Wall-Mounted Folding Workbench

Intro: Wall-Mounted Folding Workbench

This Instructable is for us amateur woodworkers out there without the luxury of a spacious workshop. I have a small 2-car garage that has no extra space on the sides when the vehicles are inside. Instead of building all my projects on the kitchen table, I decided to put my wall space to use and build this folding workbench!

STEP 1: Step 1 - Tools & Materials

Tools:
Drill with phillips head & various size drill bits for pre-drilling holes
Circular Saw
Tape measure
pencil
Sander
Stud Finder
Clamps (not shown)
Level (not shown)
Saw Horses or some kind of temporary work surface

Materials:
Pegboard, 2'x4', 2 EA
Particle Board (or any other surface you want for your worbench), 1 4'x8' sheet, cut*
1x3x8' cedar, 3 EA, cut*
1x4x12' pine, 1 EA, cut*
2x4x8' pine stud, 3 EA, cut*
3" core butcher paper roll, 3 EA
(we print a lot of large format drawings at work, so I used the cores from empty paper rolls. You could easily replace this with 2x4's or metal fence posts if you like)

Hardware:
7 Door Hinges (3")
2 2" Hooks
about 4-6" small chain
50ct 3" Wood Screws
100ct 1-1/2" Wood Screws
100ct 1" Wood Screws
50ct 1/2" Wood Screws
You won't use every single screw, but those are the standard size packs that are commonly available.

*Cuts
If you are capable of producing reliable straight cuts, go for it. You are ultimately way better than Homer at deciding how to cut your own lumber. I was not capable, so I had them do it. Most places say they charge for cuts, but most of the time if you are nice, courteous, and not in a huge hurry, they will not charge you.

Particle Board: ripped @ 23"1x3x8'
cedar: 4 @ 44-1/4", 3 @ 23"
1x4x12' pine: 6 @ 23" (really just 6 equal cuts)
2x4x8' pine studs: 2 @ 20", leave the other 2 studs full length
If you chose to make your legs out of 2x4, wait to cut them to length until you have mounted everything on the wall. This will save a lot of hassle. Get at least 2 extra studs if you choose to go this route.

STEP 2: Step 2 - Worktop

First, I set up the worktop. Because it folds, both sides will be visible & functional. The underside will show when the workbench is folded closed, so that is where we will add the 1x3 cedar as trim. This also helps the stability of the particle board, but not very much.

I arranged the trim around the outside of the particle board with 3 vertical pieces (23") and 2 horizontal pieces at the top and 2 at the bottom (each piece 44-1/4").

Tip: Pre-drill all of your screw holes! This will keep the wood from splitting, and it will make it easier to start each screw. This may seem like a waste of time, but believe me, IT IS WORTH THE EXTRA 10 SECONDS!!!

Next, I flipped the worktop over and added one of the 2x4's to the edge that will attach to the wall. I secured the stud with several 3" screws from the trim-side of the worktop into the stud, and six 2x2 corner braces on the workbench side using 1/2" screws. If it makes you feel better, you can use more, but I think this should hold up just fine. This shores up the particle board much more.

STEP 3: Step 3 - Mount the Pegboard

Next, I used the stud finder and marked the studs on the wall, as well as my desired workbench height. I secured the 1x4 pine slats to the wall centered over each stud. This gives the separation needed between the wall and the pegboard for pegs to properly mount. I aligned the bottom of the slats about 4-5" above the top of my desired workbench height. The bottom of the slats is VERY IMPORTANT! It doesn't really matter if the tops of your slats are a little uneven because it is the bottoms that will be attaching to the workbench assembly.

Next, I aligned and secured the pegboard to the wall slats. You might need someone to help hold everything up so you can concentrate on screwing into the slats. Again, don't worry about the slats sticking up past the pegboard. Those will be covered up later with a frame. If you are still worried, cut them shorter than 23".

STEP 4: Step 4 - Attach the Workbench

Next I aligned the worktop with the pegboard. I balanced the worktop on two sawhorses that I shimmed with extra wood so that they were the proper height. I centered the hinges with respect to the wall slats supporting the pegboard and marked their location on the 2x4 backboard on the worktop. This ensures that the weight of the worktop will be supported by each stud through the hinge. Secure the hinges to the 2x4 on the worktop first, NOT the pegboard. Once the hinges were on the worktop, I re-aligned and attached it to the wall. I made sure the hinges folded well and there weren't any issues or catches.

Note: I mis-aligned one of my hinges, so I removed it. It would have either cracked the backboard or bent the hinge, so I just decided to remove it altogether. The remaining hinges are more than enough to support the weight of the workbench.

The cores that I used for my legs come with some HDPE plastic plugs that go into the end, so I screwed three of these into the bottom face of the worktop at the ends and middle for a secure leg location. I sized each leg so that the bench sits level, and trimmed them to the proper height.

STEP 5: Step 5 - Frame & Paint

Next, I aligned the remaining 2x4's in a frame around the top and sides. Screw a few more 2x2 angles into the pegboard at the support slats to hold the frame in place. It's important to make sure the bench doesn't contact the sides when it folds up. You might have to angle or sand the edges a bit to allow for the rotation. I just cut them short and dealt with the gaps, but you can measure out the precise length needed and trim accordingly. I also noticed that the sides didn't want to stay plumb, so I glued a couple 1x3 spacer pieces behind them to rest against the wall. (Don't glue them to the wall!)

Next, I screwed a couple of hooks with some chain at the center to lock the bench in the upright position. You can get as fancy as you like here, but hooks & chain works just fine for me.

When the bench is not in use, I store the legs on top of the frame and keep them in place with some small picture hanging nails sticking 1/2" out.

Lastly, paint the pegboard with chalkboard paint and mark the location of each tool so that you know where each one goes. The chalkboard paint isn't necessary; you can just mark the location of your tools using a marker on the white pegboard. We just like chalkboard paint and had plenty left over from other recent projects.

STEP 6: Step 6 - Complete!

There you have it!

There are a few additional options for finishes that might be a good idea:

• If you decide to use particle board like I did, you can cover it up with some cheap vinyl flooring. This will keep the normal wear and tear from shredding your workbench surface.
• You can also use 2x4's or metal fence posts as your legs if you need something sturdier.
• For the trim-side, you can paint the entire surface, just the trim, or cover it with photos. It's up to you to make it look like you want.

Thanks for reading my Instructable! Good luck everybody!

Comments

[jamieodonnellatl]

You are awesome! Going to try! Thank you!

[Yonatan24]

Hi, I've added your project to the "Make Your Own Workbench!" Collection

This is the link If you are interested:

https://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Your-Own-Work...

[MikeO]

I did something similar a few years ago. Anyone else who makes this, might want to think about using self-closing hinges which are spring loaded. My old bench was pretty heavy and they made it much easier to lift up to lock in place. Also, my legs were hinged off the wall so they swung out and the bench sat on them.

[GabrielM38]

i need this.....is there any way you can show us some more pictures and/or tools needed?

[Jgsanders1]

Do you have the instructions for your workbench??

[MikeO]

Sorry, but no instructions. The top is framed from 2x6's with 2x6's laid flat around the inside top then a sheet of plywood applied on top of that. The legs are just 2x4's with some metal feet that can slide across the floor. Everything is held together with pocket screws.

[brianromeo]

This looks awesome! One question...is it a pain in the neck having to drop the bench to get at the tools that are hiding inside? I'm planning a garage overhaul this spring and this idea looks like a great way to save some space!

[MaxB13]

you could always make it a fold up bench rather than fold down so your tools are always there but you would lose opportunity of storage space below bench top area in the swing orc arc. Hmmm... Got me thinking how deep a workbench should be and optimum height.

[MaxB13]

Great instructable, just the inspiration I was looking for and good to see the pics and ideas others have posted, really handy thanks all!

[tjl115]

I built one of these in my garage years ago using a discarded door complete with hinges, knob and latch assy. Just build a 2x6 frame on the wall and install the door horizontally ~ hinges, striker plate, etc. Skin it with masonite, attach leg system of choice. Close it up, well, kind of like closing a "door"

[MaxB13]

Nice touch! Function and ingenuity out of free stuff adds that extra level of satisfaction! Can you post a picture of what you did if you don't mind I'd like to copy?

[Susitna]

When I move home to Alaska, we plan on a small camping cabin business. With a minor changes in dimensions, that could be the perfect table with the cabinet behind for condiments, a few place settings of dishes. That would be totally out of the way when not in use. Thank you for the project. I only have basic woodworking skills this looks like it would be a reasonably simple to do.

[elizakwiatkowska]

awesome

[flacreations75]

nice idea, thank you for sharing it!

[alcurb]

Tommy, I imagined the folding legs too. The legs could be held in folded with weak magnets when bench is stowed, then when the bench is opened, gravity overtakes the magnetic hold and the legs drop down on their own.

[Tex Arcana]

Woah. I never considered this! And "weak" isn't a real consideration, too weak is a liability.

Fantastic idea, tho! Thanks!

[alcurb]

By "weak" I meant...well...you can look at it a different way; that the magnets are strong enough to hold the legs in place, but no so strong that it will impede the legs from dropping down when the table is lowered to a 90-degree angle from the wall. (In case I wasn't clear enough, the legs are hinged to the bottom of the table.)

Another way to do this, sans the magnets, is to install a trigger and latching mechanism that releases the legs when you are ready (e.g., when you have your feet out of the way).

Once the legs are deployed, one has to consider a design to not allow the table leg to slip when you accidentally hit it with your knee or foot, like rubber tips for the table legs.

[emilkaram]

Great idea

[AndrewDouglasBird]

I like everything except how you attached the bench to the back 2x4 with L-brackets. This is a very weak connection method. I would have used long screws through the bottom of the bench up into the 2x4, maybe every 16" or so. 3-1/2" deck screws with a self tapping head would work well here. And then you wouldn't have the brackets in the way on top.

[WorkBoots09]

I didn't make it clear enough in the how-to, but yes I used 3" nails from the trim-side of the workbench into the 2x4 as the primary connection. The angle brackets are for a little added stability.