Work bench ideas/tips please

We are currently finishing off an extension to the house, part of which is a garage.
I’m looking forward to being able to do my spannering/fettling indoors without dropping washers and screws down the gaps in the decking!
I’m looking for ideas for a good sturdy work bench, something that will take a bench vice and a bit of abuse.
Don’t mind building one from scratch in fact i think id prefer that. Though good quality bought ones might be considered.
Any advice/plans/pics out there in singletrackworld?

I was thinking i might build an “outside” one.

Get some new sleepers (which are not sleepers, but pressure treated softwood) in the standard size, and make a super simple bench with a big drill and some coach bolts to hold it together.
Would be rough, but solid, so good for hammering and sawing.
I found a 1″ thick foot square Steel plate in the garden when we moved in, so could mount that on one end as an “anvil”

in theory would age well being outside, so fit well in the utility garden.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/diy-workbench-and-bench-vice

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/the-article-about-workbenches-in-the-current-issue

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/workbench-2-the-saga-continues-vice-mounting

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-size-mounting-bolts-for-my-record-vice

mcmoontertrackworld……. Vices

I built from scratch when I did mine.

I have the work surface up higher than a normal engineers or wood working bench (mine is around 90cm from memory, more like kitchen work surface height). I find this better for taking stuff apart like hubs and other fiddly jobs. It’s ok for most other tasks BUT I have a 200mm high step I use for giving something some welly with a hammer. Big cutting jobs are done on trestles outside.

I built mine using 2 rectangular wooden frames to support the top and single large shelf (90*40 timber). I used the same to make some L shaped legs and custom/home bent fixings from perforated steel plate to fix the shelf frames to the legs.

I then used 18mm sterling board to fill the sides and back with a tight interference fit and the same for the lower shelf.

The top is an old worktop reinforced under the vice with a bit of 100*50.

All in I reckon it weighs 50kg and is sturdy as you like but it is probably insanely over built.

Total length is 1400mm with overhangs on both ends (one end is about 400mm so trestles go under when folded).

That is a mix of 100 x100 fence posts , 75mmx35mm cls , 18mm ply , laminate flooring , left over trim and recycled decking for the lower shelf. + cheapo metal tool boxes from bnq,

I built another today to turn it into an l shape bench as my drill press and bench grinder are taking up alog of roon on that bench.

I bought two ikea kitchen bases and laid a discarded kitchen worktop on the top. This made a work-table, as the bases were not manly enough to make it a bench – it wobbled.
I then bought some thick wood and screwed it along the base joints to re-inforce them. This made it respectable – not sure if it’s worthy of bench status, but I’m pretty happy with it. I have a heavy vice I picked up from work that I’m reluctant to screw onto it – but I think it’d be ok supporting a small vice.

Think this is an OK approach – if you knew what you were doing better than I do you could prob make a sturdy bench this way.

I got mine from Lidl – two benches for £80, can stack side by side or top/bottom. Supplemented with scavenged loft boards for a work surface / back board and a Freecycled vice. A few bits on top probably totalled it at £100

Mine built out of old wooden shelving from a garden centre.
Mostly 4×2 timber
I bolted 4×2 to wall then there’s sheeting over top and some strong fence posts holding it up.
I then laid scaffold boards along front. This gives an area for serious hammering, thicker wood to bolt vices to and gives a well behind to brush rubbish into.

If you can’t build it you don’t deserve one.

Something custom along these lines;

http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/workshop/bench/below20xl.html

Really simple and sturdy. Takes a day, buy a circular saw with the money you’ll save to do it.

I made my own. Got the wood cut to size when I bought it. Easy to do. And so much more heavy duty than the ones you buy.

Workbench by Matthewjb[/url], on Flickr

Mine has a woodworking vice, a bike stand and a top mounted vice.

Click on the picture for the plans

Bench0001 by Matthewjb[/url], on Flickr

Built mine out if 4×2 cls and 12mm ply. I recon if the building falls down the bench will hold part of it up. I got a local sheet metal supplier to cut and bend me a sheet if stainless as a work to and used gripfil to attach it to the top surface of ply. It’s bloody brilliant even if I do say so myself and the whole thing cost me less than £80. Can’t remember the measurements but it’s 2m long and higher than usual.

I’ve just built one of these, http://youtu.be/JTxbcf9zI5o
Made a few tweaks here and there but its rock solid so happy with it.
Plus side of making this was I could justify buying the sliding mitre saw below which is a dream to use.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/bosch-gcm-8-sjl-8-slide-mitre-saw

If you can’t build it you don’t deserve one.

Hear hear!

I’m currently building mine from salvaged/scavenged materials; 75x75mm legs, 90x45mm stretchers. 18mm mdf top and lower shelf. Got some old drawer sliders to make a drawer. Everyhing will be mortice and tenoned, mitred, dovetailed. No screws. No glue.

Cost: £0.00 8)

I just bought a cheap organiser from Lidl for £20 to go above my bench. It’s a bit flimsy but good enough for home use. Lots of those brightly coloured storage trays & hooks & stuff.

If you can’t build it you don’t deserve one.

+1 And the best way to ensure you get one that fits the space plus right for the job you need.

At the old house I built one out of 4’x2′ and topped off with kitchen worktop – bolted onto the walls. Left it for the new owner.

Here I’ve got two free-standing ones, as I’ve a lot more space. The wood-working one has 4cm planks on top while the bike one has a 1cm steel sheet – the second one was built to the size of the sheet 🙂

Mine started as some old fence posts:

Old fence posts to use as legs for benches by brf[/url], on Flickr

Bench #1 with base, sides and back by brf[/url], on Flickr

I did build two of these, then work was throwing out some lab benches (ESD with shelves and sockets etc), so I’ve now got two of these and one wooden bench:

Wheel truing by brf[/url], on Flickr

Used some 2×2 for the frame and then a broken worktop from Wickes which i got for £10 – cost about £30 in all.

But I agree with

If you can’t build it you don’t deserve one.

MTFU

Footflaps – how did you clean those up? Belt sander or a quick skim with a plane?

I have a pile of scaffold boards I keep meaning to clean up and use for a floor in my tin shed till such time as I have enough cash to build a decent one. Unfortunately I think some of them are too far gone due to me being a plank (har de har) and leaving them to soak up all the rain possible.

I went through this here a while back kerbdog, here is the post:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anyone-built-their-own-wooden-workbench

I found the best tip was to get the height right for the type of work you want to do.

Nothing better than having a workbench you have put together yourself every time you use it will be a joy.

🙂

Footflaps – how did you clean those up? Belt sander or a quick skim with a plane?

I didn’t, I just turned the North facing (mossy) side towards the back, so you couldn’t see it and used the most tatty ones as the back legs.

Found a big lump of oak block worktop last night, on the way to see friends. They were a bit perplexed when we walked into their house with it! Such riches to be found in an area with rampant development and refurbishment taking place, there’s always skips with loads of stuff in. A nighbour wants some shelving and a small bench mae, so I’m on the scavange again!

Had to use screws unfortunately, as the whole thing needs to be easily dismantled for various reasons. Will al still be proper solid and strong though.

then work was throwing out some lab benches (ESD with shelves and sockets etc)

You jammy bastard! 😡 Ooh, look at the pristine whiteness!

Mine started as some old fence posts:

Ooh, I uprooted a load of those when we moved in a few weeks ago. Then at the weekend I got the green light to turn one of the utility rooms into a “room where stuff gets made or fixed” 🙂 And yesterday a new belt sander arrived. I reckon there’s a project in the offing now 🙂

@matthewjb- Great bench and haven’t seen one of those swoopy blue Record vices since Woodwork at school. Best laugh we ever got was when teach was swopping drive belt on a lathe and accidentaly caught the green “Start” button which swiftly lopped 10mm off the end of his thumb. After 2 mins of silent sniggering and stifled laughter,someone enquired if he was ok?. Laughing now ,thinking of it as I type this. 😀