Built Me A Workbench

[strnge]

I looked at everyone's workbenches here and came up with my own idea. It was the first one I have ever built. I made the height due to the fact that I am 6'3" in case you are wondering. I determined the height of the shelf by looking at what I needed to store on and under it.

8 Feet long

42 Inches tall

35 Inches wide


Started with this:

And this:

My girls wanted to help:

Final outcome:

This thing is SOLID!!!!!!!!! It weighs a ton!!!

 

[Scout Driver]

Great work! It really does look solid!

Scott

 

[babzog]

Looks great!

 

[John Timmins]

Nice clean 4x4s. Around here it's not easy to find them that are not pressure treated.
When those girls are grandmothers that workbench will still be around!

 

[logical]

You might want to cut some squares of old mudflap or something and put them under each leg to keep that untreated wood from wicking moisture out of the floor....but looks like a nice strong bench.

 

[Johnnie]

That looks great. Currently I have an old crib that is taking the spot of my workbench that I plan on building. I want to make it just like yours except on the bottom shelf on either side I want to install on sliding shelf.

 

[volvo]

..
Well done...I like the shelf being flush...Little helpers can make all the difference.

 

[rickey1013]

Nice used the 4x4 legs myself sturdy and not going anywhere.

 

[DzNuts]

That is one tall bench. And you can't beat some good help!!

 

[Shocker]

Should move this to the workbench sticky so it doesn't get lost.

 

[gary300]

Now put some electrical outlets above the bench, add a good bench vice and you are all set!
Bench looks a lot like the one I built (42" tall because I am 6'4") except I used doubled up 2x4's instead of the 4x4.

 

[LoneGunman]

Nice bench and beautiful girls.

 

[Teken]

I'm going to ask a silly Q here please bare with me. For the second shelf where the four post meet, is it just the angle the picture was taken or did you in fact cut out a perfect square so those beams went threw there?

Unless you simply cut out a square at the end and the legs simply hug against it, please clarify with close up pictures . .

 

[metal1313]

looks like he drilled a few holes and cut out the square for the leg..i like it, and it reminds me i need to buy bolts for mine

 

[TONE]

Tek..........

I see what youre talking about and understand your question.

Its hard to tell if he did that in the pix. Kinda fuzzy.

I did do that once, and boy was it a pain in da rump!!!!!

I'm going to ask a silly Q here please bare with me. For the second shelf where the four post meet, is it just the angle the picture was taken or did you in fact cut out a perfect square so those beams went threw there?

Unless you simply cut out a square at the end and the legs simply hug against it, please clarify with close up pictures . .

 

[Teken]

Tek..........

I see what youre talking about and understand your question.

Its hard to tell if he did that in the pix. Kinda fuzzy.

I did do that once, and boy was it a pain in da rump!!!!!

Because if he did, and you did, that has to be the most accurate cut I have ever seen for a make it yourself bench . .

 

[vbnash]

Nice and solid. Now you can get a vise and grinder.

 

[TONE]

Tek.........

When I built my bench I framed it out very close to this one. I took the plywood and made little templates of the 4x4 posts.

Just traced them on the plywood. Drilled holes in the corners and jigsawed them out.

I had to pound the plywood down the bench posts. Posts where not exactly square and true.

Once I got it near where I wanted it I build the second shelf, then dropped the plywood onto it.

Worked good, looked good but was sorta a pain.

Because if he did, and you did, that has to be the most accurate cut I have ever seen for a make it yourself bench . .

 

[Crash913]

I am planning on thieving this design and I was wondering if two more legs bracing the center would be overkill?

 

[Mike in Ohio]

Great looking bench!! Help from short people is always a lot of fun. Job takes 1/2 again as long and is 4 times as enjoyable to do.

 

[rikmeister]

wow you made those two little kids build your work bench. hehehe. just kidding. nice bench. enjoy enjoy .

 

[sirsloop]

Damn... I just tore out the pathetic excuse for a work bench the previous owner put in my garage. I'm gonna build myself TWO of those! HA!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Nice looking work bench. It's great you're starting your daughter's out right. lol

 

[e-tek]

At the risk of making this all about your daughters.....Now I REALLY wish I had girls! My 2 boys would have either hit eachother with the hammer - or me!

 

[sirsloop]

nice blimp... there... estrogen adverted.

 

[strnge]

Now put some electrical outlets above the bench, add a good bench vice and you are all set!

I have 3 vises to choose from:

Which one should I mount?

I am mounting the electrical outlet strip tomorrow.

Mike

 

[strnge]

I'm going to ask a silly Q here please bare with me. For the second shelf where the four post meet, is it just the angle the picture was taken or did you in fact cut out a perfect square so those beams went threw there?

Unless you simply cut out a square at the end and the legs simply hug against it, please clarify with close up pictures . .

Too much work to do that. I used the cut out sections and cut them again to fit around the 4X4's. Perfect match.

Mike

 

[strnge]

I am planning on thieving this design and I was wondering if two more legs bracing the center would be overkill?

No need. I cross braced the underside of the top and the shelf every 16 inches.

Mike

 

[strnge]

Nice and solid. Now you can get a vise and grinder.

I will keep my grinder off the bench. I like it on a single stand so I can move it outside.

Mike

 

[strnge]

At the risk of making this all about your daughters.....Now I REALLY wish I had girls! My 2 boys would have either hit eachother with the hammer - or me!

 

[strnge]

Thanks everyone for the compliments.

 

[R6 Racer]

I am planning on thieving this design and I was wondering if two more legs bracing the center would be overkill?

VAS IS DIS ... Overtkeel ting u spek uf?

 

[Crash913]

VAS IS DIS ... Overtkeel ting u spek uf?

Foolish I know

 

[babzog]

I have 3 vises to choose from:

Which one should I mount?

I am mounting the electrical outlet strip tomorrow.

Mike

I'd use that big beast on the R hand side... looks like it has an anvil plus it's adjustable.

When I built mine, I put electrical outlets along the front of the bench (idea stolen from this site). Nice to plug in and not have cords dangling over the bench,

 

[jwhcars]

Nice job you did on building your bench and taking the time to allow the girls to help....you have made more than a bench ....you made a memory.

 

[akdiesel]

I would choose the Wilton but do you have the bottom base for it as well, not sure it would work with out it.

 

[gary300]

I have 3 vises to choose from:

Which one should I mount?

I am mounting the electrical outlet strip tomorrow.

Mike

I like the one on the right the best. From what I can see in the photo, it has the widest jaws and the heaviest handle. Be sure to use all of the mounting bolts. Yep, the grinder is better on a stand alone stand, a lot easier to move around when grinding on a large object.

 

[rrudd2]

A piece of fatherly advice...

Do yourself a favor and get this print enlarged and framed, and hang it in your shop. It'll serve you as well as that workbench will.

Seems like just last week, my daughters were 7 and 4. The oldest turns 22 tomorrow. Time flies. Savor and save the moments whenever you can!

 

[volvo]

..
Hey..DAD...... How about getting those little helpers their own shop aprons from HD and a starter tool kit to help out dear old DAD.

 

[strnge]

..
Hey..DAD...... How about getting those little helpers their own shop aprons from HD and a starter tool kit to help out dear old DAD.

Sounds like a great idea. Daily they have been asking me to build something else with them.