Not nearly as monterous, glamerous or flawless in execution as most benches in this thread, however it is stout and serves the purpose extremely well.
I built it in 2007 and it looks as good now as when I first built it, even though it has been in my fathers auto repair shop.
I built the frame out of scraps/drops from my place of employment at the time.
I inquired about building a bench out of a plate (it was a drop from a job years ago) they had which was sitting there since I started a couple years prior. I gave the list of the materials I needed (made with what I could find that they had in stock in the "drops" section) and they told me if I bought the top and used drops for the rest, I could just have everything else and use their shop & welder to assemble it. It was 1/4" thick wear resistant hardened steel plate, which they claimed was $800 for the full sheet, They charged me $165.82 out the door and I was happy as a clam.
I threw together a quick plan, gathered up the stock, measured everything, cut it all to spec, and welded it all up. which took me about 4 hours to complete.
The frame is all 2" x 2" x 1/8" angle and the legs are 1" x 1" x 1/8" square stock. The frame stands securely by itself as the top is not part of the structure.
The bench measures 44"W x 24"D x 35"H (at the table surface; this was as large as I could make the top and have the side be parallel). Overall height is 38" as it has a 3" border around the back that comes partially up the sides to keep stray fluids, bolts, nuts, washers, springs, clips, parts, ... from being lost forever.
I do have another piece of angle that goes across the front on the bottom along with a 3/16" piece of mild steel plate that I use as a bottom shelf when/if I do not have a V8 shortblock or transmission assembly hiding under the bench.
Here is the basic assembly from material pile to completed work bench...
Materials (minus top):
One side completed:
Both sides completed:
Laid down with the back attached (looking at it from the 'top'):
Standing upright:
Center brace added to top structure:
Angled front supports added for rigidity when the bottom shelf assembly is removed:
The "dirty" top installed:
Completed bench (before being cleaned up and wiped down with ATF to look slightly better; I also have another piece of angle that goes across the front on the bottom along with a 3/16" piece of mild steel plate that I use as a bottom shelf when/if I do not have a V8 shortblock or transmission assembly hiding under the bench.):
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