Table/Workbench for garage

[DW]

Best solution I have found: Pick up a sheet of 3/4" plywood, 2 2X4's, and a gorilla shelf unit from Lowes.  The shelf units split nicely into 2 waist high sturdy shelves.  Cut the plywood to 2" wider than the shelves.  Screw one 2/4 to the back of the plywood on top, and one across the front, but on the bottom.  Gives you a nice extremely sturdy worksurface for relatively low $$$.  Finish the whole top with several coats floor grade polyurethane.  That will set you up with an 8' long workbench that is about the right depth and sturdy enough to jump up and down on.  It is also cheap enough of a top that you don't have to worry about working on top of it.  The best part, when you move, it breaks down in no time.

I'd take a picture of mine, but it is doing what workbenches do best - Holding all my crap.

[fastwin]

All my metal work benches have come from Grainger's. I have two 6' benches in the barn at my farm and one 5' bench at my piss ant home garage. My old house (that my ex got in the divorce ) had a big ass three car detached garage that no car ever sat foot in. Only my bikes, roll away tool boxes, work bench, drill press and hydraulic bike lift... along with yard shit and gun safes were ever in there... no cars. Now I'm in a standard attached 2 car garage and my current spouse is under the delusion that her damn Acura MDX needs to permanently live in the garage! Shit, cars like to sit outside in the driveway! They love it! My pick up and Suburban would be embarrassed to be seen in a garage. If I move her car out to make room to work on one of my bikes her spidey senses goes off and she rushes to the door demanding to know why her car is in the driveway and how long it will be there! Ugh...

Good luck with the work bench search.

[rgramjet]

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/mat/2013032053.html

[muskrat]

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/bfs/2013396392.html

[Scotzman]

Similar to some:
4x4s for legs (2 8ft), 2x4s to connect the legs at knee level and a piece of laminated plywood. I also put castors on to move it if I need to. Have miter saw on it and recently stood on it. Cost about $40 total.

[Rameses]

I'll take a pic later today of the one I built a couple of years ago.

You guys're gonna love it.   

[Speedbag]

If you want to spend the money, browse here, you can find about any material you want

http://www.mcmaster.com/#bench-tops/=9d3lvs


mitt

+1

I went with particle board tops on the two I made for my shop, and used 8020 aluminum extrusion for the framework.

My main bench is made so that the smaller rolls under it when not in use. It cost a shitpile of money to build up front, but they're almost indestructible and rock solid.

I can post pics later if you like.

[mitt]

My main bench is made so that the smaller rolls under it when not in use. It cost a shitpile of money to build up front, but they're almost indestructible and rock solid.

Those sound nice - post some pics

[Rameses]

Here's the pic I promised.

It functions pretty well as a catch-all and even doubles as a great workbench when cleaned off.

[Speedbag]

Here's what I mentioned above:



The vise and drill press are just lag bolted to the top. I have the rolling bench pulled out a bit for the pic; it tucks completely under the stationary unit.

The beauty of the aluminum extrusion is that you can bolt stuff to it using the T-slots after the fact. For example, the green thing on the left leg is a plate I machined to hold my razor blade dispenser. Ditto for the fender cover hanger bar.

Like I said, they are stout. I assembled the stationary bench upside down, and I had to get help to right it.

[mitt]

I had a chance to get about 4 times that amount of that aluminum bosch framing at work for free that was scrapped, but I was too late and too busy to do it.  Did you buy it or stumble into it?


mitt

[Speedbag]

I bought it, but got it for cost.

[1KDS]

Build it out of 4x4s, couple sheets of plywood on top and call the local heating and air shop for a piece of sheet metal for the work surface with a lip bent down in front

[Heath]

Check out IKEA.  They have a section where you can make your own tables.  There are some solid wood table tops and one that is covered in stainless steal.
The wood ones are called Vika Byske.  They are at least an inch thick.
The stainless is Vika Hyttan.

I would get one of these then make your own frame.

If you go there check out the As-Is section.  I picked up a table top I plan on putting on my work bench for half off.

[ducatiz]

Make it yourself w 2x4s and use 7/8" thick plytanium for the surface.

Use carriage bolts to secure the plytanium to the top of the frame.  When you bang it up, just get a new piece and bolt it down.

Plytanium is a brand of waferboard from Home Depot.  It has a tacky side for mortar or mastic for flooring . The other side is smooth.  I use mine smooth side up.

If you want, you can put some kind of rubber or vinyl tile on it too.  There is a brand of rubber flooring called Birco which would be great, but I've never gotten it.  You just lay it on with some kind of adhesive.

Main reason to replace the top is it gets chewed up and splinters over time.  If you put the rubber on, it won't.

You can make the bench as heavy as you want.  Use double 2x4s at each corner or every 4 feet (vertical) and double 2x4s for the horizontals.  It will support about 700-800 lbs this way. 

I made shelving with 7/8 plytanium, single 2x4 horizontals and single 2x4 verticals and 6 foot spans, I have no problem putting 2 engines on a shelf.