coldfoot_luke
Active member
About a year ago I posted a bench build, made from craftsman tool checks and 6x4's scavenged from the scrap pile at work, completed with door from habitat rebuild: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=222670
Ironically my garbage bench turned out a lot nicer than I thought and so it's been my staging and drawing bench, and I do my hammering/sawing/etc elsewhere. So, I thought I would be on the lookout for more salvageable stuff to make a second bench to beat up on.
My plant has been cleaning out storage areas, so I've gotten a flat file cabinet and two double-door cabinets before they were thrown away.
Here I've pulled out the drawers (eight total) from the drawing file cabinet to move it easier - walls must be about 3/16" thick, built like a tank. One of the double-door cabinets is behind it to the left.
Also scored plenty of 2x4's from uncrating a new production machine. Structurally the only new item is a 4x4 for the feet and legs. Started building a frame the other weekend:
Again, double-door cabinet in the background, doors removed convenience. The only wood that isn't salvaged is the 4x4 legs and feet.
The cabinets are 3/4" shorter than the file cabinet so I'm setting 3/4" plywood on top of the frame to raise the cabinets. The drawing file sits in between the plywood quite snugly, and I drilled four holes in all shared walls to bolt them together. After painting I'll join the cabinets to the frame with some bolt-on plates.
The overall length is roughly 106", depth is about 28". I'm going to make the top out of 2x10's and 2x6's, and they will rest directly on the cabinet tops. Each cabinet has four holes drilled into it, and the bottom side of the bench top will have threaded inserts to hold it all together.
Currently everything is painted, just waiting on the top, so I'll post some more progress pictures later on.
Ironically my garbage bench turned out a lot nicer than I thought and so it's been my staging and drawing bench, and I do my hammering/sawing/etc elsewhere. So, I thought I would be on the lookout for more salvageable stuff to make a second bench to beat up on.
My plant has been cleaning out storage areas, so I've gotten a flat file cabinet and two double-door cabinets before they were thrown away.
Here I've pulled out the drawers (eight total) from the drawing file cabinet to move it easier - walls must be about 3/16" thick, built like a tank. One of the double-door cabinets is behind it to the left.
Also scored plenty of 2x4's from uncrating a new production machine. Structurally the only new item is a 4x4 for the feet and legs. Started building a frame the other weekend:
Again, double-door cabinet in the background, doors removed convenience. The only wood that isn't salvaged is the 4x4 legs and feet.
The cabinets are 3/4" shorter than the file cabinet so I'm setting 3/4" plywood on top of the frame to raise the cabinets. The drawing file sits in between the plywood quite snugly, and I drilled four holes in all shared walls to bolt them together. After painting I'll join the cabinets to the frame with some bolt-on plates.
The overall length is roughly 106", depth is about 28". I'm going to make the top out of 2x10's and 2x6's, and they will rest directly on the cabinet tops. Each cabinet has four holes drilled into it, and the bottom side of the bench top will have threaded inserts to hold it all together.
Currently everything is painted, just waiting on the top, so I'll post some more progress pictures later on.
