Work bench ideas?

[426 pack]

I am planing on moving some things around in my hobby room and want to build a bigger work bench and would like to see some pics to get an idea of how I should build mine. My current work bench is 20" by 35".

thanks

[High octane]

Cale, mine is about 25" X 48" and also serves as my desk. I do have an ample amount of space to work on and even more if I took off the laptop computer. The drawer on my left holds all my tools and jars of paint. I notice that you have a divider on your bench and that needs to go as it would cramp my style quite a bit. Take your time and give it some thought and I'm sure that you'll come up with a suitable workbench for your modeling needs.

[Mike999]

I don't know how much room you have.  But Home Depot sells the workbench shown below for $80.21.  It's 72 inches long x 20 inches wide x 35 inches high. A couple of years ago they put it on sale for less than $70, IIRC, so I got a couple of them.  At that price I probably couldn't have even bought the materials to build it.

PROS:  lots of room; has that "backstop" to keep parts/tools from rolling off; the legs are hinged and fold out, so it assembles in just a couple of minutes and one person can easily set it up; very sturdy, made of 2x4 hemlock; bottom shelf has plenty of storage room.

CONS: that bottom shelf also interferes with your legs, as you can see.  You can't get your feet under the bench easily. I thought about modifying it, keeping just one of the 2x4's of that bottom shelf as a brace for the legs.  But the shelf space for storing tools, books etc. does come in handy.

Here's a link to it on the Home Depot site:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Signature-Development-72-in-Fold-Out-Wood-Workbench-WKBNCH72X22/203083493

 

Edited December 21, 2017 by Mike999
omit-1

[426 pack]

10 minutes ago, High octane said:

I notice that you have a divider on your bench and that needs to go as it would cramp my style quite a bit. 

That is just a diorama that I am building so it's not there when I am working on a model car. I guess I forgot to point that out earlier.

[High octane]

Yes now that you mentioned it I can see it is a diorama, and I like the plates on your wall also. I have plates hanging on my garage wall.

[Xingu]

Google "Workbench Plans" and see if you find anything you like. That is how I found the one I use. Built it for less than $100 (including a 4' light fixture).

[iBorg]

I picked up a large office workstation at a Habitat store. I got an L shape with two drawer units and an overhead storage bin plus another 8 foot table section. Set me back $100 and two hours disassembly time. Some day the shop will be finished and maybe I can build something.

[Nick Notarangelo]

I got a roll-top desk so when I am done building or I have wet I can close the top to keep hands off and yes I remove the lamp

Edited December 22, 2017 by Nick Notarangelo

[BubbaBrown]

I use regular office desks both in the basement and upstairs. But no matter what dimensions I always end up working in a space about 8" by 12" with the rest of my desk filled with what ever. Good Luck.

[oldnslow]

It's really dependent on how much you want to put into it and how much space you have to work with . My "work" bench  (in the upstairs of the garage ) is 30" x 12' , that being said I have about 30" x 20" of workable space, it has a tempered glass panel that size to work on , durable and easy to clean . The rest is cluttered up with a TV , stacks of projects in containers , parts bins ,  supplies ( scrap styrene , a rack with new Evergreen packs , aluminum & brass tubing , tools and various boxes of cars ) and a display case hung from the wall . The bench itself is cantilevered out from the wall with diagonal supports so I can move a rolling chair the full length . It has electrical outlets mounted below the top surface , to the face of the bench for easy access . I also have a Harbor Freight tool box that sits next to my chair to hold all of my tools , supplies and detail parts I'm not using a any given time . I have 2  4' double lamp fluorescent fixtures centered over the actual work area  and a desk mount lighted magnifying lens on one side . I'm a firm believer that we're like fish and grow to our environment , the more room you have the more junk you accumulate . You just have to decide how far you want to go .

Edited December 22, 2017 by oldnslow

[Jantrix]

An old door on a couple of saw horses has been my work bench before. A yard sale dinette. Right now it's an eight foot Rubbermaid banquet table.

[Tom Geiger]

Speaking of old doors... here's my bench.  An old hollow core door wrapped in brown paper.  It sits on two old night stands. I do most of my building, especially cutting on the old pink board in the center.  The two main shelves overhead are my unfinished projects.

[DrKerry]

I just use an old hollow core door with legs on it!!! Bought the legs at Menards years ago and cut them down to a shorter height!!! 

Not sure how well you can see it but it gives an idea.... yeah I’m in a small area and is quite cramped!!!!!

[Belugawrx]

Looks like you need a plastenstyrendectomy Doctor

[highway]

This is my setup. I got the desk at Walmart for about $80. 

I also got this 3 drawer rolling toolbox for added storage and doubles as a table for my collapsible spray booth. which also fits perfectly in the bottom drawer when not in use. 

[DrKerry]

6 hours ago, Belugawrx said:

Looks like you need a plastenstyrendectomy Doctor

I need something alright!!!!!! Lol.... cant see it but I have a tool box under the one side of my bench and a shelf up on top for extra storage!!! Small space I had to do what I could to have a place to put everything!!!!!!

[DrKerry]

6 hours ago, Belugawrx said:

plastenstyrendectomy

HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[426 pack]

22 hours ago, High octane said:

Yes now that you mentioned it I can see it is a diorama, and I like the plates on your wall also. I have plates hanging on my garage wall.

Thanks. Here’s a better pic of the license plates.

I have a tool box beside my desk. It was on sale at Walmart a couple of years ago with tools.

Edited December 22, 2017 by 426 pack

[DrKerry]

4 hours ago, 426 pack said:

Thanks. Here’s a better pic of the license plates.

I have a tool box beside my desk. It was on sale at Walmart a couple of years ago with tools.

Liking it!!!! Until I saw the Vikings logo!!!!!!! Gheesh!!!!!!! Lol just kiddin’!!!!!! 

[zenrat]

My bench is in the corner of my shed.  I built it at such a height that I can work standing without bending when my back is playing up or sit on a bar stool when its not.
Its about 1200mm (48") high and being this height gives me more space under it to hide store part of the stash.  Enough space in fact to fit a standard height bathroom vanity (salvage when I renovated the en-suite) with room to stack kits between its top and the underside of the bench.

[Pete J.]

A bit of advise on workbenches.  I would suggest you sit down with a piece of graph paper and a pencil and sketch out what you need.  Keep in mind the actual space you need to accommodate the models that you build.  Most of us actually use a space that is about 1 foot by 2 foot square.  The rest is for clutter and a place to loose stuff.   Really it isn't.  That is for you to organize and store the stuff you use to build with and need close at hand.  Then go for the tools you don't use as often but need to have organized for quick access.   These should be drawers that are close and hand.  Then the long term storage stuff like extra paints, glues, scratch building supply's etc in shelving or tool cabinets.  Finally, model storage.  Shelves up high work well.   I scratch built my own shop this way and still find things I would have done differently, but a few minutes of thinking your way through it will make building much more pleasurable.

[Sweetganga]

Good afternoon and happy holidays to everyone!:) I’m looking to buy one of the large magnifying glasses (not sure what they are actually called:/ ) for detail work and just for general use. Any suggestions?

[cowboy rich]

17 minutes ago, Sweetganga said:

Good afternoon and happy holidays to everyone!:) I’m looking to buy one of the large magnifying glasses (not sure what they are actually called:/ ) for detail work and just for general use. Any suggestions?

There is a pinned topic down in tips for lighting and optics that may help if you haven't seen it

[426 pack]

17 minutes ago, Sweetganga said:

Good afternoon and happy holidays to everyone!:) I’m looking to buy one of the large magnifying glasses (not sure what they are actually called:/ ) for detail work and just for general use. Any suggestions?

I think this is the one that cowboy rich is talking about.

 

[Pete J.]

57 minutes ago, Sweetganga said:

Good afternoon and happy holidays to everyone!:) I’m looking to buy one of the large magnifying glasses (not sure what they are actually called:/ ) for detail work and just for general use. Any suggestions?

They really look nice and I have one but frankly, it use it primarily as a light source rather than a magnifier for me.  I found that having to constantly move it around to get it just right annoying.  I much prefer an Optivisor.  It is always where I need it and easy to use.  I don't have to keep moving it around and I have multiple lenses to suit the level of magnification I need.  I would then just get a good goose neck light or the attachable LED lighting package for the Optivisor.  By the way, the reason I got and Optivisor brand is that the lenses are ground glass and impervious to the solvents that we use as model builders.