I'm on the hunt for a decent workbench. I've noticed that seasoned woodworkers often have these robust, heavy wooden workbenches with thick surfaces, sturdy legs, and excellent support for heavy-duty tasks. Yet, when I look online at places like Amazon or local hardware stores, all I see are flimsy, lightweight models that wouldn't hold up to any real work. If I do need to make my own workbench, are there good guides out there for someone with power tools?
5 Answers
Check out Rex Krueger on YouTube. He focuses on hand woodworking and has some awesome videos on building simple, solid workbenches that don't require a ton of expensive tools. Also, Fine Woodworking has a free video series on building your first workbench that could be really helpful!
If you're comfortable building it, I bet your experienced friends would love to help you out over a few beers. It's a great opportunity to bond and learn!
Besides making your own, keep an eye out for used benches at tag sales or check places like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or Freecycle. You might be surprised at what you can find for free or cheap!
If you want a serious bench, you might have to either build it or find it secondhand. Stability and mass are crucial. Chris Schwarz has a free book all about benches that's definitely worth checking out!
You might want to check out Global Industrial for heavy-duty benches, but they're pretty pricey. Personally, I built my own by rescuing a 3x6 foot maple bench top and adding some strong 4x4 legs with diagonal bracing. If maple is out of your budget, laminating thick plywood can also create a solid work surface!
Totally agree, those options are solid! They definitely sell sturdy benches new, just not cheap.