Need help with designing a good looking workbench

[V-10 Killer]

I'm ready to start building my workbench, and need some ideas from the experts here. I've put a lot of work into making this place look really nice, and don't just want a 2x4 skeleton frame box sitting there. I don't weld, or grind, or pound on the workbench, and it doesn't need to support a transmission. Just something to set things on while I tinker with them. One side of the L-bench will be for my reloading equipment, and as an extension for my compound miter saw. The other for everything else half will be for everything else. I already know how to box in the top, and am covering it with BC pine, and then midnight black "coin pattern" commercial flooring.
Primarily, I need to figure out a way to frame in the legs/front where the shelves/doors are as clean as I can. Since it's a light duty bench, I thought about going legless and just using triangular bracing off the back wall. That would leave me open to put mini-refrigerators, garage cabinets, and the like under there. I'm open to any ideas at this point.

Thanks

 

[sharpshooter]

Im wanting some ideas myself. Im getting ready to start my garage fixing venture . the "legless" bench would look good and I have thought about that myself but you would be losing alot of shelf space aswell. goodluck with whichever you go with. Im gonna keep my eyes peeled for some more ideas aswell..

 

[Stuart in MN]

I think it's pretty hard to beat used kitchen cabinets. People are always remodeling their kitchens and tossing the old ones out, and you can paint or refinish them to match your garage decor. Build a sturdy top out of a couple layers of 3/4" plywood with a tempered hardboard top layer (that can be replaced down the road if it gets too beat up) and trim the edge of the plywood with 1x2s in your choice of wood.

 

[MDH9252]

Not sure how much $$ you want to spend...but butcher-block makes a really sharp (and durable) workbench top. Lumber Liquidators has them 12 feet long by 25" deep. I poly'd mine several times and painted the supporting lumber frame dark gray...looks pretty good when done. I think I paid a little over $300 for the 12" piece, the matching backsplash is around $50.

 

[67pete300]

I get the "Family Handyman" magazine and they had a great looking legless workbench design a while back. I don't have the issue off the top of my head but I have the magazine at home. They also had nice but simple rolling cabinets you could build to use under the legless bench if you wanted the flexibility of using that space for storage. The rolling cabinets were all set at a height to double as table saw or miter saw supports or extensions. They could also be used as rolling tool carts.

 

[dps]

You might consider a torsion box construction (also called floating shelf), which is very clean looking all the way around. It mounts only to the wall for maximum space below. Perhaps it could be constructed with a 2x6 rear cleat and 1x6 framing skinned with 3/4 ply above and 1/4 below. Assuming you can lag into the studs, this should be more than strong enough. If you still have open access to the studs you could design one that would easily be strong enough any amount of weight.

 

[mw_98]

I'm in the process of building a lightweight good looking workbench in my new garage. I bought 2 Seville 4 Drawer Storage Cabinets from Sam's club ( each cabinet has 4 drawers and a full height door with a shelf and they come with 5" wheels ). I then went to my local counter top distributer and found a nice piece of countertop that was on the the "seconds" rack. I now have a great looking bench with lots of storage and it can be moved if needed.

 

[atch]

look this over...

 

[JB740i]

I get the "Family Handyman" magazine and they had a great looking legless workbench design a while back. I don't have the issue off the top of my head but I have the magazine at home. They also had nice but simple rolling cabinets you could build to use under the legless bench if you wanted the flexibility of using that space for storage. The rolling cabinets were all set at a height to double as table saw or miter saw supports or extensions. They could also be used as rolling tool carts.

I used their 16' example for figuring out the measurements but only made it 8' long. It was one that had a miter saw section built in and a table saw on wheels that rolled out. It's also got a lift up "assembly table" they called it that I'm on the fence about whether I like it or not. Blocks the shelf below, but is valuable for a junk pile.

The absolute best feature though was the pull out drawers on the floor using casters. I'm 6'2" and added 4" to the height of the workbench. That made my pull out drawers 10" high. Big enough to lay jackstands down in, also with breaker bars, c-clamps and anything else I throw in there.

 

[Jaguar Fan]

I'm in the process of building a lightweight good looking workbench in my new garage. I bought 2 Seville 4 Drawer Storage Cabinets from Sam's club ( each cabinet has 4 drawers and a full height door with a shelf and they come with 5" wheels ). I then went to my local counter top distributer and found a nice piece of countertop that was on the the "seconds" rack. I now have a great looking bench with lots of storage and it can be moved if needed.

Hi. Can you post a couple pictures?

 

[V-10 Killer]

look this over...

Actually, I've been through that whole thread multiple times. That's where I got the idea to use the black commercial flooring for the work surface.

And everyone, thanks for the ideas. I'll let you know how this progresses. After the final backfilling/stonecrete/concrete approach, I'm almost at the financial limit of what I can pull off this year. The bench is cheap enough, but the storage/cabinets underneath could get a little costly. So if I get something built soon I'll post pics, if I can't I'll post as soon as I can.

 

[mw_98]

Jaguar Fan, Here is a picture of my workbench.

 

[Jaguar Fan]

Jaguar Fan, Here is a picture of my workbench.

Looks great! Thanks.

 

[Kevin54]

Check this thread out http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19036 Member Elmariachi posted pics of his cabinet build. Plywood and 1x's for the front stiles.