Work bench over chest freezers

[aigel]

All,

I own a couple small chest freezers for storing meat and fish (hunter and fisherman here). These will go into the garage in my next house and I'd like them to double as counter space for mechanical work. The easiest would be to just plop a piece of wood over them, but that will weigh the lid down and compress the gasket.

What do you think about buying counter material and hinging it off the wall, so it can be folded up against the wall for access to the freezer lid? I think this will work, but how would I prop up the front side of the counter opposite from the hinge? Bolt props to the freezer? Legs that hinge and stay with the lid? A metal frame around the freezers functioning as "legs"?

Any help?

Thanks,

Georg

[Craig T]

Sounds like you pretty much have it figured out. For the legs, just put hinges on them too, so when the work surface is folded up the legs will fold up too. Get some type of locking hinge for the legs.

[john70t]

I took half a hollow core folding door and laminated it. All scrap.
Hinged on back into the wall studs.
Three eye hooks in the wall, chain w/S-hooks, and three in the counter with fender washers.

Without legs or a brace to the wall it won't hold great weight and the chains get in the way, but it was a quick and easy fix.

[vash]

I'd make the benches extend past the freezers so you could fold down legs to prop up from the garage floor. It is all to easy to imagine partial projects being "stored" on the work benches for an extended period of time. Then you are back to square one with over compressed door gaskets.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Hinged legs or chains from the ceiling both seem like a winner. Use some gate hinges to attach it to the wall? If it fits into a corner, you can screw a block to the wall and skip the leg in that corner.

If you need something heavier than the door core, most big box stores have prefab Formica countertops in incremental lengths. I think the one I used for a work bench top was 10' and all of $30, as they were discontinuing the color.

[aigel]

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I wonder about legs that attach to the countertop. They would not easily fold over the freezers. I really think I should attach legs to the freezers to meet the top coming down?
Yes, I do plan to see what I can find in terms of kitchen counter material!

Keep your ideas coming!

G

[vash]

Originally Posted by aigel

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I wonder about legs that attach to the countertop. They would not easily fold over the freezers. I really think I should attach legs to the freezers to meet the top coming down?

Yes, I do plan to see what I can find in terms of kitchen counter material!



Keep your ideas coming!



G

I'm saying to bridge the freezer. Nothing touches the appliance. My brothers pop up camper has these legs that support the cantilevered slide out beds. Super strong and they fold up and clip to the bottom of the slide when not in use.

[masraum]

Jack Olsen did this exact thing in his garage. I think he said that they were both old solid core doors that he had laying around. One he topped with metal and one he left as wood? It might be a good idea to put a thin layer of something over the top if you decide to leave the wood so you can "refinish" the top by just removing a layer and then sticking a new layer on.

I'll take it wall by wall. In my initial clean-up of the garage, I added a fold-down table for wood projects. It had pre-drilled holes for my router table and was at the same height as the other bench in the garage so I could use it for cutting long pieces of lumber. I liked it so much that when I took up welding, I added a second, steel table for welding. Both of them fold up along the first wall of the garage so I can park my car there. But when I back the car out I can lower one or both of them for work. It’s a really handy thing to have when you’re working in such a small space.

[vash]

yea, like that!! but make it so the freezer fits between/within the legs.

[Evans, Marv]

Don't know if I can describe this adequately & might be more involved than you want. If it were me, I'd make a table frame out of angle iron with stationary legs on each side & between the freezers. I'd cut sections hinged at the back of the table to lift up to access the freezers. Angle iron supports would support the edges of the table & hinged sections above the freezers. I would weld supports extending out from the leg corners & the center support slightly below the angle iron or straps along the front of the hinged sections to support them when they are down & level with the stationary parts of the table. This is assuming you want it sturdy enough to do some pounding on. You might be able to simply this idea to make it better.

[porsche4life]

Great plan... BUT, I would NEVER be able to open the damn freezers if I made them a work surface....

[Evans, Marv]

Sid, It doesn't make the freezer tops a work surface. Guess I did a lousy job of describing the idea.

[porsche4life]

No, I meant the idea in general. Any flat surface in my garage becomes a work surface. The spoiler of the 944 comes to mind.

[BigInJapan]

I would use 2 very heavy duty gas struts to lift the surface up to the wall and hold it in position. No chains or hooks.

[Rick V]

Any kind of extended project will make the freezer in-accessible. Instead if making the benches mobile how about putting heavy casters on the freezers so they can be pulled out from under the fixed benches? This will allow access and not interfere with any work that may be happening.

[ben parrish]

Rick has the winning idea I think.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

No, I meant the idea in general. Any flat surface in my garage becomes a work surface. The spoiler of the 944 comes to mind.

This is so 100% true.

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by Rick V

Any kind of extended project will make the freezer in-accessible. Instead if making the benches mobile how about putting heavy casters on the freezers so they can be pulled out from under the fixed benches? This will allow access and not interfere with any work that may be happening.

Best idea so far, especially if horizontal surfaces tend to become unofficial landing zones for tools and other things.

[daepp]

Rather than hinge the work surfaces, why not have them lift straight up so you don't have to clear them off when you want freezer access? Just a thought.

[MBAtarga]

Originally Posted by Rick V

Any kind of extended project will make the freezer in-accessible. Instead if making the benches mobile how about putting heavy casters on the freezers so they can be pulled out from under the fixed benches? This will allow access and not interfere with any work that may be happening.

You may not have room to pull the freezer out far enough to open the top - depending on power cord length and outlet location. You DON'T want to rely on an extension cord to be used with a freezer.