Over the past few years I've been taking on some cool woodworking projects. When I moved into my own home last year, it reignited my passion for woodworking and DIY.
Unfortunately you can be passionate about something but not have the coins to back it up...however if you’re like me, you wont allow that to stop you. I used a folding table, the ground and even an igloo to complete some of my projects. I knew that I wanted to continue to grow my knowledge and although I am no expert, this January I was ready to upgrade my workspace with a workbench and created the sketch below for what I would like to have.
Getting my vision out on paper was great for me but once I started building I knew that I wanted much more for my workbench then just a place to store tools and house my table saw. Thus I began
embarking on my journey of the never-ending workbench build.
I love visuals, so in addition to this I have this blog post, I have created a YouTube video "What mistakes not to make when building a workbench" where I shared visual for the three mistakes I learned from while completing Phase 1 of my workbench. The video is a complementary step by step tutorial, if you are into that sort of thing. I will also be adding future phases to show how I added the other parts to my workbench including table saw and flip top planer & drill press, fold up band saw and router table.
Here is my supplies and cut list for Phase 1: The Workbench Frame (now keep in mind that I’m not an artist…but I’m still sensitive about my ish…so I just used a table in my document for the lumber cut drawing)
Lumber
19/32-in x 4-ft x 8-ft Rated Pine Plywood Sheathing (Full 4’ x 8’ sheet for bottom frame)
23/32-in x 4-ft x 8-ft Pine Plywood Sheathing(Full 4’ x 8’ sheet for top frame)
2-in x 4-in x 96-in Spruce Pine Fir S4See Kiln-dried Stud (frame legs & top)
2X3-8FT SELECThttps://go.sylikes.com/eMYWoTix4BOp (bottom frame)
Hardware
WBD WEIBIDA Casters (4 pack)
Tools
Circular Saw
Miter Saw (Optional)
Table Saw (optional)
Pocket Hole Joinery
Drill/Impact driver
2-in x 4-in x 96-in Spruce Pine Fir S4See Kiln-dried Stud (frame legs & top)
8- 30” pieces
2- 42”
1- 89.5 inches
2X3-8FT SELECT(bottom frame)
4-43” pieces
Step 1: When I began to sketch my plans I knew I wanted it to be 4’ x 8’ x 3’. So step 1 of Phase 1 was to create the bottom frame which I used 2 by 3’s for. I cut down 4 pieces to 43”. Added my pocket holes to each piece using my Kreg jig 720 pro. Now I used 2 by 3’s instead of 2 by 4’s mainly because lumber prices are ridiculous and figured it would help cut down on cost, as I was able to get more for my money.
I identified and measured out where my inside boards would be placed, which was approximately 28 ⅔ “ and then began to screw them in using my Kreg bit.
Step 2: Next I had to secure my bottom sheathing to my frame. I laid down my piece of 19/32-in x 4-ft x 8-ft Pine Plywood and placed my frame on top. I then used my Titebond wood glue on the frame side opposite my pocket holes, flipped it over and used my Ryobi Nail gun to nail like my life depended on it. I flipped the whole thing over and nail gunned the other side while using my body weight to give me the pressure on the board.
Step 3: Now I had to build my 4 by 4’s which I used 2 by 4’s to do. I know I could have just bought 4 by 4’s but I wanted to try a glue up and it was cheaper to do it this way. So I cut my boards down and at the time I had not realized that I made them too long, so they should have been 30” each.
After cutting them down I laid them flat on some pittsburgh bar & Bessey parallel clamps, glued them up and then secured them in. Now, here are two things I learned, temperature really does matter and scrape off your glue sooner than later. So although it's nice and bright at the start of the glue up, by that night, since it was mid January, my garage temp got as low as 30 degrees. I also struggled to remove the glue with a chisel and wood planer so instead I decided to just rip my boards down ½ inch by ripping ¼ inches off of each side.
Step 4: So now that my boards were all even, it's time to attach them to my base. I used Simpson Strong-Tie 2-in x 2-in x 4-in 12-Gauge Galvanized Steel Angle for outside corners and Simpson Strong-Tie 1.548-in x 1.375-in x 2.048-in 18-Gauge Galvanized Steel Angle for the inside corners. Then I secured them all with Simpson Strong-Tie Strong-Drive SD #9 x 1-1/2-in Mechanically Galvanized, Class 55 Mechanically Galvanized Hex Exterior Wood Screws which comes with a it and my Ryobi Impact Driver.
And to be completely honest, I hate drilling pilot holes mainly because they take up time, but it really does make a difference when driving your screws. So, just do it, your wood will thank you later. I did this on all corners and decided to turn the workbench over, mainly because I was anxious and just wanted to.
Step 4.5 (First mistake) Boy am I glad that I did because I had clearly made an uncalculated measurement which led to my workbench being taller than necessary. After taking a step back to redo my calculations, I had to cut off 6 inches from each leg to account for the other parts of my workbench that were later to come such as the ¾ inch plywood top, 23/32 in. thick plywood bottom, 1.5 in. thick bottom frame and the 3 inch casters. This cut would help me to ensure my finished workbench height would be approximately 36 inches. So I got to work measuring 6 inches using my speed square and cut it off using my ryobi circular saw
Step 5: Now it was time to put on my top framing pieces which I used 2 by 4”s cut to 42 inches for the short side and then I cut the 96 inch down to 89.5 inches (which I had to figure out the hard way) I added my pocket holes all along the sides, that would attach to my table top and both ends and used clamps to rest them on as I drilled them in.
Step 5.5 (Alternate Plan advice) I purposely only did three sides because I originally planned on putting my flip top (s) on the 8 ft side there but ended up changing that later, which you will see more of in the phase 2 video. However, if this is as far as you want to go here are some alternate directions for completing it.
Duplicate the cuts for the 96 inch 2' by 4' for the other side.
Duplicate the cuts for the 4 pieces of 43" pieces to go across the top so that your center does not sink in. You can use 2 by 4's or 2 by 3's.
Add approximately two (2) 30" 2' by 4's at midway points (about 29" apart) between the 4 by 4 corner posts on the long sides.
Step 6: It was now time for the moment of truth and I’m not gonna lie, it did not give at all. It was a true disappointment as for some magical reason my top did not measure up with my bottom. Upon further inspection I realized it was me. SMH…. My measurements were off because instead of calculating what the distance between my two side legs should be I measured. Now this made logical sense at the moment but the corner brackets & joints at the bottom base were too tight and therefore the wood slanted outwards as it went up. So the distance at the top when I measured was longer than 42 inches.
Step 6.5 (Second mistake) My solution was easy but tedious and I was so frustrated that I forgot to record. But essentially I had to cut my side 2 by 4’s down and then loosen my base brackets so that everything lined up better and retightened them when the top wood brackets were done. The results weren’t perfect but much better.
Step 7: Now it was time to flip this bad boy over and put on my WBD WEIBIDA casters. What I love about these casters is that they are leveling , can hold 2200 lbs and have a rubber bottom. When I went to put them on the bottom I realized two things. First, I used 2 by 3’s and my caster was meant for 2 by 4’s 🤦🏾♀️. Second, my drill couldn’t reach the nooks where the screws needed to go.
Step 7.5 (third mistake) To remedy the extra space needed I cut down a square piece of 2 by 4’s into 4 inch blocks using my miter saw. I then glued them into each corner and used my nail gun to secure them in. With the added block I now had enough surface area to screw on my casters.
When screwing in I used my Ryobi extender to attach to my drill and get those screws in securely. The casters came with screws but they were two short and required a bolt on the other side. So I used my leftover galvanized screws to secure my casters into the bench. I then turned it over, tested the wheels and stabilized bottom. I then adjusted the bottoms so that my workbench top was leveled even though my garage floor is slanted.
This build may seem simple to some but it was my first time taking on such a task and I wanted to do it my way. So although I did a lot of research before beginning I didn’t want to just use someone else’s set of plans. I know that’s kind of strange since I’m sharing my plans with you, but I just wanted to share what I learned and did to hopefully keep you from making the same mistakes and if you want to use the full plans, great…if not then do like me. I dibbled and dabbled and took pieces from the different workbenches I saw to make the ultimate workstation for me.
Now, mistakes will happen…it’s how you respond to them that determines your ability to complete your mission. My novice advice is:
Plan your measurements - It's ok to make changes to your design but take the time to recalculate your measurements. But just how GPS recalculates the routes make sure you do the same…it’s ok to go back to the drawing board.
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