Well after a rubbish year last year, a lot of time in hospital and now having epilepsy I've finally unpacked all my stuff in my garage. A lot of
it I've thought "why the hell did I pack that" and thrown it out and a lot of it I've thought "arse, I've bought another
one of those". The end result is a much tidier garage with more space.
Having a pile of unused 4" x 2" timber doing nothing I built a new frame for a work bench. I then sourced a 2m sheet of kitchen worktop
from Wickes for £35 and fitted it on the top. I've also bolted down my pillar drill and vice and am very pleased to have a new work bench in
place. It's cost next to nothing and is very stable too 
Happy lad!
It is probably worth a photo or two, which I'll add when I've taken them.
Aye, get some pics up for us to drool over...
^^^
Not sure you'll drool that much, it's a timber framed delight, but that's all
This thread is worthless without pics!
I am actually going to embark on a bench build soon but unsure whether to make it out of box section and weld it or build it out of wood. It too will
be too mount my pillar drill, bench grinder and vice to.
^^^
I had the timber to hand so it was the obvious choice for me.
Given free reign I would probably have gone for box section welded up with a big metal worktop.
Mine was made from 4x4 and waterproof chipboard flooring. Woodworking vice and metal working vice added and Its brilliant. Nick, I'm jealous, kitchen worktop - wow! - that must be really good :-)
Ive been building mine for 6 months (i just have no time - hence the car is still not finished).
4x2 c16 from when i was building a deck - i 'accidentally' ordered too much. Kitchen work surface from a skip 1.5x normal width and nearly
2m long. Every corner has two bits of 2x4. Idea is it will be strong and last - in that vein its screwed and bolted and glued.
Love some pictures as i'm about to do final build and would love a sanity check of what i'm doing.
I will be building my bench this summer so everybody should stick pictures up!
Pictures will be up shortly.
Has to be said the Wickes kitchen worktop was cheap and is perfectly flat too so good for making things on. Last night I used some Screfix right
angle steel brackets and screwed it to the wall so it can't move either.
Yes, photos required!
Here is mine I did a couple of weeks back
It has been made slightly higher than a normal work bench as I'm quite tall and found myself crouching over the old one.
Simple steel frame bolted to the wall at the rear and 18mm OSB board for the top, still a few bits to do to 'finish' it off.
The top will get a sheet of steel on it to make it more durable and easier to clean/oil resistant.
A Lick of paint
The shelves on the left will be removed and a heavier duty half height set put there instead, and the red tool chest on the top of the bench will be
moved off onto the right hand wall once the shelves there are gone, that will give me more floor space at the back of the garage
I may add another long shelf above the one that is there too
Description
Next up is fresh paint on the walls and floor (maybe ceiling too) and better lighting
^^^
Looks good and I do like the tool storage as well.
I'm lucky enough to have my tool storage next to my bench spread along one side of my garage.
the chest under the bench was actually an afterthought.
It has always been on the left under the rest of the chest, but I just happened to make the bench the right height to fit it underneath so thought it
may aswell go there!
I think it will be getting moved off to the right though and cupboards made for underneath
Finally some photos of my efforts...
...have to say I'm very pleased with it. It's secured to the wall and flat as you like so easy to work on. Having the vice and pillar
drill bolted down helps as well - easier to use and stationary too.
ETA...the other tool which really help when building the frame is a pocket hole drilling jig. Dead easy to drill suitable holes in the ends of the
4" x 2" timber and screw the bits together straight and true.
[Edited on 25/4/16 by nick205]
Looking good, I got the same worktop a few years ago but in white, it had some chips in the top so was in the bargain bin, I will try & find a
photo, even have my vice & pillar drill in the same place as yours.
Only difference is I managed to get two free metal office cupboards from an office clearance my cousin did so they are my base, very solid &
plenty of hidden storage.
Looks like you have a nice workspace there.
It is indeed a good space. Although technically a single garage there is enough width to get a car in and still use the bench. My 205GTI fits in there well. The Wickes worktop is cheap IMHO at £31.50 and perfectly flat as well.
Where/how much for the jig?
quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Where/how much for the jig?
^^^
IIRC the jig in a wooden box with 100 screws and a drill bit cost approx. £40.00. I've screwed it to the bench to hold it still and it works
well. The supplied screws are approx. 1" long and driven with a supplied square Allen key type driver. For this project I used 1.5" screws
to gain a little more purchase. I then used Screwfix supplied right angle steel brackets to fix the bench to the wall and add some stability.
If you can afford the pocket hole jig it's a useful tool to have. I've also used it to repair some knackered draws around the edges -
cheap, fast and robust.
Aside from the jig itself, the key is the stepped drill bit that creates the counter bored hole...
Pocket holes?
Bench looks good Pocket screws are weak sauce though 
I'd have spent a little time making a basic joint (e.g. rabbet) + screw 'n glue
it.
Not untrue, Pocket Holes can be weaker than a mortise and tenon joint. However with the right length screws the speed and accuracy of them is hard to beat. Personally I don't have the time (or tools) to do more complex joints - Pocket Holes work OK for me.
I'd be tempted to add some diagonals to the legs to help steady them (just in case) and it can't hurt.
To be fair, I fitted a breakfast bar in our old house, batten on the wall approx 6 ft long, 6 ft of worktop screw'd to it from underneath & 3
of those chrome leg things on the front, it was solid as a rock.
I reckon with that frame & the fact that you have fixed it to the wall, i'm betting it's pretty sturdy already.
quote:
Originally posted by MikeR
I'd be tempted to add some diagonals to the legs to help steady them (just in case) and it can't hurt.
If its bolted to the wall the only thing that would need to be braced is the front legs. I would put some crossmembers from them to the rear legs and
add a shelf under the bench.
You can just about see mine here
[Edited on 27/4/16 by Fred W B]
OK - day off yesterday and I cut and added some 4" x 2" diagonal braces to the front legs as suggested. It doesn't seem to have stiffened what was already very stiff, but it does make me feel a little more confident in terms of durability. Our sheet metalworkers have also offered me a sheet of Zintex galvanised steel 1.5mm thick and 580mm x 2,000mm to "metalise" the top surface. I'm tempted to do this and make it suitable for MIG welding on as well.
Be careful of the fumes if welding on galvanized - the zinc will oxidize in the air and will do your lungs no good at all.
[Edited on 29/4/16 by prawnabie]
quote:
Originally posted by prawnabie
Be careful of the fumes if welding on galvanized - the zinc will oxidize in the air and will do your lungs no good at all.
[Edited on 29/4/16 by prawnabie]