Workbench to Get the Job Done!

simple workbench plans
Difficulty
Beginner Projects
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So, here I am, in the Philippines without a workbench. After finally renting out our condo, we decided we would move to a location better for the school & better for me to have peace of mind. You don't get that 22 floors up where you can't even hear the rain coming down :-/ So after 2 years, I finally had a place to build again. I started buying all new tools as using a 110-220 converter is a pain. I went and got my sliding compound mitre saw, table saw, bandsaw, tool chest, angle grinder, welder...etc etc. The one thing that never crossed my mind....was a workbench!! The biggest tool you'll ever need, and the most crucial..nonetheless, the most forgettable. So, I went looking around, and the closest thing I could find was a blank front door. Granted, it would have been better than the concrete step in which has served as my makeshift workbench, but it just seemed...I don't know, too easy :D I decided to build a 2x5 workbench out of nothing more than 2x4's, 3/4" plywood, and 1/2" plywood. I couldn't remember where I had originally stumbled across the plans, but I wrote the dimensions down at the time. I believe they are all accurately depicted to the plans I had originally found. Nonetheless, they're all the exact cuts I used for the bench. I was able to find a biscuit joiner over here, but no biscuits, so I went another route as you'll see in the photo. The one thing you will learn about the Philippines is that you will never find the matching opposite to go with what you need when it comes to tools! I'm still in search of dowel rods & it's been months!! **Start from the ground up. Wherever I read this, it said to start from the top. If you want this level, I'd suggest going from ground up :D

Always measure your wood & remember, a 2x4 is not actually 2" x 4". Especially, where I live :)

Dimensions
workbench plans

Preparation

Shopping List

7-2x4x8' 

1 - sheet of 3/4" plywood, ripped into strips 24" wide x 8 feet long (use for both shelves)

Common Materials
1 1/2 inch screws
3 inch screws
120 grit sandpaper
Cut List

4 - 2x4 @ 33"

4 - 2x4 @ 17-1/2"

4 - 2x4 @ ~8-1/2"

2 - 2x4 @ 57"

7 - 2x4 @ 21"

2 - 2x4 @ 60"

1 sheet of 3/4" plywood ripped into strips, 24" x 96" - cut the shelf and tabletop pieces from these strips

 

Cutting Instructions

Remember when cutting, take into account the width of the circular saw, table saw, or mitre saw in which you are using.

Tools
Tape Measure
Speed Square
Pencil
Drill
Circular Saw
Power Sander
Level
Drill Bit Set
General Instructions

Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold. Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good luck!

Instructions

Step 1

Assemble your legs

Step 2

Assemble your shelf frame & cut the plywood to fit. Measure once, measure twice

Step 3

Before making your top frame for the workspace., clamp everything up & make sure it fits. Width, length, and vertical measurements are a good way of thinking. I actually spaced all under supports evenly, except, I made it to where one of the under, end 2x4's were closer to one side than the other. I have a lot of table-top tools & some of them are quite heavy. By doing this, not only do you get a little extra support underneath, but it gives you a nice stud to mount your table-top tools for permanent stay.

Step 4

Assemble the top. I used 1 1/2" construction screws for the top plywood sheet. I countersunk the top screws because I didn't want to catch myself on them while working. You can then fill them with wood filler. I didn't, however, because it's a WORKBENCH :D

Step 5

Finishing Instructions
Preparation Instructions
Fill all holes with wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed. When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces as well. Wipe project clean with damp cloth.

It is always recommended to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure color evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.
Project Type
Room

Comments

Guest (not verified)

Fri, 11/18/2011 - 10:51

Thanks for posting your plans. I've been wanting to build a work bench, but I haven't seen any plans I like until now. Also, great job on the plans; they're very clear and straight forward.

claydowling

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 12:24

There are some very good plans available at finewoodworking.com and popularwoodworking.com. They're all designed to be easy to build and relatively inexpensive.

My favorite that I saw was what they called the Newfangled Workbench. Through clever use of pipe clamps they build nice vices into their workbench without paying hundreds of dollars.
That's not the bench I ultimately built, but it was pretty cool, and if I did more power tool work I probably would have built that one.

Blake Allan (not verified)

Sat, 12/10/2011 - 12:12

What I ended up doing with this bench was a bit of an add-on process. Add this on, take this off :P I was tired of running out of room by the time I had my vices on the bench, and had no room left for all my power tools. Now, what I have, is convenience :D Since this bench was made for convenience & not portability, it gets to be a hassle moving it from workshop to the home gym that I'm remodeling. Instead of building two (wife would kill me), I decided to make it a bit easier to move. We all want space for our mitre saws, our jig saws, our table saws, I could really go on forever. So the best work-around I found for this, was dog holes and bolts :D Set your mitre saw on the table, find out where works best, then pop a hole through the table. Do the same for your table saw, etc. Every benchtop tool I've ever seen has guide holes to mount to your bench. So, it's a bit of a hassle unscrewing that wing-nut from the bolt, but it's a hell of a lot better than having all your tools fixed to the top of the table, and no where to cut the wood. Most of my tools, while not in use, conveniently sit on the shelf below. This way, when I go to move the bench, I take the tools off of it, and it's a lot lighter :D

I also added a outfeed roller to the end of it out of pvc pipe & conduit. I'll post plans for that soon, because it's so much easier than telling the wife, "hey, hold that, ok now feed it to me, NO NO NO don't move it " hehe

Guest (not verified)

Tue, 01/10/2012 - 11:01

I can tell you where you found this plan. It came from the EAA Chapter 1000 website. http://www.eaa1000.av.org/technicl/worktabl/tablefig.htm. Originally published June 1992. Your drawings and cut list were taken right from the listed URL. The building instructions are there too if you would like to post them and take credit for that also. This is plagiarism at its best.

blakeallan

Thu, 01/19/2012 - 12:38

I hardly consider this plagiarism when I specifically state that these plans were NOT created by me. If you have trouble reading,

"I couldn't remember where I had originally stumbled across the plans, but I wrote the dimensions down at the time. I believe they are all accurately depicted to the plans I had originally found."

As you can see in my original post/plans/description, whatever you want to call it, I clearly stated this. I go through 100 plans (at least) the night before I decide I want to build something the following day. I then right click, save image as, and throw it into a folder. If I manage the time, and like what I see in the folder that day, I build it. Some things I make & create myself, but most are copies of something I liked that I saw online. Had, I have written down the site, I MOST DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE POSTED THE PLANS WORD FOR WORD...would have been MUCH easier than typing it out.

I'm not a carpenter by profession, much less someone who sells what they make. So you, by stating the obvious, are just someone who wants to get into an online argument that I am well above.

P.S. Guess what, I saw the outfeed roller on another plan for a sawhorse..guess that makes me a bad, bad guy for taking the initiative and building it myself & sharing with the others!

Anna Rose

Thu, 04/12/2012 - 16:21

Oh hey, I found the original plans:
http://www.eaa1000.av.org/technicl/worktabl/tablefig.htm
Thanks Bob Waldmiller, YOU ROCK!

And thanks "blakeallan" for the additional instructions and actual project photos. I know a lot of time and work went into this post.
If you had not found and updated these plans I would never have seen them.

Wow, that was easy! I just gave you info about the original post and I didn't have to be rude about it! :) Obviously you had no intention of "plagiarizing" Bob Waldmiller's (20 y/o) plans. I hope other posters don't discourage you from continuing to share great plans.

blakeallan

Thu, 04/12/2012 - 17:51

Hey, thanks for that! I cannot begin to tell you how aggravating it is to type up something like this with my schedule, and then have some arrogant poster throw in his two cents. I've found a few plans on here useful, so I thought I'd throw a few plans on here I deem useful as well. Some things I make myself, some things I take from other sites, photo galleries, etc. I could understand had I put "This is my plan, I created it, end of story", but I was quite frank in saying I couldn't remember where I had pulled this from. I changed a few things to "make it my own" or accommodate my needs better, but there's really only so many variations one can do of a wooden workbench. Truth be told, the original poster was probably not the first one to ever do it. Wood has been around for quite a few years haha :D

Right now, we're remodeling a unit from the ground up. I needed a place closer to my school as it's a busy year, so we rented out our condo & decided to rent a place within the same compound as the school. So we've got a 365 square space inside 4 walls. That's it. We tore the roof off, we're raising the ceilings to 17 ft, and extending the unit just a bit. Overall dimensions are 27ft x 13.5 ft. It was the biggest unit available here & I wasn't happy about it. So, I sat down for a week solid, learned CAD, and now I have a two story mezzanine being built. It should give us about 550-600 square feet of living space which is more than enough considering it's a sleeping zone for the most part. We've included an exposed shower, a brand home gym (we're talking every piece of equipment you could imagine), and an all glass window front going 17 ft high. I went for a very modern,industrial design & it's all out of metal. exposed i-beams, corrugated metal, the works.

Will post pics in about another 2 months haha :D

Cheers

lucywilson

Sat, 07/14/2012 - 14:31

this is such a neat bench I am making it myself as my first project to be able to make custom furniture for my home :)

blakeallan

Sat, 07/14/2012 - 19:37

Hey, good luck wih that, and I cannot say that I envy you at the moment :-D. We're currently remodeling & decided to go the same route. Ohhhhhhh, I wish we hadn't haha. Maybe, had we not been on such a tight deadline, it would have been fun :-p.

All the best

Angie Overton (not verified)

Mon, 07/16/2012 - 22:37

So I'm new to woodworking. I have made a couple do picture frames and a box. I have table top tools (miter saw, table saw, router table) and I've been wanting to build a workbench. I found some great plans and was convinced they were the ones I'd use. Well... Until I saw this tonight. I like this much better and I too wanted to have shelf underneath to store the tools. I have limited space so I do all my work outside. I need to be able to wheel my workbench in and out of the garage. It looks simple enough to just add wheels to bottom. I guess I would just need to subtract the height of the wheels from the bottom? I plan on getting the locking casters. Any input would be great.

Angie Overton (not verified)

Mon, 07/16/2012 - 22:40

So I'm new to woodworking. I have made a couple do picture frames and a box. I have table top tools (miter saw, table saw, router table) and I've been wanting to build a workbench. I found some great plans and was convinced they were the ones I'd use. Well... Until I saw this tonight. I like this much better and I too wanted to have shelf underneath to store the tools. I have limited space so I do all my work outside. I need to be able to wheel my workbench in and out of the garage. It looks simple enough to just add wheels to bottom. I guess I would just need to subtract the height of the wheels from the bottom? I plan on getting the locking casters. Any input would be great.

Oh.... And I don't care where the plan came from:)

blakeallan

Mon, 07/16/2012 - 23:19

Hey, you're on the right track. I've built a couple of these & I chopped about 3 inches off the bottom in the initial cutting. I used big stainless steel casters that nearly covered the bottom of the leg ( both 2x4s ).. I was lucky to find them, and I didn't want to put the caster just on one of the 2x4s. I doubt that putting a small caster centred on the bottom of the leg will hurt any, but not planning to build another anytime soon, I decided I'd take the high road & cover as much surface area on the bottom of the leg as I could for bracing. If your casters are smaller & you can't find the bigger ones where you live, you could always 1/2" to 1" plywood square on the bottom of the legs, and then drill you caster into that. At least you've have a brace if you can't come across the casters like I've found. And yes, I'd definitely recommend locking casters because the regular ones have wheels that only turn when you don't want them to haha.

blakeallan

Mon, 07/16/2012 - 23:20

One last thing, you might want to see if you can find adjustable height wheels if yo has an uneven or rugged floor/garage.

danniels

Mon, 07/23/2012 - 03:12

You certainly have a way to explain things to make everything look easy! I could use such a workbench for my welding supplies storage so starting next week I'll have it built. I really hope it will look just as good as this one!

ChrisLoved (not verified)

Fri, 08/24/2012 - 13:34

Hey there,
Great plans! Thanks for sharing them. I was wondering if you've had time to put together more info on the outfeed rollers you added later. I would love to know more about them. Thanks!

Frequently Asked Questions

Wood Questions

What kind of wood should I use?
Most of our plans use standard construction lumber like pine or fir. It's affordable, easy to work with, and easy to find. It's also rapidly renewing and biodegradable, so a great eco friendly choice!

Can I use hardwoods instead?
Yes—just keep in mind they're heavier, cost more, and can be tougher on tools and harder to join together and finish. I recommend not tackling a hardwood project until after you have built several softwood projects.

What if my boards are warped?
Choose the straightest boards at the store. You can often work around slight warps by cutting them into shorter pieces.

What wood should I use for outdoor furniture?
Use red-toned or pressure-treated 2x lumber for framing, and cedar or cedar fence pickets for the decking. Outdoor furniture should be built like a deck—your local home center can help recommend the right wood for your climate.

Will my wood move or warp after I build?
Potentially, especially in humid climates. Let your wood acclimate indoors before building. Once acclimated and kept in a stable environment, movement should be minimal. Remember, most houses are built using framing lumber - it's all about keeping moisture down indoors.

Cutting Questions

Do I need a miter saw?
A miter saw is great, creating fast, safe, and precise cuts, even for beginners. But most plans can be built with a circular saw and a straight edge. If using a circular saw to cut, take time to practice, and get good at making cuts, before cutting your project boards.

How do I get clean cuts with a circular saw?
Clamp your board, measure twice, cut slow, and use a sharp blade. This takes practice, so spend some time making cuts. I go through becoming proficient at freehand cutting in my course, it is worth taking if you want to master this skill.

Will the store cut my wood?
Yes—most stores will do rough cuts to help you transport your materials home. But from store to store, the quality of cuts could greatly vary.

Joinery Questions

What screws should I use?
We recommend star-head self tapping screws for framing, most common sizes are 2-1/2", 1-3/4". Pre-drill if close to the edge or you find your wood is splitting.

Do I have to use pocket holes?
Pocket holes are the cheapest, easiest and fastest way to do some joints - like edge to edge or a hidden fastener joint. There are other methods, but these can be time consuming and expensive. We recommend using pocket holes as indicated in plans for best results.

How do I keep things square?
Use a speed square and measure diagonals after each step. Always clamp joints before screwing to keep them tight and flush.

Finishing Questions

Stain or paint before or after building?
A quick sand before and a full finish after gives the best results. Pre-finish if you're doing two-tone or detailed finishes.

What type of finish?
Use oil-based or water-based stain. For paint, cabinet-grade latex or enamel works great. High use surfaces on indoor projects should get a coat of polyurethane, I recommend a Helsman or Spar or other flexible poly that won't crack or peel with wood movement. For exterior projects, use a finish suitable for exterior fences.

How to get a smooth finish?
Start with a well sanded project. Sand between coats (220 grit), wipe clean, and apply light coats with a foam brush or roller.

Plan Questions

Can I change the size?
Many people do, and that's the great thing about building your own furniture! But do keep in mind going bigger might mean more supports are required, and often plans are optimized for minimal material waste.

Are these beginner-friendly?
Yes—plans are written with simple tools and clear steps in mind, with every effort to make plans as simple as possible.

Can I sell what I build?
Absolutely! Just don’t resell or repost the plans themselves.

General Questions

What tools do I really need?
A drill, circular saw, tape measure, square, and a few clamps will get you through most projects.

Do I need a workshop?
Nope! A driveway or small patio is plenty to get started, just make sure you have a level place to work. If you find you are building several projects a year, creating a small workbench is a great way to store tools and have a dedicated workspace.

What if I mess up?
Wood filler, sanding, or flipping boards goes a long way. Mistakes are part of the process!

What can I do to make my projects look more professional?
Start with straight boards, make accurate cuts, clamp all joints, and line up everything neatly. Sand thoroughly, use a neutral finish, and apply it in light coats for a clean look.

I've never built anything before. Where should I start?
Start with a few smaller softwood projects to get hands-on experience. Or if you're tackling a big project, buy a little extra lumber and practice your cuts and joints first. If possible, work with someone who has a bit of experience.

Care & Maintenance

How long will my furniture last?
With good joinery and regular care, your DIY furniture can last for decades. I have pieces in my own home that are over 20 years old and still going strong! One of the best parts about DIY furniture is that it’s easy to repaint, refinish, or repair—so your projects can grow and adapt with you.

How should I care for outdoor furniture?
Lightly pressure wash or hose it down once or twice a year. Tighten screws and reapply finish as needed to protect it—just like a deck or fence. A little upkeep goes a long way in extending the life of your furniture.

How about indoor furniture?
Regularly dust or wipe with a damp cloth. If it starts to look worn, a light sanding and touch-up paint or stain can refresh it in no time. DIY pieces are meant to be durable and fixable—so don’t be afraid to give them some love now and then.

Want to Build with Confidence?

Check out my ebook: 12 Skills to Build Your Own Furniture
It walks you through the core skills every builder needs—measuring, cutting, joinery, and finishing—so you can build beautiful furniture that lasts.

Still Have Questions?

Email us anytime at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help!