Low cost tank-tough workbench

Step 3 Triangulate and brace

Once you are roughed-in with the back and left side anchored to the wall and the right side supported by the leg you need to add cross bracing and triangulate to add strength to the workbench top. Since we know that the two sides anchored to the walls are square, or at least as square as we can get them, cut a 2x4 scrap to make a diagonal brace as in the picture, anchoring it with a pair of 3" screws at each end. The length of the piece is not critical but shoot for 10" or so.

At the right (or free end supported by the leg) end of the bench, use a square to make sure your side is square and attach another diagonal brace as pictured. The easiest way to do this is to sink a screw on one end and then to start a screw on the other end of the diagonal brace. Use the square to make sure everything is lined up and then sink the second screw to lock everything in.

Since my bench is about 8' long, I added two cross braces connecting the front to the anchored back of the bench. You should brace your bench about every 24" to 36". To do so, cut some scrap 2x4s to the depth of your bench, minus the 3" for the front and back 2x4 thicknesses. So since my bench is 27" deep, I needed to cut 2x4 scraps to 24". Toenail these to the back 2x4 and then cut some more diagonal braces. You will want to triangulate every square you make in your bench. Since I added two more cross braces and thus had 3 squares, I needed 12 total diagonal braces. Since we already installed 2, I only needed to cut 10 more. See pics below for more detail. With the cross braces installed, triangulate them to the back 2x4 as pictured.

Comments

[moN1Ker]

how'd you secure those perpendicular floating 2x4"s squaring off each 24-36"? Did you just 45° a screw in the top & bottom to the back wall support stud?

[jmengel]

Yes, the two middle perpendicular "cross braces" were toe-screwed into the back wall stud.