Hey guys,
I'm going to be making my own work bench fairly soon with my buddy and I need some ideas and/or tips , tricks. I don't want to make something cheap looking, but I think make one is much cheaper than buying one from home depot or something. So post up some pics of your work benches to give me some ideas!!

thanks,

 

When I was younger, my dad made a very heavy duty one using a scrapped door (off a house) and some 4x4's with some smaller stuff for bracing. It was a good inch thick. I'm talking about the flat door blanks that just have a cut-out for the ****.

You can really make one out of anything. I would think more about design. I would put some kind of screw in casters on the bottom, so you can level it. Also, you may want to consider some 1X1's on the corner raised above the table surface to aid on bracing things on a right angle. Make them removeable.

Mathius

 

I went to the local used building supply outlet and picked up some kitchen cabinets with arbrite counter tops cheap has all the shelves and cleans up real nice when your done working on it.Ifound it was cheaper than building

 

i would like to see some layouts of peoples shops. you know....how to make space usefull and such.

 

Alright, maybe post pics of your shop layout, with your work bench? Optimizing space is what I need, my garage is a typical 2 car. I had an idea of making on that can fold down when I'm not using it. Make a frame on the wall, use some heavy duty hinges and then some angle bracing that could by attached to the fram using some cotter pins?
Here's a very crude drawing of something I had in mind. Thoughts? Opinions? I don't need it to hold 3000 lbs or something, just a spot to lay tools and engine parts for organization. Then it folds down and out of the way if I'm not using it or need more space.

 

We just made a simple bench for our shop. Made the 6'x2' platform/base out of 2x6 16"oc. covered that with 2 layers of 3/4" CDX plywood then covered that with a 14ga. peice of metal bend so it had a 4" backsplash-covered the table-then went back down over the front lip 1.5"

Attached it to the wall with 3/8"x4" lags and have 2 4x4 posts in the outside corners.

Right now it's just a resting spot for out big vice on one end and our small beer/pop fridge on the other. I welded a peice of angle iron to the end next to the vice so when I weld smaller peices I can connect the ground from the wwelder to angle iron that's welded to the table which in turn turns the whole table/vise into a big ground so you can weld anything that you can set on the bench and not worry about the ground wire getting in your way.

VERY strong, easy to keep clean and will last forever Had the base material from odd pieces of scrap from previous jobs, but had to order the top from a metal shop that bent it up for me for $98.

 

Thomas:

Can you weld at all?

If you really want a work bench that can be removed from space when not in use, I think you should consider making one that is able to be taken down, rather than fold up. You may not need something that will hold 3000 lb's, true, but you should at least have something you can hit with a hammer without worrying about the hole thing shaking and everything falling on the floor, or worse.

The idea I had was to make a frame for the table top. You could take some square tubing, cut them to about 6" long or so, cap one end, then use them for the corners, using angle or steel tubing for the sides. Weld it together, then use 2X4's, or 4X4's, or whatever to slip inside the tubing for the legs. Then your tabletop could be removed and the legs stored, simliar to the way saw horses are setup. The hinged setup you showed just seemed very dangerous to me and could even damage your parts or tools.

Mathius

 

mine is made out of 2x2 oak bolted together with a piece of all thread at each end and in the middle. i have it sitting on two snap on KRA380 tool boxes, with the wheels removed. the bench top is accached to the boxes with some 2x2 angle clips screwed to the box and the bench top. i have a piece of 4' long 11ga steel screwed to to the top. it has a 8" high lip on the back to keep things from rolling off. have a 1/2 hp bench grinder on the left end and a 6" snap on vise on the right end.

 

I found this to be the perfect work bench. Any height you want is at the push of a button.

 

 

i have 2- one is a butcher block top with steel skin on it with angle iron legs and the other is a wood base with a corian top the butcher block one rocks for welding and beating on it with a hammer

 

The Work Bench.......

 

mine is 15' long 2 1/2 foot deep the top is made of one layer of mdf and then old tongue and groove floor boards on top of that for extra strength then i have it supported with 4x4's for the front legs, 3 of them , and and intricate 2x4 bracing in the back and along the corner underneath .....

i have sat a 350 block on it and it didnt even sag in the least ...LOL....thats the only way to test a home built work bench

that or have my fat *** jump on it (6'4" 300lbs) ....needless to say it passed both stress tests ....

i have my drill press and vise mounted to it and my grinder on a stand at the end of it ...

ill try to get a picture of it once i get my impala out of the way

 

Good ole stainless steel work bench, courtesy of the U.S gov.

 

you guys are giving me bench envy

 

Well this weekend gave me a good chance to move my car to its final spot before i start tearing it apart and to put away some stuff that was out in the garage from moving. I now have a little more space than I thought. Anyway, thanks for the ideas. I'm going to get some plans this week and build something over thanksgiving.
Mathius- thanks for the idea, but I can't weld, (a skill I need to learn btw). I threw that idea together very quickly not thinking about it. I agree with you, probably not the safest.

TheGeneral - Dude, you're bench sounds huge! I'd like to have something that big, but space does not allow it. I'm only 200 so my factor of safety might not be as high as yours

birdlvr - You got it from the government?

I'm thinking of a bench about 2 ft deep, but shaped like an "L" so I can put it in the corner. Each leg of the "L" being 3 ft length maybe? I think I've gone away from the idea of having it foldable or something like that.

Oh yea,
Burn Em! - I like your style Giggity Giggity Giggity

 

You can't see it, but the actual workbench is currently in 3 pieces of 20 ft square steel tubing. I'm still saving up for the 1/2" steel plate bench surface. It'll be 2'x6', made out of 2"x3"x11 gauge square tubing, all tig welded frame with countersunk bolts for the top.

I like to build things really damn strong.

 

I've never done any woodworking before but here's a workbench I finished in 5 hours using simple plans I found on this website - http://www.grampasworkshop.net/workbench.html
It was pretty easy.

 

2

 

This is a 10' bench with cabinets and there's a Identical set on the other side of the garage.

 

Here is my single car garage... most of my work is done outside next to the garage.Bottom of page

 

looks darn clean!!!! jeez!!

 

my bench. note.. can clean under it.. or store parts which is what i seem to be doing..

 

again..

 

I nailed this to the wall with spiral nails, and you can stand on it.
I've bolted a 6" vise to it.. no issues.. very solid.

 

I got tired of wooden benched shaking loose and flipping up on one end when I cranked on the vise. Here's mine, semi finished. 2" square legs, 1/4" plate top (11' X 30"). I welded 3/4" nuts on the bottom of the legs and threaded 3" bolts into them so I could adjust / level the top. I made it upside down and it took 2 neighbors help to flip it right side up.

 

Nice wire model project! I could barely make it out against the bare steel bench backdrop, LOL!

 

Thanks, Here's a pic of a couple of completed cars

 

Don't mean to hijack the thread....but here's a few more projects

 

thats almost exactly what i have., that and a big *** stainless steel tool cabinet thats about 6 feet tall.