Love Them Benches.

As some of you know, I have been working on a tiny portable neon shop project using vintage parts.  The fire and bending table (a cart really) is nearly done, with only a few items yet to be added to complete it…then I will get working on the processing cart, which will be a variation of the unit I built for my “full sized” shop.  I had intended to just hold off on putting any of it here until it was all done but in the process of constructing the first cart it occurred to me that the construction information for the bench might be of value in and of itself.  This cart is essentially a scaled down version of how I build workbenches.  “Oh no, not another damn workbench article!” you say?…surely there must be a million of them online someplace as well as in flyers at the hardware store and numerous woodworking texts.  Like backsides, everyone has an opinion on this.  True…  So make it a million and one now.

If you are a woodworker, your bench will be a beautiful work of art, intricately fitted like an old Gerstner machinist’s toolbox.  A showpiece.  I am not a woodworker.  So this is a bench design for those who need something quick and simple and yet very strong.   Decent looking but not a work of art by comparison.

The only tools you need are a tape measure, a saw, and a drill.  Preferably TWO drills if you have them.  A square and a clamp are also helpful but not a deal breaker if you don’t.  My friend, Greg Jensen, taught me this method about 3 decades ago and I decided this was the best, for me at least, and I have used variations of it ever since.  Greg always had a talent for getting to simple solutions to the sorts of problems that most people overthink.

The above photo should make it pretty obvious as to how it was done.  (those with construction experience can probably just stop reading right here) The frame is all 2×4 construction.  You can use 2×6 for extra heavy duty use.  In most places, good quality 2×4’s can be had for about a buck a piece, give or take…..in Alaska, plan to spend about 2.50 each.

Sketch, measure (TWICE) and pre-cut everything as much as possible.  You will quickly find that you generally are making multiple pieces of the same sizes so you can set up your saw and get through this quickly.  The legs are simply made by screwing the 2×4 sections into an “L” shape with screws spaced every 8-12 inches.  The frames are then made and fitted, screwed into each side of the “L” legs for the added rigidity of cross-bolting.

If you intend these to sit in a semi-permanent fashion, build so the legs stick below the level of the lower frame.  If you need a roll-around on casters (like this one) then build the bottom flush as you would the top, then use the corners to mount the casters.

One VERY important point:  This method requires pre-drilling the holes prior to screwing in the drywall type screws….if you don’t, you will find out why by gaining the added practice of cutting more wood to replace the pieces you split.  This is also why I recommend TWO drills.  Cordless types are great for this project.  Put your drill bit in one and your screwdriver bit in the other.  Thus saving the headache of swapping the bits back and forth every minute or so.  Clamps are helpful if you have them, but carefully placed hands work too.  Once the basic frame is done, you can add in whatever shelves or other equipment mountings, etc that your specific project requires, then cover the top with a surface of your liking (plywood is generally sufficient)  That’s it.  It’s not rocket science, and while care in getting the measurements and angles right is important, we aren’t building a piano so a little error won’t spoil it.

These benches, in spite of simple quick and dirty construction, are very strong.  The cross-bolted effect also makes them very rigid, even when heavily loaded.  I’ve built them this way for delicate task work, and even a behemoth with 2×6’s and added bracing upon which I set 700 pound engines and generators to work on.  A simple and effective solution to something that is all too often made more difficult than it needs to be.