Workbench Plans?

[Person]

I am going to build a workbench for my garage. Does anyone have any good plans/templates or know where I can get a good plan to follow?

I am a very unexperiance builder but I am eager to learn. Any info is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Person

[Ben K]

Person
Try this site:

http://www.diydata.com/projects/plans/tool_plans_4.htm

I particularly like:

http://www.grampasworkshop.net/workbench.html

but note that the size of the wood can be modified and that there is no provision for a tool well if that's what you are looking for. This can be made easily.

Cheers

Kuff
:D

[ajax]

Hi Person,

If you search in the forum you will find lot of info.

Here is something to start with

http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~flip/plans.html
http://the3house.com/plans/

cheers and happy workbenching

[vk3em]

Hi Person,

I've almost finished building a workbench for my small shed (added the lower shelf tonight). I took some ideas from the link below :

http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/workshop/bench/below20.html

But used 100x100 oregan for the posts, 90x45mm pine for the supports and 3 planks of recycled 250x50 oregen for the work top. The timber was a mixture of new and recycled timber.

Overall dimensions are 1800x750 about 1050mm high.

I'm new to woodworking too, so here are some tips that you might find useful (they are probably obvious to experienced wood workers, but not to me when I started this project):

1.) Check the final height of your bench is suitable for you. If you have a bad back like me, bench height is critical to working for extended periods of time.

2.) Never assume the ends of any timber you buy are square. I used 100x100 oregen posts and used a set square and small square moulding to use as a guide for my circular saw. It was slow and painful getting it square.

3.) Consider using screws instead of nails for assembling the frame. Easy to dismantle and take with you to your next house (should you move). (You really need a good cordless drill tho).

4.) Sand the wood before assembly. The extra time spent on this is nothing when you consider the pain of a splinter lodged under your finger nail!

5.) Add some shelves under your bench. I found a heap of old pine floorboards under my house and will be adding a second one with some scrap pine.

6.) Spend $200 to $300 and get a miter saw. I started off mucking around with set squares, jigs, circular saws and the rest, and I regret not buying a miter saw earlier. If your like me and have lots of shelves to build around the house, a cheap and nasty miter saw will save you a LOT of time.

7.) Use a sacrificial top, on top of your main bench top. I used MDF, but others have suggested tempered masonite. If you work with lots of small things, like rebuilding motor mowers, consider painting the top white with something hard and glossy. High gloss white paving paint is what many of my friends have used with success. Easy to clean and easy to find thngs when you put them on the bench (as opposed to working on an oil stained work top).

Hope this saves some grief!

Cheers
Luke

[Person]

Thanks for the replies! They were all very helpful.

Person