I don’t have a shop or anywhere to store this bench using a top mount or wall mount pegboard. It’ll have to stay in the house. Woman, nurse by trade, new to tools and repairing things myself. But I’m learning and accumulating as I go. I got this workbench that is adjustable height with option to use casters or rubber feet. Considering adding extra pegboard to this bench if you all feel it’s reasonable to do. I’ll need to be able to roll it out on the porch when I’m working on certain things, so will need to maintain ability to do that. I started out with a dewalt tstack and quickly filled it. My workspace is currently a fold out table on the porch or my dining table. Some of the things I’m storing/organizing: drills, impact driver, multiple dewalt battery chargers and batteries, staple guns, dremels, sanders, bits and attachments for all these, assorted screws, nails, brackets, etc. hand tools like saws, bolt cutters, tin snips, wrenches, screwdrivers, chisels, pliers, files, hammers, levels, tape measures, clamps, etc. plus some small pieces of scrap wood and shims. I have accumulated some basic tools, but no big stuff like saws (I wish). Some of these things can go in my tstacks and sit by the bench. Any and all suggestions and advice to optimize my bench and tools greatly appreciated.
First work bench. I’m inexperienced. Looking for suggestions and advice on optimizing this workbench.
- Thread starter mllrwd
- Start date
jayemm
Well-known member
Being right handed, one of the first things I would do is mount a swiveling bench vise on the right front corner. Mounted so that the fixed jaw overhangs the edge of the bench to allow clamping long items all the way down to the floor.
Shiftless
Well-known member
Welcome to GJ
For tool storage inside your house, I suggest finding an old file cabinet. The drawers are great for storing your larger tools and they don’t look so out of place in a furnished room. And if you go used, you don’t have to spend very much money at all. More cash to buy more tools right?
And I wouldn’t fasten pegboard onto a workbench that you roll through your house and out onto the porch.
For tool storage inside your house, I suggest finding an old file cabinet. The drawers are great for storing your larger tools and they don’t look so out of place in a furnished room. And if you go used, you don’t have to spend very much money at all. More cash to buy more tools right?
And I wouldn’t fasten pegboard onto a workbench that you roll through your house and out onto the porch.
Thank you! I will start looking for one!
Shiftless
Well-known member
Classic old made in the USA vises are a great addition to any workbench. Fixing up old ones make a great project and something that anyone can be proud of. But if you see my avatar, you might correctly assume that I am predjudiced.
Thank you. I have one 2-drawer filing cabinet I keep painting supplies in and it is great. I’ll look at the thrift store and habitat restore for a second one. And shelve the pegboard ideaWelcome to GJ
For tool storage inside your house, I suggest finding an old file cabinet. The drawers are great for storing your larger tools and they don’t look so out of place in a furnished room. And if you go used, you don’t have to spend very much money at all. More cash to buy more tools right?
And I wouldn’t fasten pegboard onto a workbench that you roll through your house and out onto the porch.
Could you give me a suggestion for a good one to look for? I don’t mind fixing an old one up at all.
Shiftless
Well-known member
I love guiding new members toward the acquisition of a classic old vise.
Don’t post your exact address but let us all know what town you live in or at least what major city you live near. I have found more than a few great old vises on Craigslist.
Florence Alabama
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
You always need power. Mount a power strip UNDERNEATH the bench but close to the front. It must be securely mounted as you will be pulling down on the cords to remove them. You can get away with computer power strips because even though youight have multiple items plugged in, you typically will not be using 1 or 2 at a time.
Shiftless
Well-known member
Here are 2 nice ones at fair prices that I found on your Craigslist.I don’t know how far you travel around in your area so the distances might be Ok or maybe too far. I’ll look over my collection and see if there are any that I could fit into a flat rate box and mail to you at a fair price.
Between these, I would recommend the Reed.
These seem to me to be too far away. If you see something on Facebook or somewhere, go ahead and send me a private message through GJ and I’ll give you my opinions. I have been collecting, restoring and selling vises for the past 10 years.
Between these, I would recommend the Reed.
These seem to me to be too far away. If you see something on Facebook or somewhere, go ahead and send me a private message through GJ and I’ll give you my opinions. I have been collecting, restoring and selling vises for the past 10 years.
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Thank you so much! The reed one looks awesome. I don’t go to Georgia often, but if you can’t find one of your own to sell me, I’ll consider the drive or maybe they could ship it. Even if you have to ship yours in a bigger box, shipping probably cheaper than gas to go get one.
Something like this work?
Attachments
Shiftless
Well-known member
$100-150
Shiftless
Well-known member
Got it!
Welcome to Garage Journal! This is a great site with lots of friendly, helpful members.
When I didn’t have a permanent shop, my setup time was inversely proportional to the amount of time I spent working on things. With that in mind, I’d keep things simple and organized and easily moved.
Tool rolls can be nice, they keep your tools organized and transport really well:
A parachute bag could be good for your fasteners and other small parts:
Consider taking on a new project involving a skill you haven’t done before. Great excuse to buy some more tools
and more Importantly, it will force you to learn something new. Something relatively simple, like raised garden beds or even some basic furniture. I like Rex Krueger for woodworking, he can be a bit zany but he makes great stuff with inexpensive hand tools.
Just a suggestion. Welcome again and hope you stay a while
When I didn’t have a permanent shop, my setup time was inversely proportional to the amount of time I spent working on things. With that in mind, I’d keep things simple and organized and easily moved.
Tool rolls can be nice, they keep your tools organized and transport really well:
A parachute bag could be good for your fasteners and other small parts:
Consider taking on a new project involving a skill you haven’t done before. Great excuse to buy some more tools
and more Importantly, it will force you to learn something new. Something relatively simple, like raised garden beds or even some basic furniture. I like Rex Krueger for woodworking, he can be a bit zany but he makes great stuff with inexpensive hand tools. Just a suggestion. Welcome again and hope you stay a while
driftpin
Well-known member
Congratulations on your purchase. I am an Amazon Prime member, and it has paid me back many times over, the cost to join. A good 'tool' idea is the Whole Earth Catalog, by Stewart Brand, whose sub-title was 'Access to Tools.' Amazon Prime does that. Often it can be overnight delivery, see below.
An example: while working on a project car (a Tr-Five Chevy) I got to a point where I needed to install an allen head screw for fastening a brake carrier bracket to convert the rear drum brakes to disc brakes. The alternative was to disassemble part of the suspension to get a traditional allen head socket onto the fastener. A quick trip to Amazon Prime and I found two solutions, both are ratcheting box-end wrenches, one is a Gearwrench, and the other is a chrome-vanadium Chinese (I assume) flex-head wrench. They are combination wrenches, where one end is a box end wrench, and the other end is an open-end wrench. Because I have Amazon Prime, I was able to get overnight delivery at no additional cost. That beats time on the phone trying to find the tool, or after stores are closed, still being able to shop. Another frustrating thing is finding it on the web at a tool retailer local to you, but when you arrive at the store, it's out of stock. The internet inventory was incorrect. You can try asking someone at the business, when you call, to 'put his/her hands on the item,' so when you drive across town to buy it, it's in-stock. Or, use your Amazon Prime, and get it overnight.
A short while after I finish this post, I'll be out in the garage, making the project move-along with my new tool acquisitions. I have a set of Gearwrench combination open-end/ratcheting box-end in both SAE (inch or Imperial) and in metric sizing. However they both start larger than 1/4 inch or the smallest metric size in my set is 8mm.
Access to tools is a good thing to keep in mind. The idea of re-purposing short file cabinets is a good one. A suggestion for being safety-minded, place anything heavy, or an accumulation of things which are heavy, at the bottom-back of the drawers. The lower drawer is best. If you stored that vise you're going to buy, before you install it on the workbench top, in the front of the top drawer of your file cabinet, when you fully-open the drawer, you might have the entire cabinet tip-forward, and if you're caught unawares, you might be hurt. Safety in the workplace!
One thing you should invest in if you don't already have one, is a full-face shield. You can get a rated one (one which meets industry/gov't. standards for resisting breakage/penetration) for probably $30, and that $30 will be one of the best purchases you make. Why? Because it saves you from facial trauma, like a broken Dremel cut-off blade or any rotary tool piece, from eye penetration. Always use eye protection!
You said you're a nurse, I'm retired from fire/rescue where I was a paramedic. For many years, (40+) I taught ACLS, BLS, PALS, and many other subjects to health care professionals. Avoiding mistakes in patient treatment was one of the parts of the courses, and how to do it in a non-confrontational way. If you're around someone who's doing something unsafe, while working on a project, suggest to them that they employ safe practices. If they ignore your suggestions, you tried to remind them and if they're hurt, time for 911.
Yes craigslist, facebook, Offer-Up, and other social media are resources for buying things like tools you may want/need.
If you do something that you believe is 'a good job,' you can post about it, and we can see your achievement. Pictures always help to convey the pride of workmanship.
Using the search function on here to see what you're facing was done by others to solve your problem is a good idea. Of course, you already saw the video on youtube recommended for you, another source of information. Don't be these guys, use your common sense, and if in-doubt, ask someone who can provide a knowledgeable answer.
An example: while working on a project car (a Tr-Five Chevy) I got to a point where I needed to install an allen head screw for fastening a brake carrier bracket to convert the rear drum brakes to disc brakes. The alternative was to disassemble part of the suspension to get a traditional allen head socket onto the fastener. A quick trip to Amazon Prime and I found two solutions, both are ratcheting box-end wrenches, one is a Gearwrench, and the other is a chrome-vanadium Chinese (I assume) flex-head wrench. They are combination wrenches, where one end is a box end wrench, and the other end is an open-end wrench. Because I have Amazon Prime, I was able to get overnight delivery at no additional cost. That beats time on the phone trying to find the tool, or after stores are closed, still being able to shop. Another frustrating thing is finding it on the web at a tool retailer local to you, but when you arrive at the store, it's out of stock. The internet inventory was incorrect. You can try asking someone at the business, when you call, to 'put his/her hands on the item,' so when you drive across town to buy it, it's in-stock. Or, use your Amazon Prime, and get it overnight.
A short while after I finish this post, I'll be out in the garage, making the project move-along with my new tool acquisitions. I have a set of Gearwrench combination open-end/ratcheting box-end in both SAE (inch or Imperial) and in metric sizing. However they both start larger than 1/4 inch or the smallest metric size in my set is 8mm.
Access to tools is a good thing to keep in mind. The idea of re-purposing short file cabinets is a good one. A suggestion for being safety-minded, place anything heavy, or an accumulation of things which are heavy, at the bottom-back of the drawers. The lower drawer is best. If you stored that vise you're going to buy, before you install it on the workbench top, in the front of the top drawer of your file cabinet, when you fully-open the drawer, you might have the entire cabinet tip-forward, and if you're caught unawares, you might be hurt. Safety in the workplace!
One thing you should invest in if you don't already have one, is a full-face shield. You can get a rated one (one which meets industry/gov't. standards for resisting breakage/penetration) for probably $30, and that $30 will be one of the best purchases you make. Why? Because it saves you from facial trauma, like a broken Dremel cut-off blade or any rotary tool piece, from eye penetration. Always use eye protection!
Lincoln Electric Face Shield K4924-1 - The Home Depot
The Lincoln Electric Face Shield is designed to protect a workers face when working with metal. Face protection allows workers to stare down workplace hazards with confidence. Plus, the Headgear unit features a multi-component comfort system, which includes 3 separate fit adjustments, and a soft...
www.homedepot.com
You said you're a nurse, I'm retired from fire/rescue where I was a paramedic. For many years, (40+) I taught ACLS, BLS, PALS, and many other subjects to health care professionals. Avoiding mistakes in patient treatment was one of the parts of the courses, and how to do it in a non-confrontational way. If you're around someone who's doing something unsafe, while working on a project, suggest to them that they employ safe practices. If they ignore your suggestions, you tried to remind them and if they're hurt, time for 911.
Yes craigslist, facebook, Offer-Up, and other social media are resources for buying things like tools you may want/need.
If you do something that you believe is 'a good job,' you can post about it, and we can see your achievement. Pictures always help to convey the pride of workmanship.
Using the search function on here to see what you're facing was done by others to solve your problem is a good idea. Of course, you already saw the video on youtube recommended for you, another source of information. Don't be these guys, use your common sense, and if in-doubt, ask someone who can provide a knowledgeable answer.
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CraigStu
Well-known member
I would not rule out pegboard completely. But look at several sources for the board itself and for the pegs. Go for thicker board and thicker wire hooks so they fit tightly in the holes. There are also steel pegboards w/ their own style of how the hook attaches to the board. You want hooks that don't fall off the board every other time you grab the tool. If you use hooks like this
or this
there will be little tendency for the tools to fall off while you roll outside. Look at L and HD and any other similar store. One thing to keep in mind is that you want a brand that is long term. Not every brand hook will fit every brand board.
or this
there will be little tendency for the tools to fall off while you roll outside. Look at L and HD and any other similar store. One thing to keep in mind is that you want a brand that is long term. Not every brand hook will fit every brand board.
CombatNinja
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2013
- Messages
- 1,456
Welcome to Garage Journal. As a nurse, you've been 'fixing' things vastly more complex than what you'll encounter on your workbench, that's for sure.
BD1
Well-known member
Under your circumstances, I would consider a clamp on vise. I have this one for my welding table for small stuff. It is super handy, easy on and for, and no holes for mounting needed. This will for everything you need to do. A mounted vise will only get in your way. I only have one vise mounted to one of my tables while the others are base mounted and free standing.
gahrajmahal
Well-known member
Hello and welcome to the board! I’m going to differ from other recommendations regarding a regular vise purchase for now. I’m going to assume you don’t have an indoor space for messy jobs like sawing and sanding by your mention of keeping the workbench portable. In my experience when I had a vise mounted to anything that wasn’t super heavy and stationary it wobbled around when I was cutting, wrenching or pounding on something in the vise. This I discovered when my big bench was moved and became my wife’s garage potting bench. I finally ended up making a very small vise platform that was bolted to the house!
Instead I’m going to recommend you purchase a Black and Decker workmate on the low cost end of the spectrum, or a more deluxe model. There are several great threads on the GJ about this item.
When I go away from home to work on friends and families houses I don’t have access to my vise or other “permanent “ tools, so I load up my 8’ long plastic folding table and my B&D Workmate along with a good selection of quick grip clamps. I can then clamp odd sized components and work on them. My big table works great for sawing, drilling and sanding. I don’t care if it gets drilled, cut or painted on and it keeps on working for me. As an example, working at my sons house, I refinished their bedroom door. I set up the table on the sunny side of the house (it was December) and I clamped the door to the slippery plastic table as I sanded, scrapped and pushed on the screwdriver removing hinges and knobs. Once finished smoothing and removing the finish, I stained and clear coated there on the table.
As far as your workbench I would add the pegboard and use it as an indoor organized workspace for your growing tool collection. To spice up a pegboard holding my battery chargers I cur up old pages I liked from life magazines and made a collage I enjoy looking at. The chargers are mounted on top obscuring some of the images, but it livens up my garage.
Instead I’m going to recommend you purchase a Black and Decker workmate on the low cost end of the spectrum, or a more deluxe model. There are several great threads on the GJ about this item.
When I go away from home to work on friends and families houses I don’t have access to my vise or other “permanent “ tools, so I load up my 8’ long plastic folding table and my B&D Workmate along with a good selection of quick grip clamps. I can then clamp odd sized components and work on them. My big table works great for sawing, drilling and sanding. I don’t care if it gets drilled, cut or painted on and it keeps on working for me. As an example, working at my sons house, I refinished their bedroom door. I set up the table on the sunny side of the house (it was December) and I clamped the door to the slippery plastic table as I sanded, scrapped and pushed on the screwdriver removing hinges and knobs. Once finished smoothing and removing the finish, I stained and clear coated there on the table.
As far as your workbench I would add the pegboard and use it as an indoor organized workspace for your growing tool collection. To spice up a pegboard holding my battery chargers I cur up old pages I liked from life magazines and made a collage I enjoy looking at. The chargers are mounted on top obscuring some of the images, but it livens up my garage.
kbuhagiar
Well-known member
Welcome aboard!
Facebook Marketplace and Nextdoor are also great sources for finding old filing cabinets, sometimes for free.
Good luck!
kbuhagiar
Well-known member
ez-duzit
Well-known member
Actually this is the type of vise you should look for, to start, one which leaves the benchtop completely clear. And a used rollaway cabinet for tool storage.
claymont
Well-known member
Since you're going to be moving it around, consider a mobile tool cart such as this one. It'll meet all your requirements.
YUKON 46 in. 9 Drawer Mobile Storage Cabinet with Solid Wood Top
Fav Onefour
Well-known member
Some great advice.
The style @claymont , linked is nice to use and mobile. Not sure how it would look in the living room. In my world it would be fine.
I have not used the specific benches in first post. I have used other benches with adjustable legs and attached accessories. Some of those buggers a wobbly as heck. In the end, they are harder to use for real projects. Friends have a variety of those things and most just accumulate stuff. The real work is done on another surface.
I get the idea of wanting to roll it around for projects. If you have space, try getting a solid bench for work and tool staging. I mention the space because it may stay in one location. Heck, you could use an old hutch with doors and drawers. Stash a work surface out on the porch and bring it in when you start doing nasty projects on the "bench". Many projects are just too messy to do indoors. Sawhorses or good, solid folding tables can go out on the porch when you do those projects.
The style @claymont , linked is nice to use and mobile. Not sure how it would look in the living room. In my world it would be fine.
I have not used the specific benches in first post. I have used other benches with adjustable legs and attached accessories. Some of those buggers a wobbly as heck. In the end, they are harder to use for real projects. Friends have a variety of those things and most just accumulate stuff. The real work is done on another surface.
I get the idea of wanting to roll it around for projects. If you have space, try getting a solid bench for work and tool staging. I mention the space because it may stay in one location. Heck, you could use an old hutch with doors and drawers. Stash a work surface out on the porch and bring it in when you start doing nasty projects on the "bench". Many projects are just too messy to do indoors. Sawhorses or good, solid folding tables can go out on the porch when you do those projects.
Buy a power strip that comes with USB ports; far easier to use than adding wall warts to a power strip.
Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Protector-Nuetsa-Extension-Outlets-Joules/dp/B09F2XPJ47/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Nessism
Well-known member
Harbor Freight Doyle 4" vice is a great deal. https://www.harborfreight.com/4-12-in-swivel-vise-with-anvil-and-pipe-jaws-57737.html
Where I work we have old vices all over the place, and while I like them fine, the Doyle is nicer than most...and brand new for cheap.
Where I work we have old vices all over the place, and while I like them fine, the Doyle is nicer than most...and brand new for cheap.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Overkill, but yes. Home Depot sells a pair for under $20
That one’s $20. I’ll run by HD and see what they have too. Thank you.
Nice! And cheaper too.Buy a power strip that comes with USB ports; far easier to use than adding wall warts to a power strip.
Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Protector-Nuetsa-Extension-Outlets-Joules/dp/B09F2XPJ47/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I love the roll up tool holders. Those would be great for my chisels and the like. I also found a bucket liner in that same brand line that fits in a regular bucket and has pockets to hold stuff your carrying around for a project. My mailman ain’t going to like me in the next couple weeks.Welcome to Garage Journal! This is a great site with lots of friendly, helpful members.
When I didn’t have a permanent shop, my setup time was inversely proportional to the amount of time I spent working on things. With that in mind, I’d keep things simple and organized and easily moved.
Tool rolls can be nice, they keep your tools organized and transport really well:
A parachute bag could be good for your fasteners and other small parts:
Consider taking on a new project involving a skill you haven’t done before. Great excuse to buy some more tools
Just a suggestion. Welcome again and hope you stay a while
Beautiful. I already bought that other work bench and got it assembled. If I can find room, I’d love to have something like this. Really like that harbor freight has inexpensive magnetic pieces you can add on to these units.Since you're going to be moving it around, consider a mobile tool cart such as this one. It'll meet all your requirements.
YUKON 46 in. 9 Drawer Mobile Storage Cabinet with Solid Wood Top
My old folding tables got me through a lot of projects. I love the harbor freight piece, wish I had room for it. I already bought and assembled the first bench I posted. So far all I’ve done on it is sort through my stray screws, nails, nuts, etc. so I don’t know how sturdy it’ll be when it comes to heavy stuff.Some great advice.
The style @claymont , linked is nice to use and mobile. Not sure how it would look in the living room. In my world it would be fine.
I have not used the specific benches in first post. I have used other benches with adjustable legs and attached accessories. Some of those buggers a wobbly as heck. In the end, they are harder to use for real projects. Friends have a variety of those things and most just accumulate stuff. The real work is done on another surface.
I get the idea of wanting to roll it around for projects. If you have space, try getting a solid bench for work and tool staging. I mention the space because it may stay in one location. Heck, you could use an old hutch with doors and drawers. Stash a work surface out on the porch and bring it in when you start doing nasty projects on the "bench". Many projects are just too messy to do indoors. Sawhorses or good, solid folding tables can go out on the porch when you do those projects.
mcardle1405
Member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2024
- Messages
- 6
I'd recommend getting one with drawers for storage.
That’s awesome. I like the idea of a vise platform. I do have a shed that got hit by a tree and broke the center beam, however, I do have a small still standing area in there I might could do something compact. The floor is dirt though, so it does get muddy in there at times.Hello and welcome to the board! I’m going to differ from other recommendations regarding a regular vise purchase for now. I’m going to assume you don’t have an indoor space for messy jobs like sawing and sanding by your mention of keeping the workbench portable. In my experience when I had a vise mounted to anything that wasn’t super heavy and stationary it wobbled around when I was cutting, wrenching or pounding on something in the vise. This I discovered when my big bench was moved and became my wife’s garage potting bench. I finally ended up making a very small vise platform that was bolted to the house!
Instead I’m going to recommend you purchase a Black and Decker workmate on the low cost end of the spectrum, or a more deluxe model. There are several great threads on the GJ about this item.
When I go away from home to work on friends and families houses I don’t have access to my vise or other “permanent “ tools, so I load up my 8’ long plastic folding table and my B&D Workmate along with a good selection of quick grip clamps. I can then clamp odd sized components and work on them. My big table works great for sawing, drilling and sanding. I don’t care if it gets drilled, cut or painted on and it keeps on working for me. As an example, working at my sons house, I refinished their bedroom door. I set up the table on the sunny side of the house (it was December) and I clamped the door to the slippery plastic table as I sanded, scrapped and pushed on the screwdriver removing hinges and knobs. Once finished smoothing and removing the finish, I stained and clear coated there on the table.
As far as your workbench I would add the pegboard and use it as an indoor organized workspace for your growing tool collection. To spice up a pegboard holding my battery chargers I cur up old pages I liked from life magazines and made a collage I enjoy looking at. The chargers are mounted on top obscuring some of the images, but it livens up my garage.
Thank you. Recovering open hearts has at least schooled me in wire management. They come out of the or and it takes a good 2 hours to get them all untangled hooked up and leveled. Little ocd about that.