MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Folks,
I've decided to tackle the disaster zone that is our garage. One of the things I'm missing is a decent horizontal surface. I started looking for workbenches but they are prohibitively expensive, I want them to be fairly beefy capable of taking something like a landy gearbox etc. So I figured that whilst I'm no joiner I'm not exactly without skills the cost should be slightly lower and I end up with exactly what I want.
I found these brackets online that seem ideal [url= http://www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson-Strong-Tie-RTC42-18-Gauge-2x-Rigid-Tie-Connector-RTC42/100375007?N=5yc1vZaq9x ]Linky Clicky Thingy[/url] bit of an issue finding them in the UK but I think it would be worth it to get them shipped in.
I need to construct freestanding benches, we live in a rental property so I want to be able to move them.
Does any have any experience of this, is it as straight forward as I think it is? Any advice is welcome.
Cheers
Mutt
No need for fancy brackets. Just overlap the timber at the joints and screw through. Something like this:
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http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/workshop/bench/below20xl.html
I made a pretty sturdy large bench out of some old roofing joists, using metal joisting brackets (the screw on type) and glue to hold it all together. 2 layers of 18mm WDP ply and then a left over bit of stainless steel screwed on top. So far, unbreakable, but a bit cumbersome and heavy if you want to move it!
I used 4inch fence posts to make 6legs
75/35 cls franing timber, some left over decking and a sheet of 18mm ply- and used damaged pack laminate on top to preserve surface.
120mm coach bolts and proper joints as above.
Rock solid and heavy as ****. Will post a photo later
Made this one out of stuff I had lying around. I was in the same position as you this was built in a rented house and now sits in my "new" garage.
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There you go. Simple enough?
Cheapo fire-doors make brilliant workbenches. Attach back length to a bit of timber attached to solid wall, support front corners. Done.
I built the one that nickjb linked to but I used an offcut of kitchen work surface that I got from B&Q for a £5 for the top.
Find your local second hand tool shop and get a Record vice as well. I think I have a number 23
top tip, when completed coat all visible surfaces with water based clear varnish 2 coats, drys quickly and stops all those anoying greasy/oily hand prints.
Also a sheet of hardbaord fixed on top rough side uopp will protect the top and is easily replaced when damaged, the rough side also stops stuff sliding around.
Finally a piece of wood ful length about 3 inches high screwed on back edge will stop disapearing over the back of bench
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Still wip , tools still out as wiring it up for electrics to the rear ply face.
Dont have any pics of it finished.
Here is mine, fence post legs & 4"x2", i added some more supports for the top and vice which i got for £7.50 from ebay
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Pretty solid.
great ideas so far... ignoring one who didn't read the OP specification... (cough cough)... 😕
landrover bits aka about a ton of LT75 gearbox and transfer box..
now what about bike storage, I'm thinking vertical, as in on end, front wheel / rear wheel alternating on the opposite wall, i know i could do hooks into the ceiling / wall but i'm fancying something mobile and flexible.
thoughts..
top tip, when completed coat all visible surfaces with [s]water based clear varnish 2 coats, drys quickly and stops all those anoying[/s] greasy/oily hand prints so it looks like a proper man bench
was fancying covering the top in aluminium sheet or maybe steel to stop the marks..
deffo a big vice (has to be record anything else simply isn't cricket) 
lol, sorry I did miss the freestanding bit. To be fair, the fire-door still makes a class work-surface: big, strong, smooth, square and importantly: cheap. Even fancy ply surfaces have warped on me in the past, any of the "door" based benches I've made are still perfect.
mine is pretty much the one nickjb has pictured. Ability to hold a land rover gearbox dependent only on what you surface it with. Built mine with 4"x2".