I had enough material leftover to make a workbench and I set out to make one that is a pretty basic, no frills kind that can take a beating. The top is pretty level and I didn’t spend too much time thinking about it since this is my first workbench anyway. I used whatever material I had on hand from the patio that I took down so it doesn’t look all that pretty. It’s very utilitarian. The main thing purpose that this workbench serves is that it saves me from having to bend over when working, it keeps the garage somewhat clean and it replaces my makeshift sawhorse and bundled warped 2×4 table top.
When I made this, I didn’t follow any plans. I just watched a ton of videos of others making their workbenches. I kept a note of how others are joining their frames together with the legs and made a note on how tall I should build it. I ended up using pocket holes and wood glue for added strength. I built the frame upside down so I can take advantage of my level floors for top alignment and I took my time getting it as level as I can get it to be. I then flipped it over and used a scrap piece 2×6 to line up the bottom leg supports. As I put the frame together, it started to take shape and began to look like an actual table. I tested the strength by pushing my weight on it. This gave me the confidence that I was going the right direction and that if I wanted to, I can eventually replace the top with something more even.
I found a few videos that had wheels as an added feature and I couldn’t resist so I had to add it to mine. The benefit is that it allows my bench to be mobile and I can tuck it away at anytime. This is only a hobby after all, not my full time job so there will be times when I can have my space back for storage. Having the wheels also allows my bench to move to an area where I can direct the dust, maybe towards the door, and that can minimize clean up time. I can justify my purchase that way but really, they’re just cool to have.
The wheels that I ended up buying is the Rockler Workbench Casters. These casters come as a 4-pack and they all lift up when disengaged. These are super cool and they come with a high load rating of 400lbs – more than enough for my purpose – and they actually lift the bench up from the floor and drops when you need them to so there’s no mistaking whether or not the locks are engaged. A visual confirmation like that is nice and feels more stable when the legs are making full contact with the floor unlike other wheels. The simple design is ingenious and lessens the chances of anything breaking in my opinion.