Workbench frame kit

[TheWorkerman]

Hey!

First post on Garage Journal! I've been lurking in the forums for some time now...gathering intel and just generally ease dropping...but I'm ready to contribute!

So I just recently purchased a house with a single car garage that will hopefully become my workshop soon. It's pretty small. I've been looking at workbench solutions...and while I would love to buy a slick rolling tool cabinet/worktop...I just don't have the money.

I came across this http://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/workbenches/xtreme-garage-adjustable-workbench-frame-kit/p-1469455-c-9442.htm last night. PRO - extendable surface area from 56" to 92" ...CON...only rated for like 500lbs! I'm mostly going to just be doing some wood working and using it for other small projects around the house. Does anyone have any experience with this type of workbench? Looks like I would just need to add a top to it and I'm good to go?

 

[mayday0017]

Wow looks like really good price, wish we had one of those stores around here.... Pick that up and then go to IKEA and pick up the butcher block top they sell there and you have a VERY nice bench for roughly $100

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80145749/

 

[TheWorkerman]

Perfect top solution! Great idea Mayday. I just may end up doing that and post some results.

 

[Tjc]

Build your own, Ain't to hard... and cheaper

 

[KEH]

Must be very thin angle iron to hold up only 500 pounds. The Ikea top mentioned by Mayday would add some strength.

I don't like it not having at least one cross piece in the top frame. Not to worry, you could buy or better scrounge angle iron and make cross pieces. Saw to length with hack saw, drill appropriate holes. I would saw off short pieces as long as the angle iron is long, attach to cross piece at right angles with 2 bolts, attach to long pieces with 2 more bolts. This on each end of cross piece, total of 8 bolts per cross piece.

Not satisfied with the 500 pounds capacity? Get 2 long pieces of angle iron and attach to legs under the existing top pieces.

Yeah, price is good, I wouldn't build one for that.

KEH

 

[Ray-CA]

I would take a look here; http://www.strongtie.com/DIY/projects.html#shelves for ideas. You would get a lot more weight holding capacity (and it would be easy to modify) if you needed to. Build it to the size you need.

Ray

 

[TheWorkerman]

Just ran to the local Menards carrying the table...only 1 left! The display model felt pretty solid. Slight wobble, but not bad. Angle iron wasn't flimsy, but I do think adding cross pieces like KEH suggested would add to the support strength. I'll pick up the top later this week and see how she goes together.

 

[miketoo2]

Have always heard good things of this DIY type bench. And holds more than 500lbs

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0030T1BRE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[jeb1978]

I built a few benches using the plans from hammerzone

http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/workshop/bench/below20xl.html

Inexpensive and works very well. Pretty sure you can do for less than $60 worth of lumber... although it might be more than the $20 he quotes.

 

[Coach James]

How much does the Menards thing cost? I built one of my benches from 2x4s and 2x6s. It was simple to do, relatively cheap and it is strong as can be. When I finished, I stood on top of it and jumped up and down and it never budged. I weigh ~ 230lbs so I figured that was a pretty strong bench. Another plus to building one is I was able to build it to exactly the height I wanted.

Coach

 

[TheWorkerman]

The Menards bench was $59 (top not included). I kinda like the idea of the butcherblock top from Ikea. I thought about building one, but the metal ones just look a little nicer to me, and I don't have any metal fabrication skills.

 

[srmofo]

if you get it home and find that it is kind of flimsy (which honestly it probably will be for $59), you can add a sheet of ply or osb to the back and sides to stiffen it up. 1/4 would probably be enough, but 3/8 or 7/16 would be better

 

[dandan111]

Build the bench off the wall and get a cheap roller cab for under it. For cheap you could have it all decked out. I used 3/4 plywood for my top,thought I would cover it in the future with something nicer. I'm still using it as is I like it.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/77941408@N02/7262483784/" title="bench by [email protected], on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8141/7262483784_f2c29f4b13.jpg" width="500" height="282" alt="bench"></a>

 

[NewShockerGuy]

Build the bench off the wall and get a cheap roller cab for under it. For cheap you could have it all decked out. I used 3/4 plywood for my top,thought I would cover it in the future with something nicer. I'm still using it as is I like it.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/77941408@N02/7262483784/" title="bench by [email protected], on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8141/7262483784_f2c29f4b13.jpg" width="500" height="282" alt="bench"></a>

How did you do this???

This is perfect for my basement!! Details!

Thanks,
-Nigel

 

[JimVonBaden]

Probably something like this:

Only upside down.

Jim

 

[dandan111]

Find the studs with a studs with a stud finder,mark them,screw 2*4 to the wall with deck screws. Build a box off of that screw legs on(treated if on concrete). Add stringers for top to sit on. My shelf is a after thought and not a great looking one. I will post a picture of my other bench tonight. I spent $80 to build them both.

 

[wildhorsehans]

I used server towers we were tossing at work. They were 7 feet tall and 2 feet wide and about 36" deep. I just laid them on their sides, so they were 36" tall, and put tops on them. Made great bench frames and I even had 2 of them put together and mounted a 4'X8'X1/2" piece of tempered glass on them for building radio control airpanes on. The glass was about 350 pounds and it was solid as can be.

 

[carhunter]

Wow looks like really good price, wish we had one of those stores around here.... Pick that up and then go to IKEA and pick up the butcher block top they sell there and you have a VERY nice bench for roughly $100

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80145749/

Thanks for the reminder, I forgot about these butcher tops

Probably something like this:

Only upside down.

Jim

Nice shelves - I've never seen a 2x4 reinforcement under the edge board like that. Neat design. Do the short pieces rest on it or did you use hangers there as well?

 

[The Frisco Kid]

I really like the Simpson benches made with strongties... they look good and work well with little to no twisting.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Nice shelves - I've never seen a 2x4 reinforcement under the edge board like that. Neat design. Do the short pieces rest on it or did you use hangers there as well?

I used hangers on both sides. The 2x4 laid flat added a lot of rigidity to the 2X4. We glued and nailed it. It was also great for hanging stuff on. The only supports we used were the two 2x4s that went through the ceiling and screwed to joists.

Very strong!

Jim

 

[SlickTX]

This is where I got mine. I have 2 of the 6 foot benches and tops along the back wall of my garage. I bolted the 2 of them together and they are very stable.

http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2012/Main/285

 

[TheWorkerman]

Went to Ikea today to pick up the butcher block top...DISCONTINUED!!!!!!



The new top they sell is twice as much, and half as thick! WTF! Oh well, I guess I'll just slap together my own top and save some cash.

 

[carhunter]

Went to Ikea today to pick up the butcher block top...DISCONTINUED!!!!!!



The new top they sell is twice as much, and half as thick! WTF! Oh well, I guess I'll just slap together my own top and save some cash.

Oh ****!
I just went there last night - 1hour drive each way - because of this thread LOL
They told me out of stock and couldn't say when the next shipment was due.


That's odd that they'd discontinue it, because a number of their kitchen cabinet sets use the same Lagan counter top. I did see the thinner ones, not a fan.

Oh well...

Ended up buying the wife a new bed

 

[mayday0017]

Well ****... I have been holding on to that butcher top in my mind, thinking when it comes time I was going to buy several of them. I wanted to make 2 more 8ft benches and then put one on top of each chest I own, figured that way if I needed a moving workbench just lift the top box off and roll the chest wherever I need the workbench.

Sorry I had 2 of you waste your time and let one of you get tricked into buying a non tool...

 

[TheWorkerman]

I called Ikea Direct (their phone ordering center) and turns out you can still get the Lagan...but shipping is $99. I see the Seattle location still has a ton left...

 

[Cougar67]

Ikea's new catalog comes out some time in August. I was just on their site last night and it is in quite a flux. Lots of error messages. In the past I've been told things were discontinued and they showed back up after the catalog came out. (Actually it was a couch) Maybe check back in a couple of weeks.

 

[TheWorkerman]

Ok...update time. I ended up purchasing the extendable frame kit from Menards. This is it: Frame Kit for $59. Initially I really wanted a butcher block top...but the cheap one from Ikea is not longer in stock/discontinued. Alternatives were looking to be around the $150+ area...too much. So I ended up getting two 12"x8' fir planks from Home Depot for like 7 bucks each. Kind of a steal I think!
The frame kit came black...but being a graphic designer, that wouldn't do. So I sprayed it bright blue today, then chopped off the ****** little adjustable feet and popped on some rubber casters. Gave it a little more height, much easier to sit at. And now I can roll it around...so nice. Last step is to stain the wood lightly and poly.
Bonus score today from Harbor Freight...$18.99 36" ratchet clamps you see in the pics...got them for $5 bucks each! These things are freakin heavy duty. They weren't even on sale, but the cashier said since they were out of the cheapy 36" clamps he would give me these for the same price.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Matches your avatar!

Nice!

Jim