Our review today is for male craftsmen or car enthusiasts. We will talk about organizing the main workplace in a garage or workshop - a convenient and functional workbench that has sufficient strength and all the necessary accessories.
What do we want from a workbench?
For most people, a garage is not just a place to store a car, but a real workshop. Unlike a workspace in an apartment, work with massive and bulky parts, often dirty, is carried out in the garage. Also quite often you have to bend and straighten metal, use electric arc welding, securely clamp the part with clamps or in a vice.
The main requirements that should be met for a workbench for a garage are massiveness, strength, resistance to contamination, and resistance of the surface to heat and impact. In addition, the workbench should be compact and, if possible, as less material-intensive as possible.
It is advisable that the workbench has simple diagram assembly, implying easy dismantling. The workbench should not be significantly dependent on the capital structures surrounding it; for example, it is not recommended to embed and concrete the legs into the floor.
Workbench base: frame and legs
First you need to assemble a lightweight frame - the base for the tabletop. These are four corners 40x40 mm or 50x50 mm, with internal shelves facing each other. You can splice short sections of corners by butt welding: no special structural strength is required from the frame, but it is advisable to add an arbitrary number of jumpers. The length of the tabletop can be any, even the entire wall, and the width is such that you can easily reach the corner near the wall with your hands. In the upper part of the frame, forming an internal cavity, an array of tabletops will subsequently be assembled, and the outer shelves will serve as a support plane for the underlying elements.
If the issue of lack of space in the garage is acute, it needs to be addressed immediately. Best wall for placing a workbench - the one located directly opposite the gate. The easiest way is to roll the car back half a length, this will leave plenty of space for work and free passages on both sides. Therefore on end wall nail the corner with the outer shelf up, the level is 50-60 mm below the desired height work surface. The height of the workbench is individual for everyone, but usually 100 cm is subtracted from a person’s height.
If the workbench is from corner to corner, then on adjacent walls also nail a corner as long as the depth of the tabletop or a little less. Fastening to the wall is carried out with anchor bolts and quite often, preferably in each masonry element, that is, every 20-25 cm. It is optimal if every meter a 30-40 cm tail is welded, pointing down and secured with an anchor.
Place the frame on the support corner, then proceed to install the supports. It is advisable to make them oblique so that the lower ends of the legs rest against the corner between the floor and the wall. A lining made from a piece of angle steel is installed at this location. In the upper part, the leg is joined to the frame 50-80 mm from the edge, but not directly, but welded to the plate, which is then bolted. Slanting legs will save more space for a car to enter.
It is very easy to adjust the table level. The longitudinal plane is set by a corner fixed to the wall. To get rid of the blockage of the table, you just need to push the oblique leg a little deeper, slightly sharpening the cut corner with a grinder. After making all the fasteners, holes are drilled in them:
- for fastening the frame with an angle for an M12 bolt every 50 cm;
- for fastening the frame with the legs - using an M10 bolt, four pieces for each plate.
What should the tabletop be like?
Before assembling the tabletop, you need to fasten all the base elements with bolts, inserting them from top to bottom. The tightening is final; the caps will subsequently be recessed into the solid surface of the tabletop.
The main filler for the tabletop is solid wood or chipboard sheets. The first is preferable in terms of massiveness and the ability of solid wood to dampen impact vibration well. The thickness of the board should be such that when placed in a frame, its plane protrudes slightly above the corners. Perfect option- use boards of the same thickness as outer size corner. In this case, each plank should be finished with a plane before setting so that it protrudes only 1-1.5 mm.
When assembling a tabletop, the direction of the planks is across the length of the workbench. The plank board needs to be held tightly together; to do this, a small block is temporarily screwed to the last fixed board, behind which the new board is pressed with a trigger clamp. The boards are fastened from below through the corner of the frame, with a pair of screws on each side.
If there are bolt heads along the way, try on a board and tap it with a hammer so that the heads leave dents, and then select the grooves with a large drill and chisel or feather drill. Do not forget to chamfer the ends of the boards, because the corners have a rounded connection between the internal shelves. When all the boards are assembled, the surface needs to be leveled grinder, grinding the wood down to a level.
After installing the boards, start covering the surface. A hot-rolled sheet with a thickness of 2.5-3 mm is optimal for this: such a workbench can be used as welding table, handle tin on it, spill any liquids. Heat resistance is provided by a magnesite sheet or asbestos fabric, which is laid on top of the boards. In this case, the thickness of the lumber should be less than usual. The lining may protrude above the frame by 1-2 mm; after upholstery with metal this will not be a problem.
The metal must be laid with a distance of 10-15 mm from the rear wall; you can temporarily fix a small wooden plank. After this, the edge of the sheet is pressed with clamps and pulled down evenly along the entire length. The edge of the corner will provide a beautiful right angle.
After bending, the spacer strip at the wall is removed, and the sheet is pulled slightly towards itself, a board is placed under it and holes of 7-8 mm are drilled after 50 cm. Through them, places are marked in the corner of the frame, in which 5 mm holes are drilled and an M6 thread is cut. The sheet is pulled to the frame with bolts with a semicircular head; here fixation is needed for high-quality turning of the metal. Having straightened bottom corner, fasten the sheet from below in the same way as the end of the tabletop, but now you need to make cuts for the legs and fasten them in a checkerboard pattern with end bolts.
The installation of the tabletop is completed by installing a 25x25 mm corner in the corner near the wall in the manner of a plinth. Through holes every 25-30 cm, it is attracted to the wood of the table top with self-tapping screws, and then attached to the wall with anchor bolts every 50-70 cm. If you want the coating to rust less, remove the sheet before attaching it to the end, warm it well blowtorch and rub with a cotton rag soaked generously in used mineral oil.
Drawers, doors and everything for storage
When the base of the workbench is ready, you can easily supplement it with the necessary niches, shelves and other places equipped for storage. In the lower zone, it is convenient to weld corners with braces to the legs, on which it is enough to simply lay the plank panels of the shelves. Arranging them in a cascade will make everything stored on them clearly visible and easily accessible.
Under main work area For a workbench, it is recommended to select one or two spans between the legs and organize pull-out shelves in the upper part of them, similar to keyboard shelves. It is very convenient to equip these shelves with organizers for the most frequently used tools. Since the load on the exit mechanism is moderate, you can use full extension furniture guides, having first welded a couple of corners under the table to secure them.
Another convenient area for storing small items at hand is the wall opposite. It is very useful to attach a perforated panel to it, where it is convenient to hang both power tools and hammers, hacksaws, consumables, etc. on hooks, including several portable posts with sockets. One or a pair of shelves fixed 5-10 cm above your height will help you organize the space even better. The lower plane is convenient to use for mounting lighting, while the shelves themselves are a classic “long drawer” for all sorts of useful rubbish in the future.
Workplace lighting
There are two options worth seriously considering as light sources: ceiling fluorescent lamps for two lamps or LED lights. The main advantage of the former is their low cost, but due to carelessness, mercury tubes are easy to break, plus such lighting requires periodic repair.
LED spotlights are somewhat more expensive, but much more durable and less energy-consuming. Among the disadvantages, one can also highlight the rather harsh light, which casts contrasting shadows. This can be solved either by installing matte diffusers or light guides, or by increasing the number of lanterns to 5-6 pieces and intersecting their light fluxes. Don't forget about a small portable lamp that should always be at hand, and an additional table lamp.
Vices, stops and other devices
As a conclusion, we will give a couple of tips: what and how to equip a workbench for comfortable work. The first and most obvious is a bench vise. They should be quite massive; for a garage, a jaw solution of at least 15 cm is recommended. Please note that the vice must be fastened through the table, providing bottom side counter steel plate with holes. The optimal location is 100-120 cm from any of the corners of the workbench, and it is advisable to provide additional holes so that the vice can be turned at a right angle.
The second constant attribute is a plate for cutting metal. There is no point in deliberately breaking the table covering, especially if there is a heat-resistant gasket underneath. Optimal sizes slabs - 300x300 mm with a thickness of at least 20 mm. If you have difficulty selecting such thick metal, weld together several thin plates, first tightening them with bolts.
Depending on your hobby, a carpenter's vice, a removable tin mandrel, and a few adjustable stops may also be useful: corners with pins that are inserted into holes in the tabletop with strikers screwed in from below. It is also very useful to set aside a place for finishing and fine work, placing a sheet of glass there on a springy rubber lining.
*If you can’t find the desktop you need, please contact our manager. We have our own production and we will make it for you garage workbench to order. It will be more expensive. But we will take into account all your wishes.
How to choose a workbench for the garage - 5 parameters to consider
A garage is very different from a professional workshop or factory floor. Most often here the household series is “Lefty” or “Compact” - compact. Because the professional work tables “Svyatogor” and most of the “REGline” line take up a lot of space and are professional.
However, both will do. The main thing is to make the right choice. What to consider when choosing a “garage workbench”:
- dimensions of the area for placement(if there is very little space, then compact workbenches - the best option);
- permanent or temporary installation(we have on sale folding table);
- type of work. Most often, locksmith tables are purchased for garages. But if you like carpentry, then it is better to look at wooden workbenches;
- financial opportunities(“REGline” is economy class, then comes “Lefty”);
- aesthetics. There are people for whom it is important that they workplace it was beautiful, and only then durable, comfortable and functional.
The garage of almost any modern motorist is not just a place to store a car, but a multifunctional room. In it, vehicle owners often equip a mini-warehouse for old things, as well as a workshop. A mandatory attribute of the latter is a workbench. We'll talk about how to build it yourself.
What parts does the workbench consist of and what size should it be?
Modern workbenches are designed to perform a variety of operations for processing certain materials, household and car repair, all kinds of electromechanical, carpentry and plumbing activities. They are desktops, generally consisting of the following parts:
- countertops;
- a supporting durable frame mounted on stand legs;
- drawers, bedside tables and shelves for storing tools.
Workbenches are often equipped with other elements. It all depends on the type of operations that are planned to be performed on it. In addition, any of the structures we describe must be well lit. Therefore, a rotating stationary lamp is always mounted above the tabletop (it is placed near the workbench or on the wall above it). More advanced home craftsmen even integrate electric lighting into the structure being created. This makes it possible to move the table, if necessary, to any place in the garage.
Initially, workbenches were used strictly for processing wood and wood products. Now there are tables for various purposes– joinery, carpentry, plumbing and even universal. They all have their own characteristics, which we will discuss below. It’s easy to build a high-quality workbench for your garage from metal or wood. It can also be made combined (wood base, metal tabletop and body, wooden boxes and shelves). In this case, you should take into account what specific tasks the desktop in the motorhome will be used for:
- for frequent vehicle and home maintenance work;
- for rare plumbing, carpentry activities and minor repairs;
- for permanent repair work in large volumes (an option when a motorist solves all everyday problems himself, without turning to specialists).
Regardless of how busy the workbench is, it must meet a number of requirements due to the limited area of the motorhome. In particular, it must perform storage functions, be well lit, be as versatile as possible, stable, reliable in operation and compact. It is also advisable to leave 15–20 cm of free space under the workbench. Then the garage owner will never have problems with cleaning the premises.
The work tables in question are usually spaced at least 100 cm away from the car (so as not to damage the car when carrying out various works). The dimensions of the workbench depend on the parameters of the motorhome and the height of the person who will use the structure. Standard work tables have a length of up to 220 cm and a width of up to 80. It’s not difficult to buy a ready-made workbench these days. But it’s much more interesting and rational to do it yourself. In this case we will get for real optimal design, suitable for the size of the garage and the individual requirements of its owner.
Which material is better - wood or metal?
If we decide to assemble a workbench ourselves, first let’s decide what material it makes sense to make it from. Let's say you very rarely repair a car yourself and also irregularly carry out work to improve your home. In such a situation, a workbench can be made from wood with a minimum of effort. We take tongue-and-groove (necessarily planed) boards - oak or beech, cut them to the required dimensions, and get a full-fledged tabletop. Instead of the specified lumber, it is allowed to use sheets of plywood (moisture-resistant) 1.8 cm thick. We take two such products, glue them together, and sheathe them along the edges for strength. The tabletop is ready. If desired, it is easy to cover it with a sheet of metal of small (4–5 mm) thickness.
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Frame wooden workbench we assemble them from 5x10 cm beams or from 4x8 cm boards. We form them into a simple rectangular structure with suitable dimensions. We fasten its individual elements with nails or self-tapping screws. In the lower part homemade workbench We install a shelf (it should be 15–20 cm from the floor, as noted) for storing tools. It is advisable to further strengthen such elementary structures. This is not difficult to do. It is enough to mount spacers at the bottom and top between the table legs. They are all made from the same wood.
As you can see, a workbench made of wood can be built without problems and very quickly. But it is worth understanding that the reliability of such a design will be minimal. It will turn out to be short-lived (the frame quickly wears out and loses its strength, the tabletop becomes unsuitable for work over time), prone to fire. Wooden workbenches are not intended for installation of additional metalworking equipment (heavy vices, sharpening devices, mini-drilling machines, etc.).
Therefore, a metal work table is more suitable for a garage. Its advantages are obvious:
- withstands severe loads;
- allows you to install plumbing equipment;
- has compact dimensions;
- is characterized by unique strength due to its welded construction;
- easy to care for;
- makes it possible to grind, turn, cut and saw metal;
- It is equipped with any grids, drawers, shelves, organizers in which tools are stored.
The working surface and frame, made of metal, are completely fireproof and almost eternal. This table has been in use for decades without losing its initial technical characteristics and capabilities. Note that the length and other dimensions of the metal structure can be any. It’s easy to make a table for the entire wall of the garage, make it shortened, mobile, folding or even folding. At the same time, it is not difficult to make some elements of the workbench from wood. Such a table can already be called a combined one. The financial costs for it will be quite reasonable.
Combined workbench - what is needed to assemble it?
In the next section we will describe the process of making a structure made of metal and wood. But first, let's decide on the materials and tools necessary to complete all assembly work. Everything is simple here. From the tool we will need:
- drill;
- electric jigsaw;
- welder, electrodes;
- Bulgarian (plus grinding wheel and a disk for cutting metal);
- screwdriver;
- roulette and level.
Let’s not forget to purchase special clothing, as well as protective equipment for welding work.Now let's look at what material you need to buy to build a desktop in a motorhome:
- square pipe (wall thickness - 2 mm) 6x4 cm, length 24 m;
- steel corner (4 mm) 5x5 cm long 6.4 m and 4x4 cm long 6.75 m;
- sheet of metal for the tabletop (thickness – 2 mm, dimensions – 220x75 cm);
- steel strip (length – 8 m, thickness – 4 mm, width – 4 cm);
- sheets of plywood (15 mm thick) for the side and rear walls of the structure and for assembling the drawers;
- boards 5 cm thick for the tabletop;
- thin (2 mm) sheet of steel (used for making drawer holders).
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You will also need fasteners ( anchor bolts, self-tapping screws for metal, wood screws), guides for drawers, paint for metal and wood. The given list of materials will allow us to create a workbench 75 cm wide and 220 cm long. The design will be reliable, durable and quite large. It will be possible to additionally mount processing equipment on it. different materials and a vice.
Assembling the desktop yourself - step-by-step instructions
We determine the place where the workbench will stand. We draw a diagram of our structure indicating its dimensions. Let's start cutting the material. We make the frame of the structure from square pipe, stiffeners - from the corner. The latter, in addition, will be used to make the edging of the tabletop from boards. The metal strip is intended for guides (they will hold the side panels of the structure being created).
After cutting metal elements We weld the frame to the required dimensions. First, we connect two pipe blanks of 75 cm and two of 220 cm. Then we additionally weld pipes to reinforce the table top (stiffening ribs), maintaining a distance of 0.4 m between the individual elements being installed. We attach four support legs along the edges of the structure (the length of each is equal to 90 cm). Between them in mandatory we make jumpers. They are necessary to strengthen the metal workbench.
Now you can create designs for boxes. We create individual frames from pipes square shape. We attach them by welding to the tabletop (on both sides). Don’t forget to immediately weld additional stiffeners (longitudinal). Next, we make a skeleton for the tabletop from steel corners. Set it to basic frame structure. We weld these two parts of the table. We have a reliable 8-centimeter-high tabletop with reinforcing internal ribs.
We form a panel for attaching tools. We weld the sheathing from four corners 95 cm long and one 220 cm long. We mount two short pieces on the sides, two in the middle. We weld the resulting panel to the tabletop. We received a durable composite workbench frame. It is advisable to strengthen it. We cut 24 brackets from a strip of steel. We attach them using a welding machine to the sides of the workbench. We make one hole in the central part of each bracket. They are needed to secure the rear and side plywood walls to the main structure.
We make boxes. We make them from plywood, connecting individual pieces of material with screws. You can make two boxes for storing large tools, or three if you plan to store smaller tools in them. The next step is to install the slides between the side parts of the compartments for the drawers. We install them from the inside, attaching them to previously made holes.
Final work – bringing the product to full condition
We cut the boards into the required lengths. From these we will create the surface of the tabletop. If we are making short pieces, we lay them across the table, if long, we lay them lengthwise. Before installing wooden parts, apply an antiseptic to them. It will protect the tabletop from harmful effects insects and rot.
Important! Before laying the boards, we paint the entire metal carcass, using anti-corrosion and weather-resistant composition. Then rust will not appear on our structure soon. We apply paint without sparing. Special attention We pay attention to welding seams. We paint them with the highest quality possible.
Now we mount the boards on the table surface. There is no need to push the workpieces into the frame too much. Wood will inevitably dry out and expand during the operation of the workbench with changes in humidity and temperature. We process the mounted surface with a grinder. We screw all the laid boards to the frame with self-tapping screws. On top wooden table top install the steel sheet. It is recommended to secure it with self-tapping screws. Although you can weld this element to the frame. True, you will have to act very carefully, since there is a possibility of the boards catching fire when using a welder.
Advice. Steel sheet For the countertop, it is advisable to treat it with a rust converter (on both sides).
All that remains is to install shelves and drawers, and mount a power shield at the bottom of the table. The latter can be equipped with hooks for hanging tools and Supplies. All. A reliable and durable workbench is ready. We use it for its intended purpose.
People involved in professional or amateur carpentry and plumbing are recommended to equip their workplace with special construction equipment. Best for these purposes homemade will do built-in workbench, to which a special vice and reliable protective device. We will tell you below what a workbench is, how to make and assemble it.
Initially, workbenches were used as equipment for the manufacture and grinding of products from wooden material. The main task was to firmly secure the part and subsequent processing. This workbench was called classic. Times are changing, and the modern workbench is universal equipment, which has many functions and purposes.
table drawing
Workbench for garage features and types
A typical workbench consists of the following parts:
- voluminous tabletop several centimeters thick (up to 10-15 cm);
- base in the form of a frame on protruding legs;
- the second shelf located below the tabletop (serves for storing tools, spare parts, additional materials);
- drawers or shelves that increase the surface and storage area of the workbench.
Modern construction equipment is improving every day, this also affected the workbench. Despite the fact that the main purpose of the device is hand grinding and production of parts. According to their purpose, today, do-it-yourself garage workbenches come in several types:
- for universal processing;
- plumbing and carpentry;
- carpentry purposes.
locksmith table drawing
Workbench designs for the garage
The material from which the workbench is made also varies. Most often, a workbench is installed with your own hands in a garage or other utility room(in a barn, workshop, storage room), where the room area is small.
If you are going to install equipment. First, decide for what purposes it will be intended:
- minor repairs or minor plumbing work;
- you will start using it constantly (hobby, home or garden maintenance);
- to maintain the technical condition of the vehicle.
When installing a workbench, choose a location in the room that will:
- compact and stable;
- universal;
- well lit;
- carry out storage functions;
- a safe place for you and others;
A standard workbench has a height of up to 900 mm, and the width and length, depending on the installation location, can be from 1200 mm to 2500 mm and, accordingly, from 300 to 1000 mm.
workbench example
Wooden or metal
You can choose a suitable workbench for a garage to suit your size and taste on various construction sites. Presented here a large number of drawings.
When choosing between these manufacturing materials, you should determine the purpose of the future workbench.
Wooden model
For simple parts that do not require additional time, wooden will do a workbench in the garage on a frame made of strong wood or timber, assembled with your own hands into a rectangular structure and secured with self-tapping screws. To ensure that the base is well secured, wooden spacers are inserted between the legs into the base of the structure. You can attach an additional shelf below for storage.
The body of the tabletop is assembled from the material of the selected wood (beech, oak are best) and two sheets of plywood. All parts are fastened together using glue and self-tapping screws and sheathed along the edges. For safety, when working, the edges of the tabletop are trimmed with metal sheets, leaving the edges on the wall side.
Note! On construction forums, you can find drawings of a workbench for a garage with your own hands, in which it is recommended to take two cabinets, fastened together using a massive tabletop, as a basis. Similar design solves all problems related to storage and placement.
However, a wooden workbench has its disadvantages:
- the equipment is not designed for serious power load;
- it is difficult to place several necessary devices at the same time;
- the base material may not last long;
- the wooden surface is exposed to oils, paints, and cracks appear;
- there is a risk of fire.
Wooden workbench
Metal workbench
It is no less difficult to assemble a metal base for a future workbench. To assemble a workbench for a garage with your own hands, you need not only to know how to weld the base of future equipment, but also to have the skills to work with metal. Therefore, in order to collect metal workbench, you should have not only necessary equipment, but also special knowledge.
But, despite the complexity of assembly, there are advantages of making a metal workbench:
- reliability;
- compactness;
- ability to hold any load;
- mobility of moving the workbench for the garage (can be folded, disassembled, add additional elements)
- structural strength;
- possibility of configuration additional elements(vises, clamps);
- many functions performed (turning, grinding, cutting);
- the smooth surface of the tabletop does not allow metal dust and shavings to settle;
- saving time and costs;
- ease of care.
Metal workbench
How to make a wooden workbench
An alternative to inexpensive and easy-to-use equipment is wooden table a workbench made in the garage with your own hands. To make it, you will need:
- board with a treated surface, 40-50 mm long;
- rectangular box made of timber;
- self-tapping screws, nails, screws.
Tool:
- screwdriver or screwdriver;
- saw (hand or circular);
- hacksaw;
- roulette.
Important! Before making, be sure to prepare the material. The wood must dry completely before the base of the future workbench is cut from it.
Cutting and assembling material for a wooden workbench will not be difficult for one person. The basic rule is to follow the sequence during the assembly stages:
- The first step is to make the vertical legs of the future design.
- The next stage is the assembly of two spatial devices. To do this, we connect the base of the table surface and the frame. The resulting design is a finished frame.
- We install the countertop in the selected location in the garage. We fix it with a beam on the back side for a stable position and rigidity. Attach carefully - be careful not to get into the transition points of the crossbars into the frames.
- Finally, we put a shelf at the bottom. The board can be taken with a small thickness.
- We process all wooden surface special fire-retardant composition and water-based varnish.
Note! When making a wooden workbench, the use of nails is unacceptable. Use screws or self-tapping screws.
wooden workbench drawing
How to make a metal workbench
Before you begin installation, determine the height at which it will be located. Standard height– 90-1000 cm.
You will need:
- metal corners;
- profiled pipe with a diameter of 50-60 mm by 30-40 mm (the frame of the future structure will consist of it);
- metal sheet (base for tabletop 3 mm);
- dry edged board 40-50 mm;
- guide roller wheels;
- bolts, nuts, self-tapping screws;
- sheet of plywood or OSB board for drawers and walls.
Tools:
- Bulgarian;
- welding machine;
- roulette;
- electric drill;
- screwdriver;
- screwdriver.
Assembly steps:
- They begin to assemble the base of the desktop by welding all the metal components (legs, jumpers, corners).
- Elements that will be located in the horizontal and vertical parts are additionally equipped with bevels for greater strength.
- The table top is cut from metal sheet according to specified dimensions and welded to the pipes. Then, using self-tapping screws, it is screwed to the resulting base.
- Before installing shelves and drawers, corners are welded to the racks as guides.
- Roller wheels welded to the bottom of the drawers increase the stability of the workbench and allow the drawers to be locked and pulled out effortlessly.
Drawing of a metal workbench
Conclusion
It is worth assembling and installing a workbench in the garage only if you know how to use it in practice welding machine and are ready to follow safety rules when working.
If you like to work with your hands, then a workbench will be very useful. You can make such a structure yourself from metal. It will consist of a table top, which is mounted on a metal frame.
Design features of the product
A metal workbench can be carpentry or metalworking. The first type is quite simple to manufacture, but on the surface of the tabletop you can only work with wooden parts. This version of the product requires a cover made of wood or treated with linoleum. When trying to work with a metal workpiece on carpentry workbench the coating will absorb oils and metal shavings will damage the surface. Carpentry workbenches are made of wood, so they are not as stable as metal ones.
In the garage, metalwork structures are most often used. Using such equipment you can also work with metal workpieces. This piece of furniture in the workshop is universal. It is important to determine before starting work whether the tabletop will be single or multi-seat.
A metal workbench will have a bench, a lid, and a table. The penultimate element must be equipped with three-layer sides. Metal constructions are made with using MDF or a thick sheet of plywood, which is additionally covered metal sheet. It is important to eliminate the presence of sharp corners that the tabletop may have, which will prevent injury. It is important to provide the table with drawers that will be needed to store equipment. It is necessary to equip these components with guides that will prevent accidental falls. If there is a need to protect the wall where the table will be installed, you can install a special screen on it.
The legs should have a large surface area and also have superior strength. They are additionally strengthened together at the bottom. It is recommended to place a shelf for varnishes at the junction points, large instruments, components. Most often, steel workbenches are equipped with two disks, which have devices for emphasis. The presence of a clamping screw is important.
Preparation before starting work
A metal workbench can have completely different dimensions, but the most optimal width can be 60 cm, while the length can be equivalent to 1.5 meters. It is recommended to make the frame from profile pipe or There should be sockets and light sources near the table. For cutting metal, it is best to use a grinder. Prepare metal corners, the thickness of which is 3 cm. Their size should be 40 x 40 mm. Will also fit steel profiles, the cross-section of which is 30 x 50 millimeters. A metal strip will be needed to secure the desktop to the frame.
When a metal workbench is made, the tabletop is usually made of dry boards, the thickness of which is 50 millimeters, while the width of this element can vary from 100 to 150 millimeters. During the work you will need galvanized metal 2 millimeters thick. Strips of the same material will be needed to form sides that will protect against the effects of sparks. The length of one such strip should be equivalent to the length of the working surface.
Work on making a workbench
If you decide to make metal drawings, it is recommended to prepare them in advance. The parts are cut to size, and they need to be connected to each other by welding. If there is no need to install additional shelves, then the structure should be strengthened by means of stiffening ribs, which must be made from the same corner. They should be installed at a distance of 10 cm from the floor surface. The same distance is stepped down from the edge of the tabletop. The same manipulations are carried out with the central part of the table. In order to provide a higher height, square steel plates are welded onto the legs.
Features of the assembly
The drawing of a metal workbench, which is presented in the article (see photo above), will allow you to carry out the work correctly. After the main structure is assembled, you can begin to work on the frame. Using square steel corners with a side of 50 millimeters, you need to form a frame. Its length should be 20 cm longer compared to the dimensions of the structure. This is required to secure the vice. Then, in the place where the desktop will be attached to the main structure, steel strips should be welded, while a structure of corners is installed on them. Among other things, protective screens will need to be strengthened.
If you decide to make a metal workbench with your own hands, you should drill holes in the corner that is used for rigidity, as well as in the table top, to which the boards will be fixed. Most often, self-tapping screws with countersunk washers are used for this. On next stage the table top can be covered sheet metal, which is strengthened with self-tapping screws in advance drilled holes. The shelves can be painted or treated using a fire-retardant composition. To ensure more comfortable work, the part can be rigidly fixed. For this purpose, a vice is used, which contains parallel jaws. All processed elements can be fixed.
Finally
As you know, a metal workbench is very susceptible to moisture and corrosion. In order to extend the life of the product, you can treat it with a special paint designed for working on metal. This will make the design even more attractive in appearance.