I noticed some discountinued flooring at my local big box store and saw the opportunity for a new bench in my future. It was relatively inexpensive and easy to do. Plus it looks like a bowling alley, how cool is that???
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Cheap Flooring:
- Look for the solid or real engineered version. In my opinion it will give you the best work surface and will last the longest of the options I found. For the small area of a work bench it really does not take that much material.
- I opted to go the cheap skate route; my usual modus operandi... I looked that the local flooring stores for close outs. They had the best price per foot but wanted me to buy whatever they had left, which was usually 2 or more boxes more material than I needed. So I started looking at the home stores and big box retailers. Eventually I found some on clearance. It was solid bamboo for about $15 a box. I bought three but could have gotten by with 2. Yours will vary. My bench is 2' by 22'.
- You can use what ever wood you have laying around. I did not have enough of any one type to get it done so I bought some 19/32" sheathing plywood. I think it was about $17 per sheet. I needed a little more than 2 sheet so had to buy 3.
- I put a cleat around the edges to use as a ledger. I used a combination of 2"x2" left over from another project and I ripped some 2"x4" lengthwise for the rest.
- I used a combination of deck screws and misc screws from my misc. screw box to mount the ledger and attach the base to the edges.
- For attaching the flooring to the top I used construction adhesive and a brad nailer.
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You could nearly mend an aircraft carrier on that bench! Well, a little one, maybe one of those British aircraft carriers.
It even looks good and your tools are all readily available.
I am ENVIOUS. And it was only a pathetic $96 for the whole lot, how good is that!
OK, so now we all wanna see some serious building on that bench.
Thanks for showing us.
We may not have a million and one nukes but our armed forces are as equally misguided as yours.
This is presuming your from America.
PS good job on your instructables I like them all.
does the work surface have intermediate supports or is it supported by the tool chests? how did you attach the 2x cleats to the walls?
the flooring really gives it a nice look.
Yes, it is entirely supported by the cleats and tool boxes. I tried to show the cleat attachment as best I could in the pictures. I used deck screw to attach to the wall at the studs and other places where I had wood runners under the peg board. I then screwed down through the plywood into the cleat from above as well. Hope that explains it well enough. If not I can get some more pictures for you.
I think that some intermediate countertop supports may be helpful. that way your not dependent on the toolchests for support since they're on wheels.
something like this would work well.
http://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Titanium-Shelf-Bracket/dp/B002TII0JY/ref=pd_cp_hi_3
just a thought.
anyway, nice job.
I'll hopefully be building one soon. my garage is totally disorganized and my wife is sick of me doing projects on the dining room table. can't imagine why.
:)