Workbench

I found a company in Chicago that installs oak truck flooring that is a full one to 1 1/4" thick and 12 to 24' long. I built a frame out of 2 x 4's in an L' shape, making the width of the bench over 7' and the depth 24" for 4 of the 7 feet and 36" for the other 3' of the width. My wood vise is on the front of the 36" part of the top and my machinist's vise is on the corner of the 24" portion of the top. I like the extra depth for working on projects. I finished the bench with a two part concrete floor epoxy, which made the surface virtually impervious to liquids, filings etc. I am not sure what the height of the bench is, but I made it a happy medium between what my work stool could adjust to and what was comfortable to stand in front of. Most projects don't give me the luxury of sitting on my stool, so the standing height was most important. I also cut six square holes in the bench top for bench stops and four round holes for bolts that drop down below the bench surface until needed. The bolts can be pushed up from underneath the bench top to anchor moveable bench clamps that have slots in the bottom for the bolt heads. I used scrap truck flooring to put a 3" backsplash on the bench top and it has been helpful for containing spills or rolling parts. The six legs are 4 x 4" and connected to a 2 x 4" frame and they sit on 2 x 4's that run from front to back. All contact points have lag screws or carriage bolts, with the bench top srews countersunk and filled with Water Putty. I am guessing that this bench can safely hold 2,000 pounds.

I agree with the photo caption, that is a really fine looking workbench - the parquet flooring really gives it a nice finish :) I'm looking forward to building one that nice eventually. Until then, I've settled for a saw horse with planks on top - sort of a mix between a workbench and a workbench stand. (see http://hopelesshandyman.blogspot.com). This has saved me from kneeling on the floor and certainly made it a lot safer for when I'm working with the kids.