Hey guys, what're your thoughts on a corner bench vs a straight bench (across the back or side wall)? I put a corner bench in my old shop but it seemed like the corner area was just kinda wasted space.
Yay? Nay? Any pics of what you guys like to work with/on?
Thanks!
You should build what will work best for you and your type of hobby. There are a lot of nice benches posted here and the builders should be justifyably proud of their results. In my case, I need workbenches that are functional and strong. I need to be able to set heavy dirty things on them and weld grind and pound to my hearts content. Since your avatar shows a bunch of rods, I assume you fool with motors and old cars too.
My benches aren't pretty, but they are strong and extremely function friendly.
The old gray bench was built over 30 years ago from 2x6s and then boxed in with some doors. Holds a lot of stuff. Got a Stainless steel top at an auction and put it on there for working on dirty and greasy engines and stuff. Wipes right up when I'm done. Handy for paint mixing too, as I spill things.
Later I added the builtin engine stand. It goes completely through the bench for strength. Can be removed when not needed. Put a small I beam overhead that makes raising engines or anything an easy task.
The old roll around Craftsman bench was $75 off Craigslist. Got tired of always having a standard wrench and needing a metric. I built the pegboard with some steel braces behind it and then drilled and tapped them for 5/16 threads. The wrenches are arranged in ascending size no matter whether they are metric or standard. Got the wrong wrench...2 steps,put it on the pegboard and grab the one right next to it. Works great when I'm using my 2 post lift. Need a different socket...look at the wrenches and see what the next larger one is. I could buy a beautiful Snap-On box if I wanted to, but then I'd worry about scratches and dents and keeping things perfectly organized. This way I usually have several different wrenches of every size hanging on the pegboard, and I don't care what brand they are. I can roll it anywhere I need it, even outside. Much better than any high zoot box.
The thing is that there are many ways to make workbenches. I have a lot of other benches in my shop besides the ones posted. The pallet rack workbenches can be built with 10' or 12' crossbars and make a really nice workbench with lots of storage space that would go unused. Check out any local auctions, especially industrial auctions for used racking at affordable prices. The thing you want to do is decide what will work best for you and how can you make it do more than just be a bench.
