[Closed] Man-cave worktop ideas.

IKEA sell end of line or slightly chipped worktops very cheaply. Even their new ones aren't that expensive. Less work and finishing than making something from scratch.

Osb is ok, but going to be difficult to get to look nice. Softwood ply would probably look better but is more expensive - you'd probably want 18mm thick. Just bought a big piece myself - think it was £35 ish for a 2.4m x 1.2m sheet. Osb a fair bit cheaper I think.

Surely you could find some cheapy new kitchen worktop from somewhere - some end of line or off cuts? Would take less supporting structure too as it'll probably be either 30 or 40mm thick. Plus the finish will be better.

Wickes worktops - nothing cheaper.

Yeah, tbh I didn't realise kitchen worktop could be so cheap. Just looking into it now. Where would be a good place for offcuts?

EDIT: Thanks Hammy!

Have a look in store at Wickes and B&Q, they sometimes have a pile of tops with chips or other damage and a few more quid off.

Was going to day IKEA after I bought from a recommendation on here. Just missed out on a nice, butchers block effect solid wood one for £60 but got something decent for cheaper.

I've used an old plank door as a work bench. Don't mind a bit of up-cycling.

As mentioned above, old countertop.

I put mine on one of [url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/Industrial-Boltless-Workbench-Galvanized-capacity/dp/B006JLUETG/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1502028421&sr=8-13&keywords=workbench ]these[/url].

Plenty sturdy enough for a countertop workbench and cheaper than buying wood to build a base!

Scaffold boards are pretty cheap for decent timber. You used to be able to buy used boards but it's mostly just new stock now. You can buy new or used tube for not too much, but the only way to do a tidy job of the frame is with Kee Clamp which racks up the cost quickly. If you can weld have a look at doing the frame in steel box section.
You could look on ebay for a complete kitchen that's being stripped out and salvage units and worktop.

Phone your local office fitters to see if anyone is clearing out old lab benches.

Our work skipped a load of these (approx £1k each new).

[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7302/9135875755_f5854a8982_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7302/9135875755_f5854a8982_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/eViKze ]Ex CBNL Workbench(s)[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Damn that is ace footflaps

I bought a B&Q work top for about £35 had them trim the length to what I wanted and it fits perfectly across the back of the garage.

Perhaps out of OSB, painted white.

Yeah - OSB you can never really get smooth - fine for making the carcases etc but not a worktop - sanding it just makes the strands on the surface thin and weak and they separate and flake when you paint it.

Wicks and B&Q both do cheap basic worktop usually in white. IKEA isn't bad either - they do a thinner solid beech stave worktop that doesn't look too kitchen-y and is very affordable for what it is. Smooth enough to use as a desk, tough enough to do DIY on and not as skiddy a surface for working on as laminate. Being solid too it means you don't have to worry about the cut edges being untidy or vulbeable.

If you need a deeper section - something more table-like in depth than a kitchen surface- then fire door blanks are probably worth a look - but they can be very heavy.

+1 new worktops, they're cheap enough, and saves a lot of faffing.

And 20x15ft is a good space. Nice 🙂

Kitchen worktop is good in that its sturdy, but I wanted something deeper in my garage.

I made a frame from dexion with a single shelf, then used 12mm MDF for the top and the shelf. It might have been a touch thicker maybe. I reckon it's at least 900mm deep, where as kitchen worktop is only 650mm ish. Doesn't sound much but it makes a difference

It's in my garage though so I wasn't fussed about it looking pretty, just functional

I bought two lots of modular Lidl shelves when they were on special - stacked one up in a shelf configuration and the other as a bench then topped it off and back-panelled with some loft boards a friend was binning.

Can't find any on Lidl right now but this sort of cheap stuff https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shelving-Industrial-Boltless-Shelves-Storage/dp/B015RB7V58/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458240293&sr=8-2&keywords=jtf+shelving

My music 'studio' is around 10 ft x 12 ft and plenty big enough

Look at [url= http://www.bigdug.co.uk/ ]Big Dug[/url] for cheap shelving and racks.

Can't find any on Lidl right now but this sort of cheap stuff

Costco always carry a stock of similar shelving - nice quick way of fitting out a large space and making it functional for very little work . I've used them to rack some shipping containers I use for storage - a big benefit over things like kitchen cupboards is you can pass stuff through them lengthways so they can be good for shelving but also work well for things like racking timber

Careful you don't snap your fart strings lifting them into the car through, they're horribly heavy and difficult to grip when boxed up.

Thanks chaps. You're right, kitchen worktops it is. With auxiliary shelving from Lidl/Costco etc.

Next question, what's the best way to accurately cut said worktop so that it will fit into an oddball space? The room is a really odd shape, and no wall stays straight for long before changing angle slightly (great for acoustics), plus there's an old chimney breast to work round, a corner etc...

I never went to kitchen-fitter school 😕

Next question, what's the best way to accurately cut said worktop so that it will fit into an oddball space?

Track saw.

Someone must have one you can borrow...

I'm sure.

I'll be fine cutting it. Measuring the angles and marking up...

Make a template from a cardboard box

Make a template from a cardboard box

Brilliant. Just the kind of tip I was after. Thanks!

Also, what does one do with the scruffy ends? And what if you want to round off a corner etc...