Your shop needs a good workbench. It needs to be rigid so you can trust it to hold any project you are doing. It needs to be big so you have room to work. It needs to be inexpensive so you have more money for tools.
I built this bench for under $45 using all new materials in the spring of 2011. The top is eight feet long and two and a half feet deep. The shelf is full length and one and a half feet deep. The tool ledge is three and a half inches deep.
Note, this Instructable will use the US standards: inches are marked as ", feet are marked as '.
Materials list
Description. Qty
2"x4"x8' (nominal size) 7
1"x6"x8' 1
4'x8'x3/4" particle board 1
Box 2" exterior wood screws 1
Bottle of wood glue. 1
Tools
Necessary
Drill
Screwdriver
Saw (hand or power)
Measuring tape
6" clamps
Good to have
Level
Post level
Corner clamps
Large square
Drill guide
Countersinking drill bit
Workmate style clamping table
Larger pieces of cardboard
Rubber mallet
I built this bench for under $45 using all new materials in the spring of 2011. The top is eight feet long and two and a half feet deep. The shelf is full length and one and a half feet deep. The tool ledge is three and a half inches deep.
Note, this Instructable will use the US standards: inches are marked as ", feet are marked as '.
Materials list
Description. Qty
2"x4"x8' (nominal size) 7
1"x6"x8' 1
4'x8'x3/4" particle board 1
Box 2" exterior wood screws 1
Bottle of wood glue. 1
Tools
Necessary
Drill
Screwdriver
Saw (hand or power)
Measuring tape
6" clamps
Good to have
Level
Post level
Corner clamps
Large square
Drill guide
Countersinking drill bit
Workmate style clamping table
Larger pieces of cardboard
Rubber mallet
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Signing UpStep 1: Step 1 At the Lumber Yard
The 4'x8' panel can be particle board, MDF, or chip board. I chose particle board as a good compromise of cost and durability. Buy from a lumberyard or big box store that will do free cuts with a panel saw. Have the store cut the panel lengthwise at 30". Panel saws do nice straight cuts if the operator is even minimally competent. Not only will this result in a better cut than you can make with a portable saw, but it will also make the parts lighter to cary and easier to maneuver.
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Spent £46 on materials (in the uk) and about £6 on screws all from B&Q.
Didn't go for particle board but a larger chunkier chipboard.
The only thing we really do need to do is brace the shelf under at the front with an extra 2x4 because it is dipping.
I used kreg screws to make stronger joints on the bench top supports.
The feet do feel a little wobbly and might benefit by being 3x3 or 4x4.
In addition triangular supports on the sides would make a big difference to the rigidity.
Pic:
http://i.imgur.com/ZYcPXlM.jpg (uploaded from a mobile device)
An alternative to going up to 3x3 or 4x4 is to use a second 2x4 on each leg, but instead of placing it "flat to flat" with the existing leg, place it "edge to flat" so it forms a long T or L depending on where you atach the two pieces. This moves more of the fibers further from the centerline and makes it stiffer than the same amount of wood in a square cross section.
Watered down wood glue does make a good sealant. I didn't put it on mine which is setting in a shop in Georgia (southern US) that is only heated or cooled when I am actually in there working. Going through the seasonal changes, I have not noticed any warping of the top.
Somthing I did on my second table is add an L extension on the end. This puts additional legs out of plane with the others which makes it stiffer fore and aft. I use the extension both for a router table and for my main assembly table because I can get to three sides of whatever I am building.
A tip for any others out there who are starting from the ground up, and lack the clamps (as I did).... If you can afford the nice ones at Lowes, more power to you. I was trying to keep costs down, so I went to Harbor Freight. I have had some bad experiences there, but figured how bad could they mess up some C -clamps. So far, I havent been disappointed.
The solid core door is a great idea. 16 years ago, my first two benches were made from the side panels of a trashed bookshelf. Nothing was straight on them either, but they are still standing.
I used the same sort of particleboard for a bench top here, a few years ago now ~ except that after cutting the 8' x 4' board into 30" and 18" widths, I glued, screwed and nailed the narrower piece along the front to give a double thickness top with a 12" wide shallow "tool well" along the back..
The top was then sealed with a few coats of a semi-gloss water-based acrylic clear gloss finish for decks..
I then tacked a 6' sheet of external-grade Masonite along the front half of the benchtop to protect the surface from impact, cutting, etc. If I was doing any serious metalworking, I might consider adding a sheet of steel plate on top, as well..
My bench top has already stood up to a couple of decades of use and abuse - mostly general woodwork, and some household maintenance - and is still going well...
I think the only change I'd make is that I wouldn't glue on the top so that it can be replaced when it gets beat up.
If you don't mind spending an extra $6, I would recommend getting another sheet of particle board to use as a cover. Since it will be fully supported from below by the main top, it can be thinner and only needs to be attached in a few places. I'd either use four bolts near the edges, or wood screws from the bottom so you don't have to make new holes in your main top each time.
If you plan to have storage on you back 6", you can have them cut the sheet exactly in half and have two replacement tops from each sheet. Better still, you can use two of the ready cut 4'x2' "easy sheets" with the screw from the bottom method. Easier to handle and you only have to replace the side that gets damaged.
$6 is for the thinnest OSB.
The 3/4" particle board costs $18.45 down here.
I paid $2.49 for each 2x4
The 6" board was just under $5.
the way you have yours screwed, every 6-8 inch's, you don't need to worry about dropping a small engine block. i don't know the length of screws you used but as long as you have at least 3/4" bite (at least as much bite as the width of the wood going thru ), then you don't need to worry about pull out.
you may want to add another 2x4 along the front edge of the shelf, below the shelf edge. the 2x4 the runs on the back of the shelf adds some stiffness but i'm not sure if it's enough. i can't tell from the pictures but you should screw thru that back shelf 2x4 into the table legs. you have plenty of rigidity in the short direction because of the your framing but i don't think it's enough in the long direction. you may want to add some diagonal braces onto the legs. you can also simply screw it to your wall.
another thought. a simple thing to get some more function out of your bench you can drill a grid of evenly spaced 1" holes that will allow you to use bench dog clamps simpilar to that little folding work table you have.
i love these things
http://www.amazon.com/Bench-Accessory-Kit-Dogs-Holdfasts/dp/B001DSXLTK/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1316699885&sr=8-23
How do they sell wood in countries that use metric standards? Are they still 2x4s?
Anyway, nicely made. Was the bottom shelf a "Measure twice/cut once" scenario or was that on purpose?
If rough sawn, that would be about the actual dimension. If planed smooth, it would be 44x94. Which would be sold as such, and not as 50x100. Lengthwise, we usually have lumber in multiples of about 30 cm, starting with 180 cm/ 6 feet. For sheets of ply etc, we're just about moving form 4"x 8" (122x244 cm) to 125x250 cm. But you will find both sizes, it's a global market.
never saw a tool ledge as is … it's a great idea !…
Nicely laid out Instructable!