srvctec
Well-known member
I designed and built this workbench about 10 years ago. It's over built like a brick sh!thouse, but I'd rather have too stout of a workbench than a wimpy one. It's probably strong enough to set a small car on top of. I have no idea what it weighs, but if I had to guess, probably around 250 pounds. The top is made of an old bridge plank planed down to 2 1/2" thick, cut in half and bolted/screwed together. The dimensions of the top (determined by the size of the plank) are 23 5/8" wide by 59 3/8" long.
Here are the planks planed down and held together with a couple pieces of 2" x 3" 3/16" thick angle iron and a piece of 3/4" oak in the middle to keep the edges aligned.
I filled all the low spots with wood filler since we didn't plane the plank down perfectly on the bottom because it wouldn't be visible. I used shellac to seal it.
Some more of the 3" x 2" angle iron to hold the legs in place, painted and ready to install.
The legs are made of 4" x 6" treated lumber since that was all I could find in that size (didn't really want or need treated). I installed super heavy duty cast aluminum locking casters with a hard rubber tread.
The bottom installed. This reminds me how much of a challenge this build was. I had no plans except for what I had in mind when I started. The plans evolved as I built the bench. The biggest challenge was building the whole thing upside down.
Starting to install the drawer slides. I work on copiers for a living (since 1988) and when we toss super old machines, I take what I want off them to use later. All of the copiers had full extension ball bearing slides for the paper drawers AND they were Accuride brand (I have a box full of them).
A closer look of the bottom. The 2" x 2" all around the edge is what the sides and front and back will be screwed to.
The drawer made to fit (sorry, no pics of the drawer by itself).
The back installed. Sides, front and back are made of 1/2" plywood.
The front installed.
The sides installed.
The interior.
Almost finished. Notice on the front that the door covers the drawer. I made it that way so I could cut the top of the door off and attach it to the front of the drawer and all the wood grain would be seamless.
As it is today- just took these pics yesterday and today for the messy workbench thread. The finished height is 33 7/8". The overhang on the ends is 10" and on the sides is 1 5/8".
Here are the planks planed down and held together with a couple pieces of 2" x 3" 3/16" thick angle iron and a piece of 3/4" oak in the middle to keep the edges aligned.
I filled all the low spots with wood filler since we didn't plane the plank down perfectly on the bottom because it wouldn't be visible. I used shellac to seal it.
Some more of the 3" x 2" angle iron to hold the legs in place, painted and ready to install.
The legs are made of 4" x 6" treated lumber since that was all I could find in that size (didn't really want or need treated). I installed super heavy duty cast aluminum locking casters with a hard rubber tread.
The bottom installed. This reminds me how much of a challenge this build was. I had no plans except for what I had in mind when I started. The plans evolved as I built the bench. The biggest challenge was building the whole thing upside down.
Starting to install the drawer slides. I work on copiers for a living (since 1988) and when we toss super old machines, I take what I want off them to use later. All of the copiers had full extension ball bearing slides for the paper drawers AND they were Accuride brand (I have a box full of them).
A closer look of the bottom. The 2" x 2" all around the edge is what the sides and front and back will be screwed to.
The drawer made to fit (sorry, no pics of the drawer by itself).
The back installed. Sides, front and back are made of 1/2" plywood.
The front installed.
The sides installed.
The interior.
Almost finished. Notice on the front that the door covers the drawer. I made it that way so I could cut the top of the door off and attach it to the front of the drawer and all the wood grain would be seamless.
As it is today- just took these pics yesterday and today for the messy workbench thread. The finished height is 33 7/8". The overhang on the ends is 10" and on the sides is 1 5/8".
and you cant beat a heavy lump of old wood, just don't get the quality nowadays.
Drawers behind doors. 