I often tell people that a garage workbench is the best project for getting started with Do-it-yourself and home remodeling. The first cause is almost obvious – we all need some kind of workshop table to get something done that involves tools. Another good reason is that the workbench is a fairly simple project to try. The majority of bench designs need no more than a round saw, a drill/driver, a few 2x4s and some hardware. From that you can build a surprisingly heavy-duty workbench which will last a lifetime. This could make a significant difference for those who like the idea of creating something from wood, however don’t actually want to learn the finer skills of wood working.

I also remind people who since the bench is going to be found in the garage, there’s pointless to sweat the little details. There’s lots of space with regard to small errors which won’t make any difference in how good this piece of workshop furniture works inside your shop. As long as you could make the bench strong and stable, you’ve been successful in your mission. And also, since we’re talking primarily regarding inexpensive 2×4 lumber, you are able to relax about making several mistakes here and there. Just be sure to bring home a few extra boards like a backup. With most perspective studs costing less than dollar each, you really can afford to make mistakes. Besides, making mistakes is the greatest way to learn.

The kind of workbench design I would recommend for the garage doesn’t need any fancy joinery, as if you might find in a wood working workbench. Yet, it may be just as strong (or stronger) than the best benches around. The secret is getting 2x4s securely joined at the edges – where the side rails and stiles meet (observe my workbench adviser for more info about the physiology of a workbench). Because we’re not using common woodworking tools right here – like a saw and a router desk – we need to possess some method of creating stable joinery with a circular noticed and a drill. One way I suggest is making what I like to contact a “false” half clapboard, where one panel simply overlaps the other. Anyhow, the more conventional half-lap combined is fairly common within woodworking, for making super-strong joints with lots of uncovered wood for efficient gluing. Problem is that the typical half clapboard requires a table saw or perhaps a router. One way for this problem is to meal 2x4s together in a way that emulates the actual holding power of the half lap, however without having to make complex cuts with more costly tools.

Another good (and easy) part of the garage workbench may be the top – that is fairly important thing about this piece of workshop furnishings. In most cases, a simple linen of plywood reduce to size will do the job just fine. However, I’ve observed several benches recently that have nothing more than a classic wooden door installed to the frame. As well as depending on how solid of the door we’re talking about, this is often an amazingly nice materials to finish off your own bench design.