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Loose Ctrl

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Dec 21, 2014
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759
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Upstate SC
Quick question. What do you guys consider to be a standard workbench top width from front edge to back edge at the wall? I think 30 inches would be a good width.
 

Shiftless

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Mar 9, 2014
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East Bay SFO
Quick question. What do you guys consider to be a standard workbench top width from front edge to back edge at the wall? I think 30 inches would be a good width.

My main bench which is bolted to the back wall of my 20x20 garage is 30 inches deep by 7 feet long. I picked 30 inches because a car could still fit in with a bit of room to stand and work. Of course, for big projects, I back the car out of the way.
24 inches is more economical of materials if you are building from plywood. Just rip a sheet in half and double it up for a sturdy top.
But 30 inches gives more useable space to work. I originally had little parts bins lined up in the back to store fasteners etc. giving me an effective 24 inch deep workbench. But after I moved them to a wall, I realized that 30 inches deep was the way to go.
 
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Loose Ctrl

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Dec 21, 2014
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759
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Upstate SC
I agree 24 inches would save material but it isn't deep enough. I think 30 is more betterer and what I am used to working on. It will be a small WB in the corner of my 12x16 workshop. I'll mostly be using it for small engine and motorcycle repair stuff.
 

dittle fart around

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Joined
Jan 9, 2011
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Vancouver, Washington, USA
Quick question. What do you guys consider to be a standard workbench top width from front edge to back edge at the wall? I think 30 inches would be a good width.

The larger the flat surface the more stuff accumulates. Every flat surface in my garage has stuff on it.

30" makes it tough to get to the stuff on the wall behind the workbench, what with all that stuff on the workbench.

I think you should build a larger garage. :beer:
 

Kent_B

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Jul 4, 2013
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1,406
Location
MI
Dittle Fart's right. When I built mine I went a little nuts. 16' x 36". It collects all kindsa ****.
 

theundermount

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Jan 17, 2016
Messages
489
Location
ON
Quick question. What do you guys consider to be a standard workbench top width from front edge to back edge at the wall? I think 30 inches would be a good width.
mine is 2ft deep I did this just because I could rip a 4x8 sheet of ply in half and double it up, it's pretty decent but I do wish it was a tad bit wider sometimes when I get a lot of stuff going on

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk
 

rpcraft

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Aug 14, 2014
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Location
Waco
24 inchs is a good width if you are storing stuff on the walls but if you are going to use the back of the bench as a tool line-up then I would go with about 30 inches. I have pegboard in my garage but I don't put small tools on it, I put the large stuff that takes up a huge amount of space in my toolbox, or things that get seldom used for the most part, but I do have a couple of those holders for nut drivers and screwdrivers, and then I have about 6 nut drivers, and a couple of JIS and normal philips and straight slot screw drivers in the other openings.
 

Loose Ctrl

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Upstate SC
The larger the flat surface the more stuff accumulates. Every flat surface in my garage has stuff on it.

30" makes it tough to get to the stuff on the wall behind the workbench, what with all that stuff on the workbench.

I think you should build a larger garage. :beer:
I have that disease where I put stuff anywhere there's a flat surface instead of putting it away. :lol:





A larger shop is in the plans. 30x40 and if we move, 40x60. If I can turn one end into living quarters, 60x100. Who needs a house? :bounce:




mine is 2ft deep I did this just because I could rip a 4x8 sheet of ply in half and double it up, it's pretty decent but I do wish it was a tad bit wider sometimes when I get a lot of stuff going on

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk


That's my shelving plan. I worked on a 24 inch DIY bench and it felt too small.







24 inchs is a good width if you are storing stuff on the walls but if you are going to use the back of the bench as a tool line-up then I would go with about 30 inches. I have pegboard in my garage but I don't put small tools on it, I put the large stuff that takes up a huge amount of space in my toolbox, or things that get seldom used for the most part, but I do have a couple of those holders for nut drivers and screwdrivers, and then I have about 6 nut drivers, and a couple of JIS and normal philips and straight slot screw drivers in the other openings.


That is exactly what I do. When I have a project to work on, I get the tools I know I'll need and line them up across the back of the bench. This is the reason a prefer a bench with something like a backsplash (tool and part saver) built on, so I don't lose tools over the back. However, my little shop will have flat OSB walls so may not be a problem.



All of my tools get stored in their box, case, or back in the toolbox when I'm either done with the project(s) or done at the end of the day.
 

rpcraft

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You have to be vigilant with a combination of OCD to stave off the desire to just leave things out. I'm becoming more OCD as I age but even then it still piles up and then I clean up and have to start re-arranging things, lol.
 

Shiftless

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East Bay SFO
You have to be vigilant with a combination of OCD to stave off the desire to just leave things out. I'm becoming more OCD as I age but even then it still piles up and then I clean up and have to start re-arranging things, lol.

I agree with rpcraft. One thing I did was to go through my tool box drawers and get rid of duplicates and triplicates of tools or collectible tools that others might want.
I scored a second hand piece of IKEA solid wood butcher block countertop ($20) that had been used as a utility table for a family with little kids. I sanded it, applied a few coats of Varathane and laid it on top of my 40 year old workbench that has a dirty raw Masonite top. With a fresh clean work surface I got motivated to keep it cleared off and wiped clean.
I still have to take apart my underbench drawer units and drill holes to get bolts in to hold down my vise.
 

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rpcraft

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What I have done is set up a work space that folds down. I need to adjust it for my blast cabinet and sitting height to that now, but then I have another workbench that is on rollers, in fact I am making efforts to put all my stuff on casters, 2 in front that swivel every direction and then 2 in back that only go one direction, and then the front 2 also lock. It allows me to move everything where I want it and I'm trying to build upwards when possible, so I will have two tools on a work surface at a comfortable height and then storage below it. Anything that gets used infrequently and is larger I have put on some pegboard but once I get things more organized I am going to make a wall area that is about 4 x 8 that has french cleats, and then all the things like my vice, bench grinder, etc etc are going to get mounted on a cleat setup and then I can just move it all up as high as possible when not in use and just rotate tools around. I'm fighting for space and right now I have a top shell from a K5 taking up a huge chunk so once I get that sorted that area is going to graduate to holding another piece of equipment or two. My idea is at some point I am going to shove everything to one side of the garage and coat half the floor on one weekend, and then do the other half on the next weekend.
 

Magnum440d100

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Dec 2, 2018
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Indiana
This is what I have. It actually works great, but storage underneath is lacking. If the cabinet opening was a bit wider, if the shelves were a bit deeper, etc....

The pic is misleading because the cabinet underneath is pushed towards the front a bit. Makes it look deeper than it is....

I love the butcher block but it is starting to warp.

I’ll be changing to something different in the next couple of weeks.
 

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Loose Ctrl

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Upstate SC
You have to be vigilant with a combination of OCD to stave off the desire to just leave things out. I'm becoming more OCD as I age but even then it still piles up and then I clean up and have to start re-arranging things, lol.
I can't stand the thoughts of my tools being scattered about. I have to know right where everything is. When I was an auto tech I had everything laid out in my toolbox and only transferred what I needed to my service cart. I ate lunch most days sitting right beside my service cart or toolbox to make sure nobody messed up my set up. If something happened, and I went out for lunch, everything went right back into my toolbox and locked up. Back then, small lockable rolling tool carts, like the famous 5 drawer HF unit, were way out of my reach money wise. We didn't know about, or have, an HF around here in the late 80s to late 90s. I thought $800 for my three piece Snap-On set up was outrageous and I got it used/repo'd from our Snap-On guy.
 

Fishy66

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Jan 17, 2013
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115
Location
Bonita, CA
The larger the flat surface the more stuff accumulates. Every flat surface in my garage has stuff on it.

30" makes it tough to get to the stuff on the wall behind the workbench, what with all that stuff on the workbench.

I think you should build a larger garage. :beer:

We moved my mother in law this Summer and she would stack her **** on my workbench constantly. When we moved to this house I kept the old bench as a decoy bench (pictured right) so she would stay away from my new bench.

Has worked well so far. She piles stuff on the decoy every day.
45781149474_9e374f3905_b.jpg
[/url]4A6599B5-1F83-468C-80ED-685116BCB8CD_zpsumuogkjg by [/IMG] Garage by [/IMG]
 
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PhantomEB

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Medicine Hat, AB, Canuckistan
Finally clean enough to show more pics, complete with the ‘hidden’ beer fridge.

Can’t wait to get back to work and fill it with 96 beers!

Work bench probably gonna get another layer of 3/4” plywood as well the lower box which should make it all damn close in height, then I will shim up the welding table as well the parts washer when it gets a mobile base. I love having all my stuff with exception of work bench and air compressor movable.
 

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lowside67

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Sep 29, 2017
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Vancouver, BC
I've only been in this house for 5 weeks, so it is a work in progress, but here's my workbench after my toolboxes were delivered today.

-Mark
 

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dubcanuck1

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Jul 29, 2013
Messages
42
OK, it's been a while, but here are a few I made up.

Corner Bench. I'm going to make a fold-down "return" on the left side of it for collapsible workspace.

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The "big" benches. I tried to sell my house over the last year, but it didn't happen. In my rental, I needed "portable" benches, so I made these. By portable, I mean, technically, they can move. I had to dismantle them to move them into my c-can. I repurposed some industrial shelf uprights to make these. They do the job well.

20180520_161124.jpg


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Garage
 

Bob Heine

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Oct 24, 2009
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Dubcanuck1, both the corner bench and the "big" benches are really really nice. I assume you built the big ones as a place to work on the engines you have stored below.
 

dubcanuck1

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Jul 29, 2013
Messages
42
Yeah. I have 5-6 VR6's that I've collected over the years. I was going to do "batch work" on them, so built the benches to hold tons of weight as I didn't know how long I'd be in a rental situation. The next time I move (hopefully this summer), it'll make a nice and skookum workspace that doesn't require me modifying my landlord's garage.
 

AirForceVet

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Joined
Nov 6, 2015
Messages
26
Here was my workbench idea. I went with NewAge cabinets and work top.
layout%202_zpsrhz6aq3i.jpg



Here it is today. I'm glad I went with the red, I think it keeps everything a little brighter. I'm extremely happy with how it turned out.

IMG_20181229_171810_zpsfmpj76tn.jpg



IMG_20181229_171854_zps3qzc0wyt.jpg


I wanted a nice long work top. My previous workbench was tiny and was always overloaded with stuff.

IMG_20181229_171836_zpsiin9srrh.jpg
 

Lucid Moments

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Gainesville, Ga
Finally clean enough to show more pics, complete with the ‘hidden’ beer fridge.

Can’t wait to get back to work and fill it with 96 beers!

Work bench probably gonna get another layer of 3/4” plywood as well the lower box which should make it all damn close in height, then I will shim up the welding table as well the parts washer when it gets a mobile base. I love having all my stuff with exception of work bench and air compressor movable.

Shouldn't that be 99 beers?:beer:
 

Skiff Builder

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Jun 7, 2016
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Southern NJ Coast
Bench top was clean at start. This is what a good day of boat building looks like at 5:00pm.
No I did not clean up ....
 

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gr8smiles

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Nashville
Finally able to add mine here. Just built the garage as an addition to the house, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out. Thanks for all the wonderful ideas on this forum.
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Coloradical

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fastsvo

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Feb 23, 2014
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Finally able to add mine here. Just built the garage as an addition to the house, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out. Thanks for all the wonderful ideas on this forum.
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Looks great. Which color(s) of epoxy and flakes did you go with?

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
 

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MemoryCRX

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Mar 19, 2014
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69648d7c6015b7cc0aa6353b6b764a55.jpg

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Here’s mine, solid 2x4 top.
 

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Lt CHEG

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Feb 20, 2011
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511
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Upstate NY
Finally able to add mine here. Just built the garage as an addition to the house, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out. Thanks for all the wonderful ideas on this forum.
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First of all, I love it! Really nice work! Second, what kind of drawer system/cabinet is the one with the Stars and Stripes to the left of the US general cabs and to the right of the refrigerator? Thanks
 

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isuhunter

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Aug 27, 2011
Messages
532
Finally able to add mine here. Just built the garage as an addition to the house, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out. Thanks for all the wonderful ideas on this forum.
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Very nicely done!

Where did you get your table top?
 

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