Show off your Workbench

[ryan.s]

Okay I decided it's time to build a workbench to be used as an outfeed table behind the table saw, storage cabinet, assembly table and all around work bench. Can you please post pictures of your workbenches and a brief description of materials used and any other helpful tips. Trying to get some ideas on a design. I'm trying to fit it flush behind a TS3650.

Much appreciated!

[Russianwolf]

I will have to try and find mine. It's buried under one of the piles in my shop. Probably be faster to just build a new one.

[IBBugsy]

Here's mine:




Plans from WoodPlansOnline.com - Drop-Leaf Mobile Workbench

[bthere]

I will have to try and find mine. It's buried under one of the piles in my shop. Probably be faster to just build a new one.

As they say, I resemble that remark. I know I've at one time have had 3 different work surfaces in the shop. They must still be there.

One is a cutting table made of plywood and sacrificial 2x4's sitting on saw horses. The other is a regular folding table that I use for misc.

The last is my "workbench". I took an old full size desk and built up a frame that sits on the desk top to raise it to the height I want. On top of the frame is a glued up top. The desk has drawers and a cabinet that are good for storing stuff. The weight of the desk combined with the frame/top make it pretty heavy.

[DonHo]

Sorry that I don't have a "full" pic of the bench but my shop is so small I can't get far enough away to get it all in one shot

The bottom is made from cheap HD birch ply with a base made of 2X4 and mounted on 4" swivel locking casters. the top is made from 2 pieces of 3/4" MDF laminated with yellow glue and a few screws and edged with pine 1X2s. The top is attached to the bottom cabinet with 3 2X6 that were trimed to give an exact match to the hight of the saw. The bench is very sturdy and being mobile helps with clean up and in case I ever want to change the layout of the shop. The bench is 2' X 5'.
DonHo

[final_t]

Mine. And mine. And mine. And one hers.
http://wilsonmanorcrafts.com/gallery...nch-1.jpg.html
http://wilsonmanorcrafts.com/gallery...ation.jpg.html
http://wilsonmanorcrafts.com/gallery...nch-1.jpg.html
http://wilsonmanorcrafts.com/gallery...nch-2.jpg.html

(I won't mention that the first link is the 3rd or 4th iteration of the main work bench, and the only one I'm finally happy with and proud to say "mine!")

[ryan.s]

Very nice guys. Keep the pictures coming, i'm really getting motivated now. =)

[footprintsinconc]

you may have seen my post earlier on of what mine was going to look like, but i have changed it somewhat to look like this. just sharing it with you in case you like something from it. the new one is attached at the end of this message and the link to the old version is here:

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=27670


good luck, if you get your done before i start, maybe i'll get an idea from yours

regards,

ooops, i cant seem to attach it this time, it says it exceed the 19.5kb size. pm me and i can send it to you.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Mine. And mine. And mine. And one hers.
http://wilsonmanorcrafts.com/gallery...nch-1.jpg.html
http://wilsonmanorcrafts.com/gallery...ation.jpg.html
http://wilsonmanorcrafts.com/gallery...nch-1.jpg.html
http://wilsonmanorcrafts.com/gallery...nch-2.jpg.html

(I won't mention that the first link is the 3rd or 4th iteration of the main work bench, and the only one I'm finally happy with and proud to say "mine!")

Wow! That bench looks almost identical to the one I am building! I had never saw a Walnut base before and had some common walnut to use. What is your top made out of? I am using Ash (slightly harder than maple but I will have to fill the pores).

[final_t]

Wow! That bench looks almost identical to the one I am building! I had never saw a Walnut base before and had some common walnut to use. What is your top made out of? I am using Ash (slightly harder than maple but I will have to fill the pores).

The first link is my bench, and the top is Maple. The last link is one of a pair studio benches made from Hickory.
Filling the pores - I would try simple sanding sealer followed by poly and see how that works for you. Or you can find the stuff Home Depot sells that is advertised as "50 coats of poly" - its a type of epoxy that I would think could be flowed around to fill in the pores and level out.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

The first link is my bench, and the top is Maple. The last link is one of a pair studio benches made from Hickory.
Filling the pores - I would try simple sanding sealer followed by poly and see how that works for you. Or you can find the stuff Home Depot sells that is advertised as "50 coats of poly" - its a type of epoxy that I would think could be flowed around to fill in the pores and level out.

I usually just use Behlen Pore-O-Pac. I have filled with Lacquer based sanding sealer in that past. The "50 coats of poly" stuff is too expensive!

[ExYankee]

I am at work so I don't have a better pic, but here it is. I built a "frankensaw base" and then a large assembly table to its rear. The bench to its left runs 16' back to the corner and is the exact same height so it supports lwide crosscuts. Then I placed my 8" jointer to the side. The construction is 2x4 with a double thickness MDF top and a pegboard top layer. The plan was/is to make bench dogs to fit the pegboard pattern and make pneumatic clamps for glue up projects. Haven’t QUITE got around to that yet. They also could be used with the Rockler vises. There is one on the left side as well. The area underneath is the black hole of the shop storing seldom used stuff. I am building a cover for the romex and 4" DC line and now have three circuits and whole ton of outlets. I am building a battery charger board that will cover the planer out feed table to hold all the chargers.

BTW note the Panorama factory watermark. If you go to their site you can download a trial version (it adds the watermark until you buy a full version). But is nice if you want to blend pics to give a full shot of your workshop. This pic is from the center area only.

[Tom Miller]

For an outfeed table that doubles as a working surface (not exactly what I'd call a workbench), with a drawer/cabinet base:





The base is a torsion box base (more necessary for a mobile piece than a stationary piece), with a simple cabinet on that. The 2.5' x 4' top is 2 layer mdf, with 1/2" baltic birch on top (with a poly finish). The BB top is not holding up (cosmetically) as well as my mdf-topped workbench, BTW.

Regards,
Tom

[greglwood]

Very Nice

Did you do the tablesaw cabinet off the cuff or did you have a plan to go by?

Mine. And mine. And mine. And one hers.
http://wilsonmanorcrafts.com/gallery...nch-1.jpg.html
http://wilsonmanorcrafts.com/gallery...ation.jpg.html
http://wilsonmanorcrafts.com/gallery...nch-1.jpg.html
http://wilsonmanorcrafts.com/gallery...nch-2.jpg.html

(I won't mention that the first link is the 3rd or 4th iteration of the main work bench, and the only one I'm finally happy with and proud to say "mine!")

[final_t]

Did you do the tablesaw cabinet off the cuff or did you have a plan to go by?

Heh, this seems to be a common question about that unit! Yes and no - the "plan" I used was one I made myself using my personal design choices and measurements of the saw + desired drawer sizes. I just went at the graph paper with pencil and ruler.