quote Originally Posted by neck beard View Post
    My main bench has a setup similar to the acinpdx photo. Except mine consists of two separate wider blocks with no connecting 2x4s

    My other rig...

    Screw two large size $5 right angle irons to the wall studs* an appropriate distance apart. Wrap each with that non-slip porous rubber matting that people put under pots and pans in the kitchen. Hold in place with masking tape. $15 waxing bench. Been using that all season in my southern hemisphere ski shed.

    Then rig some giant garden trash bag or other wax strapping capture thing underneath. I had a series of cardboard boxed cut to the same height all taped together and running the full length of my skis plus some extra overlap.

    *stud finder required.
    Brilliant idea, great for a garage/shed.

  20. #20
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    Jan 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    I'm on the road, I will post some pics maybe monday
    Thanx!!

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    The Trees
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    808

    basic ski/board tuning bench

    Angle irons into studs with a couple of 2x6’s screwed into them. Get a cheap carpet / runner remnant or even flattened cardboard boxes to throw underneath and catch wax drippings. Position near a plug for iron and shopvac. Could probably do whole thing for <$30. Sturdy as fuck but easy to breakdown when u move. Will double as a nice workbench when not waxing skis
    That Don't Make No Sense

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    3,884
    Quote Originally Posted by Dexter Rutecki View Post
    Also, the Swix 'vice' that uses the insert for the binding (so you snap it into the binding instead of real vices) similarly sucks.
    I repurposed an old beatup Trekker to snap into bindings, and clamp it with a vise bolted to my bench. I can lengthen and shorten the trekker to fit whatever binding i choose. Very sturdy.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cabinfever View Post
    Angle irons into studs with a couple of 2x6’s screwed into them. Get a cheap carpet / runner remnant or even flattened cardboard boxes to throw underneath and catch wax drippings. Position near a plug for iron and shopvac. Could probably do whole thing for <$30. Sturdy as fuck but easy to breakdown when u move. Will double as a nice workbench when not waxing skis
    You can get indoor/outdoor carpet for just a couple dollars a foot at Home Depot. I use that to put my skis on and underneath my tuning bench. Get some non-slip grippers to put underneath, too or slides around a lot. I replace it every couple of years for about $15.

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
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    Wasatch
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    Bought a vice type Work bench for $70 at lowes. Good way to go for my Garage wax
    I need to go to Utah.
    Utah?
    Yeah, Utah. It's wedged in between Wyoming and Nevada. You've seen pictures of it, right?

    So after 15 years we finally made it to Utah.....


    Thanks BCSAR and POWMOW Ski Patrol for rescues

    8, 17, 13, 18, 16, 18, 20, 19, 16, 24, 32, 35

    2021/2022 (13/15)

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