Building new workbench - any good plans out there?

[Dan J.]

Hello,

We are just finishing up our new garage project. It's about 550 ftsq of workshop. We just had the concrete floor poured and in a couple weeks it will be time to build new workbenches.

Does anyone have plans or photos of solid, sturdy benches/work tables that are DIY? I have been looking online for plans and don't yet see anything that interesting for auto-related workstations (hobby). I could either use 2x4 or metal construction.

We have about 15 to 20 feet of space available along one wall. I'd probably build something with a 42" work height and some storage underneath.

Thanks in advance if any of you have suggestions.

Dan J.

[Shawn 357]

If you have 20' you may want to consider making part of the work bench on locking casters so that when needed you can roll it out to the middle of garage. My brother and I did this with a workbench / welding table and it is very handy.

[rfuerst911sc]

Home Depot and Lowes sell workbench kits that are precut. I purchased two of them and installed them at the front of my garage end to end. Nice long workbench and I mounted two bench vises about 5 feet apart. The workbenches are made of wood but you could cover the top surface with metal,masonite etc. for a different surface.

[cak]

I wouldn't make it a single height - different jobs need different heights. The part with your vise on it wants to be such that your elbow is at the top of the vise, but that's too low for regular work, where the benchtop wants to be at elbow height. Those of us without a lot of room compromise, or use a duck board to get up to proper working height at the vice.

Disassembling an engine or cylinder head wants a lower work surface...

What I like to do is build a frame of 2x4s and bolt it to the studs. Support the free corner with a 4x4 that's bolted to the corner of the frame and bolted to the floor. That's where the vise goes. You really want to be able to get to the vice from all sides, so at least put a couple feet of gap there for standing/working room.

The 4x4 (or, better, 6x6) is bolted to the floor so the whole thing is stable when you get your BFH out. Having only a single leg makes it really stable and easy to level.

Top it with one or two sheets of 3/4" plywood. Screw the bottom layer to the frame. Top it with 3/8" masonite, glued. You can seal that with some white paint (makes it easy to find parts and clean) or leave it bare (it will absorb spills). Or go to a local HVAC place and get them to make up a galvanized or steel top to fit. Pretty cheap and very nice.

If you have legs on your bench, it's easy to let in a 2x4 all the way around to support a shelf. Imagine a 2x4 upright as a leg, if the legs are narrow edge out. You notch the backside 1.5" deep by 3.5" wide, which gives nice support for a 2x4 across. Fasten with Grabbers. Frame it out or use thick plywood, notched for the legs, depending on how big the shelf is. (The notch can be made with a circular saw set to depth and a hammer - just cut the ends and whack. Very satisfying.)

If you want to spend money, you can peruse McMaster-Carr and buy steel legs and bench tops of almost any material imaginable.

The shop-talk list (shop-talk@autox.team.net) discusses workbenches on a regular basis. You might have some fun searching the archives (http://www.team.net/archive)

[MikeDL]

I've been happy with the bench I made using products from these guys:

http://www.2x4basics.com/WorkBench-Legs.asp

You can get very creative using all their different kits.

[cak]

http://www.2x4basics.com/WorkBench-Legs.asp

Wow. Those are very cool! Thanks.

[Dan J.]

Great information guys...thanks.

I will be making up a separate welding table on casters. I like the masonite idea. Also, I would like to have at least 50% of the workspace steel top, just a laminate.

Once I've worked it out I'll shoot some pictures and post for reference.

I recently sold my Carrera, in part to finance this project. Right now I'm in the midst of planning and outfitting this new garage/workshop...and this is the icing on the cake after lots of other mundane building activities like wiring/plumbing/siding/painting.

Thanks guys,
Dan J.

[randywebb]

The woodworking crowd has figured all this out. Follow their plans w/ mods for a metal or laminate top & the various hts. as noted above.

These are cheap to build on your own. You might make provisions for drawers/shelves underneath and for elec. outlets on the front (much easier to reach than having a cord go over the table surface to a wall outlet.

[Zeke]

A craftsman's work bench is a statement by itself. Few formimable projects come off a designer bench, but a good, solid bench is something for anyone to admire. Take your time and search some previous threads here...there are some great benches and ideas.

Meanwhile......look at the bench and the work on it, here: http://juicebrakes.com/

Originally posted by randywebb
... and for elec. outlets on the front (much easier to reach than having a cord go over the table surface to a wall outlet.

both....it works both ways

[defcon65]

I use salvage countertop installed on 2x4 cleats with simple trestle legs, also of 2x4. If you keep your eyes open you can get this stuff for free when a neighbor remodels.

I wouldn't try to rebuild your engine on them, but they are sturdy enough for most tasks. Easy to clean, too.

Regards,

[randywebb]

Yes - I was unclear & assumed there would be wall outlets too.

You definitely want outlets in both places.

Search on 'bench' and on 'garage' for prev. threads on this.

also pay special attention to where the lighting goes.

[mthomas58]

I used this plan as a general guide and customized it a little for my needs.......I'll post a pick of the real deal later. Lots of storage.

http://www.rd.com/familyhandyman/content/17667/

[Dueller]

No pics readily available but I found commercial restaurant supply houses an excellent source for strainless work tables, shelving, cabinets. They come in a variety of sizes and heights.

I bought a 60" x 24" stainless table that was counter height with an adjsutable level shelf underneath for around $120 IIRC. Very heavy duty for commercial kitchen use. The legs are 1 1/2" galvanized steal tubing to which I mounted lockable casters that allows me to move it around and park it where I need it.

That was a new table price...you might also consider used commercial kitchen equipment available at substantial savings. The stuff is indestructible and looks very industrial when taken out of the kitchen environment.

[Dan J.]

Lots of good info...

I have lots of plugs and lights. Probably overkill. The old garage that this replaces was a dungeon, so I have erred on the side of kitting this out like an operating room. For power, theres a plug every 32" along the workbench wall, plus a 220 for the compressor/welder. The main lighting are 4ea. 8' dual fluorescent hardwired in the ceiling, which is 9' high. I'm also going to hang a couple halogen banks above the workbench. The walls/ceiling are painted ceiling white.

In another couple weeks I'll seal the concrete floor. Haven't decided on a clear sealer or a colored epoxy. There's a huge selection of products out there.

Again, thanks everyone for the input.

Dan J.

[randywebb]

be sure the sealer doesn't make too smooth a surface - slippery when wet

Good Luck

[austin552]

http://plansnow.com/index.html

[Dantilla]

I have 4x4 posts, 2x4 framing, and a 3/4" plywood top. 18 feet long, 18 feet of storage underneath. Bought everything at Home Depot. My upper cabinets are separated with 2x12 shelves for all of my worckshop manuals (ten 911 manuals, six 944 manuals, 951 and 912E suppliments, plus the other vehicles).

The whole garage, 1100 square feet, is textured and painted bright white, with plenty of bright flourescent lighting. I hightly recommend a solid color epoxy on the floor. The lighter the color, the easier to see any tools or fasteners that wander away.

[yelcab1]

You are not cramped for space like me. My solution is 3'x7' table from 4x4, 2x4, and 3/4 plywood, then galvanized 16-gauge over the top. Room underneath is totally used up with 30 gallon compressor, folding table saw, 10-inch miter saw, and various other tools for the house.

$150 worth of material. If I had to do it over, I would probably go the route of the table legs above. They look neat.

[Lukesportsman]

I have 16' of mounted counter over cabinets on one wall. But my rear work benches were built as above with counter over multiple 2x4's to spread loads bolted onto heavy duty lockable casters at 12' lengths. This is nice because it allows easy movement for cleaning, different tasks and even the rare: lets move the workbench over where I'm working instead of continually stumbling back in forth. Get large diameter casters or it will get hard to move weighted down by an engine or such. I simply mounted outlet distribution strips to these and plug them into the wall outlets again allowing them to be mobile.

The above mentioned ideas regarding mounting the Vice should be considered. I bought one of those self contained stands at Harbor Freight and have enjoyed the room and freedom this allows rather than on the bench itself.

For detail work a mounted light on a multi hinged arm is nice to adjust focused light (think laboratory or dental office).

[mthomas58]

Follow pic of Family Handyman plan