Garage Workbench Ideas/Plans

rallendude
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Adger, AL, USA
rallendude 1/25/2020 4:31pm
1/25/2020 4:31pm
I've got a long work bench made from 2x4s and a 3/4" plywood top. The main bench is I think 42" high. Good working height. Needs to be higher than a standard kitchen counter since you may be working on small parts on it. Make it 30" deep or better so you can store tools and parts back behind the work area. Mine also has a shelf above it made with two 2x12s. So the work bench isn't under it anywhere that you would work. I went several years ago and bought these trays that are galvanized. They are Blitz I think. Look up Hopkins FloTool 25" x 36" drip trays. I do all my bike work on these. Then you can just wipe up spills and not stain or oil soak your bench top.

One end of my bench, the top is made from one layer of 2x4s laid on their side, stacked together, then there is a 3/4" plywood top over than. It is also raised about 6". I did this so I could beat on things with a big dead blow hammer there if needed without the rest of the bench jumping up and down off the floor.

Under the main work top there is nothing underneath so I can put anything I want there. I have roll around tool carts that fit just right under it. Also, my air compressor and garbage cans fit nicely underneath. But the main point was so I could just slide everything out and sweep out under it easily.

One of the coolest things I saw in a suspension shop was a steel topped work bench with a little plate off the side with holes in it to stand forks and shocks in over a bucket to drain. Also, the front edge of the table had a 1" x 1" angle welded along it. The guy would just tear down suspension and let the oil run to the front of the table. Then the angle had a drop to the right so the oil would drain to the end. He put a barrel under it to catch waste oil. I still want that.

rossi46
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AU
rossi46 1/26/2020 12:20am
1/26/2020 12:20am
fullysicmate wrote:
My shit show [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/01/25/400408/s1200_40C3A0D1_1C5C_4003_BBD4_6D00D736124E.jpg[/img]
My shit show


It’s funny how I can pick any Aussie out in this forum.
Colourbond sheds and prick pavers.
Lol.
Still looks better than my shed though
1
KDXGarage
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KDXGarage 1/26/2020 6:29am
1/26/2020 6:29am
Stainless steel top, I have steel topped benches for 17 years, SO GLAD!

I don't work on suspension enough to have a permanent setup. I just bought a couple of "under the bed" plastic containers that are long enough to lay the fork tube segments into. No oily mess dripping elsewhere. Other options are small plastic bukcets for drainage. You might be able to build some 1' x 1' platform of plastic with plastic rods mounted vertically to use as a tube holder.

Get some vise jaws to hold a tube. I liked to have something to set under an opened fork tube that was in the vise. It held the spring and cartridge up where I could work on them without having to hold it.

Don't forget to wear gloves and safety glasses, unlike the guy in the video that had an awesome setup. Don't change your screen name to "theycallmeblindbrian".

rallendude, glad to see you are still around. I met you in 2012 or so at various north AL tracks in the ASCS.
1

The Shop

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NHtoWA421
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Bremerton, WA, USA
NHtoWA421 1/26/2020 7:32am
1/26/2020 7:32am




Did this mod to one of my tables yesterday. I wanted to be able to move the table around to wherever it needed to be, and I wanted to freedom to adjust configuration to what I'm doing at the time. I have the vice, bench grinder and tubing notcher all mounted to truck hitches now. Sawhorses are temporary. I will make some nice foldable ones out of steel next weekend.
3
captmoto
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captmoto 1/26/2020 7:42am
1/26/2020 7:42am
Think about epoxy coating your floor. You can then keep a really clean floor. Be advised, prep is everything if you are going to do it yourself.
2
fullysicmate
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Queensland, AU
fullysicmate 1/26/2020 2:07pm
1/26/2020 2:07pm Edited Date/Time 1/26/2020 2:08pm
fullysicmate wrote:
My shit show [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/01/25/400408/s1200_40C3A0D1_1C5C_4003_BBD4_6D00D736124E.jpg[/img]
My shit show


rossi46 wrote:
It’s funny how I can pick any Aussie out in this forum.
Colourbond sheds and prick pavers.
Lol.
Still looks better than my shed though
No prick pavers there my man.....colorbond and concrete abound......another 75msquared of trim deck on order
endurox
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Garden City, ID, USA
endurox 1/26/2020 2:11pm
1/26/2020 2:11pm
I was able to use a basement bar counter top a friend was getting rid of.
An oil pan on top of the yellow 5 gallon pail works good when taking apart a shock. I still need to have some kind of catch on the front underside of the workbench.
fullfloater 1/27/2020 1:38am
1/27/2020 1:38am
rossi46 wrote:
It’s funny how I can pick any Aussie out in this forum.
Colourbond sheds and prick pavers.
Lol.
Still looks better than my shed though
That's a new one for me. What's a prick paver?
lostboy819 1/27/2020 7:20am
1/27/2020 7:20am
theycallmeebryan wrote:
Just starting to mock up some plans in SketchUp. Here's the layout of my garage. Its a "3 car" but i'm dedicating the right third to...
Just starting to mock up some plans in SketchUp.

Here's the layout of my garage. Its a "3 car" but i'm dedicating the right third to the workspace. Workbench in green.



Here's initially what i'm thinking for the layout of the bench. Let me know what you think. Vice would go on the front left corner of the bench. Left the middle underneath open so i can pull a chair up to it with my legs underneath the top.




Here's the dimensions right now. 7'11" wide X 30" deep X 40" tall (I'm 6'1")


Thinking i might want to lay the 2x4's flat underneath the 3/4" plywood benchtop, so that the front edge of the bench is only roughly 2" tall. I'd like to be able to clamp stuff to the bench and that would allow me to do that.
I also have a three car garage that had the option of no garage door on the third car area so that is where my shop is,works out great. Have all my benches and shop equipment and lift all in that part of garage.
theycallmeebryan 1/27/2020 7:38am
1/27/2020 7:38am
lostboy819 wrote:
I also have a three car garage that had the option of no garage door on the third car area so that is where my shop...
I also have a three car garage that had the option of no garage door on the third car area so that is where my shop is,works out great. Have all my benches and shop equipment and lift all in that part of garage.
Can you post a few pics of your setup?
1
wisey
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wisey 1/27/2020 11:46am
1/27/2020 11:46am
Industrial Metal Supply is a good resource for metal, I believe they multiple locations. Also as said before PVC products like HDPE, UHMW, etc are nice working surfaces. Industrial Plastic Supply next to the “Big A” is a great place! As electrician speaking high lumen tape light under the upper shelves and plugs are nice too.
stillwelding
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Santa Clarita, CA, USA
stillwelding 1/27/2020 4:15pm
1/27/2020 4:15pm
A suspension bench I made for Dave Osterman, when he was Team22 manager. Compact. Fit in the Box Van.




12
Ck622
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Ck622 1/27/2020 5:21pm
1/27/2020 5:21pm
kdawson252 wrote:
Not mine, but a really good idea. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/01/24/400246/s1200_Work_bench.jpg[/img]
Not mine, but a really good idea.

Thats a Stevo from garagejournal.com design. The boxes are harbor freight. It’s a pretty inexpensive.

This is my version of it when it was 90% complete


stillwelding
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stillwelding 1/27/2020 8:24pm
1/27/2020 8:24pm
endurox wrote:
I was able to use a basement bar counter top a friend was getting rid of.[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/01/26/400547/s1200_IMG_0245.jpg[/img] An oil pan on top of the yellow 5 gallon...
I was able to use a basement bar counter top a friend was getting rid of.
An oil pan on top of the yellow 5 gallon pail works good when taking apart a shock. I still need to have some kind of catch on the front underside of the workbench.
That’s good use of second hand goods.

Pit Row

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mxr1der34
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Los Angeles, CA, USA
mxr1der34 2/14/2020 8:16am
2/14/2020 8:16am
eric513anderson wrote:
I built a nice work bench last spring. Might not be exactly what you’re looking for but it may help. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/01/24/400123/s1200_22E854E9_9C04_4405_9A32_59597C55517D.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/01/24/400122/s1200_076ADC52_0891_4A6E_BB4C_4A9FD806C451.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/01/24/400124/s1200_BB04B247_CECC_4506_87DA_347E51603BA9.jpg[/img]
I built a nice work bench last spring. Might not be exactly what you’re looking for but it may help.


What paint did you Use for the legs? And did you use a wipe on poly for the top?
eric513anderson 2/14/2020 9:25am
2/14/2020 9:25am
eric513anderson wrote:
I built a nice work bench last spring. Might not be exactly what you’re looking for but it may help. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/01/24/400123/s1200_22E854E9_9C04_4405_9A32_59597C55517D.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/01/24/400122/s1200_076ADC52_0891_4A6E_BB4C_4A9FD806C451.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/01/24/400124/s1200_BB04B247_CECC_4506_87DA_347E51603BA9.jpg[/img]
I built a nice work bench last spring. Might not be exactly what you’re looking for but it may help.


mxr1der34 wrote:
What paint did you Use for the legs? And did you use a wipe on poly for the top?
I did about 5 coats of the polyurethane. In between each coat I went over it with steel wool to smooth out any imperfections. So far it’s holding up good and it’s easy enough to reapply if needed


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captmoto
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captmoto 2/14/2020 9:49am
2/14/2020 9:49am
eric513anderson wrote:
I did about 5 coats of the polyurethane. In between each coat I went over it with steel wool to smooth out any imperfections. So far...
I did about 5 coats of the polyurethane. In between each coat I went over it with steel wool to smooth out any imperfections. So far it’s holding up good and it’s easy enough to reapply if needed


Does your garage floor slope to the door? Did you account for that in the construction? That bench would really work for me.
eric513anderson 2/14/2020 10:42am
2/14/2020 10:42am
eric513anderson wrote:
I did about 5 coats of the polyurethane. In between each coat I went over it with steel wool to smooth out any imperfections. So far...
I did about 5 coats of the polyurethane. In between each coat I went over it with steel wool to smooth out any imperfections. So far it’s holding up good and it’s easy enough to reapply if needed


captmoto wrote:
Does your garage floor slope to the door? Did you account for that in the construction? That bench would really work for me.
My floor is pretty level
smashingpumpkins167 2/14/2020 1:27pm
2/14/2020 1:27pm
I just built this for bike storage and I'm going to build a little work bench to put right next to it.


1
slotsquid
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slotsquid 2/14/2020 5:06pm
2/14/2020 5:06pm
Steel building bench with slanted top to drain oil, my favorite!
Scooter
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Scooter 2/25/2020 8:07am
2/25/2020 8:07am

SEEMEFIRST
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SEEMEFIRST 4/12/2021 6:36pm
4/12/2021 6:36pm
Some granddaddy built, some daddy built.

Just now configuring them in.

SEEMEFIRST
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SEEMEFIRST 4/12/2021 6:39pm
4/12/2021 6:39pm
Fooked light, sorry.

2
SEEMEFIRST
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SEEMEFIRST 4/12/2021 7:49pm
4/12/2021 7:49pm
That's an original "Le Mans" Steve McQueen poster.
1
SEEMEFIRST
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SEEMEFIRST 4/12/2021 7:54pm
4/12/2021 7:54pm Edited Date/Time 4/12/2021 7:55pm
The black and white is a poster of the Honda 750 4 before it made it to America.

My brother got it for me in Japan during a Boyscout trip. Before anyone saw an inline 4 here.
1
Rickyisms 4/12/2021 8:09pm
4/12/2021 8:09pm
Not fancy, but it’s cheap and works.
2

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