Having a field day

In the workshop, the workbench is an essential item, consisting of a strong worktop, on which can be mounted a vice. But when you are out in the field, working at a customer's premises or on a building site, equipment has to be portable. The WorkMate and its imitators solve the problem of making a bench and vice foldable and portable, but the plethora of tools needed makes them all a bit heavy to carry about, creating a weighty problem. A small toolbox can be carried in one hand and the WorkMate in the other, at least for short distances, but this still leaves the headache of transporting bulky items, such as the battery-powered drills and other power tools, that have done much to speed so many tasks. Having four or more arms, like some of the representations of Hindu gods would be useful. An apprentice would also help, but that can also be heavy on the wallet. And most jobs are done by one man (or woman) working on their own. We know of no examples where man's best friend has been trained to carry tools, while the robotic load carrying 'BigDog', invented by Boston Dynamics in the US, would take an even bigger bite out of your bank balance. The Challenge Our challenge this month is to make a workbench, plus a good collection of useful tools, really portable, so only one trip is required to transport everything from the van or car and back again. It should be possible to transport everything over a substantial distance, without risk of damaging equipment, hands, arms or back, and should allow the user to be up and working - and then down and off to the next job or home – as quickly as possible. The solution offered below solves the problem with some panache and at remarkably low cost. Not that surprisingly, it is someone who spent most of his lifetime in the building trade that has come up with the answer. While it won a prize a few years ago for its ingenuity, it has only just now come to market in a production-optimised form, but looks set to create quite a stir. So, from Workmate to checkmate. For those without access to the web, the solution will be described fully in our February edition. Solution The solution to our January challenge has been invented and developed by Ian Stuart, who lives in Sutton, Surrey, and calls his product, the 'Benchrover'. He explained to Eureka at the 2008 British Invention Show – he won the 'Industrial Invention of the Year' prize there in 2003 – that essentially it consists of two plastic boxes, a folding frame and a bench top. A pair of wheels turns it into a trolley when folded up, so that, unlike the WorkMate and its imitators, it does not have to be carried. He came up with the idea when engaged in refurbishing the windows of what was then the Thistle Hotel at St Katherine's Dock in London. He had a problem with moving his tools and bench around, but solved his immediate worries by acquiring one of the hotel's service trolleys. However, for more general use, it was a bit difficult to get in and out of the van, he recalls. The design has now evolved somewhat from the original concept and, using a system of square tubes that fit inside each other, it is now possible to join several modules together. The Benchrover comes in two versions: a small one that sells for £199 and a larger one, still single-person portable, at £299. New patents are pending.