Do-it-yourself workbench. Do-it-yourself construction and arrangement of a carpentry workbench

A good workbench in the garage allows you to do various types of metal and woodwork in a short period of time. Various tools and small parts are stored here. In simple terms, it is a special table on which you can make turning and locksmith products.

In addition to the countertop, there may be multi-layer structures of shelves and hanging containers for storing nails, screws and nuts.

Making a universal workbench is quite simple. The main thing in this matter is to prepare a project and detailed drawings of the future product. In the process of creation, it is necessary to observe the order of each action.

Self-manufacturing such a structure will save a decent amount. In addition, an individual project helps to make a design based on the parameters of your premises.


Workbench Varieties

There are several types of workbench. Each of them has some characteristic features. In turn, they are divided into:

Locksmith. It is intended for metal work. The tabletop of such a product is made of high-strength metal alloy. This is necessary for security. Sparks may be present during iron work.

In addition, the use of lubricants can leave marks on the wooden surface. The iron base does not require special care.

Joiner's. Its surface is made of solid wood. A carpenter's workbench is used for woodworking. These products do not have high strength and versatility, unlike metalwork.

The universal table has a metal and wooden tabletop in its design. The drawing of the workbench shows the arrangement of the carpentry work area.

What is included in the design of the workbench?

If the product is made independently, then it is important to think over every little thing. Additional shelves and capacious hanging containers will help to rationally use this product. The standard model contains many drawers for storing large tools.


A homemade table can have both a metal and a wooden storage system. An additional metal shield allows you to store small hanging tools here. Now hacksaws and hammers will be located in one place.

How to make a workbench with your own hands?

We bring to your attention detailed instructions on how to make a workbench. The manufacture of a carpentry table takes place in several stages. First of all, you need to prepare all the tools and materials.

For this you will need:

  • hacksaw;
  • screwdriver or a set of screwdrivers of different diameters;
  • joiner's square;
  • level;
  • bolts;
  • nuts;
  • self-tapping screws;
  • detailed drawing of the product;
  • wrench.


From the materials you need to prepare:

  • bars for support. The size of each element should be 110 x 110 mm. In the selection process, special attention must be paid to the condition of the wood. There should not be cracks and knots;
  • plywood sheets 30 mm thick;
  • frame boards.

When all the necessary items are prepared, you can proceed to the workflow. It includes the following steps:

The initial action will be the construction of the lower frame, in which the tools and the bench will be located. To do this, the boards are sawn off to the desired level. Then they are connected to each other using self-tapping screws. The end result should be a rectangular shape.

A spacer bar is installed in the middle. In the future, it will reduce the resistance of the finished product during the workflow, you will need a small wooden board.

The support legs of the table are fixed with bolts. To do this, through holes are made in the plane of the frame. For reliability, it is recommended to make from 6 to 8 legs around the entire perimeter.

To give rigidity to the product, it is necessary to make a lower shelf. At the bottom of each leg, 25 cm are marked. Next, long wooden planks are attached here. In the future, a chipboard panel will be fixed on their surface. She will act as the foundation.


When the main part of the frame is completed, proceed to install the top countertop. Here you will need a hacksaw. It removes the redundant parts of the board.

Hardboard will help protect the surface of a wooden tabletop. This is a durable material that is designed for the work area.

You can increase the storage system with the help of an additional metal shield, which is attached to the back of the carpentry table. Through holes are made in the supporting boards. After that, the metal base is fixed with bolts. In the photo of the workbench with your own hands, the sequence of each action is captured.

DIY workbenches photo

A properly equipped work area for plumbing or assembly work on wood or metal should be comfortable and functional. It is available to make the central part - a workbench made of wood with your own hands, completing the project according to individual drawings.

The locksmith's workbench is a special design in the form of a table equipped with various electromechanical devices. The surface must have a high level of strength for attaching additional equipment. Drawers, shelves, tool holders will help to increase the functionality of the arrangement.

A do-it-yourself workbench made of wood has differences depending on the intended purpose: for metalwork, woodworking, or metalworking equipment. Standard design includes:

  • bed, or underwork;
  • tray, or box-shaped cover;
  • shelves, boxes;
  • apron.

Tables are multi-seat or single. The standard drawings of the dimensions of the latter correspond to a width of 800 cm and a length of 1.5 m. Multi-seat options increase depending on the desired number of working areas.

The height of the structure is selected individually (800-900 cm). There are also products with adjustable height. The material for the manufacture of the table is wood, or metal. The table top is finished with sheets of galvanized sheet, plywood, hardboard, or boards.

Basic requirements and preparatory work


A do-it-yourself woodworking workbench must meet the working criteria for arrangement and safety. It is also important to first determine the type of structure, which implies stationarity, mobility, or the possibility of disassembly.

Design project selection

When wondering how to make the work area comfortable and functional, you will need to familiarize yourself with the basic design aspects of the workbench. The choice of design is purely individual and depends on the specifics of the application.

Do-it-yourself workbench in the garage can be designed using three main options:

  1. Portable (mobile). The equipment is optimally suited for small spaces, easy to move due to its low weight. It is advisable to use a portable table for small jobs. Additionally, a do-it-yourself workbench can be equipped with a vise or emery.
  2. Stationary. The massive structure is intended for dimensional work (cutting). The drawings of the product must take into account the practicality of the installation. The workbench is optimal for installation in a workshop in a private house. In the garage box, the equipment will take up too much space, rarely being used for technological operations.
  3. national team. The design is carried out on bolted connections, which allows you to modify the equipment depending on construction needs. The assembly process is quite laborious. Fasteners of vibrating devices installed on such a machine require constant tightening.

When deciding to make a workbench in the garage with your own hands from wood, it is recommended to choose a mobile design project. If you need a permanent installation, you can simply fix the legs of the equipment on the floor. The prefabricated structure is durable, due to the possibility of replacing damaged or loose parts.

Drafting

After choosing a project, you should make drawings of the future product. There are indicative parameters, the application of which is not an axiom. When making a do-it-yourself workbench made of wood, the drawings can be adjusted to the desired parameters for the height and width of the countertop. The height of the product, first of all, should correspond to the growth of the master.

When drawing up drawings, additional parameters should be considered:

  • number of shelves, cabinets;
  • installation of limiters;
  • the presence of clamping devices;
  • lighting.

Drawers, fasteners for tools, will make the process more comfortable. Limiters make it easier to work with elements of various sizes. Clamping equipment (vise) will help to securely fix the samples. High-quality lighting will ensure the convenience of work, so it is important to think over the layout of the fixtures in advance.

Material characteristics

A do-it-yourself wooden workbench must strictly comply with generally accepted standards of strength and safety. The carpenter's table is installed in technical rooms, which will require taking into account the temperature regime, the level of humidity when choosing materials for manufacturing.

The quality characteristics of wood should be hardness and resistance to destruction. A porous material, even with good moisture-proof properties, will not have the required level of strength. A wooden workbench is recommended to be made from planed timber and boards.

The cross section of the beam for the frame depends on the size of the structure. Compact products will require the use of 100x70 material, larger ones - 100x100. The choice of a board must correspond to a thickness of at least 50. It is available to make the workbench universal, combining the possibility of carpentry and locksmith work. You will need to complete the section of the countertop with sheet iron upholstery.

Metal can be used as the main material of manufacture. The option turns out to be massive and heavy, appropriate for stationary projects.

The disadvantage of the metal structure is the lack of an opening for the legs in the table. This element has a negative impact on the ability of the base to withstand dynamic loads.

Fasteners

The table for plumbing work must have strong and reliable fasteners. Bolts are selected according to the required thickness, leaving room for the washer, Grover and nut. The use of nails causes a number of controversies. This type of fastener can split the frame beam, or cause a violation of the verticality of the parts. Dismantling or replacing an integral part of the workbench can be difficult, due to the difficulty of removing a tightly driven nail.

The most appropriate use of self-tapping screws. A do-it-yourself workbench in the mobile version of the project can be further reinforced with planks, corners, or metal plates. To achieve the required strength of the connection, you can select the optimal length of the fastening leg. The width of the part should be three times the thickness of the fastened base.

The process of assembling a carpentry workbench


A do-it-yourself workbench table made of wood during the assembly process requires special attention to the execution of corners. Even a slight distortion, a violation of the level, will lead to a distortion of the structure. In the course of work, it will be necessary to regularly measure the evenness of the structural joints.

Marking and manufacturing of workbench parts should be carried out according to the planned drawing calculations. Samples are subject to careful finishing and polishing. It is recommended to choose a special composition for wood processing, increasing the resistance of the material to destruction, moisture and damage by mold, fungus.

It is important not to ignore the drying process of parts. This stage cannot be accelerated artificially by applying heat. As a result, deformation of the surfaces may occur. Evaporation of moisture should occur naturally, against the background of good ventilation and even temperature indicators in the room.

Assembling the base of the workbench

The do-it-yourself workbench is assembled from the base - a supporting frame made of beams. To achieve the necessary strength and reliability of the structure, the thorn-groove assembly option will help. The connection details are additionally processed with an adhesive composition. Fasteners made of self-tapping screws and reinforcement elements will advantageously complement the installation of the base.

Landing parts of the base on the glue is advisable in the closed conditions of the garage or workshop. If you plan to use the table in unheated rooms, or on the street, do not use adhesive fixation, because if you need to replace a part of the table, the frame will need to be reassembled.

Massive structures can be reinforced with diagonal or horizontal lintels. Omissions in the additional rigidity of the product at the design stage, it is possible to refine it during the assembly process.

Forming the tabletop

A high-quality desktop surface should take into account the need for replacement. The countertop is most exposed to intense impact when performing plumbing, or carpentry work. The mobility of dismantling the elements should be thought out in advance, fixing the countertop with the help of special metal corners.

The width of the plane must exceed the size of the base, which will allow mounting additional removable equipment. The absence of an edge will make the countertop uncomfortable and limit the functionality of the surface.

The assembly process involves laying the boards face down. It is important to work on a level surface. Further, perpendicular to the base, the elements are fastened with bars.

Installation of wooden parts of the tabletop should be carried out, ensuring maximum density, avoiding the formation of gaps. At the final stage, the front side of the countertop is sanded and treated with impregnating pastes.

Additional workbench equipment

Having figured out how to make a workbench out of wood with your own hands, you should consider the necessary details of equipping the desktop. Installation of additional equipment is carried out depending on the selected design modification.

Fixing the vise will require preliminary preparation of the recess. The top of the vise (lips) should be flush with the table top. Equipment for fixing samples for work, requires a strong fixation. It is advisable to use bolts and nuts, allowing, if necessary, to dismantle the device. The location of the vice is recommended to be done, stepping back from the corner of the tabletop, in order to avoid the breakdown of the equipment.

Prudent equipment of the workbench with stops will allow you to conveniently fix the parts during work. Rectangular recesses require the creation of special holes that are cut with a jigsaw. Installing locksmith tools for carpentry will increase the functionality of the table. The stationary power tool is attached with self-tapping screws.

Having familiarized yourself with the basics of bundling, assembling a workbench with your own hands, it becomes possible to develop and implement interesting ideas. Modifying and equipping the design, based on individual preferences, you can create the best version of the working area.

All photos from the article

Carrying out carpentry work in his home, any amateur craftsman should have a convenient device for them. It will become a guarantee of comfort and safety of your activity, and also significantly intensifies it.

Our article is devoted to how to make a wood workbench on your own.

Typical desktop design

The carpenter's workbench, in fact, is a massive and extremely stable desktop, on which wooden blanks of various sizes are processed. The larger the fixture, the more heavy and dimensional elements on it can be processed.

At the same time, you can work on it with hand tools: a saw, a chisel, a brace, etc., as well as mechanical ones: an electric jigsaw, planer, drill, etc.

Layout of elements

The workbench for working with wood has the following typical elements.

  1. The working surface (tabletop, lid) is made of boards. They must be dry and have a thickness of at least 5 - 6 cm. The best option is to use impregnated drying oil: oak, hornbeam, beech. Otherwise, the cover will wear out quickly.
  2. A vise is installed on the front side of the tabletop for fixing workpieces.

Note! If the workbench will be more than one meter long, it is best to hang a couple of different vices for processing small and large items. The larger vise can be made of wood, while the smaller ones can be made of metal.

  1. Supports (legs) are usually made of soft rocks: linden, pine, maple, etc. They are mated with each other by longitudinally arranged slats. So the design gains strength and stability.
  2. With fixation on supports in the space below the cover of the workbench, it is possible to place shelves, drawers or cabinets for tools that can be pulled out or fixed tightly.
  3. On the front side of the tabletop, before you make a workbench for wood, you should drill holes for mounting wedges, clamps and other devices for fixing dimensional workpieces.
  4. A recess should be made on the back of the cover, which is necessary for processing small parts.

Most of the home craftsmen, who are the bulk of subscribers and visitors to our site, have already solved the problem of organizing their workplace to one degree or another by setting up comfortable workbenches in their workshops and on the balcony.

But there are also those who look closely at home needlework, try this universal profession, which includes many specialties, which becomes a very useful hobby for the family.

First of all, this article is for them, but perhaps it will also be useful to those who have already found themselves in the role of homemade and, having decided on the main types of work, can competently do the arrangement of a home workbench for the workshop with their own hands.

Workshop Workbench Types

A workbench is a table for carrying out various specialized work on the processing of different materials. Accordingly, depending on what material you have to work with and what operations to carry out, workbenches differ from each other in size, configuration and material of manufacture. According to the type of materials processed, workbenches are divided into:

  • carpentry;
  • plumbing;
  • combined.

Based on the design features, the following types are added to them:

  • universal;
  • folding.

Folding universal workbenches are produced by different companies with a different list of functions, and a distinctive feature, first of all, is their mobility. Therefore, if you convert your experience of a home craftsman into banknotes outside your apartment or courtyard of your house, you can either pick up a factory-made universal folding workbench, or, after analyzing a number of design features of a particular model, make it yourself.

But for a home workshop, more massive workbenches are suitable, and here three options are possible:

  • carpentry workbench with the ability to perform a number of locksmith operations;
  • locksmith workbench with the ability to perform a number of carpentry operations;
  • combined workbench.

We note right away that the latter option is not the best solution, since it does not allow to fully perform both carpentry and metalwork types of work, but is only relatively adapted for their production, therefore the first 2 options, in our opinion, are preferable. It is these options that we will consider in examples for self-production.

Making a simple DIY garage workbench

The simplest workbench for a home workshop will be a fairly powerful table with a small set of additional functions: drawers, shelves, etc. for storing tools and remanent.

Well, if there is a possibility of its slight transformation to perform metal or woodwork, but more on that below.

To create such a workbench, we will take wooden blocks 40x80 and cut out 4 legs: 2 pcs. length 700 mm, 2 pcs. 750 mm long and 2 lower jumpers 500 mm long. For 2 upper jumpers of the same length, we used a 40x100 bar available on the farm.

It will also go for the top rail of the base of our workbench at the front, with a length of 1400 mm on the bottom and 1600 mm on the top. And at the back we use a 40x150x1600 edged board, but we will need all the long blanks later.

If you have a tool for making spiked joints, use it, as we did.

If not, then make them manually or you can join the parts end-to-end using overhead metal fasteners.

Assemble the side racks as shown in the photo below.

After that, you can begin to assemble the entire frame.

The central jumper inside the frame, made of the same 40x80 bar, fixed on small wooden brackets 40x40x180, in addition to strengthening the structure, serves as a stop for two bedside tables with drawers from old desks that we decided to use in our workbench.

For the working surface of the workbench, we also used our existing laminated surface made of fiberboard. We screwed a board on metal plates to the leading edge, which will protect its edge from peeling during operation. It will also serve as the basis for fastening a small metalwork vice with a clamp.

We fixed the working surface to the frame on metal corners and got a fairly powerful general-purpose workbench for our home workshop.

Making a carpentry workbench with modifications for performing locksmith work

If you mainly work with wood, then it would be logical to make a carpentry workbench and do some design modifications for locksmith operations.

The traditional carpentry workbench for the workshop has a design that has been worked out for centuries, which has practically not undergone significant changes up to the present day. It is based on a massive bed on spiked joints, using wedges for tightening in case of drying out, a powerful (often type-setting) tabletop with a recessed tray for collecting chips and tools, and two vise-clamps for fixing workpieces.

The dimensions of such a workbench are selected depending on the maximum length of the workpieces that will be processed on it. If you are going to make wooden doors on your own, then the length of the workbench must be at least 2.5 m and a width of at least 0.8 m, otherwise your work on it will turn into hard labor. The workbench of my grandfather - the best carpenter in the area for at least 50 km in all directions - was 3000x1000 and he said that he lacked 20 centimeters in width to make large frames for verandas.

The dimensions of the school carpentry workbench are 1200 x 500 x 750. If the dimensions in the plan suit you and you are ready to spend about 13 thousand rubles on it, then the height can be adjusted by screwing bars of the appropriate size to the legs. But you can also consider alternative options.

As a matter of fact, these are variations on the theme of the same carpentry workbench for the workshop with different materials for the table top, the presence or absence of drawers, shelves and different vise mechanisms. Now in order:

1. We make the bed from dry pine lumber 40-50 x 80-100 mm, calculating the height for your height. If your workbench is installed in a room where there will be no sudden changes in humidity, then its elements can be connected in any convenient way, albeit end-to-end using fixing metal plates and corners.

2. The table top can be made from ready-made glued wooden panels sold in most building supermarkets, or glued from planed bars with a thickness of at least 50 mm yourself using PVA glue, having built a simple clamping fixture. It is important to remember that the top side of the future workbench should be as flat as possible. You can also use thick plywood for the countertop, but it is still advisable to paste over its ends with wooden slats made of oak, beech or ash.

3. To fasten the clamping mechanisms, the bottom of the table top of the workbench is built up with bars of appropriate sizes. The most popular clamps are:

- carpenter's lead screw with two Czech-made guides Tr 24 * 5, 390/205 at a price of approx. 3 thousand rubles.

Spanish carpenter's vice Piher, 150 mm, approx. 2 thousand rubles;

You can also make some kind of their own by using a pin with a diameter of 14 - 16 mm, which, of course, will not transmit such efforts as a vise, but it will make your clamp extremely economical and maintainable, due to its cheapness;

Or make an even simpler clamping device from the same studs, but due to the lack of guides, put 2 of these clamps on one vice.

4. Make holes for the stop pegs in two directions opposite the vise lead screw. It is also useful to make them parallel to each other over the entire surface of the countertop for confident fastening of overall products.

5. Fasten the table top of the workbench to the base on powerful metal corners and, if you do not plan to move it, use them to fasten it to the floor.

And you have successfully completed the first task of the workbench option described in this section of the article.

Now, several options for fixtures for performing plumbing work on such a workbench.

  1. The simplest of these is to make an overlay of steel 3 - 5 mm thick with a steel angle frame, kept separate from the workbench or attached to it on hinges and lowered to the table top if necessary.
  2. The main attribute of a locksmith's workbench is a bench vise. In this case, we recommend using a vise with fasteners that do not require passing through the workbench top.

Of course, you can fit the holes for the stops under the fasteners of the vice, but with a thick overlay, you can do without it. Also of interest is the option of attaching a bench vise directly to the tabletop of a carpentry workbench using a transition bar-stand and a powerful clamp.

And at the same time, the overlay should not be done on the entire area of ​​​​the workbench. There are many options, the choice is yours.

Refinement of a locksmith's workbench for carpentry work

Often, especially if the farm has a car and a garage, the main workbench is a locksmith.

We will not consider the process of its manufacture in this article, but we will tell about simple ways to adapt it for carpentry, especially since it is not at all difficult. To fully use your locksmith's workbench as a carpenter's bench, you will need to dismantle the locksmith's vise and make several simple fixtures.

Let's consider them in more detail.

1. From the first figure below, when finalizing the locksmith's workbench, we will be interested primarily in the side stop (1), which is not difficult to make removable. And together with the holes for the pins (14) along the front end of the workbench (and this can be a one-piece removable structure) and a suitable wedge, we get a simple and reliable device for attaching the board to the workbench. You can simply make a wooden plate fixed with recessed clamps, with all the set of blank fasteners shown, and understand that the level of the working surface will rise by its thickness, which can be compensated for by the appropriate height with a ladder at the workbench.

There is nothing to say about the back stop, it simply performs a supporting function for long workpieces.

2. You can make an overlay planer board with a universal stop, shown in the second picture. By increasing the height of the stop (or changing it depending on the height of the processed bar) and screwing the beam on the underside to stop on the right edge of the workbench, we get the simplest device that turns the locksmith workbench into a carpentry workbench.

3. A slightly more complex overlay with a fairly powerful option for fixing the workpiece also allows us to solve this problem. The only thing we would recommend in this case is to also screw the stop on the right side and choose a thickness of at least 50-70 mm for a more reliable fastening of the front pegs and sufficient depth of the lock and clamp.

The way to install the last two planing devices on the workbench is shown in the diagram:

Dear readers, if you still have questions, ask them using the form below. We will be glad to communicate with you;)

Every home craftsman knows that a well-equipped workshop with a stable and reliable carpenter's workbench equipped with all kinds of tools for processing parts is half the success in the manufacture of wood products. Of course, the desktop can be bought in the distribution network. However, we recommend making it yourself. Firstly, it will allow you to get a product of the right size and functionality. Secondly, when building a workbench, additional equipment can be placed in the most rational way. Thirdly, the cost of the machine will be much lower than the factory version, which will allow you to buy a quality tool with the money saved. If these arguments gave you a reason to think about making a desktop with your own hands, then our drawings, instructions and recommendations will help you build a solid, reliable and functional carpentry workbench.

Purpose and design of a typical carpentry workbench

Sturdy and reliable carpentry workbench will provide convenience and comfort during long work with wooden parts

The carpenter's workbench, in fact, is a massive, reliable table for processing wooden products of any size. The main requirements for this type of equipment are strength and stability. In addition, the machine must be equipped with at least a minimum set of fixtures for securing and holding workpieces. The dimensions of the working table are selected depending on the size and weight of the parts to be processed, as well as free space in the workshop or garage. By the way, there are designs of compact workbenches that can be placed even on the balcony.

The design of a carpentry workbench with a type-setting worktop. In the figure: 1 - base or bench; 2 - workbench; 3 - miter box; 4 - coupler; 5 - vice; 6 - support beam

Since the work that is carried out on the carpentry machine is carried out with the help of manual and electric tools, the workbench is made of massive timber and thick boards. By the way, the work surface, or in another way the workbench, is assembled only from hardwood. In the manufacture of countertops, dry oak, beech or hornbeam boards with a thickness of at least 60 mm are used. If the countertop is made of pine, alder or linden, then its surface will wear out quickly and will require periodic updating. Often, a bench cover is assembled from several narrow and thick boards, placing them on edge.

A number of holes made on the working surface of the table allows you to install stop elements for the convenience of processing long wooden workpieces.

In order to facilitate the construction, the supporting legs of the desktop, on the contrary, are made of soft wood. Between themselves, the vertical supports are connected by a longitudinally installed beam to increase the stability of the product.

Typical scheme of a carpentry workbench

A specially designed vise is hung on the front and side of the workbench for fixing workpieces. In addition, on overall machines, separate clamping devices for large and small parts are mounted. The optimal location for the carpentry vice is the left side of the front apron and the near part of the right sidewall.

In the workbench - the space between the supports, under the tabletop, they often equip convenient shelves and drawers for storing tools and accessories.

For convenience, a recess is made in the back of the countertop for fittings and small parts. Often, a recess that is difficult to manufacture is replaced with a frame knocked down from wooden slats.

Types and design

All home-made desktops for carpentry can be divided into three types:

  1. Mobile workbenches have a weight of up to 30 kg, dimensions of less than 1 m in length and up to 70 cm in width, are equipped with one vice and are made partly from metal elements. Such machines are designed to work with small, light workpieces or minor repairs of wooden products. A mobile desktop is an excellent option when there is not enough space and can be installed in any room in the country house or on the balcony. Often, mobile workbenches have a folding design.

    Homemade carpentry workbench mobile design


    If there is no need for a stationary, professional workbench, then for minor repairs or the manufacture of small parts, you can convert an old desk.

  2. A stationary carpentry workbench is made with reference to a specific place and is not intended to be moved during operation. Equipment of this type allows you to process parts of any size and weight.

    The stationary carpentry workbench is a reliable, stable structure, equipped in accordance with the preferences of the owner and the features of the room.

  3. Composite type machine - the most difficult to manufacture. Nevertheless, this design, due to its variability, is the most practical and functional structure. If necessary, individual parts of the workbench can be easily replaced, since the elements of the desktop are bolted together.

    The composite workbench is a structure that can be adjusted to any requirement.

Project and drawings

When designing a carpentry workbench, the most important criteria are height, configuration and equipment. In addition, it is necessary to take into account who will operate the desktop - left-handed or right-handed.

Considering that it will take a long time to work at a carpentry workbench, the closest attention should be paid to the height of the future structure. For people of average height, experts recommend making a table no higher than 90 cm.

Drawing of a carpentry workbench

When determining the distance from the floor to the countertop, it is best to focus not on the average parameters, but on the features of your own anatomy. It is optimal if the upper cut of the legs is on the same level with the hands. If you calculate this parameter taking into account the thickness of the countertop, then you can work at such a workbench tirelessly for several hours.

The cover of the machine can be made of boards, solid wood or plywood and is a type-setting structure. It is not recommended to use chipboard or OSB for these purposes. Professional carpenters have long determined the optimal size of the countertop - a maximum of 2 m in length and 0.7 m in width. On such a workbench, with the same convenience, you can make a prefabricated wooden door and a small window.

When designing a structure, do not forget about the strength of the supporting frame. For supporting structural elements, a bar with a section of at least 100x100 mm is used. As longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements, it is allowed to use rails and beams with a smaller section - from 50 - 60 mm or more. The joints of the parts are mounted on spikes or dowels, furniture corners and other fittings are used for strength, and all connections are made using bolts and self-tapping screws. Nails will not be able to provide the required stability and fundamental nature of the structure.

Joiner's workbench. View from above

Often the frame, or otherwise the frame of the workbench, is made of metal. Despite the fact that this material makes it possible to make a height-adjustable structure with less labor, professional carpenters prefer all-wood structures.

Next, consider the project of a carpentry table¸ made of plywood, or rather, from two plywood sheets 1.8 mm thick glued together. The dimensions of the lid are 150x60 cm. The edges of the tabletop are reinforced with plywood strips, which increases its thickness to 72 mm. By the way, the presented dimensions are not a dogma and can be adjusted, if necessary, in accordance with the needs and characteristics of a particular room used as a workshop.

Necessary tools and materials

Plywood with a thickness of 18 mm is a rather expensive material (the price of one sheet measuring 1.5x1.5 m is more than 700 rubles, excluding shipping costs). Our project will require at least two sheets of this material. You can save a little if you buy one, larger sheet with dimensions of 2500x1250 mm. Additionally, if possible, try to purchase scraps of plywood with a width of at least 300 mm, which will be used to reinforce the workbench cover around the perimeter.

Additionally, for the construction of a carpentry machine, you will need:

  • wooden beam with a section of at least 100x100 mm - for supports;
  • timber or slats with a cross section of at least 60x60 mm - for frame reinforcement elements;
    When choosing lumber for a carpentry workbench, carefully inspect the workpieces for knots and cracks. Remember that these parts will work under continuous load;
  • electric drill with a set of conventional and feather drills;
  • pieces of boards with a length of at least 1.5 m for laying under the clamps;
  • wood glue. A good result can be obtained by using the domestic adhesive "Moment Joiner";
  • furniture bolts with nuts and self-tapping screws;
  • Circular Saw;
  • joiner's square;
  • long rule (at least 2 m);
  • construction level;
  • a notched trowel with a size of cut sectors of at least 3 mm;
  • carpentry clamps.

Clamps required for compressing plywood sheets during gluing must be strong and reliable. If you are a non-professional carpenter and do not have a quality tool, then you can get by with inexpensive Chinese-made jigs. Of course, the number of such devices should be doubled.

Manufacturing instructions

  1. To make a countertop, cut two blanks with a circular saw. If you managed to purchase a plywood sheet of maximum length, then you need to saw off one blank 1520 mm long from it. By cutting it in half, you will get two parts 1520x610 mm. After that, as a rule, check the concave and convex sides of each sheet. This will make it possible to correctly orient the sheets when gluing.

    High-quality gluing provides clamping of tabletop parts with clamps


    To properly glue the plywood sheets, they are folded, turning the convex sides to each other.

  2. After laying one blank on three parallel-laid boards, apply wood glue to its surface. To do this, use straight and notched trowels. Remember that the work must be carried out very quickly, otherwise the composition will begin to set prematurely. The glue manufacturer Moment Stolyar recommends joining the parts no later than two minutes after the start of applying the composition. Therefore, if you are not sure about the speed of your work, use wood glue, which has no time limits. Of course, the strength of the joint will be slightly reduced, but even a good quality PVA furniture mix will provide an acceptable degree of bonding.

    To prevent damage to the workpiece, support boards are placed under the clamps.

  3. Having laid the second workpiece on top of the first, place support boards around the perimeter of the future table cover and begin to tighten the tabletop with clamps. At the same time, do not forget to control the flatness of the part using the rule. It will not work to tighten the center of the workpiece with clamps, so in this part you can install a load weighing at least 15 - 20 kg.

    It is possible to glue plywood sheets into a shield without clamps, if you can find a perfectly flat surface for laying them, as well as a load of sufficient mass.

  4. After the glue dries, the clamps are removed and proceed to reinforce the side surfaces of the countertop. To do this, strips of plywood 15 cm wide are glued around the entire perimeter of the cover in two layers. When doing this work, be sure to make sure that the top layer completely covers the joints.

    Reinforcement of the side parts of the bench table with additional plywood strips

  5. A circular saw is used to trim the side surfaces of the table. The parquet is carried out smoothly, slowly. It is convenient to use the same rule as a guide. The tabletop is given a size of 1500x600 mm in compliance with right angles, for which they use a joiner's square or a factory corner of a plywood sheet.
  6. The workbench supports are made of timber with a section of 100x100 mm, connecting them with prolegs and drawers, for which lumber with a cross section of at least 60x60 mm is used. In our case, the height of the machine is 900 mm, however, you can adjust this size to suit your height.

    Making a carpentry workbench frame

  7. The assembly of the legs is carried out “in a spike” or using dowels, be sure to apply carpentry glue to the parts to be joined.
  8. When assembling the upper and lower frame of the underlay, scrupulously maintain 90-degree angles between the parts. It will be easier to fulfill this requirement if, at the stage of preparing the parts, their edges are correctly trimmed. The width of the frame of our structure is 900 mm, and the height of the frame is 830 mm, taking into account the distance from the floor to the lower prong of 150 mm.

    Holes made in the parts with a pen drill will help to hide the bolt heads and washers.

If desired, a shelf can be built in the underlay. To do this, a plywood panel is cut out according to the size of the lower space, in the corners of which rectangular cutouts are made for the legs of the machine.

Installation of additional equipment

A real carpentry workbench cannot be imagined without fixtures designed to fasten workpieces. For this purpose, a vise is attached to the finished tabletop in such a way that their jaws are flush with the surface of the lid. To properly install the fixture on the workbench, a vice is applied to the machine and the attachment points are marked. After that, holes with a diameter of 12 mm are drilled and the tool is mounted on the machine using a bolted connection with an M12 thread. When performing this operation, be sure to mill the holes for the washers and bolt heads.

View of the finished product with the vise installed

If it is not possible to install a stationary vice, you can do without them by using bench clamps or clamps.

In addition to the vise, stops are provided on the desktop. To do this, a series of holes are drilled in the countertop. Parts made of wood are considered the best stops, since metal fixtures can damage the workpiece. Nests for supporting elements are located at a distance equal to half the stroke of the vise. This will allow you to securely fix the workpiece of any size.

Video: DIY carpentry workbench

Building a carpentry workbench is a rather difficult task. However, a self-assembled machine will allow you to work in a convenient, comfortable environment. This requires not only to think over the ergonomics of the workspace and properly prepare the construction project, but also to perform the work in full accordance with the recommendations of professional carpenters. Only then the resulting product will be durable and stable, delighting its owner for many years of service.

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