®

PROJECT PLAN

Still the bestWorkbench

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tThis workbench was firstfeatured in 1993, and backthen we dubbed it “TheBest Workbench.” Nowthat we’ve used it daily foralmost four years—andheard lots of praise fromreaders who built theirown—even the skepticsamong us agree that itdeserves that title. Ourworkbench no longer looksas perfect as it used to:Paint spills and power toolshave left their marks, butthe workbench and all itshandy features are as usefulas ever.

Back by popular demand, it’s easy to build and easily customized to fit your workshop.

by Mac Wentz

TABLEExtension

SLIDERSPeg-Board

LAZY SUSAN

WorkbenchStill thebest

•••

Deep Storage

REMOVABLETOP INPLACE

PEGSADJUSTHEIGHT

ROLL-AROUNDTable saw

DRAWERS

DROP-INPower tool

BENCHACTS ASOUTFEEDTABLE

•

•

•

THE FAMILY HANDYMAN FEBRUARY 1997 63

Doors and

nch

So for those of you who didn’t seeit the first time, here it is again. Andfor those of you who did see it—buthaven’t gotten around to building ityet—we’ve included a few optionalchanges to the original design (see“What We’d Change,” p. 67).

PLANNING YOUR WORKBENCHIf this workbench looks too complexfor you to build, take a moment tostudy the photos and illustrations andyou’ll see how simple it really is.Intermediate-level DIY skills andcommon tools (a circular saw, jigsawand drill) are all it takes.

All the materials you need areavailable at home centers. To build aworkbench similar to ours, expect tospend from $300 to $500 (see “PriceGuide,” p. 75). If you include all thefeatures we show, plan to spend threeor four (enjoyable) weekends on thisproject.

Our intention here is not toshow you how to build a work-bench just like ours, but howto use our modular design tobuild a bench just right foryou. And that will take somecareful planning on yourpart. So resist the urge tostart building right away,and spend some time withthis article and a sketch padfirst.

BUILDING THE BASIC FRAMEFig. A and Photos 1 through

4 show how to assemble thebasic workbench unit, thestructure that supports every-thing else. This is the fastest, eas-iest part of the project—you canassemble it all in one day, even ifyou’re building a large workbench.Here are some tips to help you along: n Buy the straightest 2x4s you can

BENCHTOP HAS2" OVERHANGON FRONTAND SIDES

7/8" HOLEFOR CONDUIT

METALOUTLETBOX

27"

TOP IS 2 SHEETSOF 1/2" PLYWOODGLUED TOGETHER ANDSCREWED TO FRAME

2-1/2" DRYWALLSCREWS

ROUND EXPOSEDCORNERS

TACK BOTTOMSHEET TO FRAMEBEFORE GLUING

FACTORY-CUTEDGE

3" DRYWALLSCREWS

3" DRYWALL SCREWS

2"TOESPACE

54" MAX.BETWEENLEGS

ABOUT 32"

29"

ABOUT24"

1/2" CONDUIT

2x4

2x4

ASSEMBLEDFRAMES

ASSEMBLEDLEGS

ASSEMBLE the legs bysandwiching 2x4s between

pieces of 1/2-in. plywood.TTiipp:: By cutting a 4x8 sheetof plywood exactly in half

lengthwise, and thencutting the half-sheets intothirds, you’ll get six piecesof plywood slightly smaller

than 24 in. x 32 in.—justright for building the legs.

FIG. A THE BASIC WORKBENCH

YOURPLAN

CLAMP

BENCHFEATUREIDENTIFIER

LEGPOSITION

MARK the positions of thelegs and any benchfeatures on the long 2x4syou’ll use to make theframes for the workbench.To assemble the frames,just screw 27-in. 2x4s tothe ends of the long 2x4s.

Workbench

2

Still the best

1

64 FEBRUARY 1997 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN

66 FEBRUARY 1997 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN

find and build the frames (Photo 3)

from 2x4s that are as long as thebench, so you don’t have to splicethem together. Most home centerscarry 2x4s up to 16 ft. long.n When driving screws near the endsof 2x4s, predrill 1/8-in. holes to avoidsplitting.n To make straight cuts in plywood,clamp a straight 2x4 to the sheet andhold your saw’s shoe (the metal basethe saw rests on) against the 2x4 asyou cut. Measure the distance fromthe edge of the blade to the edge of theshoe, and clamp your guide boardthat same distance from the line youwant to cut.

ATTACHING THE BENCH TOPThe bench top is two layers of 1/2-in.plywood glued together (Fig. A). Use“BC” plywood (which has one

LAY the frames onthe floor andscrew the legs intoposition from oneside. Then roll theframe over and dothe other side.Remember toleave a 2-in. toespace at thebottom of theframes. Finally,stand the benchupright so you canattach theplywood back.

smooth side) for the top layer androugher, “CDX” plywood for the bot-tom layer. First, tack the bottom layerinto place with a few nails and spreadwood glue over the plywood—lay iton especially thick around the edges.Then add the top piece, driving

3

screws through both layers and intothe frame. Screw 2x4 filler blocks tothe frame wherever two sections ofbench top meet. NNoottee:: For easieraccess to the inside of the bench,install the top after features likeshelves or lazy Susans are finished.

WorkbenchStill the best

THE FAMILY HANDYMAN FEBRUARY 1997 67

BACK

FACTORYCUT EDGES

SCREW the plywood back to the legs, using thefactory-cut edges (which are perfectly perpen-dicular) to square up the bench. You can cut thebacks from full sheets of plywood, or you can saveon materials by using the scraps left over fromcutting the 29-in. wide bench-top pieces.

Those of us who use this workbench agree on only onething: It’s not big enough. (No workbench is bigenough!) We have other suggestions, but none we canall agree on. So here are some of those suggestions—you be the judge:n In the original article, we said the bench top shouldreach the middle of the user’s hip. Those of us with badbacks prefer a bench that’s waist-high. n The neat freaks would like doors over all the storagespaces and 2-in. strips of plywood that cover the gaps atthe toe space. That way, sawdust wouldn’t gather in thedrawers and under the workbench. The slobs say thatdoors would make getting into the drawers a hassle.And who cares what’s under the workbench anyway? n Using one layer of 3/4-in. plywood, instead of two1/2-in. layers, would make building the bench top a loteasier and a bit cheaper. n Using 1/4-in. hardboard, instead of 1/2-in. plywood,for the legs and back of the bench could cut costs sub-stantially. But moisture can make hardboard swell, soit’s not ideal for damp basements or musty garages.

4What we’d change

EXTRA 2x4 LEGTO STABILIZE UNITAND PLYWOOD BACK

4" CARRIAGEBOLTS

WASHER AND NUT

1-1/4"DRYWALLSCREWS

VINYLLANDSCAPINGEDGINGCUT IN HALF

1/2" PLYWOOD

AT LEAST 15"

DRILL ACCESS HOLETO DRIVE SCREWSFOR LAZY SUSAN

12" LAZYSUSAN BASE

BOTH CIRCLES ARE3/4" PLYWOOD

24" CIRCLE

BUILD UPPERFRAME FROM2x4s AND1/2" PLYWOOD

40" CIRCLE

CENTERMARKS AND SMALLDRILLED HOLE

DRILL a 3/4-in. access hole throughthe 24-in. circle (following theinstructions that come with thebase) and screw the lazy Susan baseto the underside of the 24-in. circle.

PEG-BOARDTRAMMEL

3/4"PLYWOOD

20"

CENTERMARK

MARKCUTOUTWITHPENCIL

24"CIRCLE

CENTERHOLE

ACCESSHOLE

FIXEDSHELF

DRAW one 24-in. and one 40-in.circle for each lazy Susan, using aPeg-Board trammel screwed to theplywood. It’s OK if the circles overlapslightly (in one place only), sinceyou’ll later cut a section out of eachcircle. After you cut out the circleswith a jigsaw, drill a small centerhole through the plywood where thescrew held the trammel.

POSITION a 24-in. circle in thecenter of the L-shaped opening andmark the area to be cut out—wherethe circle protrudes from theopening—with a pencil. To completethe cutout marks, flip the circle over,center the lazy Susan base on it andtrace around the base. After you’vecut a section out of the 24-in. circle(see Photo 7), set it on the 40-in.circle, align their centers by insertinga nail through their center holes, anduse the smaller circle to mark thecutout on the large circle.

FIG. B LAZY SUSAN

24"CIRCLE

CUT OUT

LAZYSUSANBASE

MOUNT the lazy Susan to the shelf,using the access hole to drive eachscrew through the base and into the1/2-in. plywood. Finally, attach the40-in. circle to the 24-in. circle, againusing a nail to align the circles.

5

6

7

8

mMaking the most of corner space byinstalling lazy Susans is the trickiestpart of this workbench (Fig. B and

Photos 5 through 8). You have toset back the legs on one section of thebench, bolt adjoining frames togeth-er, cut circles and carefully align allthe parts. Expect to spend a whole daymaking two lazy Susan shelves.

LAZY SUSANDeep Storage

d

tADJUSTABLEDROP-IN

2x4 FILLERBLOCK

THIS SECTIONCUT OUT AFTERDROP-IN FRAMED

CABINETHINGE

1/2" PLYWOODSHELF

CABINET LOCK(OTHER DOOR MUSTHAVE LATCH INSIDE)

1/2" OR 3/4"PLYWOOD

1x4

1x2

BUILD 1 OR 2DRAWERS TO FIT

BALL BEARINGDRAWER SLIDE

3" DRYWALL SCREWTOE-NAILED TO LEG

2x4 DROP-INBASE

HOLESDRILLED1" DEEP

2x4FILLERBLOCK

1-1/4"CLOSET RODPEG CUTTO FIT

2x4 — ALSOUSED ASTEMPLATE

1/2"PLYWOOD

1-3/8" HOLESDRILLED 1"DEEP

ANY OF YOURBENCH-TOP TOOLS

REMOVABLEBENCH TOP

CUT HEREWITHHANDSAW

BASEBASEBASESUPPORTSSUPPORTSSUPPORTS

TOE-SCREWDROP-IN BASESUPPORTS

FILLERFILLERFILLERBLOCKSBLOCKSBLOCKS

TAPE FLAGDEPTH GAUGE

FILLERBLOCK

1-3/8" BIT

2x4DRILLINGTEMPLATE

FIG. C DROP-IN

BUILD a base for the drop-in by toe-screwing 2x4 supports to the legs.Also install 2x4 filler blocks, flushwith the tops of the legs. Then cutout a section of the upper frameusing a handsaw and screw a 1/2-in.plywood shelf to the supports.

DRILL four 1-3/8 in. holes in thebase using templates toposition the holes. Make twotemplates from 2x4s cut to thewidth of the drop-in opening,drill holes 5 in. from the endsand mark the ends “left” and“right.” To make the holesexactly 1 in. deep, attach a tapeflag to the drill bit 2-1/2 in. upthe shaft. IImmppoorrttaanntt:: Make allthe holes as perfectly vertical asyou can, so the drop-in fitseasily into place. When the fourholes are drilled, use thetemplates and 1/2-in. plywoodto make the drop-in. Finally, cuta set of pegs from 1-1/4 in.closet rod for each of yourbench-top tools.

The drop-in (Fig. C and Photos 9

and 10) provides a surface that canbe adjusted in height. By using a dif-ferent set of pegs for each of yourbench-top tools, the worktable ofeach tool can stand level with thebench top, which makes working withlong or large stock easier. When thedrop-in’s not in use, you can place asection of bench top over it, givingyou a continuous work surface.

Drawers provide easy access to those deepstorage spaces under the workbench, and thelocking doors keep children from gettinginto paints, solvents and other dangerousstuff. Fig. C shows you how to make both.

We used 22-in., full-extension, ball-bear-ing drawer slides (about $17 per pair). Youcan use less expensive slides if you like, butthey should be rated to support 100 lbs. ormore. And be sure to make the shelves 1 in.narrower than the opening they’ll fit into (toallow space for the slides).

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10

70 FEBRUARY 1997 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN

DRAWERSDoors and

DROP-INPower tool

72 FEBRUARY 1997 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN

t

NOTE: CUT 1" x 4" L-SHAPEDLIP ON PEG-BOARD BOTTOM

ROUND OFFCORNERS

1/4"PEG-BOARD

RUB A BAROF SOAP ON BOTTOMOF EACH SLIDERTO LUBRICATE IT

3/8" NOTCH2x2 STOP

1/2" PLYWOOD

1x2

3/8" GAP

4"

1x2

ATTACH 1x2sTO THIS 2x4BRACE

1-1/4"DRYWALLSCREWS

1x4

FIG. D PEG-BOARD SLIDERS

There’s never enough Peg-Board ina workshop, but sliders help byallowing you to use both sides of thePeg-Board. And making them iseasy (see Fig. D).

2x4SUPPORTS

1/4"PEG-BOARD

11

CUT the straight sides of thesliders with a circular saw.When cutting flexible materiallike Peg-Board, be sure to putstiff supports under it.

n Use 1/4-in. thick Peg-Board. The1/8-in. stuff is too flimsy.n To make sliding sections, firstcut the Peg-Board into rectangularpieces with a circular saw. Also use acircular saw to cut the front andbottom of the slider (remember toleave a 1 x 4-in. lip at the rear end).Then cut out the curved handleswith a jigsaw. n Install the sliders as close togeth-er or far apart as you like, depend-ing on the length of hooks you’llwant to use, and the size of the stuffyou want to store.

SLIDERSPeg-Board

THE FAMILY HANDYMAN FEBRUARY 1997 73

t

TWO PIECES OF1/2" PLYWOODGLUED TOGETHER2-1/2" OR 3"

DRYWALL SCREWSDRIVEN INTO FRAME

TACK BOTTOMPIECE TO FRAMEBEFORE GLUING

ATTACH LEGSTO THESEHORIZONTAL 2x4s

BOLTAND NUT

1" CONDUITCUT TO FIT

FOLDINGTABLE LEGS

ALL WOOD IS 2x4

DRYWALLSCREWS

ROUND ALLOUTSIDE CORNERS

2" OVERHANG ON BOTHSIDES AND END WITH LEGS

FIG. E EXTENSION TABLE

The extension table (Fig. E) ishandy when you need to get at twoor three sides of a workpiece, orwhen you just need more space. Italso makes a great outfeed table fora table saw.

EXTENSION TABLEWORKBENCH2"

QUICK-GRIPBAR CLAMP

1-1/2"

STEELSTRAPPINGOR WASHERS

Since the extension table hasfolding legs, you can store it in a 5-in.-high space below a drawer (see p. 62). Or you can hang it on sturdy wall hooks. The steel folding-table legs (about $20) mustbe extended with metal conduit to match the height of your workbench.

TABLEExtension

USING the extension table is simple.The table’s edge rests on the lip builtonto the workbench edge, with a quick-closing clamp locking it in place.

74 FEBRUARY 1997

a

1/2" PLYWOOD

BOLT

1x2 CLEAT

LOCK WASHERAND NUT

HEIGHT FROMSAW TABLETO FLOOR SAMEAS WORKBENCHPLUS 1/8"

LOCKING WHEELSGO IN FRONT DRYWALL

SCREWS

NON-LOCKINGWHEELS IN BACK

2x4 FRAME

YOU MUSTLEAVE 6" GAPFOR AIRCIRCULATION

6"

2x4 FRAME

1-1/4" DRYWALLSCREWS

1x2 CLEAT FITSBETWEEN 2x4s

1/2"PLYWOODSAW BASE SETSIN ROLL-AROUNDAND CAN BELIFTED OUTFOR CLEANING

CUT OPENINGFOR SAWDUST

FIG. F ROLL-AROUND

A roll-around (Fig. F), built to aheight that puts the table of your sawabout 1/8 in. higher than your benchtop, lets you use the bench top as aside-support or outfeed table whenyou’re cutting large pieces. The roll-around also catches sawdust. WWaarrnn--

iinngg:: Don’t prevent air circulation bycompletely enclosing the roll-around. Airborne sawdust, ignitedby a spark from the saw’s motor orblade, could explode.

FINISHING TOUCHESn Avoid splinters by taking a fewminutes to round over all the roughedges with sandpaper. n If your floor isn’t flat, shim thelegs after the workbench is in place. n A couple of coats of polyure-thane will make the bench toptougher and easier to clean. Paint orpolyurethane will keep the rest ofthe workbench cleaner looking. n Mount outlets on the work-bench (Photo 12) or install a sur-face-wired series of wall outlets (see“For More Information,” p. 75).

ROLL-AROUNDTable saw

IMPORTANT: ALWAYS LOCKWHEELS WHEN USING SAW

THE FAMILY HANDYMAN FEBRUARY 1997 75

CABLE

3/4"CONDUIT

7/8" HOLEFORCONDUIT

METALBOX

Art Direction • MARCIA WILLISTONPhotography • BILL ZUEHLKEIllustrations • RON CHAMBERLAINWorkbench Design • MARK THOMPSON and DAN STOFFEL

PROTECT all the electrical cable running to, throughor behind your workbench with metal conduit andmetal boxes. Flexible metal conduit with the cablealready inside (known as “BX”) is an easier, but moreexpensive, alternative to rigid conduit.

P r i c e G u i d eThe cost of your workbench will depend on your design. So we can’tgive overall estimates. But to help you make your own estimate,here’s a rough price guide to the materials you might need:

LLUUMMBBEERRn 2x4 x 10’ $3.60n 2x4 x 16’ $5.60n 1x4 x 8’ $2.50

44xx88 SSHHEEEETT GGOOOODDSSn 1/4-in. hardboard $8n 1/4-in. Peg-Board $9n 1/2-in. CDX plywood $15n 1/2-in. BC plywood $18n 3/4-in. BC plywood $22

HHAARRDDWWAARREEn 12-in. lazy Susan base $9n 22-in. full-extension

ball-bearing drawer slides $17n Folding table legs $20n Wheels for roll-around $12

For a bench similar to ours, all the screws, glue, hinges, etc. will costaround $30.

12

F o r M o r e I n f o r m a t i o nn “Install a New Outlet,” April ‘92, p. 39.n “The Easiest Way to Add an Outlet,”

July/Aug. ‘96, p. 63. n “Surface Wiring,” Sept. ‘95, p. 81. n “Solutions for a Comfortable Workshop,”

Nov. ‘95, p. 66. n “Woodworking Bench,” March ‘96, p. 84.

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or the Five-Year Index, please see “At Your Service” on p. 4.