blog:personal_diy_workbench [Target-Earth]

This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong.
====== Garage Workbenches =====

We had some work done on our house in late 2020, including remodelling of the garage to make it a more practical space. When the builders were finishing up I collected all of the left over wood (old roof trusses that were taken out, off-cuts from the new trusses, some short sections of floor joists, etc) with a view to reusing it for storage and a workbench in the corner of the garage.

The only materials bought for these workbenches was the MDF worktop and a few cheap pieces of edge molding, all of the core construction timber was scrap that was left over and destined for the skip. Storage shelf in the main workbench was left over loft boards from the newly extended garage roof, and paint and varnish was just old stuff we had left.

Total cost was therefore about £30 (just the MDF and the edge molding).

===== Build Process =====

Starting to break down several of the old roof trusses and supports:

{{:blog:img20201212105557.jpg?300|}}

The corner where the workbenches will go

{{:blog:img20201212105617.jpg?400|}}

Starting to build up the basic frame

{{:blog:img20201212145541.jpg?400|}} {{:blog:img20201212152319.jpg?400|}}

Basic structure virtually complete

{{:blog:img20201212160711.jpg?400|}} {{:blog:img20201212174230.jpg?400|}}

{{:blog:img20201212174235.jpg?400|}} {{:blog:img20201212174244.jpg?400|}}

Fitting left over loft panels for the raised storage area

{{:blog:img20201212191653.jpg?400|}} {{:blog:img20201212191711.jpg?400|}} {{:blog:img20201212191819.jpg?400|}}

MDF worktop fitted

{{:blog:img20201213120935.jpg?400|}}

{{:blog:img20201213172852.jpg?400|}}

Building the second workbench

{{:blog:img20201213153704.jpg?400|}}

This is how the workbenches will be set out

{{:blog:img20201213172939.jpg?400|}} {{:blog:img20201213172955.jpg?400|}} {{:blog:img20201213173008.jpg? 400|}}

{{:blog:img20201213173015.jpg?400|}}

===== Finishing Touches =====

Paint was a left-over tin of B&Q 'Colours' that we bought for painting the skirting and wood panels in our TV lounge (I think it's called Elap or Erap or something... it's basically a sage green) and B&Q varnish ('oak' tinted, water-based) that I had left over after assembling the [[blog:personal_diy_office|new office desk]]. So all essentially zero cost.

Starting by painted the main workbench:

{{:blog:img20201213203052.jpg?400|}} {{:blog:img20201213203100.jpg?400|}}

Several coats of varnish applied and sanded back slightly between coats. This is the third coat of varnish drying:

{{:blog:img20201214143858.jpg?400|}} {{:blog:img20201214143914.jpg?400|}}

Painted the smaller workbench and waiting for its second coat of varnish to dry:

{{:blog:img20201214210315.jpg?400|}} {{:blog:img20201214210327.jpg?400|}}

===== Computer/Stereo Shelving =====

I also had plenty of wood left over from several pallets that hardware and material had been delivered on, so rather than it going to waste, I salvaged the nicer pieces from it (some of it wasn't worth saving, but there were a couple of straight, decently finished planks), sanded them down and built some additional shelving above the workbench:

{{:blog:img20201224150444.jpg?400|}} {{:blog:img20201224150452.jpg?400|}} 

Here's the first of the shelving units I built, it's just fixed to standard twin-slot metal shelving hardware:

{{:blog:img20201224194503.jpg?500|}} {{:blog:img20201224194509.jpg?300|}}

All three shelves installed and after their second coat of varnish:

{{:blog:img20201228180251.jpg?500|}} 

===== Tool Storage =====

The tool storage rack was a ready-to-use solution from Amazon; a steel 'Vonhaus' peg board and peg/hanger set.

{{:blog:img20201228180322.jpg?400|}}

All I really had to do was make up two mounting boards for the rack to hang from since the wall it was going on was a plasterboarded and would not support the weight when hung directly:

{{:blog:img20201228180312.jpg?400|}} 

Boards screwed to studs, and tool rack screwed to the boards:

{{:blog:img20201228213044.jpg?400|}}  {{:blog:img20201228214010.jpg?400|}} 

Almost all of the hangers in use, though I had to fashion a few extra for the drills to be able to be mounted on the lower mounting board, rather than the tool rack itself:

{{:blog:img20201229131953.jpg?400|}}


===== Screws, Bolts and small components =====

Added a pair of wall mounted organisers to hold all of the miscellaneous fasteners and small electronics components, zip ties and the like that always seem to be stuffed in the back of drawers or in odd sized tins or cardboard boxes:

{{:blog:img20210105175357.jpg?300|}} {{:blog:img20210105175343.jpg?300|}} {{:blog:img20210105152202.jpg?300|}}
===== And altogether... =====

Here's the entire storage/workbench solution, along with a vertical bike hanger that I installed so that my wife and I can have our mountain bikes take up the minimum amount of floor space possible:

{{:blog:img20201229135245.jpg?600|}}

===== Additional Storage ======

Picked up a couple of slot-together stackable shelving units to add additional shelf space for tools, garden equipment and similar:

{{:blog:diy:img20210624165147.jpg?400|}} {{:blog:diy:img20210624165221.jpg?400|}}