computid
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| posted on 17/3/23 at 10:57 AM |
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Building a wooden workbench
Hi All,
Thought I'd ask the collectives advice twice in one week!
I'm looking to build a decent, sturdy, garage workbench for a multitude of purposes. I want to be able to use it for everything from Carbon Fibre
manufacture to metal work and engine rebuilds, so it needs to be strong, big (ish - 1200x1000x1000), and sturdy with a hard wearing top. I also
don't want to spend a ton of cash, so my budget is around £200 total.
My plan is to build this using just Wickes Sawn Kiln Dried C16 Timber - 45 x 145. I'm hoping I can make both the frame and the top from this
wood.
This is the design I've come up with:
Now, it's important to note that I've never built anything like this before, and wood work is not my strong suit, so my knowledge may be
somewhat lacking and as such please excuse any silly questions!
The frame I'm fairly confident with, but it's the top that's causing me some questions. My plan is to paint some epoxy on one edge of
the top planks, butt the planks hard up against each other on the top, and screw them down to the frame with deep countersunk screws. Let the epoxy
harden off, fill the screw holes with wood filler, and then sand the top down flat. Hopefully this will provide me with a really strong and flat top.
Then I want to treat the surface with something, ideally to stop resin from Fibreglass or Carbon sticking to it in future. I was thinking of
varnishing it with polyurethane varnish as most resin doesn't stick to it.
For the shelf below I'm just going to use MDF or something as it doesn't need to be particularly strong.
As ever, I throw myself over to the LCB collective for your judgement and thoughts! Any input or worked examples most welcome!
Many thanks!
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roadrunner
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| posted on 17/3/23 at 12:07 PM |
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Use PU glue. you can get different curing speeds from 5 mins to 30 mins. Glue all your joints as you have no triangulation for strength.
Can you not use a decent plyboard for the top rather than gluing timber together. Marine ply would be best. Then I would cover with a sheet of ally,
Maybe temporary screw it down so can be removed for different job types.
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cliftyhanger
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| posted on 17/3/23 at 01:24 PM |
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I am not a pro by any means, but 6x2 (sorry, thats just the way I work) doubled up for legs is huge. If you want to use a L shaped leg, it could be
4x1 and that would still be hugely strong. Likewise the frame around the bottom. For a really solid top 6x2 is not a bad thing, or even scaffold
planks. Ideally sash cramps while gluing together, beg/borrow/steal some. (buy from Toolstation, then return?? naughty, but if you take care nobody
would know)
I would want some diagnol bracing in there too. Even if just in the corners.
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snapper
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| posted on 17/3/23 at 03:34 PM |
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I have seen and intend to use myself 19mm ply from B&Q for the top of my benches, previously I have used 16mm floor board material which is ok but
I want something I can slap a gearbox or an engine on it.
I eat to survive
I drink to forget
I breath to pi55 my ex wife off (and now my ex partner)
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James
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| posted on 17/3/23 at 07:20 PM |
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Based on your description, you're looking for flexibility more than anything else.
I would be tempted to make it from square/rectangle metal tube so that you have less volume of material to get in the way of different projects.
I inherited a steel tube workbench from work that I cut down as my garage is quite small and re-welded and painted. It's mainly 25mmx50mm tubing
and it's *incredibly* strong and stiff. conveniently, it doesn't even have front legs. The front legs have been moved back to about 150mm in
front of the rear legs. This means you don't have a leg getting in the way of stuff.
I'll try and get a photo for you.
Cheers,
James
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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nick205
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| posted on 17/3/23 at 07:30 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by James
Based on your description, you're looking for flexibility more than anything else.
I would be tempted to make it from square/rectangle metal tube so that you have less volume of material to get in the way of different projects.
I inherited a steel tube workbench from work that I cut down as my garage is quite small and re-welded and painted. It's mainly 25mmx50mm tubing
and it's *incredibly* strong and stiff. conveniently, it doesn't even have front legs. The front legs have been moved back to about 150mm in
front of the rear legs. This means you don't have a leg getting in the way of stuff.
I'll try and get a photo for you.
Cheers,
James
A metal work bench (with metal top) is ace for welding on.
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JoelP
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| posted on 17/3/23 at 08:32 PM |
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I'd agree those timbers are excessively large. That would support more tonnes than it would ever see. In the past, I've used back to back
kitchen units, with scrap worktop on it. That gives you 1200 deep and however long you want, excellent storage and perfectly level. Only thing to
consider is lateral loads on the legs. Replace them with stout 7cm ones rather than standard 15cm ones.
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nick205
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| posted on 18/3/23 at 03:45 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
I'd agree those timbers are excessively large. That would support more tonnes than it would ever see. In the past, I've used back to back
kitchen units, with scrap worktop on it. That gives you 1200 deep and however long you want, excellent storage and perfectly level. Only thing to
consider is lateral loads on the legs. Replace them with stout 7cm ones rather than standard 15cm ones.
Done this before in my garage. Kitchen worktop will take quite some abuse and as said is well flat. Old kitchen being removed and reused from my
house at the time.
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MikeR
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| posted on 18/3/23 at 06:33 AM |
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I did the same design but used 2x4 as it was really available. The top was a reclaimed kitchen work surface.
(Reclaimed out of a skip, I did ask the owner & yes I drove home with the boot open as it was so long & yes my wife wasnt happy as we'd
only recently moved into the house and still trying to seem "normal"
Think long and hard about the height. I made mine a little too high (perhaps 2 or 3" but I have a bad back and didn't want to be bending
down. Also think about the depth, my kitchen work surface was very deep and I struggle to reach the back. Finally, think about a lip at the back to
stop stuff falling behind. I extended the rear legs up, then used them to hold a plywood back board. This allowed me to have shelves mounted of it,
stopped stuff falling down the back and acted as triangulation.
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Big T
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| posted on 18/3/23 at 10:07 AM |
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This is why I love it on here, modelled work benches posted for input, it’s great!
I’m currently planning to have a move around in my very leaky, knackered garage. As such I want something that will be pretty resilient. I collected
some sheet pallets, they consist of about 4 to 5 lengths at 3000mm of 2”x4” timbers and a few larger cross bearers at around 1500 which are ideal for
the legs. I’ll make a frame up much like a build table, throw a load of cross braces in there with some laser cut sections for triangulation and
support, Chuck a bit of ply on the top and then cap that with some stainless, I made one a few years ago and capped it with a bit of mild steel and
that was a terrible idea!
Reused kitchen is a great idea, however the water my garage lets in the whole thing would fall apart.
[Edited on 18/3/23 by Big T]
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cliftyhanger
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| posted on 18/3/23 at 12:53 PM |
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As a temp engine build table, I am using a bit of12mm ply, 1200x600ish. Made a support frame from 3x1 set 4" in from the edge, some 6x6x2 blocks
in the corners to attach the frame to and then 4 ikea table legs .
That was originally made as a table extension for Christmas a few years ago, but now kept in the garage for occasional use. Holds a hefty (dolomite
sprint) 4 cylinder engine (150kg) no probs, though I am aware of not putting large lateral loads on it. Bulit 3 engines on it, take legs off when
finished and store it against a wall.
People often seriously over engineer this stuff, it really isn't necessary.
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ReMan
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| posted on 18/3/23 at 01:27 PM |
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TBH unless your used to wood, its you'll either spend a ton on wood or the tools to work it and it will still be a wooden bench.
IU'd be looking for something like this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275688167241?hash=item40304b9749:g:fz8AAOSw9RZj67Lz&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAwMQsjMyKtZay%2BaYpkrdxBSDk2hFWpYlOFEufez8mFO84
0yWnuhktWX3tqXk%2BmHgRnDdjaTAJN8qKo0RUznEnus3VW2A6oo1YSylZIcetgJDGP4RD9maCJbFWgn2LEneJaqEVBE3AmZzr%2FaaQ%2BBN5oNh3EnoNzlr2K%2BuHfEpZW0i21htDVImPQeSET3
24XFvZcnnwzyuEHUJeciAQREzHwqJjEUObiYfw7na2NKT2oxvCLH603s3sEiMNqi1yvBlT5g%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4iDwM7eYQ
[Edited on 18/3/23 by ReMan]
www.plusnine.co.uk
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 18/3/23 at 01:40 PM |
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Triangulation would make a huge difference - 1 diagonal at the back, and 1 on each side.
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designer
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| posted on 19/3/23 at 12:32 PM |
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3 x 3 is large enough for bench legs
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harmchar
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| posted on 19/3/23 at 05:47 PM |
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I would also suggest using ex-kitchen work top as the top surface. Scratch proof, can weld without burning, doesn’t matter if you spill paint or
fibreglass or body filler on it. Will be almost perfect flat compared to ply.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 19/3/23 at 06:17 PM |
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I tacked a sheet of hardboard over the plywood top of my workbench about 20 years ago - still there!
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coyoteboy
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| posted on 20/3/23 at 09:17 AM |
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Personally, as a metal person not a wood person, I would say those timbers look fine. I've destroyed so many wobbly wooden tables. I now have a
2mx1m workbench made with 150x40x3 steels welded with cross bracing at the back and corners and a 30mm replaceable ply top which is the only one I
haven't destroyed.
So to me, your original design just needed some cross bracing and a metal skin on the top surface unless you keep it as freely replaceable.
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nick205
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| posted on 20/3/23 at 01:42 PM |
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Unless you need a metal worktop (for welding) then a wood worktop should do you fine. I've built one for myself and one for a mate with kitchen
laminate worktop. It's cheap from Wickes and it's also good and flat too. If you screw it on from below it'll be easy enough to
remove and replace if you damage it.
[Edited on 20/3/23 by nick205]
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nick205
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| posted on 20/3/23 at 01:44 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by nick205
Unless you need a metal worktop (for welding) then a wood worktop should do you fine. I've built one for myself and one for a mate with kitchen
laminate worktop. It's cheap from Wickes and it's also good and flat too. If you screw it on from below it'll be easy enough to
remove and replace if you damage it.
Also, secure the bench to the wall to stop it tipping on you or moving aroud.
[Edited on 20/3/23 by nick205]
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HowardB
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| posted on 20/3/23 at 04:24 PM |
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my 12' bench was a pallet that a machine tool arrived on - it is massive and huge over kill! The smaller work bench was scavenged from a closing
lab 40 years ago.
well looked after it will out last me 
Howard
Fisher Fury was 2000 Zetec - now a 1600 (it Lives again and goes zoom)
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computid
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| posted on 23/3/23 at 12:49 PM |
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Okay, so, I cheated. I found this steel Bench Master workbench on Facebook marketplace for £125 just down the road from me and snapped it up. It
weighs more than a 7 chassis so I don't think I'm going to be breaking it soon!
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trextr7monkey
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| posted on 25/3/23 at 12:58 AM |
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I’m a retired DT teacher well capable of making a decent bench but with the price of wood it’s not the greatest idea if you are looking for a multi
purpose bench rather than some thing for engaging in fine wood work. I picked up 3 traditional joiners benches from a training centre for £90. Very
heavy, 2 wood work quick release vices on each one all for £90. Gave one to a mate and sold another for £120. This provided a free bench to modify as
appropriate. If you are not into wood work I would recommend this approach and you can get on with your other more interesting hobbies!
If you decide to press on with making your own this topic has been done to death on the UKworkshop site with lots of sound advice and access to
designs
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14016102@N00/ (cut and paste this dodgey link)
Our most recent pics are here:
http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/trextr7monkey/
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