# Garage Workbench - advice?



## bigup (Jun 4, 2009)

hi guys

i fancy a work bench for the garage

ive seen this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HEAVY-DUT...s_Tool_Boxes_Storage&var=&hash=item58a322544d

anyone got one and know if its decent quality?


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## Jonny_R (Oct 23, 2012)

Changed your thoughts on the tool chest now?


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

I find it hard to believe they could make in China, ship, pay ebay fees and send to your deer and make a profit on something of that size for under £50! I would not expect it to in anyway be sturdy.....but could be entirly wrong!


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## bigup (Jun 4, 2009)

Jonny_R said:


> Changed your thoughts on the tool chest now?


no mate, this will be an addition to it


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## Ducky (Mar 19, 2007)

It doesn't look very 'heavy duty' in the pictures (folded metal supports etc).....


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## anto300zx (Dec 28, 2011)

i had one off these which i replaced with a stainless steel bench as it done my head in its noway near heavy duty and rathels like **** ha.dont waste your money dude.


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## bigup (Jun 4, 2009)

thanks guys, will avoid!

anyone got any recommendations?

nothing too expensive!


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## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

Bero said:


> I find it hard to believe they could make in China, ship, pay ebay fees and send to your deer and make a profit on something of that size for under £50! I would not expect it to in anyway be sturdy.....but could be entirly wrong!


I think if you were expecting to strip a gearbox down on it, you're buying the wrong thing. For Grandpa Jo to nail a bird house together, it's probably fine!

150kg load capacity isn't massively generous, is it?


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## xlfive (Feb 18, 2006)

I bought one ,don't waste your money,for £50 you could get a piece of kitchen worktop and some 3x2 and make your own


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## Guest (May 12, 2014)

Id recommend these...
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cwb1000b-engineers-bench


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## Crafty (Aug 4, 2007)

Just build something. I nicked this pic from another forum:









owner admits its a bit overkill - 2" x 6" frame, 60x60mm legs, 3mm galvanised steel top. He reckons its cost him £110 all in.

You could build something similar from 2x4, maybe even top with stainless sheet if you could get hold of some cheap.

ETA

Some top with marine ply as its tough stuff.

Serious amounts of garage porn (along with lots of good info) over at http://www.garagejournal.com/


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## VWman (Mar 26, 2012)

Wow they certainly bigged it up with the pictures! It's only 4ft wide, not very useful for bumper, front end work and they tend to wobbly, you get what you pay for for sure


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## yetizone (Jun 25, 2008)

If it were me I'd be building something to my own requirements. A custom design made to fit the space is always going to be preferable IMHO. It can then be built with flexibility in mind and to personal spec - sturdy / light / moveable / built in / expandable / draws / tool rack / shelves etc. Plus the satisfaction of building it yourself. This thing cost me about £50 - and that was speccing good quality (planned) timber from the timber yard and 8 castors from Screwfix….


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## Jonny_R (Oct 23, 2012)

Gheezer said:


> Getting this in the summer to go with the halfrauds combo tool chest deal
> 
> http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cwb1700p-5-drawer-workbench


I was going with the halfords professional black combo for £400, but the OP has a thread on here about tool chests also and seen that SGS engineering have a similar one to the halfords for £299.

I have an SGS jack and axle stands and they are top class and never let me down!

Think im going with an SGS tool chest over a halfords one now i know they do them! also do a cheaper tool chest set for £100 on their website.


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## Jonny_R (Oct 23, 2012)

Gheezer said:


> Too late for the box as I already have that waiting for me. I will time the bench purchase for me getting back in August. I have the garage to sort and paint as well as sorting the tools and loads of odd jobs to do to the cars and house. Looking forward to a serious tidy up.


ah read your post wrong mate, read it as you were looking to get the halfrauds chest, not that you already had it :wall:


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

Crafty said:


> Just build something.
> Serious amounts of garage porn (along with lots of good info) over at http://www.garagejournal.com/


You should have marked that NSFW!! Just spent time looking at some seriously nice projects there!


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

I have had one for years about 8 i think.

I replaced the base board with 2 Inch hard wood worktop i had given that made it sturdy enough, the top that comes with it is not bad.

You can replace that timber if you wish.

Not replaced the back board as i dont use it to hang tools but some thicker ply would work.

I dont pound anything on it but for its price if you have the wood worktop off cut to make more rigid its not bad as i say.

You can make your own i have done that in the past and the machine mart one seams good and could well find one erected in a decent store.

The shallow draw would need a better wooden base and as such will make it even shallower.


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

I looked at what was available a couple years ago and realised even at £150 you get the most basic of bench that does not look sturdy, have decent storage or of the size i want....so I built my own one from wood.

Exactly the size i wanted/needed sprayed it Subaru Blue, laquered it and got a custom sized Subaru swoosh decal made for the front (like the impreza rally car) ......everyone who see it comments. Although in my typical DIY project fashion costs faily mounted up......i think i stopped counting after £300, still well worth it.


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## ivor (Sep 24, 2008)

arc welder,box section,flat plate job done and you have a new toy as well I need to make one for myself as i can't buy one thats the right height for me as i like my work surface to be just below elbow height and it's needs to be heavy duty as i have a tendency to wreck anything non industrial lol (B&Q workmate destroyed in a day)


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## graeme (Jan 7, 2006)

I would go with making your own as well. Garage is currently a tip or I would get some pics but I did this a couple of years ago with a mate using 3x2 timber for frame and some mdf we had at work for a top. I don't do anything mechanical (as yet ) on it but cost me about £20 for the wood and if I did wreck the top it would be cheap and easy to replace. Can be customised to suit your needs as well.


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## organisys (Jan 3, 2012)

Bero said:


> I find it hard to believe they could make in China, ship, pay ebay fees and send to your deer and make a profit on something of that size for under £50! I would not expect it to in anyway be sturdy.....but could be entirly wrong!


~£50 and "heavy duty" are not sitting well in my mind!!


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## shudaman (Sep 12, 2010)

Defo build your own!
As said, a 3x2 frame with a thick worktop should be good for most things 
Ive used 18mm ply on my worktop but laminated 3 sheets togeather as i have plenty of it to use. Its soild as a rock!


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## PerryGunn (Sep 27, 2012)

shudaman said:


> Defo build your own!
> As said, a 3x2 frame with a thick worktop should be good for most things
> Ive used 18mm ply on my worktop but laminated 3 sheets togeather as i have plenty of it to use. Its soild as a rock!


Yep build your own - I used a combination of 4x2 for the frame and 3x2 with 18mm MDF for the shelf and a 720mm x 40mm solid worktop.
Total cost about £200 with over half of that being the oak worktop



















More details in my Shedzilla Build thread


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## S3LDM (Apr 17, 2013)

I would defiantly build your own, you can design it so its fit for purpose for your needs, and chose your finish

Did not cost the earth either..


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

both of the above look really good. S3DLM have you got any pics of how you mounted your vice? i am just gathering ideas at the moment but i would ideally like to encorporate a vice into my build if at all possible


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## S3LDM (Apr 17, 2013)

To be honest mate, it's really easy I just drilled down the through the work top and the 2x2 framework underneath and used long m8 bolts..


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## Bazmcc (Apr 30, 2014)

Even those draper and sealey ones rattle and sway about the place. I got together about a load of 2" box section and welded together my own table, and bolted a wooden top to it. It's capable of holding probably close to a tonne but I still intend on bolting the back legs to the wall. Altogether it'll have cost me about £20 - £30 in materials and it's about 6ft x 2ft. Took about 2-3 hours one afternoon to put together. My next project for it in a sliding drawer to sit just below the work surface. On the other side of my garage I have 2 old school desks which were getting skipped and I got for free. they're as good as any workbench I've seen sub £300.


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

Here's a picture of the one I built....in a rather messy garage......


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## shudaman (Sep 12, 2010)

Thought I'd add my work station 
Just need to fill the gap with a big blue roll cab!


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