Workbench space is at a premium in my shop. To make the most of the space I do have, I wanted an easy way to use smaller bench-mounted tools (my grinder and machinist’s vise) in the same location. What I came up with is this interchangeable work platform that clamps into the face vise on my bench.
The Platforms
The platform portion of the workstation consists of two pieces of plywood laminated together. A wide dado is cut on the bottom face of the platform to accept the clamp bar. The two holes drilled in the platform surface hold a pair of hardwood dowels. These are simply glued in place. I chamfered the exposed end of each dowel. The tool platforms are each a single piece of plywood cut to match the base. Drill a pair of holes to set over the dowels and chamfer the underside of each hole to make it easier to set the tool platforms in place.
I also routed a finger grip along the underside edge of each tool platform. Then it’s just a matter of attaching the bench-mounted tools to the platforms.
