Toolchests mounted in workbenches

[bagged89s10]

So I'm in process of building my garage workbench incorporating my old kitchen cabinets and my craftsman tool chest. I have a 5 drawer bottom which is 26.75" wide x 29" tall x 18.25" deep and a 5 drawer top chest with lift up top which is 26" wide x 20" tall x 16" deep. My plan is to use both to make a desk area and have the bench top flip up with the top of the top tool chest. Has anyone done this or have pictures of it done? If I had the funds no would go out and buy matching bottom chest but then I can't be as creative.

 

[DallasRusk]

Think about how many times you will have a project spread out all over the work area and then realize you need a tool in the box that requires you to flip up the work area.

That would get annoying fast.

 

[lksdrinker]

Think about how many times you will have a project spread out all over the work area and then realize you need a tool in the box that requires you to flip up the work area.

That would get annoying fast.

It is for this reason alone that the only things I keep in that top "drawer" of my box are things I rarely (if ever) need. I really wish that top area of my box was an actual drawer instead of the flip open top door.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

Not exactly what you want, but I stuck my old Waterloo in my bench.

 

[sublimate]

When the top is closed are the drawers locked so they can't open?
Most seem to do that.
I think you'd want to disable that feature somehow, which shouldn't be too hard.

 

[bagged89s10]

It is for this reason alone that the only things I keep in that top "drawer" of my box are things I rarely (if ever) need. I really wish that top area of my box was an actual drawer instead of the flip open top door.

Very true. The top of mine always just gets filled me old parts from projects and junk.

Think about how many times you will have a project spread out all over the work area and then realize you need a tool in the box that requires you to flip up the work area.

That would get annoying fast.

Yes but i'll have a 136" workbench total and won't store much necessities in the top. The top has always turned into a dumping ground of junk for me anyway. I just need to be able to open and close the top so I can lock it. Most of the time i will just open the top, open the drawers, then close the top so i can have access to all the drawers. The other option is to redo the locking mechanism so the top doesn't ever have to be opened. I was looking at way the bottom chest locks and it wouldn't take much to modify it.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I wouldn't incorporate both of them into the bench, I'd leave them stacked and place them beside the bench. I'd leave a gap between some bottom cabinets and put a top over them to form a desk area.

It'll yield something like this.


finished

 

[Garage Junky]

Not exactly what you want, but I stuck my old Waterloo in my bench.

Love that old Waterloo. I've become somewhat of a hoarder, I mean collector, of those old boxes.