Work bench ideas

[Tradiepro]

Hi guys, I am new to this and wanted to build a workbench for basi everyday things to carving spear guns and doing wood work and I wanted to build a workbench soon so I can start selling my spear guns again has anyone got any ideas of what to do 

Community manager's note: Check out How to build a portable workbench for expert advice.

[kel]

hi @Tradiepro

for a quick workbench,weld up a steel table frame using 3mm,inch tube.rectangular top,leg height to suit you and brace the legs then just screw  on a top.which could be mdf,chipboard or an old door.the top can be sacrificial,that way you can screw into it when clamping projects etc and renew when necessary.

once you have this,then you can think about designing and building a proper workbench to suit your specific needs.

my main work bench is made from 4x4 for the legs,4x2 for the framing and garden sleepers for the top which are bolted to the frame and  were leveled with a plane.i made 3 drawers  added a woodwork vice and a shelf underneath to store my tablesaw etc and doors to keep the sawdust out.i have a bench grinder bolted to one end and my drill press up the other end,as you can imagine,it is very stable.i get a lot of use out of both benches but i do most of my projects on the smaller bench due to its sacrifical top.if i want to rout something that i can't clamp down ,i just screw scrapboards around it to the table to hold the piece in place,anyway,thers a couple ideas for you.

cheers kel

[Brad]

I have a Kreg style bench under construction and I am looking at making an Armor style bench as a downdraft sanding and routing table. At least adding the dust collection box underneath will save me the $90 postage on Kreg dog clamps that have a adaptor to screw up under the table.

[Jason]

Hi @Tradiepro,

Welcome to Workshop. It's great to have you with us and joining in the discussion. I'm sure the community will give you lots of great advice and inspiration for this project and many others in future. 

Here's some previous Workshop posts that you might be interested in taking a look at:

• New work benches by @Rodney

• Work bench built from pallets by @Yorky88

• Craft working bench by @CharlieG

You might also find some inspiration from this Bunnings project - D.I.Y. portable workbench. I will also embed the video below.

Hope you find the links useful. 

Jason

[Kermit]

Option if you want to go the simple path - https://www.bunnings.com.au/rack-it-1000kg-workbench-combination_bbundle0317

[Brad]

Seems Festool owners have trouble working out how to use the dogs in the holes in their tables so a company has found a way to get people to part with their money.

[Brad]

More useful but you are limited to 20mm holes at 96mm centres.

My router rail will do ero style holes at 32mm centres in any hole size you can find a bit for. 19mm at 96mm works for me.

[Jason]

Hi @Tradiepro,

Just wondering how you are going with your workbench project. 

You might be interested in this recent post - https://www.workshop.com.au/t5/Garage-and-Shed/Solid-workbench/td-p/17073

Please let us know if you need a hand with anything.

Jason

[TedBear]

After a lifetime of making & using traditional work benches stuck against a wall, about 10 years ago I asked myself why,  then changed tack & never looked back. I built 2 benches: identical, simple, strong & small enough to move around. I set the height to match my small sawbench. I put brackets on the end, 16mm  below the tops, that allow me to easily attach anything to the benches. This has given me diversity++ which is great in a small area. I can use them as inward and outward feed extensions to the saw; I can put scrap chipboard between them (using the brackets) if I temporarily need a longer bench; I cut shaped holes into c.board  scraps to hold awkward shaped things (eg tools) that I'm working on. The scraps can be ditched if never needed again.