Make a cheap fold-down workbench

If you don't have much room in your work space and don't need a bench all the time then this is the perfect solution. The bench is designed to fold down and only sticks out about 100mm on the wall when stowed. Of course all dimensions are customisable to your needs!

You don't need much in the way of woodworking skills for this either - you just need know how to nail and screw things together.

NOTE: if you going to make this type of bench make sure your floor and walls are reasonably level, straight and square to each other or you won't be able to swing the legs out evenly.

Step 1 Select your wall

This is the wall on which I placed my bench. Fortunately for me the wall was plywood over a timber stud frame, though it shouldn't really matter what type of wall you have as long as you have the right fixings for it.

Comments

[Twobits]

I was changing my shop around and I had a 8 ft counter top that I was not using any more. I had a place I could use it but it would be in the way of my fold down ladder to my loft, so I had the same ideal. I purchased a pre made 4 shelf wood bracket from Menards and cut it in two and ran a brace from the lower support to the upper bracket

[Mar HK]

This is great! I was thinking the other day of how to fit a work bench in my garage and still have room for the bicycles when it wasn't in use. This will do nicely.

[blinkizod]

Great idea. greetings from Guatemala!!

[profpat]

nice! very easy one to build!

i did one a long time ago using and old tool shed door with the legs on the sides of the door/table.

[darknet7]

cool

[rimar2000]

VOTED!

[kathmonkey]

Brilliant idea. I'll definitely be doing this in my new (and small) place.

Also, yay for english money, I'm always having to convert the currencies on this site :D

[Spokehedz]

Reminds me of the kitchen tables in the older homes that would fold up onto the wall. very fancy. My issue is that I keep all kind of stuff on the bench, and i woulden't be able to ever put it back down! HAHA!

[woodNfish]

You can buy a used or damaged solid core door to use as a bench top. They are heavy and work very well and are relatively inexpensive. Often the damage is only on one side, or on an edge. Home supply centers and lumber yards will carry them.

[Buzzinski]

Excellent idea. I have been trying to do something like this for a while to instal an outdoor BBQ table that folds away. I will use marine ply (waterproof) for the top beacuse it will be exposed to tropical rainfall (Townsville north Queensland Australia). Thinking of setting it at the same height as my gas BBQ so it will be a serving table. Nice idea, clean and simple. Well done. I might have to make this my first Ible Project.

[eastriver]

Very Good Design , Space saver, good job

[bob202]

so simple it is SCARY! GOOD DESIGN!

[rikkiesix]

I love this bench.
Great idea !!!!
Greetings from Belgium

[psyoper22]

awesome design, i've been browsing for a good idea. this one seems to be the least amount of labor, materials, and time needed to complete the project...

great job!

[vonKaos]

The benchtop I has was very short in width and half of it wasn't sufficient to firmly maintain the bench in placewhen at work. So I put a holder doble sized and folder the legs one over the other. It worked very well to me!

[blkhawk]

Great idea!

[InvaderDig]

Great design. I've been tinkering with a similar design, but with two sets of legs; one set to do what you have here, a work bench, and a second fold away set of legs to turn the work bench into a drafting table.

[rimar2000]

Very good design!