Home Depot Folding Workbench

[SlvrDragon50]

Frame the top in with 1x6 all the way around. Glue and screw the 1x6 flush with the top surface.

You'll end up with a "skirt" protruding below the bottom. You can use the skirt to attach your 4x4 legs from 2 sides, one in each of the 4 corners formed by the skirt.

If you really want to get fancy, in place of the rear 1x6, use a 24" piece of 1/4 or 3/8 plywood. That will give you extra stability in the rear legs and make attaching to the wall much easier and more secure.

When I say attach to the wall of the building, I'm talking about sinking two #8x3" sheet rock screws into each stud inside the wall behind the bench. Maybe 8 total. These will leave the smallest of holes, which you can fill with putty or toothpaste when you move out. It's not going to destroy the wall.

 

That's a great idea. Though now I looked it up, and I see it's actually melamine. I knew that price was too good! I don't think the melamine will handle the screwing of the skirt too well.

I was under the impression I needed larger screws for the wall. If only #8 is needed, I don't mind doing that!

[Wobbly]

I whooped up some scale views to help you visualize. Each part is a different color to help you understand. The bench top (yellow) is 24x60". 1x6" skirts are in green and blue....



Front legs are 4x4, but the rear legs (due to attachment to the wall) can be 2x4. That saves some money. Here's a cut-away to help you understand the leg attachment....



See how the 20" deep skirt (dark green) in the rear comes down ? If you put one #8x3" sheet rock screw as high as you can get it, then another as low as you can get it into each wall stud, you'll end up with a huge triangulation arrangement that will support weight and make the bench super rigid.

The top is best made with a 4x8' sheet of good plywood, ripped into two 2x8' sections, glued to each other. But, you might cut material costs further by buying only 1 sheet of plywood. Whatever is not used on the top then becomes the rear skirt. The thinner top is reinforced by adding extra front-to-rear 2x4 bracing (red) standing on edge....



You can brush the entire finished bench with polyurethane or simple sanding sealer.

Legs are simply screwed on, allowing you quick disassembly if you ever move.

 

[SlvrDragon50]

Yup, moveability is the thing I'm wanting most. My only point of hesitance is to build something like this is I'll need to get a saw. The extended backdrop is a great idea as well, I was thinking of just doing a piece of 2x4, but this is way better.

[Wobbly]

Yup, moveability is the thing I'm wanting most. My only point of hesitance is to build something like this is I'll need to get a saw. The extended backdrop is a great idea as well, I was thinking of just doing a piece of 2x4, but this is way better.

You can get any plywood seller to rip the 4x8' sheet for you. All you need to do is look at existing counters and get a feel for how deep you want your work bench. (I find 30 inches to be about max. Remember the shelf on the wall for the scale which you'll need to access often.) Then all you need is to buy a hand saw (or borrow a power saw) because the only cuts left are easy 1x6" and 2x4".

The one tool you definitely will need is a power drill with a torque limiting chuck for installing all the screws. I like a corded (AC powered) drill-driver.

 

[SlvrDragon50]

Yup, moveability is the thing I'm wanting most. My only point of hesitance is to build something like this is I'll need to get a saw. The extended backdrop is a great idea as well, I was thinking of just doing a piece of 2x4, but this is way better.

You can get any plywood seller to rip the 4x8' sheet for you. All you need to do is look at existing counters and get a feel for how deep you want your work bench. (I find 30 inches to be about max. Remember the shelf on the wall for the scale which you'll need to access often.) Then all you need is to buy a hand saw (or borrow a power saw) because the only cuts left are easy 1x6" and 2x4".

The one tool you definitely will need is a power drill with a torque limiting chuck for installing all the screws. I like a corded (AC powered) drill-driver.

 

Yea, I'm just real  hesitant about the Home Depot cutters Maybe I just need to bring a tape measure and mark it myself. I'm definitely not going more than 30" depth. I spent quite a bit of time yesterday at Menards, and I think I'm okay with 24" depth but I would prefer 30". I checked the plywood, and the surface wasn't as smooth as I liked though. On the other hand, I also checked out the 1.25" glued pine board in the first post, and it was actually pretty good! Sanded smooth and no major holes. I think I am returning to this option as I can buy those nice metal legs and then buy 2x4 or 1x6 to brace the bench to the wall.

I bought a real nice Milwaukee M18 drill/driver combo last year which I love! Absolutely a huge step up in quality over Ryobi drill/drivers.

[FrankW]

The best table top material I have found is 1 1/8" sub flooring plywood.  It has a  tongue and groove on the long edges.  I just cut off the tongue so one side if flat.  It use to be pretty cheap.  If you split, glue and screw you will have a 2 1/4" top plus what ever you top it with.  I use tempered Masonite for topping the flooring. 

The best legs I have used with the many work benches I have built were 4" x 3" steel tubing.  The walls of the tubing were about 1/8" thick.  Cut an opening or two in the leg for power outlets and you have power right at the front of the table for hand tools. 

If you want a light weight reloading bench that you can store in a closet and not fasten to anything like the floor or wall you need to make a set back in the front of the table.  Have a leg on both sides of the setback so the press sets at the edge of the setback but behind the legs.  I made one with the perimeter made with channel iron and screw on pipe legs.  When I went to my next location I just unscrewed the legs and loaded up the table top.  The pipe legs were threaded at the top and bottom.  I put screw on flanges on the bottom for feet and could adjust the legs for uneven floors.  Most of the top was covered with 1/2" plywood except for the area for mounting the RCBS A2 press and it was  1/4" steel plate.  The steel plate was over kill but I tapped the top for mounting different presses.  Quick to set down a press and screw in the bolts.

Frank 

[SlvrDragon50]

Where do you get rectangular steel tubing? I don't think I've ever seen that.

[painter]

Steel supply house...google that term. Comes in 24' lengths. Most will cut it in half free of charge, but if you buy less then the full length, you pay for the full length anyway. You likely could find some at a weld shop that does fabrication, and they'd likely cut it to length for a price.

[FrankW]

Hi SilverDragon50,

painter has it right.  If you do any fabrication with steel you need a local friendly steel supply yard.  Another good source is a scrap yard that buys used steel.  You would be surprised what you can find laying around a scrap yard. 

Get the tubing in lengths you can handle and then cut to size with a metal cutting chop saw.  I had one with a 12" abrasive cut off wheel. 

Frank

[Scarlett Pistol]

The best table top material I have found is 1 1/8" sub flooring plywood.  It has a  tongue and groove on the long edges.  I just cut off the tongue so one side if flat.  It use to be pretty cheap.  If you split, glue and screw you will have a 2 1/4" top plus what ever you top it with.  I use tempered Masonite for topping the flooring. 

The best legs I have used with the many work benches I have built were 4" x 3" steel tubing.  The walls of the tubing were about 1/8" thick.  Cut an opening or two in the leg for power outlets and you have power right at the front of the table for hand tools. 

If you want a light weight reloading bench that you can store in a closet and not fasten to anything like the floor or wall you need to make a set back in the front of the table.  Have a leg on both sides of the setback so the press sets at the edge of the setback but behind the legs.  I made one with the perimeter made with channel iron and screw on pipe legs.  When I went to my next location I just unscrewed the legs and loaded up the table top.  The pipe legs were threaded at the top and bottom.  I put screw on flanges on the bottom for feet and could adjust the legs for uneven floors.  Most of the top was covered with 1/2" plywood except for the area for mounting the RCBS A2 press and it was  1/4" steel plate.  The steel plate was over kill but I tapped the top for mounting different presses.  Quick to set down a press and screw in the bolts.

Frank

How did you join the subflooring to the Steel tubing legs? I'm really curious!

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

[vwpieces]

Local community dumps/recycling centers are a great place to find Free materials. Was helping a buddy spruce up his repair shop a couple years back and here are some finds. Free counter tops. Enough matching to make his service desk and matching corner shelves.


And the local metal scrap yard had some sheets of Stainless Steel that we used to cover the service desk and his work benches with a back splash.
The SS was likely from the fishing industry and may have been scrap mistakes. The edges are bent to roll over the edge of the bench and fit perfectly. Length cut off the back was used for the back splash on the wall.



Just some ideas and some insight of what can be done and found for cheap or Free. It's amazing what gets thrown out or scrapped. Tools and imagination...

[FrankW]

Hi Scarlett Pistol,

I used 1 1/2" angle iron.  Lagged the angle iron to the top and bolted to the legs.  Fasten to the floor with angle iron and put in shelves the same way.  Bolted a piece of angle iron to the leg with the flat top facing up then laid the shelf between the legs.  I put cut outs in the shelf for the back legs so the shelf fit all the way to the back wall.  I ran a 1/2" conduit between the front and back legs and then a 3/4" conduit down the back legs so I could mount outlets down the back of the bench.  So I had outlets in the front and back of the bench.  You can never have too many outlets.  You have to make sure your legs/conduits are grounded if you use them for outlets. 

Frank   

[painter]

<snip>  You have to make sure your legs/conduits are grounded if you use them for outlets. 

Frank

As a wire monkey in a previous life, correct use of grounding screws in the metal boxes will properly ground the conduit and boxes.

[SlvrDragon50]

Started to move into my new place. Thought I would share a pic of my workbench.



Uses a 30x60x5/4" thick piece of pine for the top. Oiled w/ Danish oil. 1x12"x60" for the shelf and back crossbar. Legs are Edsal 5709.

Alone, the legs are pretty flimsy, but all the boards help it get really sturdy!

[Scarlett Pistol]

Nice! Curious to hear how it holds up.