How to Build a Big Workbench

[@thatguy199212]

This is a pretty solid little workbench. While once you figure out how it comes together, it is physically Easy to assemble kzbin.infoUgkxyFZUPFEey-PuqsPMxqaykBhgA1LWxFHh by yourself. But the diagrams explaining the steps are really pretty bad. I could not get the handle pins in all the way despite multiple attempts, so I just used a screw I had on hand for the 2nd handle. I could not get the first pin in further or pull it back out. You are supposed to hammer it in, but I had no leverage and the handle is plastic and I did not want to risk breaking it. I will get a lot of use out of the bench because of the convenient size and height. It does fold up nicely for storage. They even explain how to fold it so you don't get pinched...that is important!

[@SmurfZoo]

A 3/4" X 4' X 4' X 8' sheet? Where do you buy 4 dimensional plywood? Sounds expensive

[@danmenges1249]

Haha, yup! Definitely a gaff!

[@KokzRuzo-zw3ri]

I cracked up to this 😂

[@blazanhaydutis8454]

Just finished building this, didn’t even check anything. Got what you said to get, cut what you said to cut, came out great. Thank you.

[@ericj6170]

EXCELLENT INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO....THANK YOU!!! EXCELLENT!!😎

[@LouAbebe]

How come no one is talking about adding legs in the center of the table? Since we're talking about the whole 8x4 I would assume it would sag a bit after sometime and with heavy load in the center. In my opinion adding legs in the center left and right side would make it stay straight. I'm definitely adding 5th and 6th legs when I build mine.

[@danmenges1249]

Hi Lou! I built this almost 2 years ago now and there is no sagging. The only drawback I see in adding additional legs would be the limitations on what you can store underneath.

[@scotschlinger3975]

Like your table. What casters did you use? Thank you.

[@danmenges1249]

Link below, each one is rated for 250lbs. This bench weighs around 242lbs. (11) 2x4x8 lumber at 11lbs ea= 122lbs (2) sheets of plywood/OSB = ~120lbs 4-in Polyurethane Swivel Caster www.lowes.com/pd/TITAN-4-in-Polyurethane-Swivel-Caster/1000605095

[@User33134]

Awesome video. Thanks for including the visual detailed plans

[@afpitbull60]

I'm a newbie. This video will definitely help me. Great job!

[@geoffsmolarz4839]

Hi Dan. Thanks for the video. Just completed making one for my daughter. Three things I did slightly different. First, as per Daniel Grabske's suggestion, I did do a 2" overhang of the plywood along one of the 4' sides for clamping purposes. Second, for the storage space on the bottom shelf, I built the identical lower frame as the upper one, and placed the legs inside of the lower shelf (like the upper one is) So instead of starting with four 8' 2X4's , I started with 7' 10" ones to allow for the overhang on the upper bench(keeping the 4'X8' plywood sheet fully intact), and to maximize the lower storage shelf. So the lower OSB plywood sheet will have a dimension of 4' x 7' 10", with some jigsaw cutting required at each of the four corners to fit around the legs. This way also, your end and cross pieces of wood are all 45" long. Third, with regards to the castor wheels, instead of fastening them directly to the bottom of the legs(end cut strength not the greatest for fasteners), I cut four 5" square pieces of pine from a scrap 2"X 6" and nailed those in first into the bottom of the leg and lower frame. Then I screwed the castors into that, which allows for a stronger fastening point going into the side grain of the wood versus the end cut. The end result was just what my daughter wanted. With the slight modification of the lower shelf, it's width remains at 48" versus the 39" size of your table. Hey.....who can't utilize another 9 inches? Cheers!

[@danmenges1249]

Hi Geoff, thanks for sharing your build! Would love to see a photo of the finished product if you can link it!

[@ncmusic61]

Good idea on the overhang

[@jameswoughter4150]

Ty, I was going to build this his way, but you are spot on with the clamping!

[@joeforster5503]

Good Video! 2 quick observations: bottom shelf is OSB not Plywood, and the level is great if your floor is level. In my garage, the floor is anything but level! A reasonable lternative is a framing square, or large speedsquare. I check corners for square. Like i said, good video regardless!

[@danmenges1249]

Good point about the floor, I was lucky that it was level. I’ll try to edit in a correction about the OSB.

[@ciarantiernan7857]

Definitely the best explained tutorial video I've seen you make it so easy to follow.

[@ekhoromeo]

Really great video, having the visual graphic was definitely a plus to the video. I want to use OSB for my top and bottom....its a work bench!

[@RicoZaid_]

What kind of framing nailer? What size nails?

[@danmenges1249]

I use an old Porter Cable pneumatic framing nailer, with 3” framing nails.

[@RicoZaid_]

@@danmenges1249 Thanks!!

[@LauraAJ1369]

Thanks! I am going to build one 4x6 minus the casters for my sewing table. My current setup just isn't cutting it anymore!

[@snowbird2254]

Thank you, I made this table and your calculations/measurements were awesome...I wish I cud post a pic of my table for you to see

[@alschlimm5890]

Excellent plan! I'm almost a Homer Simpson and I pulled this off without a hitch. Thanks!

[@tmedina1113]

Great explanation of each step. Thank you.

[@timothyjohnson4285]

Very very nice. Affordable, is a plus. Looks like those extra hands were mighty useful too. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@ralphpond2121]

Economical yet sturdy design. The construction sequence is particularly helpful. I built mine as a work surface for building a river table so I used leveling casters.

[@danmenges1249]

Nice, I didn’t even know leveling castors were a thing! Thanks for sharing!

[@donsaunders747]

Great project! This is a heavy duty bench and will last years. Thank you

[@seod2005]

Exactly what I was looking to build. Thanks!

[@facepalmcommunity697]

Just finished mine. Great addition to my little workshop. Thanks!

[@JohnnyC10071959]

Not for nothing but the shelf looks like OSB, not plywood. The video is great, with simple directions. Thanks so much

[@danmenges1249]

Thanks, John. I’ll try and make some time to edit in that correction.

[@jamamartin7034]

Thankyou, thankyou for all the details! Very nice.

[@smilingdog54]

In 2022 you have to be rich to build this table! Great job!

[@GrievingOne]

Appreciate the video. I've been wanting to get into wood working for a long time and this table has been a great easy start.

[@luxnatsoap]

Thank you for listing materials. That really helps us newbies.

[@GoschFordLM]

Followed this for the most part. Great video 👍

[@joecannon324]

I just finished making the work bench. Came out fantastic

[@markdepriest5422]

Great video Dan, you have some skills. You made it look easy so I built one lol. Mine did not come out as nice as yours, but it will hold my model train layout perfectly. I will put some drapes over the table lol. Thanks.

[@danmenges1249]

Appreciate the comments, Mark. I’m sure your table will be great for your trains!

[@thomasliszewski8418]

Love the video very concise. However if I don’t have a one of them nice air hammers, could I use my drill for screws or do I need to do pockets holes if go that route?

[@danmenges1249]

I think using a drill and screws is just fine and can sometimes lead to a better, more sturdy connection. I recommend pre-drilling to avoid splitting. I don’t think pockets are necessary for this build, direct surface screwing would be fine in my view.

[@bigjimsday7498]

what program did you use to show the drawings. the blue print looking program

[@danmenges1249]

Hey Big Jim, those are just animated shapes and text objects in Google Slides! Then I used the record screen feature on my Mac to record myself clicking through them.

[@bigjimsday7498]

@@danmenges1249 ahhh thanks. I was hoping for something likr autocad but easier and cheeper

[@SolasChristusMinistry]

I hate to sound like the picky jackass and I may be wrong (I am a lot of the time) what is a 4’x4’x8’ sheet of 1/2” ply or is it a typo adding a dimension?

[@SolasChristusMinistry]

Great video though and construction. This is how every single glass cutting table I’ve ever built has been constructed.

[@danmenges1249]

Yup, definitely a typo - thanks for catching that!

[@danielgrabske3545]

The only thing I would had done is had left a 2 or 3 inch over hang with the plywood , so later if need a place a clamp on the table you will have a spot for it.

[@robertevans8812]

would you only do one 4' section for an over hang or around the entire table?

[@danielgrabske3545]

@@robertevans8812 that would depend on how you will use the clamps but for unerversal purposes yes all the way around except if you would be placing your table up against a wall. The side you would place against the wall would be unnecessary.

[@barrycarruthers]

Brilliant tutorial, thanks👍

[@rikliu1179]

awesome build

[@michaellusk9302]

9:39 very well done😊 video. Easy to follow and make screenshots of measurements. Thank you

[@luizribeiro4462]

👏👏👏👏👏👏😍😍😍😍😍🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@davidmoyo4610]

Great job

[@smilingdog54]

In 2022 you have to be rich to build this table! Great job!

[@SailingtheWestWind]

Thank you, nice video, short sweet and to the point.

[@KaJePlays]

I’m interested in using this design but for theater purposes. Would this theoretically support the weight of someone if they were to stand on it? I’d imagine we’d need more crossbeams for support

[@danmenges1249]

Good question KaJe. I'd look into free-standing deck building and codes or maybe stage and platform building codes in your area.

[@bnsf9161]

did you find that you needed more 1) cross pieces to support weight on the table? 2) the shelf? 3) additional support ion the centers of the long sides?

[@danmenges1249]

I haven’t. I’ve stored my pancake compressor on the bottom shelve without any issues, among tons of other stuff. The table top doesn’t give at all with what we’ve used it for.

[@ncmusic61]

Yea, I like this , nice job. I thought a 4' wide shelf might be too big but rethinking that now. either way, the design makes sense to me, which is a bonus :) Thanks for posting

[@erichallen6359]

What’s the estimated cost to build? Thanks.

[@nicksundin4782]

How well does is stay in place when wheels locked?

[@danmenges1249]

Just like a regular table without wheels. It feels solid.

[@devenfoxx3647]

How much weight can the table hold?

[@danmenges1249]

The heaviest thing I’ve put on it is myself and I weigh 160lbs. No issues or give that I noticed.

[@thecreativetake]

Your bench has lots of room for storage and large projects! Great job!

[@danmenges1249]

Thanks for the comment! It’s been a great workbench for us!

[@roberthutcheson6543]

A chop saw is used to cut metal with an abrasive wheel, a compound miter saw is used to cut wood wood. They are not the same tool.

[@danmenges1249]

Thanks for sharing!

[@BM-cr1zf]

1 stud in center only????

[@danmenges1249]

That’s all I required for the weight I expect to be on this workbench.

[@innerself3796]

I really liked the way you explained this build. I can do this.

[@EconomicBearish]

which measure is 4x8? meters? or that american "feet"?

[@danmenges1249]

Hello. All of these measurements are using the Imperial System. So yes, feet and inches. You can use a conversion tool like this if you need to! www.calculator.net/conversion-calculator.html

[@billgyrotech]

Could you incorporate a table saw on one end?

[@MrTipack]

Best tutorial, keep it up and I think you should do more videos.

[@danmenges1249]

Glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the comment!

[@richardayala4356]

Good job! Simple, good narrative. Thanks!

[@danmenges1249]

Thank you!

[@philackerly3174]

Thanks Dan for the nice video. I must admit that I was skeptical at first about the integrity of this bench. I never saw you use a square or level in the video and wondered how level it would be, and without any wobbling. Well, I just finished my 4'x3' bench this weekend and it came out great. Thanks again. I'd love to attach a photo but don't see how.

[@danmenges1249]

Thanks, Phil! I used the plywood and OSB as guides initially, and used the framing square when nailing the frame together to make sure things were square. You can see the square following along with me at 2:57-3:03. If you post your photo in a cloud location, like Google Photos, you can grab a share link and post it in the comments. I’d love to see how your 4x3 turned out!

[@philackerly3174]

@@danmenges1249 Thanks Dan... Here's the link. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZLPl59toJiJgNk

[@erinbelles8975]

Do I need the lower plywood sheet? Will it be stable enough without it?

[@danmenges1249]

I would at least add the outer frame.

[@enn104]

@@danmenges1249 thank you so much for your reply

[@erinbelles8975]

@@danmenges1249 Hey Dan, Can I use screws instead of nails? I don't have a nail gun

[@danmenges1249]

@@erinbelles8975 hammer and nails or 3” and 1.5” screws would be fine for this project. Something like these: www.homedepot.com/p/Grip-Rite-9-x-3-in-Star-Drive-Bugle-Head-Construction-Screw-1-lb-Box-3GCS1/204959258