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Every good workshop needs a good workbench, and many people like to make their own workbenches. It’s not overly complicated to do so, but it helps to follow a guide that can point you in the right direction. A sturdy workbench made of wood or even stainless steel can be fully customized to meet the needs of your work area.
Whether it be for tool storage space, a rolling bench in your garage, or a place to use larger tools like a drill press or circular saw, making your own heavy duty workbench helps prep your space for your next DIY project.
A workbench is basically a dedicated area that you’ll be using to work on, and workbenches can range from basic tables, all the way to advanced workstations with vices and drill presses included.
What Are Some Features That Work Benches Should Have?
A workbench should be solid, sturdy, and fairly heavy. No one wants to be trying to work on a bench that is moving all over the place. Some people want to be able to fit larger tools on the lower shelf of the bench and wheel it around where necessary.
A workbench can serve a number of different functions. Many people like to use them for woodworking, while others like to use them mainly for storage purposes. The surface of the workbench should be as flat as possible, and there should be no wobbling around. You’ll also want your workbench to be a decent height so that it’s comfortable to work on. Coming up with some DIY plans on how you want your workbench and work surface to look is a necessary step in starting this project.
There are a number of different ways to approach building a workbench. You might be able to find workbench plans online, and the difficulty in crafting them can range from very basic to very advanced. The majority of workbenches are just tables, and sometimes it can take some research to find the one that will work for you.
Bracing is an important component of any workbench. You’ll want to include:
- Bench dogs
- Planing stops
- Hold-fasts
- Board jacks
Workbench Design
Before considering the design of your workbench, the first thing you’ll want to keep in mind is what you’re using the workbench for.
- Are you just using it to store tools?
- Are you using the surface for woodworking?
- Will you be putting parts together on it?
- Will you be situating your workbench up against the wall?
- Are you wanting full 360-degree access to it?
- How much weight do you want the workbench to support?
- How much storage do you think you’ll need?
- Will you be placing long planks on it?
- Is there ample lighting in the area where your workbench will be located?
Some people like to design their workbenches to have a lot of functionality for many different aspects. There are typically around three different general uses of workbenches:
- Construction and other work
- Sanding, planing, or cutting materials
- Assembling things
Workbench Height
A common height for many workbenches is between 28 and 36 inches in depth, 50 to 96 inches in width, and 27 to 39 inches in height. If you’re not completely sure about what height you’ll want your workbench to be at, you can think about constructing your workbench without any cross bracing on it. This will give you some increased flexibility if you want to adjust things later.
What Materials Are Required To Build A Rolling Workbench?
You’ll need a couple of materials to get started on building your rolling workbench:
- 4 – 5″ swivel casters
- 2 – 4″x4″
- 7 – 2″x4″
- 2 sheets of plywood
- Screws
There are also some tools you need to have to get started:
- Chop saw – you’ll need this to cut 2×4’s and 4×4’s
- Table Saw – you’ll need this to cut down plywood
- Jigsaw – you’ll need this to cut out 3.5×3.5 squares from bottom shelf plywood
- Kreg Jig
Cut List For Your Rolling Workbench
- 4-4″x4″ cut at 30″
- 2-2″x4″ cut 84″ long
- 4-2″x4″ cut 27″ long
- 2-2″x4″ cut 74″ long
- 2-2″x4″ cut 20″ long
- 2-2″x4″ cut 24″ long
- 1-30″x84″ plywood
- 1-27″x81″ plywood with 3.5×3.5 cutout squares in each corner
What Are The Instructions?
- The first step begins with organizing all of your boards. Refer to your cut list and begin cutting them all to their respective sizes. After you’re done cutting, you can begin laying out the shelving for the top and bottom shelves. This will give you a better idea of how everything will look.
- Get your kreg jig and start drilling two holes in your 30″ cross boards. Secure the cross boards to the boards that are 84″ in length. This will begin to form a rectangle that has two pieces to support it. You’ll now see that this is your platform for the top of the workbench.
After that, start drilling two holes in your 74″ and 20″ boards. Once that’s finished, secure them to the 30″ legs to make the base of your workbench. Get a few bar clamps if you’re having difficulty with this step.
- After you’ve got your base assembled together, you can flip it over and start to insert it in the frame from the previous step. At this point, all it will take is a few screws to secure the top and the base together.
- With your workbench situated upside down, start drilling a hole in the middle of your 4×4’s to get some casters on them. Some people like to glue them on, but usually, your workbench should be heavy enough to keep the casters securely in place. Ensure that you’re getting casters that are heavy-duty enough to support the weight of the workbench.
- Once that’s done, you can flip the workbench over and start putting your casters in place. After the casters are installed, put the 30″ x 84″ board right onto the frame, get some screws, and then screw it into place.
The last step involved putting the 27″x81″ plywood that has the cutouts in it onto the bottom of the frame. Some people like to secure the board using screws, but the legs should be able to keep them situated in place nicely, so you probably won’t have to bother with that. If you find yourself struggling with this part, you can get a rubber mallet and tap them in.
Now, all you have to do is roll your workbench to wherever you’re wanting to keep it located. Workbenches make life a lot easier, and with a rolling workbench, transporting tools and other things around your garage becomes much more simple.
