work bench build

Shootinok · Oct 5, 2017

Inspired by Boyd and his incredible cabinet/bench I am finally at a point in my shop build to start on my workbench. Base will be 4 mismatched Craigslist tool boxes. They were in pretty bad shape, but this is a budget build.

Started out by just pressure washing them - whew they were bad. Then putting three together. The forth is shorter so I have another plan for it.

Next I sanded, wiped down with acetone and painted the fronts with Hammerite paint.

Not going to paint the insides.

The paint is awesome stuff. Super thick - like painting on liquid steel
I found it works much better with two coats.

Shootinok · Oct 5, 2017

For feet the back are just the fixed wheels from the boxes.
Figured they were supposed to hold the weight originally, no reason to reinvent the wheel (pun intended).
The front feet are 4ea. 2-5/16" trailer balls. I found them on the clearance end at Home Depot for $2 each, Thought they'ed look good and give me the ability to adjust for floor imperfections.

Hoping for a retro look, I went with grey on the drawers. Also painted the original pulls and put them back on.

tarbellb · Oct 5, 2017

Nice work, good idea for the hitch ball feet. Cant even buy total craptastic threaded 20lb adjustables for that price.

Whats going on top?

2oolhound · Oct 5, 2017

That's looking great! Do you have a separate welding table now?

Shootinok · Oct 5, 2017

2oolhound said:
That's looking great! Do you have a separate welding table now?

Thanks -

no separate welding table (yet)

I made that corner frame for the corner :lol:

then I put it on some oak 4x legs. I think I'll put a wood top on it, but that isn't definite for now.

My son worked on a school remodel and had several epoxy resin tops from a chemistry lab that came in wrong. They threw them away, but he saved me a couple.

Shootinok · Oct 5, 2017

I glued up the joint between the two pieces tonight. Still need to finish the front of the epoxy top and I need to add an angle or something to cover the wood spacers on top of the boxes. I may glue up a wood top for the corner. I want something tough there but with the OSB behind it I do not plan on that being my welding place.
I like having a separate table for that.
The corner frame was good practice for me.

Richard Cranium · Oct 5, 2017

looks like a nice bench.

DGersic · Oct 5, 2017

Shootinok said:
For feet the back are just the fixed wheels from the boxes.
Figured they were supposed to hold the weight originally, no reason to reinvent the wheel (pun intended).
The front feet are 4ea. 2-5/16" trailer balls. I found them on the clearance end at Home Depot for $2 each, Thought they'ed look good and give me the ability to adjust for floor imperfections.

Hoping for a retro look, I went with grey on the drawers. Also painted the original pulls and put them back on.

Nice idea on the hitch balls. I might steal that one for mine, if the hockey pucks I’m planning to use don’t work out.

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rharman · Oct 6, 2017

Looks good.

I'm not an engineer but isn't that quite a point load on the trailer ball feet? I'm thinking I'd want the load spread over a larger surface area. I could be all wet on this though.

Shootinok · Oct 7, 2017

The 2 5/16 balls have a flat top so I think the surface contact is at least as much as the wheels have, maybe more

I screwed on an angle to cover the spacers and painted the front of the top with black epoxy.

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cliftonbros89 · Oct 7, 2017

I like it. I've been planning on doing something similar with a few boxes/cabinets that I can use for every day supplies i use in the shop.

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Shootinok · Oct 16, 2017

Finished the corner top out by re-purposing some old 2x12's and a 2x4.
They were pretty rough, so I coated them with the left over epoxy edge paint thinned with lacquer thinner. It filled all the low spots and made them smooth as a baby booty when I sanded them off. Plus it looks kinda cool. Then I trimmed the edge with an old piece of oak.
Should make a tough top that can take some abuse, because it will be used and beat on.

Gearbanger · Oct 16, 2017

Very nice! :thumbup:

Squashfest81 · Oct 16, 2017

This is my type of build. Love the mismatched boxes, the top, the trailer balls. Nice!

Flinter987 · Oct 22, 2017

Looks good!

johnyg · Oct 22, 2017

trailer balls...priceless!!!!

Don Campbell · Oct 22, 2017

Awesome Project !!!

Fishingfoolemjak · Oct 22, 2017

This is fantastic! I’ll be stealing some of your ideas for whenever I get to redo my shop!

Shootinok · Oct 29, 2017

HUGE CList score today !!
I jumped on these upper cabinets as soon as I saw them.
They’re even blue PLam so they match the rest of my shop.

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Fishingfoolemjak · Oct 29, 2017

Awesome score!

apollo11 · Oct 29, 2017

the balls are a good idea

skrap metal · Nov 27, 2017

taumac · Nov 27, 2017

Wow, turned out awesome. Its great that you took some old tool boxes and turned them into something cool. Great project.[emoji481]

work bench build

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