Simple & Cheap Workbench

[speedminded]

Stopped by a local salvage building supply and found folding table tops for $3 each. They're 24" x 72" x 1 1/4" MDF with a laminate top and plastic edge protection. Didn't have a plan at that time but for the price it was worth picking up a few!

After a couple weeks of them sitting in the garage I sketched up a basic design and cut list.

(2) Table tops - $6
(8) 2x4's - $25
(4) Castors - $25
(All) Hardware - $25

Next step is to bolt my vice on one end and picked up a 12 pot power strip to mount to the face -- not too bad for $81!

 

[sleepy127]

I like the way it turned out. Hope that top turns out to durable.

 

[Greg5OH]

i dont liek paying 100 bucks for a work bench. I like your frame. My idea is goign to be to jsut glue and screw 2x4s together, then hand plane it to get it decently flatish. I liek the way yours turned out

 

[samdemo]

funny enough I built myself a cheap bench just the other day too(not as clean as the OP's workbench though).

I needed some extra space to rebuild a motorcycle engine so a cheap bench seemed like the way to go. I am planning on building a welding table pretty much exactly like this(30"x48"), so it was also a good way to figure out how the size would work in my somewhat limited space garage.

I found a desk on the side of the road and while the legs were useless the top was perfect. It wasn't till I got home and measured it that I found out it was 30"x48". So I drew a picture up in my head how I wanted it and went and bought eight 2x4's and a 24"x48" sheet of plywood for the shelf. Ended up working perfectly as I was left with two 6" scrap pieces of 2x4.

total cost was around $40??

 

[zkling]

Not to belittle your build, but those long cross braces across the top aren't being used in a good loading style. If you would have used a half lap like you did on the shorter cross braces, it would be better vs your current situation, which is probably a screw or like in shear and the tension perpendicular to the wood grain.

 

[speedminded]

I like the way it turned out. Hope that top turns out to durable.

It should be fine for what I'm using it for. If not, I do have an extra top. Also have a 7' long solid maple butcher block style top but last minute I decided to use the $3 top and save the maple for another project.

i dont liek paying 100 bucks for a work bench. I like your frame. My idea is goign to be to jsut glue and screw 2x4s together, then hand plane it to get it decently flatish. I liek the way yours turned out

Same here! Unless you find a good deal on a used work bench, $100 doesn't seem to get you much.

funny enough I built myself a cheap bench just the other day too(not as clean as the OP's workbench though).

I needed some extra space to rebuild a motorcycle engine so a cheap bench seemed like the way to go. I am planning on building a welding table pretty much exactly like this(30"x48"), so it was also a good way to figure out how the size would work in my somewhat limited space garage.

I found a desk on the side of the road and while the legs were useless the top was perfect. It wasn't till I got home and measured it that I found out it was 30"x48". So I drew a picture up in my head how I wanted it and went and bought eight 2x4's and a 24"x48" sheet of plywood for the shelf. Ended up working perfectly as I was left with two 6" scrap pieces of 2x4.

total cost was around $40??

Nice! I would have been at $40 if it wasn't for the castors and expensive screws! The biggest difference is I had some leftover exterior paint from another project -- it was a $35 gallon of deck paint I found at Home Depot premixed for $9. I used about 1/3 of it so should have tallied the $3 for paint in the original post!

Not to belittle your build, but those long cross braces across the top aren't being used in a good loading style. If you would have used a half lap like you did on the shorter cross braces, it would be better vs your current situation, which is probably a screw or like in shear and the tension perpendicular to the wood grain.

It's not the most ideal but instead of half-lapping I put in two long 'FastenMaster HeadLok' screws in each end. Complete overkill! The same goes for the cross brace the castors are bolted to. My goal was to build it without any end grain visible so went with the large screws instead of putting the braces underneath.