A new work bench thread!!!

[DIGGER_DAVE]

Dave,
I had this idea initially as well, and I found even buying all new IKEA cabinets would have been cheaper than buying garage-specific ones from someone like Sauder and you have more choices in the layout. However someone here mentioned that they were pretty thin and may not hold up to abuse. I've found most IKEA furniture I've seen to be of very high quality and pretty solid. How long have yours been in place and how are they holding up?

Rob, I purchased the assortment of cabinets (base cupboards, drawer units and upper cupboards) from an IKEA clearence sale 16 years ago!
(there were a couple of scratches and "dings")

With the double layer of 3/4" plywood on the tops; (base cabinets and drawer units) they have stood up surprising well.
(the double layer of plywood "spreads" the load over the tops of the lower units)

I decided that buying high quality tools to put inside the cabinets was more important than have fancy "looking" cabinets.

The only "non IKEA" drawer units (horizontal counter unit, 5 deep drawers wide with extra heavy ball bearing full extention slides) came from a surplus store that I built base cabinets to set it on. I store all my drills, sanders, etc. in them.

The beauty of the IKEA stuff is; it's modular. (this means you can create all kinds of different combinations)

For the "banging and bashing" work; I have a welding bench with a 1/2" steel plate top attached to 2" x 2" x .250 thick legs.

As much as I admire those with the "**** and span" shops; (and fancy storage) mines a "working shop."
(yeah, the floor needs to be swept!!)

 

[PAToyota]

Re: what have others experienced w/Stainless?

Just got the estimate for two 8' stainless tops: $1900!!! Those are just the covers; I'd have to make some plywood subframes. Whew.

I asked a local sheetmetal place about bending up some stainless for a countertop I was making - about 2' x 3' with an integral backsplash. They wanted over $300 just to do that. They were quoting welded seams and all. Heck, I'm going to just do it myself...

 

[autoist]

Has anybody checked used restaurant supply stores...I bought a neat 8' long x 36" wide stainless steel kitchen preparation table for $100.

 

[bmwpower]

Re: what have others experienced w/Stainless?

Just got the estimate for two 8' stainless tops: $1900!!! Those are just the covers; I'd have to make some plywood subframes. Whew. LIsta quoted $800 for butcher block.

What have others seen for stainless tops?

That's a high quote for sure. How deep are the tops?

I just got my 4 tops the other day (stainless over wood). PM me for details.

 

[thecarfarmer]

Garage is a mess; all under construction. Pay no attention to the mess surrounding the man behind the curtain.

But I do have a kind of unique bench; can't get this at home depot.

The green table is military contractor. Brass nameplate reads: "DEFENSE PLANT CONTRACTOR - AN INSTRUMENTALITY OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT"

I got it from Dad; the guy he got it from is long gone, where not even an instrumentality of the United States government can touch him.

I was going to use it as a welding table, but think it may be a little too nice.

Now I just gotta' finish the garage...

-bill

 

[red vette mike]

Hey fellas, I recently got word that I have a new ride coming into the stable and it has finally gotten me motivated to tackle my new 3-car garage. As it currently sits, my garage is a run-of-the-mill attached 3-car... I need to turn it into a decent workshop (fabrication, welding, maintenance, some painting).

First step?

WORKBENCHES!!!!

I have a long wall that I would like to build built-in workbenches on. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to call for pics... What do you fellas got?

I am through with the garage but now am out of $. I see some shelves at Lowe's that have a 1000lb per shelf load rating. They are cheap and that is what I need now. Can be painted to match. Anyone bought some of these? They have 5 shelves but can be made to be 3/2.

 

[Special55]

I am through with the garage but now am out of $. I see some shelves at Lowe's that have a 1000lb per shelf load rating. They are cheap and that is what I need now. Can be painted to match. Anyone bought some of these? They have 5 shelves but can be made to be 3/2.

I bought two of these about a month ago. It is like two short units that get held together with the middle shelf supports. They go together easy as they are teardrop stile slots that you just line up and give a wack with your rubber malet.

They are pretty heavy and are working fine for me but I don't have them loaded up to capacity at this time.

 

[BigJackDaddy]

Obviously still under constuction: I salvaged these for $0 from a hospital job along with 3 other smaller ones and 8 wall mounts not yet up. Custom made in their day and VERY heavy/solid. The butcher-block top and shelf with powerstrip came from a different dumpster.

I'm adapting the smaller ones for some cast-iron, belt driven tools that were my Dad's when he was alive (belt/disk sander, jig saw). I'll add legs to bring them up to a proper working height and some casters for portability.

... but like AndrewM & a lot of you, I also do torch work, heavy hammering, etc. That happens on the other side of the shop on a work bench made more for that type of work complete with vice and bench grinder.

Good thread.

 

[ultgar]

Re: what have others experienced w/Stainless?

Just got the estimate for two 8' stainless tops: $1900!!! Those are just the covers; I'd have to make some plywood subframes. Whew. LIsta quoted $800 for butcher block.

What have others seen for stainless tops?

Even though I sell Lista cabinets, I usually tell my customers to get their countertops (especially large ones) locally to avoid high freight charges and fairly high risk of shipping damage.

I've used stainless and hated the fingerprint and scatch problems. I revisited a job yesterday and saw that the customers matte finish stainless was holding up well. He picked these up through a local fabricator.

 

[383IROC]

I got such a good deal on this bench at an auction I just had to buy all ten of them. The pic was taken in a 25'x30' compound I recently finished building to keep projects out of sight from the neighbors.

 

[kustomchry]

My homemade bench.



Tor

 

[jarhead]

Ryan, I purchase this VERY handy 'pocket hole jig' kit for 50$:

With a miter saw, standard dimensional lumber and this jig, you can build VERY strong, square frames in minutes. Put on a plaid shirt and you feel like Norm Abrams...

Basically, the 'structural' part of the cabinets are bought (made of melamine, easy to clean) and the 'cosmetic' part is owner built.

In these pics, you can see how the main 'facing' frame is actually screwed to the base cabinets, and the rest of the elements (doors, drawers) are 'inserted' as they are fabricated, for that old style 'face frame' look...

For the doors: I build the frames, then use a router to cut a 1/2 step to receive the 1/4 inch plywood for the center section.

How did you build the drawers? What brand / type of slides did you use?

Thanks, Joe

 

[Dave88LX]

This is what I posted up on another site for someone else asking about a bench...pardon the generic "icity" of it:

Bunch of 2x4's. Do yourself a favor, and look down each one on all sides to make sure it's straight and not bowed or warped, otherwise they'll be a pain in the *** to work with. Might take a little extra time, but it's worth it when you're putting it togother.

I build mine with two 3/4" sheets of plywood. One unfinished, and one with one finished side for the top. I think it's called B/C? Maybe A/C, I forget, Google will tell you.

I used two 2x4's screwed togother for the legs, might as well just get 4x4's though, save yourself some time and annoyance making the ends flush.

Get a circular saw. I got the one with the laser line from Craftsman, was only like $50 or $60.

Get a drill of course, and get the tool that goes over long screws to keep them straight, I forget what it's called, but get it!

You'll definitely need them clamping squeeze jaw things to hold wood togother to mark it or screw it (pics later).

I used about a 5 pound box and a half of 3" screws...yeah, lots of screws in this thing. Probably overkill.

Measure twice, cut once. A 2x4 is actually 1.5 x 3.5

Might need a rasp/coarse file. My dremel with a sanding bit came in handy when I needed to take a slight amount off to fit between the top frame.

Swanson (?) SPEED SQUARE! Pencil, and sharpener.



If anybody wants more detailed pics during the build I can post some more up. That's (2) 2x4's screwed togother for the legs, 8' wide, 36" deep, and double layered 3/4" (1.5" thick) top deck, with beams going across every foot.

This is the rear:

Front before putting the top on:

Have a little shelf half-way up in there too. Fits all my POL stuff on it.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I got such a good deal on this bench at an auction I just had to buy all ten of them. The pic was taken in a 25'x30' compound I recently finished building to keep projects out of sight from the neighbors.

Even has the holes to mount the vise already drilled

I have three acquired from work, two were complete tables, one only had legs on one end, so I bolted it to the end of one of the others, keep a stool and the shop vac under it. None as nice as this, I had to sand and repaint all of mine.

Charles

 

[jarhead]

This is what I have been working on.

Joe

 

[bchap56]

Here are my 3 work benches. The first I used 2 sets of shelves from Lowes. They are rated for 5500lbs so I figured they will hold up. I fully assembled the first then split the second. I bolted all 3 together to make it a little stronger. The white one was an old buffet that we took out of the kitchen when we remodeled and the other was a gift that came from sears.

 

[Bargod]

Some people have mentioned that they got workbenches or similar tables from businesses or at auction. This type of thing has really been under stressed in this thread. I know that a whole lot depends on being in the right place at the right time, but it can definately be worth you while. I bought my workbench from a Toys R Us that was closing, it was their bicycle assembly station. I don't even want to think about what I would have had to pay for something like this at retail, but in their closeout, I got it for under $100.00. Oh, and the Craftsman vise, the fan and a coffee pot that isn't in the pictures was included with it. The pics are links to an album and there are more pictures of the bench on page 2.

 

[RCAutoworks]

Building another one soon, here is what I build, works well.

Have two so far, and tools are over coming them. Need a place for my chop saw

 

[atch]

Building another one soon, here is what I build, works well.

Have two so far, and tools are over coming them. Need a place for my chop saw

nice bench; nice pegboard; but the sander is killer. what kind is it? is it for wood, metal, or both?

 

[thefairlaneman]

The first thing to consider is location of electrical outlets to suit your needs. A welder will require 220 you know.You dont want the bench to block any outlets. Also you must have a way to vent the fumes, Being attached to the house brings on additional safety issues too. The work bench if ever used for metal grinding or welding must be fire proof .

 

[Hawk231]

Here's the one I just put together last saturday. The center leg brace still needs to be installed.

 

[Silver Lexus]

In my modern style garage I use a stainless steel food prep table I found at Sam's for $109. It works great and P21S Polishing Soap, a detailing product I use, keeps it clean.

 

[brianpgriset]

Here's my home-made job. The only really "special" things I would say are that it breaks down into 4 parts that one person can carry since I need all my equipment to be portable, and its nice and tall so I don't have to bend over at all (I'm 6'3''). The little square next to the vise is a mild steel plate held down by some carrige bolts, its a good spot for tack-welding stuff and hammering things when I dont want to mess-up the wood.

 

[Silver Lexus]

Here's a photo of mine:

 

[kirks5oh]

pretty sweet site here, i just got a link from 'svtperformance.com', where i'm a member. here's a few shots of the cabinet making workbench i recently built for my woodshop. not exactly a garage bench, but its too cold to take pics of my garage benches right now

 

[Toxicscrew]

Nice setup. You read Workbench magazine? Mitre saw station looks like one they had on their cover a couple of months ago.

 

[Silver Lexus]

kirks5oh,

That's a beautiful wood bench. Very classy.

 

[kirks5oh]

thanks guys. yes the mitre saw station is from workbench magazine. the other workbench is made from poplar, and the top is several layers thick, with MDF in the center. i should have used maple, but didn't want to spend that much yet.

 

[beetlebailey]

ok so im new here and i just started on my garage. i needed a workbench so i got the idea to build an easy one using mostly Simpson Stong-Ties. the book is the Ultimate Garage Handbook. Here is the bench. total cost so far is about 140 bucks. its 6'6" wide, the bench is 3' tall, and the depth is 2'6". top is two sheets of good 3/4 plywood. i used silver peg board and the left side plywood back is to mount some things higher like my PACE soldering iron and a 15 inch LCD monitor for the computer im going to Wifi. So far so good. let me know what you guys think for my first garage project(well besides painting the walls)

 

[c.schulz]

Here ya go.

Chris

 

[RCAutoworks]

The first thing to consider is location of electrical outlets to suit your needs. A welder will require 220 you know.You dont want the bench to block any outlets. Also you must have a way to vent the fumes, Being attached to the house brings on additional safety issues too. The work bench if ever used for metal grinding or welding must be fire proof .

I use a wood bench with metal on the top, it gets hot but never to a point where I was worried about a fire.

There is my welder

 

[RCAutoworks]

Last pic of my other welding work bench, I'm in neither pics

 

[h-laisure]

these look preety nice!

http://www.modulinecabinets.com

 

[T1704]

Here's a picture of my last garage in Colorado. Just moved to Georgia and can't wait to start all over. The picture quality isn't great as I had to dramatically reduce the size for posting requirements. It's essentially 4x4 legs, 2x4's that wrap the perimiter and 3/4" partical board shelves (I actually glued speaker box carpet to the top) and used peg board to finishe the ends. Lumber cost about $100.

Hope this helps.

 

[59ctd]

Here is a pic of the workbench I just finished in my new workshop/garage. The legs are 4x4 and all the horizontal connecting pieces are 2x4 with the middle shelf 2x4's on edge. All the horizontal 2x4's are recessed into notches I made in the 4x4 legs with my dado blade. Note there are no back legs as it is attached directly to the wall at the back of the bench.

Now working on wiring up the electrical outlets at the top/front of each 4x4 leg.

-Deon

 

[Orange72]

DLausche, I like the idea of wiring electrical boxes to the 4x4 legs. I'm currently building a workbench using 4x4 legs and attaching the back side to the wall. Will be building rolling carts for my portable table saw and miter saw. These will fit underneath the workbench. I don't have a pic to show anything yet.

 

[ZRX61]

Last pic of my other welding work bench, I'm in neither pics

YIKES! you must have a deathwish, there are so many fire sources right where he's welding.. the OPEN acetone can is certainly a potential Darwin Award... LOL!!

 

[68sschevyII]

This stuff, it's a very popular commercial option:

Sometimes late at night, I 'gloss-it-up' with Armor All and lay freshly chromed or polished items on the workbench.
Then I just stand there and stare...

I recently was able to get all the counter tops from an Advance Auto Parts renovation. The counter tops at Advance are all this rubber material on top of thick press board. I got it all free, about 40 ft worth. It is beveled on both sides so I cut the back side off and set it on top of my existing OSB counters and it looks great. Easy to wipe clean too. If you have an Advance store in your area that still has the old logo it will get the upgrade eventually so ask the store manager or the crew when they show up and you can get that and other goodies. I got several sheets of pegboard and all the lights from the store. I'll post A pic of the counters when I can get some.

Tommy

 

[timgr]

This is not a garage bench - instead it sits in the extra bedroom of my current rental. I built this to work on electronics stuff mostly, though you can see from the stains that it serves other purposes too. The top is 4 30"x48" 3/4" bullnose MDF sheets, which was on sale at HD. Under that is a frame from 1"x3" strapping, also on sale. It's put together with drywall screws, and the surface can be easily and cheaply replaced if damaged. Underneath are two Steelcase modular desk files that I picked up for free at my work. To get the height that I want, I made risers out of 1"x6" pine to set the file units on. A 1"x2" 'backsplash' keeps tools etc. from sliding off the back. Overhead is a frame of EMT from which hangs a 2-tube shop light, also from HD. The total cost of this bench was about $50 plus my time, and it all comes apart into manageable sections.

This may not be a heavy enough bench for your garage, but it shows what you can do with surplus and inexpensive materials with a little thought and ingenuity. Hope it provides some ideas for your bench project - cheers Tim

 

[kbs2244]

I am not a fan of shelves under the bench. Too easy for stuff to get pushed to the back and never seen again. I have no shelves below waist level.
I am a fan of roll arounds. My tool box sets on the 3 dawer end of an old steel desk on casters. And I have 2 roll around work tables. All three store under the bench and get pulled over to the work spot as needed.
All the big power tools are on casters also. Drill press, table saw, lathe. Pull them out to use them, then push them back into their parking place.
I also am a fan of white. All the walls, celing, inside of the overhead door are white. So is the workbench top. It is what they call sacrificial. It is just a sheet of whatever white paneling is on sale when the old one gets too beat up. Since the bench is smaller then 4x8 I can sometimes get damaged sheets for 2 or 3 dollars. I trim off the beat up edges to fit my bench.
I do agree about having power at the bench. Mine isn't very wide since I don't do a lot of bench work. I get by with a 4 outlet box a the left end. But if you go wide, the outlet strips along the front edge are the way to go. Convient but out of the way.