I have a 12ft x 6.5ft x 6.5ft Poly Tunnel to put up in the next week or so, once the weather calms down a bit.
So in the meantime I was looking for a Potting Bench on line, and in the local garden centers.
I was disappointed at the build quality of the units on offer, the price was also excessive.
So I decided to make my own.
The cost of the bench was zilch, it was all materials I had in my shed.
That place is like a Tardis :-)

Step 1: The Pallets

The local community hall is being refurbished after a fire.
The skip outside was full of rubbish, but down the side was an 8' x 4' pallet they use for dry wall transportation.
I managed to wrestle it out of the skip,(with great difficulty). then carried it half a mile home.
Not the lightest thing to haul about.
The one in the photo is a 2nd pallet they left out for me, I used an old skateboard and some rope to roll this one home.
No way would they fit in a car.
I plan to use this one for shelves in the Poly tunnel.

Step 2: Break Down

I broke the pallet down, using an old broken garden fork.
It popped the planks without any split or damage.
I then cleaned and sanded the planks down before I began the build.

Step 3: The Frame

The pallet yielded 8 planks, 4 x 8ft x 3.5in and 4 x 8ft' x 5.5in planks.
I also had 5 x 4ft x 2in x 3in posts.
I cut 2 of the posts down to 3ft and left the others at 4ft
I also halved the 8ft planks into 4ft lengths.
I must have removed about 60 nails.

Step 4: The Build

The construction was pretty fast and simple.
I did use other scraps of board, wood and offcuts I had laying around.
The frame was nailed and screwed together.

Step 5: The Topping

The work surface of the bench was just the same as the shop bought ones.
quite rough with gaps and uneven lumps and bumps.
I found 3 x 4' laminate floor boards in my shed.
I trimmed these up and used them as the work top.
It gives a nice smooth surface to work on, and makes it easy to clean off.

Step 6: The Shelf

The lower shelf was made from an old fence that was blown down by the wind some time ago.
The frame was painted 2 tone with shed and fence paint.
I used a scroll saw to shape the bottom rail, I made a cardboard template for the shape.
I may add an eye level shelf and some hooks for tools at a later date.
But if you have the time, the materials and need a potting bench, give it a try.