Folding Workbench with Clamping Vise & Pegs from Harbor Freight | Assembly | Mods | Review

Here is how you make the cheapest 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲 and pegs from Harbor Freight the best with just a few simple modifications. In this video, I will assemble, reviewing, and modifying the Harbor Freight folding workbench with clamping vise and pegs. Many people out there consider this unit to be junk! In fact, on October 25, 2020, J wrote a review on the Harbor Freight website where he said - " I ended up just tossing mine in the trash." A few days later, Danny Danger wrote a review where he said, " This thing is flimsy and not worth the money. No matter the price. No quality, no craftsmanship, and not recommended." Costing just $21.99, I can't say that I was expecting the folding workbench with clamping vise and pegs from Harbor Freight to be the best in the market. After all, U.S. General is no 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗫 𝗣𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘀𝘂𝘀 or 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲. But, if we take a closer look at the 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵 by Professional Woodworker costing almost $50 and even the Performance Tool W54025 sold at AMAZON, we are talking about the same, exact thing for anywhere from $20 to $30 more!
I think that Harbor Freight is not helping itself with the US General folding clamping workbench instructions. As usual disappointing and for those that are not too sharp when it comes to putting things together, challenging to say the least! The Lowe's portable workbench may not be of better quality, but the instructions are. However, I think that these easy-to-follow modifications of the US General folding clamping workbench from Harbor Freight bring it up to a lever that, at a bare minimum, matches the functionality of the DeWalt folding workbench and even the Black and Decker Workmate. Although you will require additional materials, these folding work table DIY mods require no skills.
𝐔𝐒 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
There is a possibility that many of you are not up to the task of modifying your US General folding workbench with clamping vise and pegs from Harbor Freight. For light-duty application, the folding workbench works as-is. To assemble the folding workbench as intended, locate the two pieces of wood and the two pieces with the crank. You are also going to need the 16 - #12 1/2inch screws from the hardware bag. Place both pieces of wood on a flat surface with the small hole patterns facing up and ruler markings near you. Place the two vise mechanism on top of the bolt pattern with the handles near you and secure it in place. The next step is installing the legs. Place the legs on top of the vise mechanism, narrow side down, and the two-piece reinforcing bracket, facing out. For this, you will need four 10 MM bolts, 10 MM nuts, and eight matching washers. The only things remaining are the front and rear braces. These are mounted with the tooling hole facing up. However, before you set it on the floor, consider installing the ribber feet. These go with the lowest corner facing the inside of the folding bench.
𝐔𝐒 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
Unless your application consists of very light duty, you will soon find out that the US General folding workbench with clamping vise and pegs from Harbor Freight is not very good for woodworking, mechanics, or even DIY projects around the house. This is the reason I am modifying it. However, I have a garage workspace quite suitable for not only mechanics but also woodworking. I don't like everything getting dusty, so more often than not, I end up working outside. Everything I make or design for the garage workspace is with the mentality of taking it outside.
The modifications to the US General 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵 with clamping vise and pegs from Harbor Freight are pretty simple. The first thing I did is extend the work surface. That was done with a piece of MDF measuring 24 X 16 X .750 Inches. The MDF adds quite a bit of weight to the folding bench. I don't mind the extra weight, but consider a lighter material such as 13 ply plywood if this is an issue. Know that the decking material on the folding workbench is not quite .750, so you will need to add #10 washers to the front piece between it and the vise mechanism. The other thing you need to address is the two braces. There is one in the front and one in the rear.
In my opinion, this is the biggest problem with the US General folding workbench with clamping vise and pegs from Harbor Freight. These two pieces are responsible for keeping the folding workbench not only square but keep it from flexing. The factory unit completely misses the mark! I solved the problem by making two new pieces out of MDF that measures 17 ¼ by 8 ¼. These two pieces are held in place with galvanized tie plates. The plates are attached to the MDF board with i-inch 8-32 bolts and nuts, and the piece is attached to the folding beck with self-tapping screws.
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