If you like to work with your hands, then a workbench will be very useful. You can make such a structure yourself from metal. It will consist of a tabletop, which is mounted on a metal frame.
Design features of the product
A metal workbench can be carpentry or metalworking. The first type is quite simple to manufacture, but on the surface of the tabletop you can only work with wooden parts. This version of the product requires a cover made of wood or treated with linoleum. If you try to work with a metal workpiece on a carpentry bench, the coating will absorb oils, and metal shavings will damage the surface. Carpentry workbenches are made of wood, so they are not as stable as metal ones.
In the garage, metalwork structures are most often used. Using such equipment you can also work with metal workpieces. This piece of furniture in the workshop is universal. It is important to determine before starting work whether the tabletop will be single or multi-seat.
A metal workbench will have a bench, a lid, and a table. The penultimate element must be equipped with three-layer sides. Metal structures are made using MDF or a thick sheet of plywood, which is additionally coated metal sheet. It is important to eliminate the presence of sharp corners that the tabletop may have, which will prevent injury. It is important to provide the table with drawers that will be needed to store equipment. It is necessary to equip these components with guides that will prevent accidental falls. If there is a need to protect the wall where the table will be installed, you can install a special screen on it.
Legs must have large area surfaces and also have excellent strength. They are additionally strengthened together at the bottom. It is recommended to place a shelf for varnishes, large tools, and components at the junction points. Most often, steel workbenches are equipped with two disks, which have devices for emphasis. The presence of a clamping screw is important.
Preparation before starting work
A metal workbench can have completely different dimensions, but the most optimal width can be 60 cm, while the length can be equivalent to 1.5 meters. It is recommended to make the frame from a profile pipe or Sockets and light sources should be located near the table. For cutting metal, it is best to use a grinder. Prepare metal corners, the thickness of which is 3 cm. Their size should be 40 x 40 mm. Will also fit steel profiles, the cross-section of which is 30 x 50 millimeters. A metal strip will be needed to secure the desktop to the frame.
When a metal workbench is made, the tabletop is usually made of dry boards, the thickness of which is 50 millimeters, while the width of this element can vary from 100 to 150 millimeters. During the work you will need galvanized metal 2 millimeters thick. Strips of the same material will be needed to form sides that will protect against the effects of sparks. The length of one such strip should be equivalent to the length of the working surface.
Work on making a workbench
If you decide to make metal drawings, it is recommended to prepare them in advance. The parts are cut to size, and they need to be connected to each other by welding. If there is no need to install additional shelves, then the structure should be strengthened by means of stiffening ribs, which must be made from the same corner. They should be installed at a distance of 10 cm from the floor surface. The same distance is stepped down from the edge of the tabletop. The same manipulations are carried out with the central part of the table. In order to provide a higher height, square steel plates are welded onto the legs.
Features of the assembly
Drawing metal workbench, which is presented in the article (see photo above), will allow you to carry out the work correctly. After the main structure is assembled, you can begin to work on the frame. Using square steel corners with a side of 50 millimeters, you need to form a frame. Its length should be 20 cm longer compared to the dimensions of the structure. This is required to secure the vice. Then, in the place where the desktop will be attached to the main structure, steel strips should be welded, while a structure of corners is installed on them. Among other things, protective screens will need to be strengthened.
If you decide to make a metal workbench with your own hands, you should drill holes in the corner that is used for rigidity, as well as in the table top, to which the boards will be fixed. Most often, self-tapping screws with countersunk washers are used for this. At the next stage, the tabletop can be covered with sheet metal, which is strengthened with self-tapping screws in advance drilled holes. The shelves can be painted or treated using a fire-retardant composition. To ensure more comfortable work, the part can be rigidly fixed. For this purpose, a vice is used, which contains parallel jaws. All processed elements can be fixed.
Finally
As you know, a metal workbench is very susceptible to moisture and corrosion. In order to extend the life of the product, you can treat it with a special paint designed for working on metal. This will make the design even more attractive in appearance.
Everyone knows that a garage is necessary in order to park a car in it. However, many car owners use this room as a warehouse for unnecessary things, and if space allows, they convert it into a small workshop. Consequently, appropriate equipment is installed in it - racks, shelves and a workbench. The latter is a multifunctional desktop used for processing various materials, carrying out plumbing, installation and electromechanical work. You can make workbenches for the garage yourself.
Garages are predominantly rectangular in shape, so when choosing a place for a workbench you should consider certain features use of the future workplace:
- If the garage width is sufficient, then optimal place for the workbench there will be one of the long walls of the building, as this will allow you to make a table required length and will provide access to the workbench from three sides, which is very convenient, especially in the case of two people working simultaneously;
- If the workbench is installed at the end of the garage, you can move all the fasteners for the vice and other devices to the front of the table top, distributing the holes for clamps and other tools along the front longitudinal side of the table;
- Another option for placing a workbench is along a long wall with an emphasis on end wall, which makes it possible to approach the table from two sides.
Advice! If on the side of the workbench adjacent to the wall you strengthen vertical racks with cross bars, you can conveniently place various tools on hooks or other types of holders, which will always be in sight.
Your first experience building equipment for a garage can be a simple one. wooden workbench or a wooden workbench. The design of a table made of timber is more affordable to manufacture; working with a saw, jigsaw and drill is much simpler than cutting and welding a steel angle, from which professional-quality plumbing tools are usually made.
Building a wooden workbench for assembly work
To build a workbench, we will need:
- Wooden beam, preferably oak or pine, approximately 12-15 m, the cross-section of the material is selected individually, based on the expected load on the workbench;
- Planed edged board, 20-30 mm thick, smooth, without knots or surface defects;
- Sheet plywood, 6-8 mm thick, three sheets 200x60 cm;
- A set of wood screws and steel angles, shelf size 50 mm and length from 50 to 70 mm, at least 40 pieces.
Advice! All cutting work must be performed using manual or stationary circular saw, trim the edges of timber or boards only with a jigsaw or similar power tool.
In this case, even in the absence of carpentry skills, the cut turns out smooth, and accordingly, the entire structure of the workbench will look like a factory one.
At the first stage, we make the frame of the workbench, while taking into account the dimensions of the space in the garage. To do this, you will need to cut four vertical posts, four horizontal beams and five horizontal short cross braces from the timber. If the dimensions of a wooden workbench for a garage do not exceed two meters, you can use a beam with a section of 70x70 mm.
We cut off four vertical posts - two 90 cm high, two 150 cm high. The latter are made 60 cm higher; after the assembly of the workbench is completed, a plywood screen will be installed on them for the tools stored in the garage.
Horizontal beams too different sizes. To bandage the support posts of the frame in the lower part of the workbench, we cut two sections of timber 150 cm long; to attach the table top, 200 cm long sections are needed. The last of the remaining material is cut into transverse struts 60 cm long.
We assemble the entire structure using steel angles and self-tapping screws, as shown in the diagram.
We assemble the tabletop by gluing together sheets of plywood and boards. After leveling and adjusting the dimensions, the boards and plywood, coated with PVA-M or wood glue, are assembled in clamps until they dry completely and gain strength. We sew the tabletop along the contour with self-tapping screws.
We lay the tabletop on the finished frame and fasten it with self-tapping screws, after which the surface is carefully sanded with an emery attachment for an electric drill. Lastly, we install the screen and cover the entire structure with varnish so that in damp weather in the garage the wood of the workbench does not “sink.”
In appearance, the workbench for the garage turned out to be quite delicate, but in reality its strength is enough to withstand a load of more than one hundred kilograms. To increase rigidity, the rear pillars can be fixed anchorage to the walls of the garage.
Required tool:
- Grinder with a circle for cutting metal and a grinding disc.
- Welding machine and electrodes.
- Overalls and protective equipment for welding work.
- Level.
- Roulette.
- Screwdriver.
- Jigsaw for cutting plywood.
- Drill.
Necessary materials:
- Angle 50 mm by 50 mm, thickness 4 mm, length 6.4 m.
- Square pipe 60 mm by 40 mm, thickness 2 mm, length 24 m.
- Angle 40 mm by 40 mm, thickness 4 mm, length 6.75 m.
- Steel strip 40 mm wide, 4 mm thick, 8 m long.
- Steel sheet for tabletop 2200 mm by 750 mm. Thickness 2 mm.
- Steel sheet for making drawer holders. Thickness 2 mm.
- Wooden boards for the table top. Thickness 50 mm.
- Plywood for making drawers and for the side and back walls of the table. Thickness 15 mm
- Guides for desk drawers.
- Screws for assembling plywood boxes.
- Self-tapping screws for metal.
- Anchor bolts.
- Paint for wood and metal.
The workbench, which will be made from these materials, has quite impressive dimensions: table length 220 cm, width 75 cm. The overall design and large table top allow you to place a vice and, for example, emery or other tools at different ends of the table.
First step Making a workbench involves cutting the existing material into elements. Profile pipe intended for the manufacture of frames. The steel angle is designed to create stiffeners. It is cut into pieces and a power frame is formed from it. Also, a steel corner is needed for edging the tabletop on which the boards will be laid. The steel strip is intended for the manufacture of guides on which the side panels will be attached. This material will also be used for brackets for fastening boxes and plywood. Table drawers are made of plywood.
Second step- welding of the load-bearing frame of the workbench. The tabletop elements are welded first - 2 pipes 2200 mm long and 2 pipes 750 mm each. The frame must be welded so that another frame of corners can be welded on top of it, into which the tabletop boards will be laid. To reinforce the tabletop, it is necessary to weld a few more after 40 cm steel pipes, which will serve as stiffeners.
Then 4 side legs are welded along the edges of the workbench. Their length is 900 mm. Power bridges are welded between the legs to strengthen the structure.
Once the basic frame is ready, you can begin welding the structure for the boxes. To do this, square frames are formed from steel pipes, which are welded to the tabletop on both sides of the table. The frames are reinforced with longitudinal stiffeners.
Third step- making a frame for the tabletop. Two steel angles, 2200 mm long, and two more angles, 750 mm long, are needed to make the frame. The structure is welded so that wooden boards fit inside it.
The angle frame is laid on a pipe frame and welded. The result is a reinforced tabletop, 8 cm high with internal stiffeners.
The metal frame of the workbench is almost ready, all that remains is to weld the panel sheathing for attaching the tool. This requires one metal corner with a length of 2200 mm and 4 corners with a length of 950 mm. Two elements are attached to the sides of the structure and two in the middle for reinforcement. The tool panel is welded to the tabletop.
The frame of corners and pipes is ready. You can begin to strengthen the structure. Brackets are welded to the sides of the table, which are cut from a steel strip. A total of 24 parts are needed. A hole is drilled in the middle of each bracket. Using these holes, the side and back walls plywood tables will be attached to metal frame workbench.
Fourth step- making desk drawers. Plywood is cut into blanks, which are screwed together with screws. The number of drawers depends on what will be stored in the table. If the parts are small, then you can build 3 drawers, if large, then 2. It all depends on personal preference.
Drawers can be placed on both sides of the table, or mounted on one half retractable structures, and on the second there are ordinary open shelves.
After the drawers are assembled, you need to weld metal strips with holes between the sides of the drawer compartments. To these holes with inside the slides for the drawer guides will be attached.
Fifth step- laying boards into the tabletop frame. Boards 50 mm thick are cut into pieces of a certain length. If you have a long board available, then you need three blanks with a width of 245 mm and a length of 2190 mm. If there are no long boards available, then you can lay the blanks across the table. For this purpose, wood 205 mm wide is cut into 10 pieces 740 mm long.
Before laying the wood into the table frame, it must be treated with an antiseptic solution. This will protect the material from rotting and damage by beetles.
Then it is imperative to paint the entire metal structure of the workbench. This will protect the metal from corrosion. It is best to use a weather-resistant and anti-corrosion coating option. Welding seams need to be painted especially carefully. Drops of metal and uneven surfaces are recommended to be thoroughly cleaned before painting. This can be done using an angle grinder with a metal grinding disc.
After the structure has dried, you can begin laying the boards on the countertop. They should not be driven too tightly into the frame. This is due to the fact that wood tends to expand and dry out when temperature and humidity change. It is better to leave a small gap of a few millimeters between the boards. The surface of the wood needs to be sanded, this will simplify installation metal sheet on top of the tree. The boards around the entire perimeter of the table are screwed to the frame with self-tapping screws.
Sixth step- fastening the top steel sheet. It can be welded to the countertop, but there is wood inside the structure, which can ignite during the welding process. Therefore, it is best to attach the steel sheet with hidden screws to wooden boards. The metal must first be painted on both sides with a rust converter. This covering material looks like transparent paintwork, is easily restored and reliably protects the metal from rust. You can also paint the metal tabletop with the same paint that was used to cover the frame. It will be beautiful, but over time the paint may scratch and the table will not look very new.
Final step- installation of drawers on guides and fastening of plywood to the side walls, shelves and power panel in front of the table. This work can be called finishing workbench. After work with plywood is completed, it must be coated with a composition that will protect the material from exposure environment. Also, do not forget about the design of a power shield for tools. You can attach special hooks or screws to it, from which the necessary things will be hung.
To make it convenient to work at a workbench, you can attach a special lamp with a bendable stand to the power panel. In this case, you can optionally direct the flow of light to the desired location.
A vice is an indispensable attribute of a mechanic's workbench. It is not recommended to attach a clamping tool that weighs several tens of kilograms to the tabletop itself. It is best to place a metal gasket 1 cm thick between the metal of the table and the tool. You need to drill holes in the gasket for anchor bolts. Then, in the same places, drill holes of the same size in the tabletop. The entire structure is fastened with anchor bolts.
Repairing a car is a difficult and troublesome task. To facilitate this work and create favorable conditions, you will definitely need to make a metalworking table. Drawings and diagrams for this may be different, but the principle of how to build convenient workbench for the garage with your own hands, one. The device should be compact and not take up much space.
It's best to build a prefabricated workbench so it can fold up or stow away. The simple design can be made entirely of wood. This inexpensive material is fairly easy to find and very easy to process. But wooden products There is a drawback - it is prone to burning. To make a less dangerous and more reliable bench, you need to make homemade design made of metal. However, due to the simplicity and ease of construction, most car enthusiasts most often choose wood.
Necessary materials:
- wooden blocks;
- various boards;
- hinges;
- nails;
- screws.
First, you need to decide on a place to build a metalworking table. If the area is long enough, it is better to install a workbench at the back wall opposite the gate. This will make it possible to do work while the car is in the garage. With this arrangement of the workbench, the side passages will remain empty, which will be very convenient for car repairs. When the room has more free space in width, then best option installation will be on the side. For Russian models on the left wall, and for foreign cars on the right, which will ensure safer entry and exit of the car from the garage.
Simple model
To do this you will need the following tools:
- screwdriver or screwdriver;
- regular drill or brace;
- hand saw;
- simple level;
- small tape measure;
- sharp axe;
- hammer.
Designing and installing a homemade bench in your garage is easy. But first you need to determine the location and then choose the material. To build a simple workbench, any boards or wooden blocks are perfect. This is the best way, which requires fairly modest knowledge at the school level. In addition, the financial costs will not be so high, since old bars and boards can be used to build such a table. Since wood is easy and quick to process, the entire construction of a wooden workbench will take very little time.
When preparation is complete and found suitable material, then you should first start building the frame. To do this, you need to take measurements of the future table in the garage locally and use them to cut 4 bars for the frame. Of these, two long ones will be located along the wall, and short ones perpendicularly. Next you need to make the legs. The height of the workbench in the garage should be slightly below the waist, which will ensure ideal conditions at work.
After all the bars have been sawn, they are connected into a frame. This is easy to do with simple nails or screws. Next, the entire structure is turned over on its legs and placed tightly against the wall. Finally, the prepared boards are nailed on top and the simple wooden workbench is ready for work. Often, many car enthusiasts cover the top of the table with tin or sheet steel. This not only increases strength, but also improves safety in case of fire during various welding operations.
Folding workbench
Usually, in order to save money, garage buildings are made small in volume. In a small building with limited space, there is rarely enough free space to accommodate a metalworking table. In cases where the length and width of the garage do not allow the installation of any device, they use folding design. The advantage of this method is that in the normal assembled state the entire table is removed and completely frees up space, but there is a disadvantage. To work on a folding workbench, you will often have to drive the car out of the garage, which is very inconvenient when repairing cars.
The folding wooden workbench has the simplest and most cheap design. Therefore, such a construction will require a minimum of materials and time. At first must be selected the best place in the garage. Then take the correct measurements with a tape measure and use them to draw a simple drawing or sketch out a diagram by hand. It will be easy to calculate the quantity and consumption of materials. Any wooden blocks and old boards are perfect for this.
First they make the countertop. The prepared bars are marked using a tape measure and sawed off to size hand saw. Next, they are folded into a quadrangle in the shape of a box and fastened together with nails. Next, boards of the same length are sawed, nailed to the bars, and the tabletop is considered completed. Two hinges are immediately attached to it with screws and screwed to the garage wall at waist level.
It will work out interesting table, which in one position will hang on the wall, and in another will rise and be installed horizontally. To secure the tabletop in working position, you need to make legs. To do this, cut off two identical bars with a hand saw, which are screwed to the free corners of the frame on hinges using screws. In this position, each table leg, like the entire structure of the folding workbench, will also fold easily.
Homemade metal equipment
For this you will need materials:
- metal corner;
- iron pipe scraps;
- tin or sheet steel;
- bolts, screws, nuts;
- hinges or hinges.
Every car enthusiast tries to make all the devices in his garage reliable and safe to operate. Although a metalworking table made of wood is assembled very simply and quickly, this design is not very durable. Often additional new equipment is installed upstairs - this is an emery board, a vice, drilling machine. This requires a fairly strong and stable base. In this case, iron is used for construction, which is much stronger than wood. Metal structure The workbench will not only withstand any load perfectly, but is also not at all afraid of fire.
To build a metal bench, you need to prepare all the materials. This can be an iron corner or channel, pipe cuttings and sheet steel. During construction also you need to find a tool for working with metal:
- welding machine;
- electric grinder;
- ordinary screwdriver;
- powerful hammer;
- spanners.
A metal workbench in the garage is installed taking into account the available space. It needs to be made in such a way that there is enough free space for car repairs. It is difficult to fit additional equipment on a narrow and too small metalworking table. Therefore, it is advisable to do it maximum dimensions, which will allow you to install not only a vice and emery, but also other devices. For example: a small drilling or lathe.
Build process
The construction of a workbench always begins from the top part - the table top. Small sections to fit the size of the table are sawed off from an iron angle or channel using a grinder. Then, on a flat floor, they are folded into a rectangle and connected by welding. Additional spacers are also installed inside between the sides, which will make the frame much stronger. The top of the tabletop is usually made from pieces of tin or sheet steel. They are laid evenly on the frame of the future table and through holes are made around the perimeter for bolts or screws using a drill.
When the tabletop is completely ready, begin building the supports. Metal pipes are usually used for durable table legs. Using a grinder, they are cut at waist level and attached by welding to the four corners of the made platform. To ensure that the supports do not diverge in different directions under heavy loads, they are fastened together with a profile corner or channel. Then the table is turned over and pushed tightly against the most convenient wall of the garage. The workbench is ready and repairs can begin. But the construction does not end there, but continues to be equipped with additional equipment - a vice, sandpaper and other devices.
How to deal with vibration and clutter
During hammer blows and machine operation, vibration occurs on the workbench. At this time, all the tools and repair parts begin to move and fall off the table. You have to spend a lot of time searching, which is especially annoying for every car enthusiast. This drawback is dealt with very simply: along the edge of the entire perimeter of the tabletop, a small edge made from a corner or metal strip is attached by welding.
To ensure that the workbench is always in order, it is necessary to equip a place where all the tools and remaining parts from the repair will be stored. The best way removing unnecessary tools means putting up a shelving unit. It should be mounted on the wall directly above the table. Usually the rack is made of a sheet of metal, and shelves are installed on it. It is also advisable to make hooks on which the tools will hang. It is very convenient when they are in front of your eyes and do not interfere with your work.
Often, drawers are made to store car repair parts and various fasteners. They can also easily accommodate large tools that take up a lot of space on the shelf. To do this, additional racks and guide runners from a metal corner are installed at the bottom of the table. The boxes themselves are made of sheet iron in the form of boxes with one handle. After installing the rack and drawers It will be possible to deal with the clutter that interferes with comfortable work.
Folding option
There are times when the garage space does not allow you to good workbench. In this case, it is best to choose a folding option that does not require a lot of space. In the free space, you just need to weld a simple box from metal in the form of a chest, and attach the wings to it on hinges. It will always be easy to open them as needed, which will significantly increase the table area.
Before starting construction, you need to cut 12 identical corners with a grinder according to the size of the free space. Then, using boiling, assemble the frame in the form of a cube and attach an even sheet of tin or sheet steel to the top. The result is a small table that is perfect for small repair work. To make it longer, additional metal wings must be made. Their dimensions must coincide with one of the sides of the frame.
First, you will need to cut off 4 corners with a grinder, which will correspond to the edges of the table. Then fold them into a square shape and fasten them together using ordinary electric welding. A sheet of iron should be placed on the resulting frame, and then the edges should be trimmed evenly. Next, drill through holes along the entire perimeter, insert bolts there and tighten with nuts. To make the wing rise and fall easily, you need to attach 2 hinges.
By using welding machine this is done very simply. One edge of the hinges connects to the wing, and the other to the main frame. It is not difficult to fix the moving plane in a horizontal position. You just have to make it metal pipes two legs and attach them to the free corners of the wing on hinges.
It often happens that the increased table area is sorely lacking. In this case, it will not be difficult to make another duplicate and attach it to opposite side frame. In this case, you will get a long desktop. If you attach an additional wing to the side, then this design will fit perfectly in the corner of the garage. The advantage of a folding metal workbench lies in the fact that its configuration can always be changed at the request of each car enthusiast.
Not a single workshop is complete without a workbench, it is called a workbench. The concept of a workbench is much broader than just a table, since it must have a number of features that distinguish it from simple table and do it an indispensable assistant In workshop. How to make a simple, convenient and compact carpentry workbench with your own hands from wood will be discussed in this article.
Introduction
There are three main types of carpentry workbenches:
- Stationary. The desktop is installed in a specific place, it is integrated into the interior of the workshop and is not intended to be moved.
- Folding. The workbench is installed in a specific place in the workshop, but it has several positions and can be easily transformed. For example, one position can be working, the second folded (retracted), or the workbench can be transformed to perform different technological operations.
- Mobile. Simply put, it’s a table on wheels. It can be easily moved to any comfortable spot In workshop. As a rule, it can also be foldable, so it has the ability to transform to change operating states.
The design of a wooden workbench, which is discussed in this article, is folding homemade workbench.
General description of the workbench design
This version of the workbench has the simplest design. It is attached to the wall on one side, has two support legs and can be folded (retracted) into a vertical position. Thus, this design well suited for rooms that have limited area, since free space can be organized by transforming such a workbench.
A homemade workbench consists of the following basic elements:
| Name | Purpose and description |
| Tabletop | Working surface of the table |
| Frame | The supporting structure on which all other elements are based. |
| Support element | It is firmly attached to the wall and is one of the supports of the working surface. |
| Legs | Two support legs, structurally interconnected |
| Retainer | An element that is attached to the wall and serves to secure the folding workbench in the folded position |
All these elements are made of solid wood (pine) and plywood.
Pre-production
Before you start making a folding workbench with your own hands, you need to plan and prepare everything necessary tools and materials.
Tools and machines
During the production process, the following tools and devices will be required:
- or ;
- Miter saw;
- Drill or ;
- Level;
- Hand tools (screwdriver, hammer, etc.).
Materials and accessories
During the production process you will need following materials and components:
- 15-30mm thick (as an option or as a last resort);
- Beam (pine) 80x40;
- Piano loop;
- M10 bolts with nuts and washers (alternatively, you can use a hairpin);
- Self-tapping screws.
The process of making a carpentry workbench with your own hands
We will divide the entire production process into a number of simple technological operations.
Making a countertop
A sheet of plywood will be used to make the tabletop. There is no point in giving dimensions, since in each specific case the dimensions must be selected individually to suit the needs of the master, the geometry of the room and the work that is planned to be performed at a given workplace. Therefore, we will not give dimensions in this article - it should be clear from the photos and videos general idea and concept.
- Surface evenness. If the tabletop shows signs of deformation and does not have a flat surface, then working on such a homemade workbench will be difficult, to say the least;
- Mechanical strength. The tabletop must be durable, that is, have greater resistance to mechanical loads. Since quite massive objects (machines or large-sized workpieces) can be installed on the desktop, the tabletop must withstand such loads and not deform during operation.
- Surface strength. Surface resistance to external mechanical influences. This is how they are executed on the desktop various works related to the processing of materials, painting, etc., then the presence of a protective layer on the countertop will be an advantage and will protect the surface from wear.
At this stage, the required dimensions of the future tabletop are marked and trimmed along the intended contours.
Frame - the base of the future homemade workbench
The frame is the main load-bearing element of a wooden workbench. It must be durable, since the entire load will fall on it. We recommend making it from solid wood, for example, 40x80mm timber.
The most common wood and less expensive is pine, so it is quite suitable, but if you make the base with a denser material, for example, beech, birch or oak, the strength will increase significantly, although such costs are not justified.
The frame has a “U-shaped” shape. As shown in the workbench photo below.
To fasten the bars together you can use different kinds fasteners, but the simplest and universal method– this is fastening with self-tapping screws at the end. IN in this example method applied secret fastening self-tapping screws.
Yes, with this option the screws are hidden and cannot be seen, but this option is not recommended, since the strength of such a connection is not great. We suggest using it as a fastening with self-tapping screws at the end, and also using additional metal corners installed inside the corner and also on self-tapping screws. In this case, the strength will be sufficient.
In this example, the frame is fastened to the tabletop using self-tapping screws that go “into the edge” (at an angle) of the frame and then into the tabletop. The advantage of this type of fastening is the simplicity and concealment of the screws. However, the quality of the connection suffers here, since there is a possibility of splitting the edge of the frame. It is still recommended to use one of the three fastening methods described below:
- Through holes are made in the tabletop and self-tapping screws pass through the tabletop into the frame. With this option there will be the maximum strength of the structure. The disadvantage is obvious - the heads of the screws will be visible on the tabletop, although, of course, they can be easily recessed and hidden “flush”.
- WITH internal corner Several (6-9 pieces) corners are installed between the tabletop and the frame, which are attached to self-tapping screws. The top surface of the tabletop will not be damaged and the appearance will be neat. However, fastening with self-tapping screws that do not go through the tabletop is not so reliable. Below is a picture of an example of using an inner corner.
Installing the support element
The supporting element is a simple block of the same cross-section as the bars used for the frame (80x40mm), which needs to be attached to the wall and in the future it will be the main support point of the future homemade bench. The installation of the support element depends on the material of the wall to which we are attaching. If the wall is wooden, then it’s difficult to suggest anything better than “planting” it on screws. If the wall is brick or concrete, then you can use dowels or lay anchors, etc. Of course, before installation we will use a level for leveling.
The height must be selected based on the technological tasks for which this workbench is being created. However, it should be noted that according to GOST 13025.3-85 the standard height is considered to be 720–780 mm from the floor level. Usually, office furniture has a height of 750 mm.
Fastening the frame with the tabletop to the supporting element can be done different ways. The simplest is to use a roller loop. This is what was done in our case (see photo).
In addition to the piano loop, you can use various options movable joints – simple door hinges, “frogs”, furniture hinges etc. It is important to note that their number must be sufficient to withstand the loads that are planned for our DIY folding workbench.
Installing the feet
In addition to the supporting element, our homemade wooden workbench will rest on a couple of legs. They need to be made foldable so that when folded they fold easily and do not stick out. To do this, they need to be bolted to the frame.
Alternatively, in addition to the bolt, you can use a section from a stud, fastening it with nuts on both sides. In order not to add much variety to the list of materials used, the legs can be made from the same 80x40mm block. In order for the legs to fold, they must have curves on one side, which are easiest to do with a jigsaw.
Set the axis of rotation of the leg. It is absolutely clear that if you simply tighten the bot, it will press the leg against the frame and its further rotation will be difficult, so you need to install a couple of washers between the leg and the frame. Or maybe not a pair, but 3 or 4 for better rotation, since when tightening the bolt, the washers will sink into soft wood and to ensure clearance, just a third of the washer is needed.
Thus, you can make a carpentry workbench with your own hands. The design is simple and can and should be modernized by each master to suit himself, his workshop, his technological operations, but this is only the basis that can serve as an idea for the further development of technical thought.
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Every master should have his own workplace. You can make a workbench with your own hands in order to save not only money, but also free space. Industrial equipment has standard sizes, which may cause difficulties with its placement, and a homemade workbench will have dimensions that will completely satisfy the home craftsman.
Design Features
If you plan to carry out carpentry work, then you can make a workbench from wood with your own hands. Otherwise, preference should be given to metal structures. Having decided on the size of the equipment, you should pay attention to some design features:
Design stage
Work on making a metal workbench with your own hands begins with drawing up its design. There are two ways it can go House master- make equipment on site or according to a pre-drawn plan. In the first case, the legs of the workbench are immediately attached to the floor and the main structural elements are welded to them.
You can also start making a metal workbench with your own hands from the wall to which the main structural element is attached. One of the positive aspects of this method is the ability to quickly make design changes.
However, there is also a drawback - the lack of a pre-thought-out plan can lead to the creation of a less-than-thought-out design.
The second method is to draw up a drawing of the future workbench and, in accordance with them, select materials. In such a situation, the cost of the equipment may be higher, but the design will be well thought out. Only the master decides which path to take.
And now directly about how to make a workbench with your own hands. The design and dimensions are selected individually. If desired, you can even make a folding workbench, but in most cases you should limit yourself to a stationary one. For the frame, it is better to choose a corner 5 mm thick, the side of which has a width of 35 mm. This material is able to provide sufficient structural rigidity.
The tabletop should be made of boards, and covered on top with sheet metal 2 mm thick. Here Special attention it is necessary to pay attention to the wood, which must be well dried so that in the future the surface under the metal does not begin to bend.
The frame of the shelves and other non-strength structural elements can be made from a 20x20x3 mm corner. The power shelf is made of wood about 20 mm thick, after which it can be sheathed with steel sheet. To make the remaining shelves you can use plywood.
Blanks of the required length are cut from the corner and then connected by welding. Support plates attached to the legs can make the structure quite stable.
However, they can be attached to the floor using anchor bolts or hex head screws.
Fasteners are selected depending on the floor material. The final stage Manufacturing the bed involves treating it with paint.
The following materials will be required for the countertop:
- Metal corner 20x20 mm.
- Board 50 mm thick.
- Steel sheet 2 mm thick.
Before starting to assemble the tabletop, wooden elements It is worth covering with a fire-resistant compound, which can protect the boards not only from sparks, but also from bark beetles. When the boards are tightly laid, the tabletop is covered with a sheet of iron and leveled.
After this, a 20x20 corner is laid along the contour of the workbench and secured with bolts to the base. For ease of operation of the equipment, it is worth using fasteners with countersunk heads.
For making boxes sheet metal cut out according to the drawing, and it is given the required shape. After this, the structure remains to be welded at the corners and inserted into the workbench guides. When all work on its manufacture is completed, you can begin to install additional attachments.