$100 Workbench

Stuart Ablett

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Tokyo Japan
Coming on the heels of my chess set this is going to be a very simple project :D

My cycling buddy Tim (not the photographer and not the cycle touring Tim, another Tim) is setting up a workspace/store front nearby. His main product right now is carbon fibre wheels, which he has the rims manufactured in Taiwan and then he builds them up here. He needs a workbench for working on all things cycling. Cheap but solid is what he wants. I bought two pieces of 30mm thick particle board for the top and two sheets of 24mm thick sub-floor plywood to make the structure of the bench. The bench will be about 2' x 6'. It will have a metal working vice on it too.

I have the top laminated (screwed and glued) and I'm starting on the structure of the bench. It will get lots of pocket hole screws and glue.

IMG_4126.jpg

So far I've spent a total of about $70 on it, I should be able to bring it in around $100.
It will be simple, but well built and sturdy.
I have some urethane left over from something else that I'll use to seal it all, this is tough stuff used for flooring. He will source the metal working vice.
Should not take long nor cost much.
I'll make the top, the substructure under the top as one piece, but the legs and the stretchers will be built in the Dungeon, but assembled on site, to make it easier to move. I'll also not glue the legs in place, so in the future is can be disassembled and moved easily if needed.
Cheers!
 

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Slow progress, not too much time to work on this today.

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the top is all glued and screwed together, each leg will be glued and screwed together, the legs will then be screwed to the top, the apron under the top I guess, but not glued, then the stretchers around the bottom of the legs will also be only screwed to the legs, not glued. There will also be a bottom shelf that will be just screwed on, all of this will allow me to more easily get it out of the Dungeon, and in the future if the bench needs to be relocated, it will be a much simpler job , just remove some screws, and it knocks down.
Cheers!
 

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Certainly not a chess set :D

IMG_4170.jpg

Well that is it basically done, just some sanding and then a couple of coats of urethane on it and its good, maybe a total of 10 hours work in it.
 
Extra-primo-good Mr. Ablett, Sir! You may have just altered my thoughts on a new outfeed/worksurface/storage table I am percolating on.
 
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