How to Build a Workbench With Cabinets
A quality workspace with adequate storage is something many craftsmen never take the time to build. We all know that if we had it would save time, trouble and money due to improved organization. How many times have you bought an item more than once simply because it was misplaced? A quick and easy solution is right around the corner. Build your own workbench from cabinets. With a little planning and a weekend's work you can be up and running. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Three or four standard lower cabinet units
- One sheet ¾-inch plywood, four-by-eight feet
- Tape Measure
- Circular saw
- One-by-two lumber, five 8-foot pieces
- Drill
- Six 4-inch casters
- Treated decking screws, 1¼ inch
- ¾-inch self-tapping sheetrock screws
- ¾-inch self tapping panhead sheet metal screws
- Wood glue
Instructions
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Planning Your Cabinet-Based Workbench
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Decide what size cabinets you'll need. Measure the available space. Make sure to leave room so you can get around them easily. Consider: Will you be working from both sides, or will it be against the wall? Do you want doors, drawers or both?
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Purchase the cabinets or salvage them from a kitchen remodel. Three to four standard lower units will fill the length of an eight-foot bench. For our example, we'll assume a 24-inch by 8-foot bench. You'll need three 30- to 32-inch-wide units. Double them for a 4- by 8-foot bench accessible from both sides. Remove the cabinet bases before proceeding.
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Buy one sheet of ¾-inch plywood, six 4-inch casters and five 8-foot 1x2-inch boards. Buy two dozen ¾-inch self tapping panhead sheet met-l screws to anchor your casters.
Building Your Cabinet Workbench
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Use a circular saw to rip your plywood in half the long way. This will leave you with two 24- by 96-inch pieces.
Place one piece of plywood on a stable work surface--sawhorses work best--and lay the casters out on it. Stand one at each corner, far enough in to spin freely with a two-inch skirt on the edge of the plywood--about 2½ inches from the edge in both directions. Space the remaining two casters in the center, three feet from either end. Attach them using the sheet metal screws.
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Attach one 8-foot one-by-two to each long edge of the plywood, standing upright on edge, with glue and screws. Cut two pieces from one-by-two to fill in the ends at 22½ inches. Place them between the long pieces to form a 1½-inch tray. Turn your completed bench base over. If you are working on sawhorses, put the casters between them. If not, wedge something under the wheels to prevent rolling.
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Set your cabinets on this base in the order you want them. From underneath the plywood base, drive screws up into the cabinet bottoms to anchor them to the plywood. Use at least six screws per cabinet. Set the entire base, including cabinets, onto the floor. Use screws to attach the cabinets to each other. Use at least two screws in every cabinet side.
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Set the second piece of plywood on the cabinets. Use the remaining one-by-two to put an edge around it as per the base. Turn it over and center it over the cabinets. Locate the top cleats--wood battens that run horizontally--in your cabinets and attach the top to them in at least eight places.
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Now you have a 24- by 96-inch rolling work bench with cabinet storage. Attach a power strip or surge protector on one end wall for easy power access, add lights, vice or any other tools you use frequently.
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