How I built my Aluminium Profile Workbench

[@daveyJ213]

Sir, what a genius idea. Very Cool! We must be "brothers-from-another-mother", for I do wood working also, as well as general tinkering and building. Watching your video just gave me an astounding totally usable idea for my towable bicycle caravan. I wanted aluminum framing but was struggling with the aspects of learning to weld or finding someone to do it for me. I never even considered simply bolting it together. What the heck was I thinking? You just saved my project, as it is now suddenly possible. So glad I found your video. Thanks for posting.

[@millanchoi]

Glad to have inspired you, document and film your build as well

[@Alexseehp]

Nice!!! I am actually thinking of using aluminium profile for my small apartment furniture as it will make customisation easier. You have given me quite a lot of inspiration

[@jkeeversphone]

Thanks for this. I've been looking to replace two second hand computer tables which take up 75% of available wall with a large floor profile due to their leg mechanism, with something which runs full-length, has a sturdier top than their tempered glass, and has tiered storage at more sensible heights for the larger screens ive subsequently acquired. This is the first project I've seen in my research that addresses a lot of my strength/modularity/design concerns, and being new to the DIY space its actually using materials I hadn't considered (I was weighing up whether I could even get what I wanted without going to a fabricator as I assumed I was going to have to weld which I've yet to learn how to do). This 6 minute video has saved me a ton of time and money; I can't thank you enough for it :)

[@millanchoi]

Thanks for the comment, my work bench has been a lot of fun to use, and I see 8020 aluminium profile bring used in a lot of industrial applications now (at least noticing it more now). Have fun building your table.

[@CPD-KD6-3.7]

That is one sharp looking bench. I'm looking to build one myself, and this is really inspiring!

[@kpbarbee]

Awesome - and great, rational, function-inspired design!

[@anntoinwilkinson2145]

Thanks for sharing. Was looking into building something similar myself and thought the 8080 for the main frame would be too big, but after seeing your video it looks exactly what I'm looking for.

[@millanchoi]

It's definitely over engineered, but I'd rather that over bring worried that it would break if too much weight was put onto it. If I wasn't also using the table for beer brewing, 4040 would be good enough.

[@nmb431]

Anntoin, I would love an opportunity to discuss your project. Check out or website/store at flexmation.com/

[@rynoalberts]

Dude, you can support a tank with that bench. I like it :)

[@lass-inangeles7564]

What a great video! I wondered why T-slot Aluminum was called 80/20. It comes in sizes 20, 40, 80, possibly more. Loved your work bench, beautiful and functional and a beast for weight. I would like to make cabinets in T-slot aluminum framing so researching how this works. You did a great job explaining, many thanks!

[@millanchoi]

It's pretty strange why more people don't use it. The strength and ability to customize is fantastic.

[@lass-inangeles7564]

@@millanchoi Yes, true. I had not heard about it until I saw cabinets in a DIY van build on KZbin. So, people may not know it exists. Then it is a cost factor too, which is prohibitively expensive for heavy duty projects like yours. Wood cost would most likely be $100 - $200 max, not $1K. Finally, it is not clear what you need - how thick, how many slotted sides vs smooth sides, how you attach the wood, etc. The official 80/20 instruction videos are an insult to watch, and you learn nothing. Nothing comprehensive out there on this kind of material. I should do a video on it myself to learn it. Lucky you, living in Hong Kong, such a dynamic and rich culture. But space is so limited for people who want to build anything.

[@James-oe6bn]

Really great ideas. Thanks for the video

[@moongloomable]

Really great video

[@MarkRuvald]

Looks great! How is it holding up nowadays? I cant seem to find 4040 longer than 1m on AliExpress. You used some struts to extend onto a second piece?

[@millanchoi]

The desk has held up really well, although i mostly use it as a computer desk right now. I had to ask the aliexpress stores for custom lengths, most do it up to 3 meters, but then the question is how would you get it shipped to you

[@SurvivalReview]

thanks for video. also - heart goes out to hong kong right now!

[@espenmartisen1280]

Thanks for the video. But, where do you buy the aluminium profiles?

[@bm830810]

I love what you did and also want to build one for myself, can you provide more detail on design and implementation. thanks for the great work

[@millanchoi]

bm830810 sure, what do you wanna know?

[@bm830810]

I don't know how much to ask is too much so here are some ideas and questions that I think haven't been addressed properly on the net. 1. different types of profiles and what are each useful for and how can you choose proper profile for your work (example why you chose this type of profile and how you chose the width) 2. different kind of joints and connections, and what type of joints you used and why 3. a short overview of how you model your workbench in sketchup and links to useful models and information (also there is seems to be a program called frame designer which by user reports is much easier to use) 4. a video of the assembly process maybe for your next workbench/project ;)

[@millanchoi]

well, the honest answer is I did plenty of research on the Internet to really figure out the design of the workbench and which types of aluminium profile to use. Using 8080 profile seemed like a bit overkill, but after seeing the result, I absolutely would go for it again. a site that I found to be really helpful was 8020.net. They have a lot of info on the different types of connectors and why you should use one type over another. You can download my sketch up file here drive.google.com/file/d/1uS9JaehPiBeVvxoJ2LMbZQlOdZ9y6bwr/view?usp=sharing I learned to use sketch up through designing this table.

[@bm830810]

thanks a lot, I hope your channel grows and get the attention it deserves, maybe add the links to description so others can find it more easily

[@millanchoi]

Thanks for the advice, still trying to figure it all out

[@anthony_byrne]

This is great, thanks for covering Sketchup, I am using it model my 8020 build as well. What castors did you use?

[@millanchoi]

If you search aliexpress for GD 80S casters, you'll find the ones I used. They are extremely heavy duty

[@annoorkhan4219]

Nice ...I need you help ..how can I designed an enclosure with aluminium profile?how can I select the parts.?

[@espenmartinsen8892]

Thanks for the video. But, where du you buy the aluminium profiles?

[@millanchoi]

I got my aluminium profile on aliexpress. Given how expensive it is now, I suggest you try and find a local supplier in your area first just to give you a basic idea.

[@DeepakJosephDr]

Nice work. Do continue to make such videos. For a small time DIY person like me, with not much space to go around, a modular structure is very useful. And thanks for telling me about Sketchup.

[@manny_f]

Great project! Is alu profile cheap in HK? I used to live in mainland China and it was cheap... back in Europe now prices are 10x.

[@millanchoi]

I got mine on aliexpress shipped in from China.

[@mansik]

It's cool!! But it's difficult to buy the t-slot aluminum in Hong kong. Would you mind share where can buy??

[@millanchoi]

I got it on aliexpress

[@mayteccadsupport]

Hi, great Video...but use next time for creating a design maybe MayCad :-) ?....if you have questions about, feel free to ask me. Regards

[@g3force782]

What kind of fasteners (screws and nuts) do you use for this workbench? Zinc plated, nickel plated or stainless steel?

[@millanchoi]

I use M4 or M6 screws with T-track specific T-nuts, very flexible once you get the hang of using it. Also makes adding other M4 bolts type fasteners like eye rings to be useful too.

[@justsrad]

Thanks for the vid. May I know what’s the total cost of material ? A rough estimate will do. Thanks.

[@millanchoi]

Roughly 1k usd in material costs, shipping extra

[@justsrad]

@@millanchoi that’s quite costly.

[@millanchoi]

@@justsrad well, the idea behind it was something heavy duty that I could do DIY projects, use it as a beer brewing station (I can brew up to 10 gallons of beer at a time), plus I use it as my work from home desk. Even an Ikea work desk is nearly HKD4k or roughly 500USD, so 1kUSD for my workbench isn't expensive at all.

[@justsrad]

@@millanchoi I see. It’s for multi-purpose usage.. well, in long term wise, that would be a worthwhile investment.

[@millanchoi]

@@justsrad yeah, if I only used 4040 for the frame, it would have cut the cost by about 25-30%, so it does depend on your usage and how you design it

[@chungwm]

Hi, What's the thinkness of the wood panel and the border pillars?

[@millanchoi]

The wood panels are 18mm thick, I couldn't find 20mm. The pillars are 8080 aluminium extrusion.

[@OlympusHeavyCavalry]

Thanks for the video bud, cheers :-)

[@Tyrone-Ward]

Approximately, how much did your desk cost?

[@millanchoi]

Roughly USD$1000.00

[@Tyrone-Ward]

@@millanchoithat's not too bad. Thanks for the response!

[@nmb431]

@@Tyrone-WardI think there is a good chance I can get you this same workbench for same or less. Check us out at Flexmation.com

[@jeffcrown702]

Hi,Can you tell me, where can buy it in Hong kong?

[@millanchoi]

I had to buy it from aliexpress