A Simple Solid Workbench

[quadrcr87]

After 7 years of dealing with my wobbly crooked flimsy stamped steel Husky workbench I finally had enough. The bench top is just fine but the miserable excuse for a base needed to head to the dump. It served its purpose ok at first as an assembly and small task bench but once I added a vice and then moved it across the county twice it became almost unusable as it slowly collapsed.



An obvious sag in the top with little to no support


In an attempt to channel my inner sakurama I started with a fine mechanical pencil and a note pad. Let’s just say the sketches need some work...


To support the 72x24 stainless wrapped wood top I settled on 2” 14 gauge steel tubing. I will maintain the 40” work height and similar overhangs to the original. I am adding a 12”x36” shelf with an aluminum top to store waste oil that previously collected on the floor. I also plan to build a wide shallow steel drawer.

I picked up 48’ of steel at my local supplier Steelcraft Fabricators

My wife was nice enough to to help unload since I broke a rib on my dirt bike last weekend


After planning my cut list I got to work with my Evolution saw. This thing continues to impress me from wood trim to steel with a simple blade change!

Nice clean square cuts


3- 66”
4- 37”
6- 14.5”




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[quadrcr87]

I pulled the bench off the wall to tear it apart and verify my back overhang to clear the foundation


3.5” should work out perfect to eliminate the gap from the top to the wall

Taking apart the old frame I realized just how badly it was bending. Every time a leg started to collapse I just kicked it back into place for 7 years!


With my cuts done and measurements verified it was almost time to pull out the welder


Other than the top the only other useful thing on the bench was the leveling feet. I cut up some 3/16” plate to cap the legs and welded on 3/8-16 nuts. I think 3/8 is pretty standard in case I want to upgrade the feet later.

First time using these stronghand magnetic V pads and they worked great

Not up to Zmotorsports standards but it will work. This project will be a great way to get some welding practice







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[quadrcr87]

I got both end frames welded up and called it quits at midnight. I took the week off work to get some projects done so I’ll make some progress over the next few days.

I have been playing with the settings on my Lincoln 140 and I think I finally got it burning right. I still feel like I am getting too much weld build up at the beginning of the bead but I think it’s all about technique. Any tips on how to get the bead to lay down more at the start of a weld? I have tried to progress slower at the start but it seems to just feed too much wire. If I try to start faster the weld is too cold and doesn’t burn in enough. One thing I am working on is adjusting the angle of the gun to direct the heat and puddle more precisely. I am using .025 wire with the heat set at C and wire feed at 5.5. I really wish I welded with fiber adjustments than A,B,C,D.



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[sberry]

The setting is D 5.5. B 2.5, C 3.5 and D 5.5.

 

[quadrcr87]

I think you may have missed that I am running 0.025 wire. The machine calls for C and 5 but I did better at 5.5. Thanks for following along.




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[quadrcr87]

Got out to the garage for a couple hours this morning before heading shopping with my wife. The legs are cleaned up and ready to weld to the top. I got the top tacked together and started finish welding. I’ll get back to it this afternoon.





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[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Great workbench. I personally have never had an issue with a wooden one except when it flooded and it floated across the basement lol.


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[sberry]

Look at the gas type. I am sure I did that right. Thin, medium, thick. D 5.5 is wide open with that wire. I meant to post this earlier.
Ignore the chart for a bit. Remember, the chart is approx and I run D 5.5 on 16ga if you go fast enough. B 2.5 for body steel, C 3.5 for gaps 16ga, anything above that is wide open for that little machine.

 

[sberry]

On that bench it should be D,, if it will burn off more than 5.5 turn it up a little. See if it burns 6 without stumbling. Where you get that machine. I think it's an old model.

 

[quadrcr87]

On that bench it should be D,, if it will burn off more than 5.5 turn it up a little. See if it burns 6 without stumbling. Where you get that machine. I think it's an old model.

I tried it on D but I was blowing through too much. I picked up the machine about 7 years ago brand new at a pawn shop. I just need to weld more and keep improving.



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[quadrcr87]

After the welds cooled I realized that the top support bars had pulled together from 18.5” to 18.25”. It didn’t take much with a bottle jack to get them spread to match the uprights.


With some help from my wife to hold the uprights square I got them tacked in place.



It felt like a real workbench when I finally stood it up. I sure made a mess of the garage in the process but these past few days focused on this bench have been therapeutic.

I ground the top welds flush in prep for the top install. The rest of the frame will show my mediocre welding skills in all their glory

I also added the back brace to support the legs. Still planning on adding some type of gusset to the top to prevent the horrible sag of the old bench frame.... thinking maybe a “V” design? Everyone knows triangles are strong.


Seeing this for the first time put a smile on my face.





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[quadrcr87]

Now that the bench was in place I mocked up the shelf to confirm the 12” depth. The depth was perfect with plenty of room for the shop stool. The 1/8” aluminum should be plenty strong to store some oil

The clearance for a shallow drawer is pretty tight but I desperately need the storage so I’ll deal with it. I may slant the front for a little extra knee clearance. I plan to throw some weight in there with hammers and clamps so the drawer slides are beefy.





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[quadrcr87]

Just before the clock struck 12 I got the shelf frame ready to weld on. First step tomorrow is the grind off the mill scale and weld it up. Then it’s on to some 3/16 rivets. Also planning to add some type of lip on the rear as a stop.




Added a 2” notch to fit the corner


The stool does not fully tuck under the bench but it’s plenty for me

Even my ugly old oil change cart fits under the bench. It’s been around since 2005 when it was built as a TV stand for my college dorm room. Future project will be a steel cart enclosed with doors. It will be nice to build one that nests neatly under the bench.



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[sberry]

I built about 200, maybe more similar. I gang cut at the steel yard, pickup load every week. But, the top pic in your post 3 is similar but used angle for the cross. Had piece of 1/4 plate we could set up on the bench we made a jig on, could toss the pieces in and tack up. We made up as many leg ends as we needed with 1 of every v n other one shorter for an adjustment.
All built upside down, stand a leg assembly up, clamp x2 to flatten the plate a little and tack on, then clamp on the long softeners, tack up and add legs to the other end, then bottom shelf angles tried it all up. It was slick and my helper could assemble and finish one in 45 mins/hour, we went around and zing the edges with a sander.
All square cut, most of the weld hidden. Had the steel yard put 10 types a time on the saw. Benches were 2x3, 2x4, 2x5 and occasional 2x6. Could really hammer the tops on shear from a cut list I had ready, gang cut the bracing also.

 

[sberry]

The benches were the easiest, there were hoppers, pallet racks and bunch of other brackets that were a bit more sophisticated but we came up with patterns for most of it. I should have had back up pics of the job, we lost some in a fire that I had collected would have been cool for forums.

 

[duc916]

For future builds to minimize the tube pulling when welding do not weld across the face of a tube. Weld the two sides that run parallel to tube.

 

[banjopete]

It looks like a considerable upgrade, this thing will outlive you now. Good job and thanks for all the pictures.

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[Jayman17]

I like your new bench, seems very stout. I like the SS top too, now use the hell out of it! I might be making something similar in the near future.

Jay

 

[cnttxmdc]

You did a great job on this, and put a lot of effort into it. I loved my square tubing shop bench so much I made a desk for my study out of it, along with the frame for our dining room setup, and balcony railing. It’s such a clean, simple, and functional material.

.

 

[quadrcr87]

For future builds to minimize the tube pulling when welding do not weld across the face of a tube. Weld the two sides that run parallel to tube.

That’s a great tip and I hadn’t thought of it that way. I was thinking it would be easier to finish weld the top while it was up on my welding table. Next time I’ll weld the parallel edges and then finish weld it once it’s welding into the mating part to prevent warping.


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[quadrcr87]

It looks like a considerable upgrade, this thing will outlive you now. Good job and thanks for all the pictures.

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Thanks I am really looking forward to working on a solid surface. Last winter I rebuild a dirt bike engine on the old bench and it was wobbling around the whole time. The worst was when I would put some leverage on something in the vise and the whole table would move and almost fall over! Speaking of vises... it might be time for an upgrade. The 6” Craftsman works but a Wilton would sure be nice.

Here is last winter’s project


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[quadrcr87]

I like your new bench, seems very stout. I like the SS top too, now use the hell out of it! I might be making something similar in the near future.



Jay

Thanks! The top is what drew me to the Husky in the first place. It’s really easy to wipe off and keep clean. I do keep a rubber floor mat on it to protect it and keep projects from sliding around. You should defiantly build a bench. Yo just can’t find anything this solid for a decent price at a store.


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[quadrcr87]

You did a great job on this, and put a lot of effort into it. I loved my square tubing shop bench so much I made a desk for my study out of it, along with the frame for our dining room setup, and balcony railing. It’s such a clean, simple, and functional material.

Thanks for the kind words. It really is a nice material to work with especially as you are improving your skills. I plan to pick up some 1-1/2 and 1” tube for some future projects. I really enjoy notching and fitting round tube but the square is much easier to weld.

Your projects look great. I keep telling the wife I need to make a steel and wood coffee table and some end tables. Thinking steel frame with a nice grey stain on the wood.



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[quadrcr87]

I started the morning with a fun little project making a hose hanger. I was laying in bed last night thinking about how I wanted to do this and the idea of using an extra Gladiator bracket got stuck in me head. Turns out this one was the perfect size for the hose and was easy to separate from the bracket. The bonus is that I now have a left over bracket for the garage track that I can make something with.

Mocking it up

The previous hose arrangement that was a hassle to use. I just added this airline drop last week and I could tell this wasn’t a long term solution

I used a carbide in my die grinder to cut the tack welds from the backside. It worked pretty slick


The left over bracket just waiting for a good idea

I really like this saw for cutting small plate pretty precise


I also saw this as a good opportunity to put my Astro riv nut tool to use. I wanted the bracket removable in case the bench is located different in a future garage


To be continued...... in 1 min



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[quadrcr87]

And we’re back. Now with a clear plan I laid out the 2” tall plate with the gladiator hook. I am always grabbing random washers to mark out a .5” radius for the corners.


Ran a few beads and mounted it up. I’m really liking it. Having it removable will also make painting easier as I can tape off the rubber coating.

Holds the 50’ hose with plenty of room


Next up was mounting 14 tabs to attach the top to the frame. 14 may be overkill but it will help pull the slightly warped top into shape. It is also just particle board for spreading the load will help.

I called my wife out to help me flip this thing around at least 5 times today. She is a saint for helping as I’m still recovering from a broken rib.


I also got the shelf welded in and got the top fitted. I’ll wait to drill and rivet the aluminum until after paint.


Next up onto the drawer build....



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[quadrcr87]

Now onto the start of the drawer build. I wasn’t looking forward to this as I already cut 180 inches of sheet metal with a 4-1/2” grinder and a cutting disk and I’m not done cutting yet. It’s a good thing I learned to cut straight at a young age.

Trying out a couple layouts to settle on the size of 32”x16.5”x3”. It may collapse with all this **** but there is only one way to find out.
View attachment 1


Hoping to free up some space in the main toolbox



This 16 gauge cut really nice with a thin disk. The question remains is the sheet thick enough for the weight?

Rocking full PPE including ear muffs





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[quadrcr87]

Last step of the night was getting the slides tacked in place. I had to add a 1” tube to support the far end as the 2” piece was in the wrong spot.

Unfortunately these 12” slides don’t give me full access to the 16” drawer but I can live with it.


A nice clean pile of sheet ready to build a drawer tomorrow. Getting close to being ready to shoot some paint on this thing!



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[larry4406]

OP - Nice build and photos!

For future builds to minimize the tube pulling when welding do not weld across the face of a tube. Weld the two sides that run parallel to tube.

duc916 - I am having a hard time understanding this. Can you include a picture to better explain?

 

[quadrcr87]

Back In the garage this AM to build the drawer. Seemed like it took an eternity to fit the sheet metal parts and remove the mill scale. If there was an easy button for removing mill scale I would buy it. I finally settled on an 80 grit flapper wheel.

I used multiple welding magnets and verified with a square


For any experienced fabricators that are laughing at the Irwin quick clamp or my technique don’t worry you are laughing with me and not at me.


Got the drawer in place for a test fit. It’s just barely snug but it functions. The slides are still just tacked so I may spread them a 1/16” before final welding. The drawer front is just held in with magnets for now. Once I mount the slides to the drawer I’ll do a final measure and trim to give a nice even surround.





Off to the hardware store for some bolts....


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[sberry]

This has nice craft work. I might have been tempted to simly scource som bolts I could drill clean thru the tubing just to eliminate some work or shim it up and weld it on a little. Its not a bad thing, just lots more parts.
Normally when doing this as I might have shown in other pics I put the tube right on the top and put the filler in between, all the miter goes away and the joints are all hidden.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Nice looking bench and the quick clamp. Who cares, use what works and what you have. I've used pipe clamps before.

 

[quadrcr87]

Nice looking bench and the quick clamp. Who cares, use what works and what you have. I've used pipe clamps before.

Thanks I appreciate that. I have been following along on your garage thread and you do some great work. I was laughing about the quick clamp because I charred it. It was the only light clamp I had that was just enough to hold the sheet joints tight!


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[quadrcr87]

I got a lot done today and we are nearing the finish line.

The trip to the hardware store yielded some Allen bolts to countersink into the drawer slides. I really don’t understand the designers thinking when these were designed. Even after countersinking I still have contact with the slide mechanism making the drawer rough. This was only the beginning of my drawer issues today.


Before

After (later discovered still not enough)

A big mess for a small welding table. I am really missing my bench surface. Soon it will be back and better than ever!

Took a lot of playing with settings to get a decent weld on the drawer. Fortunately this was all ground flush.

By the end I get a solid consistent weld. I stitch welded 4” at a time alternating locations




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[quadrcr87]

While I was finishing the drawer I prepped the frame and got a coat of etching primer on it.



My wife and I were brainstorming a moto related drawer handle and came up with this from a YZ450. I drilled and tapped it for a 8-32 screw and used some aluminum tube as a stand off.



I sprayed the frame with Rustoleum Hammertone Grey


While watching the paint dry I drilled all 33 holes for the shelf rivets. In hindsight this may be a little overkill. 4” spacing just felt right.




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[quadrcr87]

After the paint dried I started assembling starting with the drawer. This is where the mess started. Once tightened the screws bind with the slide and to top it off my angle iron drawer brackets moved in final welding. It was a struggle to get the drawer in place sacrificing some blood in the process. I’ll have to make some changes but the drawer does slide with some encouragement. The left side doesn’t sit flush with the face either. It goes all the way in and then moved out 1/8”




The shelf on the other hand turned out exactly as I planned

The hose hanger put a smile on my face as well






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[quadrcr87]

In these last couple photos we can all pretend the bench is done and ignore the issues




Here is the remaining punch list:
-fix drawer slide screw issue (grind heads or deeper countersink)
-massage drawer brackets into alignment
- paint the rest of the drawer
- drill and rivet 29 more times
-screw the top to the base
-drill and mount the vice (1 bolt landed in the middle of tube)
-relay and have a beer




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[csp]

OP - Nice build and photos!



duc916 - I am having a hard time understanding this. Can you include a picture to better explain?

I thinks he's talking about the joint where the end of a tube meets the face of the longer tube. The inside fillet weld.

This video gives a good example of that being the last bead to lay.

 

[Bears Fan]

Awesome bench! I love the draw pull

 

[quadrcr87]

Awesome bench! I love the draw pull

Thanks I appreciate it. It ended up taking much longer than expected but it was worth it. Now I just need to fix the drawer issues to be happy with it. Thanks for checking it out.


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[quadrcr87]

I thinks he's talking about the joint where the end of a tube meets the face of the longer tube. The inside fillet weld.



This video gives a good example of that being the last bead to lay.

I could have used that video a few days ago. I’ll be doing some research and practice before the next project.


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