How Much Bench Space Can You Get By With?

[Bull]

If I had a time machine and a bigger bank account, I'd go back and build a larger garage.

I use the back bay of a three-bay barn as my area for cabinets, equipment, workbench etc. It's not a large space. I currently have a steel-framed bench back there with a hardwood top. It's about 6' wide by maybe 3' deep. I also have an old tanker desk that I keep trying to find a space for, thinking that you can never have enough flat work area available.

I've been thinking about moving the desk out and putting it somewhere else. It would free up much needed floor space and reduce my sense of the area being cluttered. But then I'll only have that single 6' bench.

What are you guys able to get by with? And please, if you have a massive garage and 40' of linear work space, don't rub it in

 

[astroracer]

Re: How Much Bench Space Can You Get Away With?

I won't rub it in even though I do have a good sized shop with all kinds of flat "portable" work surfaces. I have a hard time keeping my "work surfaces" free of clutter and other projects. I find having a couple of good sawhorses and an old door work well for quick set up and teardown and many bigger projects get done on mine. The saw horses stack in the corner and the door gets stood up behind them when not in use. Also keeps the work surface from accumulating stuff...
Mark

 

[Craptain]

Re: How Much Bench Space Can You Get Away With?

What do I have? or what do I use?
I actually have about 25' X 30" of regular bench space plus about another 12 sq ft of additional movable space....... But I actually have about 10 sq ft of usable space, as I am not well organized/disciplined and have **** on every surface. Hell even my table saw is covered with stuff. All goes to prove that the 10 sq ft is all I really NEED. I also create an assembly table outside the shop if I need to put bigger stuff together. Actually I do have bench mounted drill, grinder, buffer and such so I don't actually count that as ****.

 

[Kevin54]

Re: How Much Bench Space Can You Get Away With?

I have a 22' bench albeit only 24' deep, and it is loaded up. Surface plate, arbor press, toolbox. The way my garage is laid out, I don't have room to put more or I would.

 

[sberry]

Re: How Much Bench Space Can You Get Away With?

I have a couple portables for stacking projects on, sitting a few tools but really can pretty much get by with "A bench" It doesn't have to be fancy or big. Ideally is to have a smaller one, 2x2 or so with a fixed vise.

 

[machine_punk]

Re: How Much Bench Space Can You Get Away With?

If I had my choice, I'd use something like this:

- 2 moveable heavy workbenches, approximately 28" x 48" (same height).
- 1 large, height adjustable bench (think motorized hospital bed frame, with double 3/4' plywood top) for assembly.
- 1 large, metal welding bench, approximately 4' x8', adjustable height.
- a couple of knee height benches/super saw horses with a pair of 6-8' torsion boxes.
- a couple of lightweight, moveable benches approx 24"x36", same height.
- I like to have a rolling tool tray too, to hold the few tools I am working with on a given project (I have a nice, rolling laptop stand I bought at a surplus sale).

Of course, all that would be, if I had my wishes...I don't have anywhere near the room for those benches right now.

Kev

 

[koditten]

Re: How Much Bench Space Can You Get Away With?

None. I have 2 roll around fab tables. I don't miss benches at all.

KO

 

[Zengineer]

Re: How Much Bench Space Can You Get Away With?

In my mind, roll-arounds have their place... but you need the "immovable object" bench once in a while. You know, the 2000lbs bench with a big vice that's attached to the earth and doesn't care if you hit something with a BFH.

 

[lotsoftools]

Re: How Much Bench Space Can You Get Away With?

Even when I had 25' of workbench only about 4' of it was available for use at any given time. Flat spaces always collect stuff in my shop. I'm down to 2 benches, each about 5' long. I can always make more work space with the saw horses if need be.

 

[Bull]

I have experienced that as well i.e. benches always become cluttered and you push just enough **** out of the way to work on what you need to in that moment.

I like the idea of the saw horses and solid wooden door to be stored away and brought out when needed for extra space. That's good. Although, if the door isn't bolted to the horses won't it be liable to move around and tip if loaded unevenly with a heavy part?

I'd like a metal bench so I can practice welding, but that would have to live outside under the overhang. I don't have enough room for specialized benches!

 

[Steevo]

I got by for years with a rolling steel cart that had a 30" x 36" top surface (you can see it in this recent pic of it in my attached garage). On that surface was clamped a vise and a drill press, leaving about half of it for "flat work area".

I wouldn't want to go back to that arrangement, but I did make it work for 10+ years while I saved my cash to build a shop.

 

[bobcatdan]

8' is absolute minimum, 12' is better. I have give or take 40' at work and I still run out.

 

[Cryptic1911]

We have 12' right now, and really have only had a couple feet of it usable at any one time for the past year. It's had all kinds of stuff on it, lots of woodworking, and tools on it. This weekend we finally cleaned up some in the garage, and got one whole bench clear, so now there's 6' of it free. Basically been working on the lid of a HF 4 drawer cart this whole time, lol.

 

[jsaw]

I like 2 or 3 feet of space. Other than that, all it does is collect clutter

 

[Strouty]

Bull,

I don't think it matters how much you have, flat space is like a magnet for stuff. I have lots of shelving and lots of flat surfaces, yet when I need to use a flat surface I can't find any to actually use. The tanker desks are neat, but they are awkward at best. I took mine apart and stacked the two side drawers on top of each other, made a pretty neat cabinet that was way more useful than the desk.

 

[Bull]

Bull,

I don't think it matters how much you have, flat space is like a magnet for stuff. I have lots of shelving and lots of flat surfaces, yet when I need to use a flat surface I can't find any to actually use. The tanker desks are neat, but they are awkward at best. I took mine apart and stacked the two side drawers on top of each other, made a pretty neat cabinet that was way more useful than the desk.

I hadn't even thought of seeing if I can use the components in their disassembled state. How long did it take you to take the desk apart?

 

[Rat Fink]

I have approx 4 feet of workbench space at my work and I comfortably work on anything from diesel engines, to full transmission overhauls. I plan on building a 9 or 10 foot workbench (thinking around 30" deep) and it's going to be more than plenty of space for anything I have to throw at it......but I am one of those people that keeps my tools in toolboxes and all the other **** stored away in cabinets.

 

[doug.j]

A set of nesting benches would be handy. Jamie from Mythbusters shows one in a video.

Its about 2 mins in.

 

[Ed Litsch]

I don't know what I'd do without my bench in my garage being as big as it is. It is 16 feet long. I have my microwave on it and all of my car magazines and my computer. I did mount a flat screen on the wall, so I got that off of my bench. I have my soups, vegetables and other canned goods in a cabinet above the microwave. I'll only do clean projects on my workbench. I don't want to get it dirty. I freak out if I spill food on it because I don't want it stained. I am thinking about making another drop down bench that tucks against the wall on the other side of the garage. That way I could use it for a bed.......... I have another shop where I do most of my work. That one I do my dirty projects in. It has my table saw and all of my tools. The bench in there is about 4 feet long with a vice, belt sander and a chop saw. But the bench in my garage? I keep it pretty clean because I eat there every day.

 

[astroracer]

I have experienced that as well i.e. benches always become cluttered and you push just enough **** out of the way to work on what you need to in that moment.

I like the idea of the saw horses and solid wooden door to be stored away and brought out when needed for extra space. That's good. Although, if the door isn't bolted to the horses won't it be liable to move around and tip if loaded unevenly with a heavy part?

I'd like a metal bench so I can practice welding, but that would have to live outside under the overhang. I don't have enough room for specialized benches!

Hey Bull,
Never had a problem with tipping. If you do, run a couple deck screws through the door into the sawhorses (mine have 2 x 4 tops screwed to them).
The welding bench is as easy as the sawhorse bench. Keep a 24 x 36 inch piece of 1/4 in plate standing behind the door. Easy enough to toss it on the sawhorses when you need to "make daylight".
Mark

 

[Bull]

Well, after considering some of the replies in this thread I decided to disassemble my old tanker desk and store it in my other barn. That frees up a nice chunk of floor space.

 

[shooting4life]

I have a 15 foot long by 3 foot deep bench. I like the space, when working on projects I like to spread stuff out. Though I have to be mindfull not to use the front 2/3's for storage, the ench was built very deep so I can use the back 1/3 for permanent storage. Just spend 20 minutes a week putting stuff away and I am gtg.

 

[Falcon67]

Kelly's Rule of Available Work Surface:
If Z represents total available work surface, over time net available work surface will be reduced to near Z(.1). During periods of increased activity or general shop sloth, this may reduce to < Z(.1) and may well go negative. Total available work surface may be increased by purchase or construction at any time to yield greater available space but passage of time will reduce all net surface area to near Z(.1).

Not rubbing by any means - I have 57.8 sq/ft of "bench". Looking around the shop, Z(.1) looks a little generous in regard to net available open surface.

 

[gpalmer77]

Current basement shop has a 10' x 30" bench against the wall, and a door-sized (because its a door) center bench. Garage will have a workshop upstairs when finished, not sure on how much bench space yet.

I already clutter up the benches in the basement, but when it is clear and stuff is on the shelves, it is good working space. I love having the center bench, thinking of getting a bench with locking wheels that I can wheel out into the middle of the garage workshop, or move against a wall for more floor space.

 

[MScott]

As others have mentioned, it really doesn't matter how much bench space you have if you allow it to be cluttered. The key is to decide what the largest project you are likely to work on, build your bench to that size and be extremely diligent in cleaning the bench off every time you finish or pause a project. You will need sufficient shelves, cabinets or drawers to move the project to for storage so your bench is clear.
This sounds easy. I wish it actually was. I'm as guilty as everyone else in using every available horizontal surface as storage area, but I keep trying.