Sunday, April 14, 2013

Skil 0909 Portable Worbench

With a space crunch I decided to go ahead and purchase a skil workbench. This was available from Mach power tools

Service : Excellent service from Mach power tools as has been my experience.

Packaging : Very slim parcel, nicely packed

Skil 0909 workbench was available in India from Mach Power Tools. Slim packaging 

I first dumped out all the components. Needless to say my kids were very excited with the process. Assembly was fairly simple using the provided literature.

Skil 0909 workbench with individual components

The table top waas assembled first, and the supports later.

Skil 0909 workbench assembled table top
The kids had a whale of a time playing with the table.

Assembled skil 0909 workbench.Note the holes in the lower cross bars for holding tools

Final Impressions. This table is a light duty table. It is useful for light work. I use it routinely now to clamp my proxxon DS 230E scroll saw, that obviates the need to screw it down on to the table. The table cannot be completely folded which is kind of a design flaw, but is sturdy enough for light work.  The holes for the tool holders on the lower cross bars are very useful for hanging up tools that one often uses. There are many holes on the table top for the bench dogs. The bench dogs help hold pieces of varied shapes. For Rs 2500/-  I think that the table is really worth it. A pair of these will be more useful than one.

Skil 0909 workbench being used to clam the proxxon DS 230/E scroll saw


17 comments:

  1. Nice review - how about one for the B&D workmate? Many thanks.

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  2. Hey Vinay,

    Was actually thinking of ordering one of these from MPT, but when i had tried it was out of stock then. After a few more projects on this, can you update as to its performance, is it as useful as i think it would be.

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  3. Hi Karl.
    I think for its price (Rs 2500) it is really worth it. It is a portable work table. However it cannot be fully folded. It is very light, and one can carry it easily. This is not for heavy duty clamping. One may not be able to clamp wood and plane away, but for light work it is really worth it. (The price is increased now in MPT but I think it is in stock)
    I use it as a work table, as a table to hold paints etc, or a general purpose tool holder when I am doing some work other than in the workshop. I pack it into the boot of my jeep when needed. If you put a thin ply over it and a table cloth, it could be a display table or a picnic table.
    For more heavy duty work go in for the black and decker workmate. I love the skil also though and would definitely recommend it.

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  4. Hi Vinay

    Please let me know where did you buy proxxon DS 230/E scroll saw . Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Hi I bought the proxxon DS 230E from UMS technology, coimbatore, available at this link http://umstech.in/view_product_details.php?pid=117&cat=Proxxon%20Products
      Please call up before placing the order as although the website permits payments for this product, the company only ships this product after you phone up and pay for it.

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  5. Vinay, good review. Do you recommend this as work bench for a person who is starting in to wood working? This is going to be my only work bench for couple of years. B&D Workmate looks expensive to me at this moment.

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  6. Yes I would definitely recommend it. It is a very handy workbench. Two skil workbenches is better than one black and decker workmate. I have not found the clamping facility very useful. What I usually do is anchor the wood down on the bench with c clamps or quick release clamps.

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  7. Thanks for the review of Skil workbench. I follow Indranil's blog n hope to follow your's too. Can you tell me where to buy hardware like nuts, bolts, screws etc and quick release clamps online in India?

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    Replies
    1. Try mach powertools and goodwill tools online. They have some hardware.

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  8. Hello Vinay ...... I discovered your blog recently and it was very informative for someone like me embarking on basic woodworking. It is good to see people with the DIY spirit. Keep up the good work.

    Vinay, I ordered the same SKIL Workbench from Ebay.in which I received it yesterday and I assembled it soon after delivery. It is indeed a convenient utility for basic woodworking. My first 'experiment' with this will be holding a pine plank and running a SKIL Orbital Sander (which is also on order from Ebay and likely to be delivered on Monday).

    I have a small query about this workbench. I observe there are two small triangular notches on the MDF planks. Why have they been provided and how best can it be used ? I would appreciate some guidance please.

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  9. Thanks Vinod
    I assume this must be to hold cylindrical objects like a pipe vertically.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Vinay. Will give that a try.

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  10. Hello again Vinay,

    I trust contacting you in this manner is acceptable. Please guide me if I have to follow a more 'official' method. I have some queries please.

    In the specs for a portable impact drill, I observe this - "Drilling capacity - 35mm (wood) ". Is reference being made to a 35mm Forstner bit ? If so, what would the shank diameter of such a bit be? I had posed the same query in Indranil's blog, but it is yet to be sighted.

    Secondly, I have registered in the Forum - "DIYable.net" and have received an 'auto reply'. Does it take some time for Admin / Moderators to approve my membership ? I keep checking for the 'approval' email, but it's not happening.

    Lastly, what is your opinion of the SKIL portable drill 6513. It's pricing seems to be OK considering variable speed control and reversible operation. I have a B&D drill which I purchased in 1990 and it is still serving me well (with reference to basic wood working and general drilling of holes in concrete walls) but is a very basic one and is single speed and with the 'hammer' facility.

    Thanks and regards
    Vinod

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    Replies
    1. hi Vinod. Sorry your comment got into the 'spam' section and therefore I missed it. You can contact me via google plus and we can communicate by email. That is quicker as I sometimes miss comments on the blog.
      35mm wood is most likely a forstner bit. But this will also depend on the density of the wood, and the quality of the bit you use.
      You must look at the maximum diameter shank that the drill can hold and this is proably 12 or 13 mm. This will be the widest shank. Usually forstner bits have a a diameter of about 8 mm or 1/4 inch so that will not be a problem if your drill is powerful enough.
      Most drills nowadays have variable speed and a reversible function. So that is not unique to the skil drill. What is the price of the skil drill?

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    2. Hello Vinay ...... Just saw your reply. ah! so it went into spam :-) . No hassles . Happens sometime. As suggested I will use Google + / email if I need to contact you.

      Thank you for clarifying regarding the Forstner bit. I also learned that Forstner bits are more for creating shallow circular cavities when European hinges are to fitted.

      The SKIL drill (Model 6513) allows for a 13mm shank. I figured that the last two digits of the model signifies the max shank dia acceptable. The 6513 is priced at Rs. 1640 on Ebay..... only the drill. With the entire kit it can be a little below Rs. 3000.

      Rgds
      Vinod

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  11. Hi,

    I am looking to Buy Skil Work Bench. Unfortunately, all the online options shows that it is out of stock. I stay in Bangalore and looking to buy the workbench for my wood working hobby projects. Could any one suggest where I can buy the work bench in Bangalore.

    vidhya shankar.

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