Folding Workbench

Made by April WilkersonWilkerdos.com

Copyright 2015

Page 1Material List

I would suggest waiting until you have a scrap cut off piece of 3/4" wood to make the top from. However, you could buy an entire sheet of plywood and cut it to size.

48"

36"

Cut List

35"

39"

39"

36"

48"

33"

30-3/4"

Quantity Item

1 4’ x 3’ x 3/4” plywood4 8’ 2 x 4s

3’ of piano hingeSome 2 1/2” pocket hole screwsSome 1 1/4” pocket hole screws1 Box 1 1/4" screwsSome 3” screws

2 1/2” x 4” hex bolts4 1/2” washers2 Nylon locknuts

Page 2

Make the Top

I used pocket holes on this build but if you don't have a jig then screw the 2x4s in from the top.

Set the pocket hole jig to 3/4" stock and drill four pocket holes on the two side pieces and three on the front piece.

Now change the jig depth to 1 1/2" stock and drill the four horizontal pocket holes on the back piece.

Place these boards 3" in on three sides. This will give you area to utilize clamps. If you would like more or less surface for clamping, then make that change here.

Use the pocket holes to attach the boards to the plywood and to each other. You will need to use 1 1/4" screws for the 11 holes going into the top and 2 1/2" screws for the 4 horizontal holes.

Page 3

Attach the Wall Brace

First find the studs with a stud finder then use 3" screws to attach it to the wall. I recommend drilling a pilot hole and using an impact driver to make this step easier.

This workbench stands at 30 3/4" tall. The top of the brace needs to be mounted at 30".

Attach the TopUse a hand saw to cut the piano hinge to 35" to match the wall brace. Now set the top assembly on top of the wall brace and attach the piano hinge.

I recommend upgrading the screws to 1 1/4" screws instead of using the tiny screws that come with the hinge. Also, I only place a screw in every other hole when attaching the hinge.

Place the hinge so that it's positioned in a 90 degree angle then make sure the back is flush with the bottom of the workbench and the bottom is flush with the brace. Start with attaching the hinge to the top then attach the bottom to the wall brace.

Page 4

Attach the LegsNow start making and attaching the legs. Once you cut the legs according to the cut list, use a jigsaw or bandsaw to round over the top. To get the curve, I used a sample paint can to trace around however you could also do it by hand.

Drill a 1/2" hole in both of the legs for the hardware, then also drill two pocket holes in leg. You will use these later to attach the stop block.

1-1/2"

1-1/4"

4-1/4"

5-1/2"

Set the leg in place on the top assembly and clamp it to the inside of the side 2x4, making sure the bottoms are flush. Use the 1/2" in the leg as a guide on drilling the corresponding 1/2" hole in the side 2x4.

Attach the leg by using a 1/2" x 4" hex bolt with a washer, then a washer and a nylon lock nut. Tighten it down and repeat on the other side. Note: Before attaching the legs, make sure the pocket holes are facing the correct direction.

Page 5

Attach the Stop BlockAt this point you should be able to open and close the workbench, but if you stopped here you would have to manually set each leg every time you used the bench. To make it easier I added a stop block so that both legs open at the same time and always stop in the same location.

Open the legs so they are down then take the stop block piece and clamp it in place so that it's flush up against the front 2x4 of the top assembly. Now crawl under the workbench and use the pocket holes in the legs to attach the stop block. Use 2 1/2" screws here.

Page 6

To keep the workbench up you can buy a latch from the store, or you can do like me and use some scraps. For a scrap latch, cut a piece from 3/4" wood that is 3" x 2" and use two 1 1/4" screws to attach it to the wall right on top of the work bench.

Add a Latch

Make another piece that is 3" x 1 1/2" and use a 1 1/4" screw to attach it to the other piece. Make sure there is about 1" of this piece over hanging the workbench.

Now when you want to open the workbench you rotate the front scrap out of the way and lower the bench. When you want to store the bench away, you rotate the front scrap down.

And that's it! Now you have a folding workbench. If you end up wanting to move it all you'll have to do is locate new studs, take the wall brace off then reattach in the new location.

Page 7

Be sure to check out the build video on my YouTube channel to see an overview of the build process. Also, check out my website at Wilkerdos.com for other projects.

Thank you for purchasing these plans and supporting what I do. Be safe.