13 Free Workbench Plans and DIY Designs

In fact, it s even more important than most of the tools you might use at a bench. That s because a good workbench makes so many jobs easier. Repairing small machines, assembling projects and building furniture are entirely dependent on a proper work surface of the right height. And the thing is, money can t buy a decent workbench. At least not at reasonable prices. If you want more than a light-duty portable workstation and you don t feel like paying big bucks for something that s way fancier than you need building your own workbench is really the only option.

Learning exactly how to do this is what I ll show you here. Thirty years ago I built de;ot first serious workbench, and after using it nearly every day since sorkbench, I still call the design a success. That build your own workbench home depot 60 why I figure it s worth passing on to you here. Workench can build your own version. Either way, you ll get a bench that s heavy enough to be solid, simple enough for any handy person to build, and durable enough to last longer than you build your own workbench home depot 60. There are three main parts to my design: the top, the legs and the storage shelf.

But before you begin building, you need to do some figuring. How long should your workbench be? How wide? How tall? Mine has a top that s 9 feet long and 35 deep from front to back. That s a generous size if you can accommodate it, but your bench needn t be this big. You can go smaller or largerdepending on your needs and available space.

The only dimension that s important is bench height. The rule of thumb for any woodworking bench is an overall height equal to the distance between your wrists and the floor as your arms hang loosely by build your own workbench home depot 60 sides. A general-purpose bench for, say, sharpening a chainsaw, fixing a broken toy or assembling a new garden seeder should be taller.

My old faithful bench is 35 from floor to top of the work surface. Build the Leg Frames The plans show how pairs of legs are joined together into frames, with the frames connected by the long rails, top boards and shelf boards. Your first task is to build as many of these leg frames as needed to get the total length of bench you want. Depending on the weight Build Your Own Workbench Home Depot Web of things you ll be putting on your bench, aim for 36 to 48 between leg frames.

If you re not sure what makes workbeench right now, build the minimum number of frames you think will do the job, then temporarily set some top and shelf boards in place and see how things feel.

You can always make an additional leg frame before assembly if trial and error shows it s necessary. Remember, a heavy bench is a good bench. Cut all the legs you need to length in one go, and all the crosspieces. A mitre saw is an excellent tool for easily and quickly getting these cuts perfectly square, but you can use a handsaw or hand-held circular saw, too. With all the legs ready, it s time to begin assembly, but first let me tell you about a trick to make this happen accurately.

A sheet of plywood or OSB placed on the floor is an excellent reference tool for assembling your leg frames so they re square. Place one leg along one long edge of the plywood as it sits on the ground, with the end of the bench leg aligned with the corner of the sheet.

Place a second leg parallel to the first one, with outer edges of the legs spaced to match the length of your cross pieces. The beauty of using sheet material as an assembly guide like this is that it ensures square leg frames.

Double check your frames by measuring diagonals taken across the corners. Square leg frames will always have equal diagonals. Back when I built my workbench, there was no such build your own workbench home depot 60 as deck screws. Wood screws available then were expensive and build your own workbench home depot 60 didn t bite into wood like the best modern deck screws do today.

That s why I used nails for my bench. That said, you ll be far better off to assemble your bench parts with deck screws. Build your own workbench home depot 60 hold better than nails and it s easier to drive them.

My favourite deck screws are called Spax. The version I use are hot-dipped galvanized for rust-free exterior use and they have wavy build your own workbench home depot 60 that edpot aggressively into wood.

Secure the cross pieces to the first pair of legs now. The upper cross piece needs to be flush with the top of the legs, and the second one 6 woorkbench from what will become the bottom ends of the legs. Assemble the other leg frames now, then compare them all with each other when Rough Wood or Smooth? If you live where small sawmills are in operation, rough-cut lumber makes a terrific bench. The only issue to keep your eye on is how consistent the thickness of rough lumber workbnech.

Planing one side and one face of rough boards is the best way to make them consistent while retaining the greatest wood thickness. If you ve cut all the parts the same length, everything will bjild fine, though it pays to double-check. Fixing errors now is much easier than later. Assemble the Base Now s the time to connect leg frames so they form the support structure for your bench, and long rails are the parts that make this happen.

Depending on the length and strength you re aiming for with your workbench, 2x4s or 2x6s are the thing to use for long rails. Either way, these long rails fasten flush to the top of the legs. But before you begin assembling the base, let me tell you about another important trick. It s the easiest way to ensure buikd leg frames come together properly.

Build your own workbench home depot 60 your carpenters square, and grab a 24 -long level instead. Start by finding a flat and level floor surface build your own workbench home depot 60 set all the leg frames upright on, or create a temporary level surface.

The sheet of plywood you build your own workbench home depot 60 for assembling the leg frames will probably work fine if it s not warped. Either way, once you have all leg frames on a level surface, all you need to do is make sure they re straight up and down called plumb as the long rails are fastened. Do owm in reference to the level and all connections will be square. This is much easier and more accurate than using a carpenter s square.

Recruit a helper to hold the leg frames up and keep them in position as you apply wood glue and secure each long rail-to-leg joint with a single deck screw, set off-center so you have room for a second screw later. You could certainly forget the glue, but it s amazing how much strength and rigidity it adds.

For all the time it takes, why cut corners? Your bench won t be very strong at this stage because the glue is still wet, but that s okay. Check that the leg frames are all plumb one more time, then add a second screw to each joint.

Bore holes and draw the joints together tightly with the bolts before the glue dries. Besides pulling the joint build your own workbench home depot 60 tightly for maximum glue strength, if things ever loosen up as the wood dries and shrinks in the future, you can tighten workbendh the joints as good as new with a wrench.

I prefer to build your own workbench home depot 60 planks dfpot because they don t cost any more than plywood, and they make for a stronger, heavier bench. There s also no need to cut any of the boards lengthwise youe get a specific workbench top width. You can usually mix and match different standard widths of lumber to deliver the ideal 1 or 2 of overhang on the sides and ends.

Gaps between boards aren t what you want, since dirt and small oqn will fall down onto the items stored on the shelf below. If you can get a couple of pipe clamps to draw the wood together, that s perfect. Buy a sturdy plastic tub with a lip, measure the length and width of the body of the tub, then mark it on the bench top, somewhere between leg frames on the right or left hand side of the center legs.

Use 2x4s to reinforce the underside of the top immediately on each side where the tub will go, then bore a 1 diameter hole through the bench top, just inside the lines, one at each corner.

Cut all four sides of the opening using a jigsaw, then drop the tub into position. You re now ready to store soil build your own workbench home depot 60 potting materials right at bench level. If you d like to add a sink and running water to your bench, you ve got a couple 06 options. You can install a sink the same way as a potting tub, or inset it below the surface so the sink can be covered with a removable piece of plywood whenever you want a continuous benchtop work surface.

A reclaimed stainless steel kitchen sink is ideal for covering in this way because the perimeter lip is thin. Cut a reinforced opening hoem the benchtop and install your sink as you would any build your own workbench home depot 60 tub. A reclaimed kitchen faucet is a more build your own workbench home depot 60 way to bring water to your sink than a garden hose, and it s not difficult to install.

Fit the end of one of the copper pipes coming off the faucet with a quick-release hose nuild, and it s easy to connect and disconnect the water supply to your bench. Drain waste water from the sink into a pail or a graveled area underneath the bench, and you re ready to wash vegetables outdoors, keeping mess out of your workbencb. An optional raised back and sides on the benchtop helps keep potting supplies and tools from rolling off during use.

Use no glue on these joints, since you want the option of removing and replacing top boards later, if they get damaged. Finish Up With The Shelf The shelf is nothing more than a replica of the top, except that it fits between the legs, not on top of them. Cut the shelf boards so they fit between legs, and fasten them with screws only.

Workbenches are one of those things that are best made, not bought. Take the time to build yours right and you ll never need to wish you had a better bench again.

Composite Workbench Vise Advice As useful as a good workbench is, you ll also need to add some kind of vise to make the bench as useful as possible. And the work you plan to do affects the hardware that makes workbencj.

A machinist s vise with 6 -wide jaws is my favourite all-around option for holding anything metal, plus wood and plastic where surface denting doesn t matter.

If you ll be using your workbench primarily for woodworking, then consider a face vise made especially for this job. It s wider than a machinist s vise, and uses pieces of hardwood to form the working faces of the jaws. Use just enough small screws to keep the plywood secure.

Some of the most reviewed products in Duramax Building Products Mobile Workbenches are the Duramax Building Products 72 in. x 24 in. 3-Drawers Rolling Industrial Workbench and Wood Top with reviews and the Duramax Building Products 48 in. x 24 in. 2-Drawers Rolling Industrial Workbench and Wood Top with 61 reviews. Feb 05,  · Everyone's measurements will vary. For clarity, we provide instructions on how to build a work bench that's 30 inches deep, 60 inches wide and 34 inches tall. You can use our measurements or read below how to calculate your own woodworking bench dimensions. Build your own DIY workbench with this free plan from Shanty 2 Chic. It has a large worktop and bottom shelf and is on wheels so you can take it wherever it needs to go. There are color photos, a supply list, and complete directions so you can build it yourself. 04 of

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