Expanding my basement workshop

[Jim in PA]

Nope, the basement is staying the same size ... but yesterday we knocked down a wall between the crowded woodshop and the next room over, which never gets used (turns out that having a room for guitars and music junk just means I never pick them up ... when I was tripping over them I was playing them all the time ... not well, but playing them).

So my wife, who encourages me to a fault, said knock out the wall. I compromised and knocked down half the wall, so I could either annex the whole next room and effectively double the size of the woodshop (currently 400 square feet with some inconvenient support poles right in the middle), or just take over 160 more square feet, the back of the adjoining room.

Either way, here's the question. I want to build a looooong workbench--15 feet, because I tend to leave stuff lying on horizontal surfaces. Not a traditional woodworking bench but an all-purpose type thing where I can use a CMS effectively but also where I can set up a sander or other bench-top tool.

So how would you build such a bench/countertop? I'm looking for a reasonable intersection between cheap and easy (careful now). I've seen Norm's hutch show and his miter station show, and I'm tempted to put in some deep drawers, but I think I might be content with a 2x4 type design as well, with floor storage below. I'm going to use an mdf top with a masonite surface. What do younz /y'all / alla yez think?

(Yes, I've lived in Pittsburgh, Charleston, and northeastern PA :) )

Jim Brown
Bloomsburg, PA

[TDHofstetter]

Want a picture? I can sneak out to the shop & grab a snapshot... but not while it's so dark out.

One word of warning, though, from another who tends to accumulate "stuff" on horizontal surfaces. Benchespace is like clamps. You can't possibly ever have enough.

Big shelving springs to mind, too - lots & lots of horizontal surfaces, just begging to be accumulated onto. Like several benches stacked vertically, ya know what I mean. :)

-- Tim --

Why is
Basic normal psychology
NOT a mandatory
Grade-school class,
Like reading
And writing?

[dbriski]

I made a base cabinet similar construction to Norm's Workshop Hutch (just the bottom part). The construction was very quick and easy to build. I made it with three bays of 18" wide drawers, and a large 42" cabinet for turning blocks. I made the whole thing using lost of 3/4" ply scraps I had laying around, only needing to buy 2x4's for the top frame and 1/2" ply for the drawers.

I am also in the process of Building something similar to this for another wall. http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworki....aspx?id=22880

I will also build in my RAS I just got (free but its going to take some work to derust and repaint it all).
This might be more what you are looking for.

[Jim in PA]

Tim: Well, it's probably dark again now, but when you get a chance, please do post a picture ... I'm looking for ideas at this point.

David: Yeah, that looks pretty interesting to me ... the main thing deterring me from the Norm hutch is that I don't feel like doing a bunch of drawers right now ... still in the middle of a few other things. Something like that could be done incrementally. Thanks for the link!

Jim Brown
Bloomsburg, PA

[skyphix]

>Want a picture? I can sneak out to the shop & grab a
>snapshot... but not while it's so dark out.
>
>One word of warning, though, from another who tends to
>accumulate "stuff" on horizontal surfaces. Benchespace is
>like clamps. You can't possibly ever have enough.
>
>Big shelving springs to mind, too - lots & lots of
>horizontal surfaces, just begging to be accumulated onto.
>Like several benches stacked vertically, ya know what I
>mean. :)


I like Tim's utility benches - super sturdy and very functional. I encourage photos.

If you're going to use it as a work bench, I highly recommend making it square. Although it is handy to be able to clamp something down to the bench top on one end and clamp it against the leg on the other... since the top is square and the base... well... isn't.

[arcticfox46]

>So my wife, who encourages me to a fault, said knock out the
>wall. I compromised and knocked down half the wall,

[font color="blue"]Did you knock down the top half or the bottom half?[/font]


>
>Either way, here's the question. I want to build a looooong
>workbench--15 feet, because I tend to leave stuff lying on
>horizontal surfaces. Not a traditional woodworking bench but
>an all-purpose type thing where I can use a CMS effectively
>but also where I can set up a sander or other bench-top
>tool.
>
>So how would you build such a bench/countertop? I'm looking
>for a reasonable intersection between cheap and easy
>(careful now). I've seen Norm's hutch show and his miter
>station show, and I'm tempted to put in some deep drawers,
>but I think I might be content with a 2x4 type design as
>well, with floor storage below. I'm going to use an mdf top
>with a masonite surface. What do younz /y'all / alla yez
>think?

[font color="blue"]I like the sort of torsion box approach. I use a good quality fir 2x4. Face it on the jointer than joint an edge square to the face. Plane it to get a parallel face then rip it for a parallel edge. Miter cut the corners to make a rectangular frame. All the 2x4's will lay flat - not on edge. Put in cross pieces about 24 inches apart. Everything glued and screwed. Attach 3/8 A/C plywood to bottom of frame - "C" side toward inside (glued and screwed. Attach 3/4 A/C plywood to top "C" side toward inside (glued and screwed. Place 1/4 pressed hardboard and brad in place - no glue. Trim around edge with Ash or Oak or whatever you like. WARNING!! This makes a VERY very heavy top, but also very very strong. Nice thing is that you can clamp anywhere around the perimeter. P.S. this IS a rendition of a Norm design. I have used it a few times now. I need to make one more. I hope to remember to take pics and show the build like NIKI does. [/font]

[Jim in PA]

Hmm, I might try a combination of Leo's idea and Scott's ... making the work surfaces more or less as Leo describes but leaving a gap in the back so they can be fit over rails screwed into the wall. I think I'll feel better if they're supported with legs front and back, also.

I do like the roll-out stuff on the Fine Woodworking video, but I don't want to take the time right now to build those wheeled cabinets. I'll be happy just lifting my disc/belt sander and other benchtop power tools up and using them as needed.

Still open to ideas though!

Jim Brown
Bloomsburg, PA

[HAMMER23H]

Jim I am in the process of building an outfeed table for my new Grizzly and I am simply building boxes for cabinets and putting thm togeather with bolts. It is easier for me to handle them that way. I plan on doing the top similar to what Leo said but leaving the 3/8 plywood off the bottom. Using a 2x6 around the outside to clamp to and 2x4 on one foot centers on the inside. One box next to the saw will have my router mounted in it. I think I will use formica or hardboard on the surface to cut down on friction. I got adjustable feet from Rockler so I can adjust the height. Seems like when I do something one way later on down the road I will want to change something. Never fails.

[Jim in PA]

Tim,

That is some seriously dramatic lighting. It tempts me to tear the fluorescents out of the basement once and for all and stick with that half-hour slice of sunlight I get coming through my only window. :)

After a great deal of reflection I think I'm going to make two work tables, four-legged but screwed to the wall ... that way, when I change my mind about shop layout, I can relocate them fairly easily. And in the meantime they should stay put. I might break down and make a rolling cabinet or two ... I could definitely use an outfeed table, since my outfeed daughter is easily distracted.

Jim Brown
Bloomsburg, PA

[AZ Scott]

Jim, here's what I did in a similar situation. The supports you see are all milled 2x4's with sliding dovetails at the rear and bridle joints up front. There are 'T' nuts under the dovetails and bottoms of legs along with bolts so I could get the frame all level & flat. I can also relevel if necessary but nothimgs moved in 3 years so this was probably unnecessary. The tops are some edged melamine (actually leftover salvage I picked up from work. You could just as easily top with anything you desire. I like the melamine and would probably do it again. The mitre saw station sits on a removable shelf so I can swap in various other tools (like a mortiser, drum sander, etc) these just slide into the opening on their own little shelf so their flush with the top.
Shelves under the bench are just held with a cleat along the wall and a couple of cleats on the legs. In retrospect I should have added some cabinets underneath instead of all open - but I would still leave a couple of bays open for shop vac, stool, etc.
Edited to include pics below :)