guys I need a new work bench for cheap, Would you be willing to show pics of your cheap workbenches and approx. cost
Solid wood 36" door from somebody's trash = $0.00 Two old cast iron table legs = $0.00 Dozen or so lag screws and washers = $0.00 Old half can of battleship grey paint = $0.00 New workbench = Priceless
I don't have any pictures of mine, but it is cheap, durable, and convenient. Its a old solid wooden door with the hinges screwed to the studs of the garage wall. It folds up out of the way when not in use and has 2"x4" legs on hinges screwed to the underside that flip down for legs. I can't take credit for it, it was already in the garage when we moved in.
I'm thinking about picking up one of these: http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=101756&navAction=&_requestid=127571 Not dirt cheap, but seems like good quality @ under $200 it seems like an ok deal to me.
No photo, but the last work bench I made was from two pieces of glu-lam beam that I got from a salvage yard. Each piece was 5" x 24" and about 6'-0 long. I drilled a couple of holes through them and tied them together with pieces of ½" all-thread. The finished top is 24 x 70 and 5" deep. I placed a piece of 3/8 plate, 24 x 24, at one end for 'extra-heavy' duty stuff. Total cost was less than $100. .
i built my own from 2 sheets of 3/4 ply & a few old 2x4 's layin around, also used some old drawers from a junk cabinet i found. i used a dado blade and cut a groove in the top & bottom 2x4 and glued the ply into it for strength then built the face frame outta the rest of the ply and the top was from what left over, it is extremley strong and huge ! think i have 200.00 in it with drawer slides & all.
an old semi trailer head ache rack shortened one side and the back, trailer hitch style vise attachment so i can slide the vise in and out/and i can also slide bench grinder in to the vise mount, creating a telescoping work station...
Got some heavy duty shelving pallet shelving and left one shelf at bench height with one overhead with shop light mounted and moved other shelves below work bench...heavy duty and holds alot of weight...bench top piece I reinforced with cross bracing. Was a bit over 100 bux new but you can find them on craigslist pretty easily. Best part is they break down very fast for moving.
I got some double level pallet shelving. Cut the front legs off flush with the first shelf. Than put some steel over the wood shelf and put up a board for a back board to hang stuff on. Works great and you can take it apart! ^^ Funny he has the same idea
Get a couple 4x4s, cut them to the height you want, screw (don't nail) a bunch of 2x4 and/or 2x6 around the perimeter, then mount a double-thickness of MDF on top. It'll be rock solid, won't cost much, and will last forever. Just be sure to brace each leg at an angle to the top to keep it from rocking. My Dad built one like that in the 1970s and it was still in the garage when we sold the house 4 years ago. Too heavy to move, but still solid as a rock and we used it continuously all those years. He covered his with a layer of 1/8 inch masonite, but when I built mine here a year or two ago I didn't bother. I don't care if the MDF gets stained or scratched because I plan to cover it with metal sooner or later. Just don't make it too deep - wide and shallow works better.
Go to a place that recycles building materials and grab a fire door from a factory building. I don't have pics but a place I worked had one as the main island workbench. Was about 9 feet long, 4 feet wide and 2 1/2" thick solid wood. Held up by 4"x4" legs.
Friend of mine was in the right place at the right time and scored the wood from a bowling alley that was being torn out and replaced, don't know what kind of wood it is but it is harder than Chineese algebra! Four feet wide and 12 ft long and FREE! Made one helluva workbench.
It really depends on what you're gona do on it, if you're going to weld or beat heavy metal, you want a metal table. If it's just gonna wind up 8" deep in junk like mine, anything will work..... I have a metal bench I bought for $10 from a dealership that was closing - it was a transmission repair bench, so it has a lip aound the edge to collect the fluid that runs out, and directs it to a bucket or whatever - pretty neat. Haven't seen it in years (aforementioned 8" of crap)
Go to your local John Deer dealer that sells ridding lawn mowers. The crating they come from Japan in makes a great table frame ,just add 2 by 6's and your done. I got mine for 00.00$
I agree on it depending on what you're gonna do with it. I built one 30 years ago out of 4x4 and 2x4 with a lower shelf to put VW motors and the top mounted the engine stand. Took the 2x2 tubing for the engine stand bracket off years ago and threw a piece of sheet metal on it and stacked it high with junk. Bought a metal hospital gurney with 8 inch wheels at a yard sale for $10 bucks that works great as well.
No photo but I picked up one of the stainless topped cabinets that TSA uses in the airports from a GSA auction. two drawers and easy to clean plus it has rollers. I also have a round table outside with a top made of 1/4 inch stainless and stainless legs. It came out of a food processing plant and has a notch cut out of it for what ever machine it was used for. I got it when I worked in the food plant and they scrapped it. If you are in an area with a lot of food processing plants check the scrap yards in the area often for tables that they have sent for scrap as they are often heavy duty and stainless.
X2 on the solid core door! not too hard to find a castoff -check construction sites (with permission) we use many for temp. doors during const. and many are discarded after the build. I built one with castoff 4x4 legs and a shelf down low and a pair of wheels one one end that only contact the floor when I lift the oppisite end. VERY stable and I can easily move it where I want.
A former co-worker of mine built one from a steel door he scrounged and liquid nails'd 4 stacks of cinder blocks for the legs. That liquid nails was incredibly strong! he glued it to the floor, we had to break the blocks with a big sledge when it came time to move it.
We built 4 of these benches. They are basically 3.5' x 8' in size. Two with wood tops (2x10s glued together) and two with 3/4" plywood covered in sheet metal. The legs are 4x4 and the framing is 2x4. We added a back shelf which is handy for lights, parts, fans, art, etc. Also a foot rest shelf for storage - you can either stand or sit while working at these benches. Also ran a plug in strip (Wire Mold) across the front (the white strip in the photo). Put together with sheet rock screws and wood glue. Painted the framing and left the wood top natural. Went over board on this one and decorated the back board with corrugated metal - just for looks. Made mostly from what we had on hand - maybe $30-$50 in each one. Kinda messy but you get the idea. We were moving that day...
Hi, Your best bet for a good work bench is to find a tool & die shop and or manufacturing company auction. I have several tool makers benches and you can't kill these things, they will last forever! Solid wood tops, heavy duty with lots of drawers. Usually $50.00 to $100.00 at an auction. One of these benches new will run you around $500.00 or so.
here;s mine. pardon the mess but it doesnt get too much cheaper than this. I think it was about $40... One 4x8 sheet of plywood, cut it in half long ways so its 2' deep get a few 8 foot 2x4's and some lag bolts. the good thing about this is that you can make it any size you need and its also easy to screw on a sheet metal top if you wanted to. Its sturdy as hell too. I want to make some shelves to match. it took one saturday to make.
don't have a pic--left it at the old house, but I re-purposed an old steel fire door (look at habitat) and some scrap angle iron. tied it into the framing (metal building). worked great.
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