I'm a newb! Since I can't find examples of what I am thinking of doing anywhere on the internet I decided to ignore the obvious answer (it shouldn't be done!!) and search out some real people. I'd like to build a wall mounted workbench about 10' long and 24" deep. I want it to be as sturdy as possible but I don't want to spend more than a couple hundred bucks. My garage is drywalled over studs spaced at 16" apart. I was thinking of buying 4-6 Knape and Vogt 20" heavy duty shelf brackets and anchoring them to the studs through a couple 1X6" headers with 3" lag screws. I haven't decided on the bench top yet but I'm thinking either a couple 1" panels of MDF or 3/4" inch plywood and MDF on top. I'm interested in hearing any concerns about this and maybe some advice on securing the separate top pieces. I like the idea of securing the brackets to the plywood from underneath with 1/2" screws and then screws through the plywood into the MDF so that I can remove them for a new piece of MDF when it gets beat up.
Wall mounted work bench??
- Thread starter Picasso
- Start date
start here. welcome, don't get overwhelmed looking at ideas 
goodboy
Well-known member
My bench is mounted to the wall...
I started with 2x6 ledger board screwed to the studs then built from that...
I don't understand why you want to use hangars to fix the bench top... I can't think of any brackets that would be strong enough to support a workbenches at 24'' deep... I could be wrong but bracing to the floor would almost be mandatory I would think...
I started with 2x6 ledger board screwed to the studs then built from that...
I don't understand why you want to use hangars to fix the bench top... I can't think of any brackets that would be strong enough to support a workbenches at 24'' deep... I could be wrong but bracing to the floor would almost be mandatory I would think...
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goodboy
Well-known member
A very long workbenches thread... that I read after I did mine lol... lots of great ideas
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=464
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=464
That looks really good/awesome. What metal and what gauge did you use for covering the top?
goodboy
Well-known member
I used hot rolled steel that I had bent for me at a local fab shop... I can't remember the gauge but its about 1/8'' thick.
I then used vinegar to strip the scale off... and took my orbital sander to it... turned out great... but if left untreated a cold beer will leave rust Mark's lol... wd40 works to keep it clean
I then used vinegar to strip the scale off... and took my orbital sander to it... turned out great... but if left untreated a cold beer will leave rust Mark's lol... wd40 works to keep it clean
I wall-mounted mine. 2x4's lagged into the studs plus "legs" going diagonally from the front of the bench to the floor at the wall, and screwed to the studs. My basement gets wet sometimes, so I put a couple of glazed tiles under them. Very sturdy and no barking shins or stubbing toes on the legs! I later added a full-length shelf about halfway up and a foot back from the front of the bench, again resting on 2x4's lagged to the studs and the diagonal legs.
I cribbed that idea from my father. Genius.
I cribbed that idea from my father. Genius.
Joe Reed
Well-known member
I built mine while my current house was being finished so it would be ready to install as soon as we started to move in. It's only 6' long x 24" deep. and fits into a corner....so 2 sides meet the wall. I simply made a perimeter frame out of 2x4s with a few "joists" across the center. That frame is lagged into the studs. The one corner away from the wall is supported by a 4x4 post. The top is 3/4" wood, that I eventually covered with masonite as a wearing surface that can be easily swapped out. Depending on how you use the bench that'll last quite a while....or you can cover it with something more durable...
Sparkynutz
Well-known member
Love the storage up top. Slide by doors? Any info on how those were built?
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goodboy
Well-known member
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glentre
Well-known member
mdf will give you a good flat surface but it doesn't like water or any liquid that will seep into it. It will swell and expand wherever water enters it, especially at the edges. A good water proof sealer or paint is advisable if using mdf for a top surface. Also, mdf and plywood if attached firmly together will expand and contract differently with changes in humidity. The result will be warping of the finished top. You might be better off with a plywood bottom with a 1/8" hardboard top surface just tacked on the top to counteract the warping and to give you ease of replacement when it gets beat up. Might also consider a particleboard bottom which is more stable than plywood and comes in thicknesses up to 1 3/16".
Glen
Glen
The 20” Knape and Vogt brackets have a weight limit of 500lbs each. I figure 4-6 of them, anchored properly, should be sufficient for what I’ll be using it for; simple home repairs and tinkering as well as just a horszontal surface to put things temporarily.
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I hadn’t thought about a thin hardwood but I like the idea of that over plywood rather than particle board due to strength.
lakelandcat
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French cleats, then you can take it down if you want.
PhysicsDude
Well-known member
My electronics bench is built exactly the way you described in the first post: 1" MDF with 20" heavy duty shelf brackets. It works well, my main goal was to be able to access any part of the bench with a rolling desk chair, but I don't do anything heavy-duty on it - just electronics work and the like.
Securing the wood to the brackets isn't a big deal... the wood top (especially MDF) is heavy enough it doesn't really move. I just put a few small 1/2" screws to keep it in place.
Securing the wood to the brackets isn't a big deal... the wood top (especially MDF) is heavy enough it doesn't really move. I just put a few small 1/2" screws to keep it in place.
crewchief888
Well-known member
i dont have any of my benches secured to the floor or walls.
woodworking bench and reloading bench are both in the basement, and heavy enough they dont move at all.
i have a small "area" (repurposed wood table/bench) in the garage to work at. ive moved it around, and cut it down, several times over the years to "fit" in the space available. it started out 4' D x 8' W, and it's now approx 36" square.
woodworking bench and reloading bench are both in the basement, and heavy enough they dont move at all.
i have a small "area" (repurposed wood table/bench) in the garage to work at. ive moved it around, and cut it down, several times over the years to "fit" in the space available. it started out 4' D x 8' W, and it's now approx 36" square.