The Trendy Workbench/Miter Station

The one-wall DIY workbench/makerspace that’s loaded with options like a replaceable prime, complete adjustability, room beneath for a rolling device chest, and…

My spouse says I insist on doing issues probably the most difficult manner potential. Whereas she is not fallacious, I do not do issues the laborious manner as a result of I’ve some type of work ethic. I do issues the laborious manner as a result of I need one thing a sure manner, and more often than not, that may’t be bought at a neighborhood field retailer. Just like how some guys want bespoke fits, I want bespoke workbenches.

A few of you might have been following alongside as I’ve transitioned my new store into my dream woodshop. It has come a great distance in simply a few months. What began as a dimly lit RV storage has developed into a fairly practical and brightly lit one-person woodshop. Be at liberty to take a look at the progress in certainly one of my movies or blogs.

On this weblog, I’ll go over what’s probably probably the most helpful addition I’ve carried out but. Not less than so far as my readers are involved. My previous enhancements embrace an enormous 5hp cyclone mud assortment system, a sliding desk noticed that’s 10′ throughout, and a small addition to the constructing itself. Not precisely gadgets everybody can add to their two or three-car storage. I’m very happy with this contemporary spin on the normal miter station workbench/workspace. Each inch of this design maximizes area, and far of it serves a number of functions. One thing everybody can profit from. Particularly the two-car storage guys.

Workbench Body Materials

For the bench body, I wished a cloth that was, most significantly, useless flat. Which instantly dominated out stable wooden. Stable wooden is simply too liable to seasonal fluctuations and can at all times transfer barely. Plywood was an possibility, however I feared it will lack the energy I wished. Not less than within the explicit design I had in thoughts. I wished an open entrance to allow me to slip in my rolling toolboxes. So conventional plywood cupboards weren’t going to work. Metal was a really viable possibility with a few drawbacks. First, I can not weld. So getting one thing customized made could be fairly costly. Second, I wished the bench to have the ability to be modified sooner or later. Within the very possible scenario I alter miter saws or device bins; I did not wish to have to start out utterly over. My choices had been getting narrower and narrower at this level. I briefly thought of unistrut. It is mainly flat, extraordinarily robust, cheap, and will be bolted collectively. I might need gone with unistrut if I hadn’t lastly considered the plain—aluminum extrusion.

Aluminum extrusion, often known as 8020, is what CNC frames are constructed from. It’s extremely flat, terribly robust, will be reduce with wooden instruments, and has seemingly limitless bolt-on equipment/brackets for full adjustability. Dearer than unistrut, however higher than almost another materials in nearly each manner. Once more, for the needs of my design. I am not saying you selected the fallacious materials on your bench… Even in case you did.

I discovered probably the most intimidating factor about extrusion is knowing which collection is which. I opted for 15 collection extrusion, which is 1.5″ in diameter. Nevertheless, there’s additionally 20 collection extrusion, which is measured in millimeters. So 20 collection is definitely smaller than 15 collection. So is 30 collection (additionally mm). Nevertheless, 15 collection is appropriate with most 40 collection {hardware} (40mm=1.57″). Bizarre proper? Anyway, the purpose is to make sure you are constant wherein extrusion you get and make sure the {hardware} you get can be appropriate along with your explicit collection.

This DIY workbench/outfeed desk/meeting desk construct is due to Bespoke Submit for sponsoring this video! Head to http://bspk.me/blacktail and use code BLAC…

8020 Extrusion Meeting

Assembling the benches was fairly straight ahead. I discussed earlier that I wished to slip in my rolling device bins beneath. Which is a characteristic I introduced from my outdated storage workshop and at all times appreciated. I’ve a 46″ and a 62″ rolling device chest. So I wanted to make the opening not less than 6″ bigger to permit me to parallel park the benches beneath. I opted to make the openings even bigger than that although to permit for bigger toolboxes to be added afterward.

I made all my cuts with my Evolution steel slicing noticed. Nevertheless, you may reduce aluminum along with your wooden slicing miter noticed if you’re cautious. I merely made one two-dimensional field from extrusion measuring 62×28″, one other one 72×28″, and a 3rd one 33×28″. All attachments had been carried out with easy 90-degree brackets and t-nuts. The primary field will match my 46″ toolbox, the second my 62″ toolbox, and the third will ‘float’ between the opposite two and maintain my miter noticed degree with the opposite two benches. It’s essential to check the vary of movement of your miter noticed to make sure you do not stumble upon both aspect once you swing all of it the way in which to left and proper. My 12” Bosch miter noticed wanted 33” to permit for full journey.

To economize and supplies, I drilled a gap within the extrusion and hooked up every part to the wall with building screws into studs. Then I awkwardly supported the entrance of the bench whereas measuring the space to the bottom. This measurement does not should be precise at this level. We’ll degree it later. Too brief is best than too lengthy although. Shimming up is less complicated than shortening the leg later.

So now I’ve two extrusion rectangles secured to the wall and supported by three legs. Two legs on one part, one leg on the longer part. The longer part is hooked up to 2 partitions, in liu of a second leg. Once more, maximizing the dimensions of my bench along with saving on supplies.

The middle part will probably be secured between the 2 bigger sections with the identical 90-degree brackets on the entrance after which hooked up to the wall with building screws on the again. To make sure I received the peak beneath my two longer sections good, I used my mixture sq. to get the peak of my miter noticed desk. Then simply transferred that to every aspect of the helps.

Now that I had a good skeleton of a workbench, I wanted to safe the legs. For this, I rifled by the framing brackets at Residence Depot till I discovered a 90-degree bracket that was 1.5″ broad. I hooked up these brackets to every leg with carriage bolts, then drilled holes instantly in my concrete flooring. I then secured every leg to the bottom with two Tapcon concrete anchors (the simplest ones I’ve discovered). Two of the legs wanted to be leveled, so earlier than bolting these brackets to the legs, I shimmed them up with taking part in playing cards. Then bolted all of them collectively (and eliminated the playing cards).

Workbench High materials

Identical to the body materials, I thought of a whole lot of supplies for the work floor. Stable wooden was out for a similar causes talked about earlier than; Plywood is infamous for warping, thick melamine or particleboard won’t be robust sufficient… Then there’s MDF. Medium-density fiberboard or MDF, can get a foul rap generally. I as soon as learn that it possesses the water resistant properties of a graham cracker. Which isn’t solely hilarious however spot on. Individuals additionally wish to lump it in with particle board so far as sturdiness goes. That is actually not a good comparability, although. MDF is shockingly robust. Simply check it your self a while with a dead-blow mallet. You may be amazed at how effectively it holds up. Not solely is it robust, however it is usually the flattest materials I’ve come throughout. So there isn’t a worrying about it bowing up on you down the highway. Identical to the CNC tables use extrusion, additionally they use MDF tops. For these similar causes.

sacrificial workbench prime

To handle the graham cracker paradox, my answer was easy, which was so as to add a sacrificial/replaceable prime to the MDF. I examine individuals including hardboard tops to their workbenches to allow them to easily change the broken ¼” prime yearly or two, as an alternative of changing the whole prime itself. I cherished this concept however wished to search out one thing extra elegant than hardboard (only for aesthetics). I used to be capable of finding ¼ MDF black melamine from a specialty plywood seller near my home. This will probably be influence resistant and nearly waterproof.

To safe the ½ MDF prime to the extrusion, I drilled some countersunk holes and used self-tapping sheet steel screws. Not probably the most elegant answer, nevertheless it works. To then safe the ¼” melamine to the MDF, I used everlasting double-sided tape. This sounds bizarre, however that’s what these hardboard guys had been utilizing, they usually mentioned it labored nice. I will maintain you posted on how effectively it really works over time, although.

All that was left was to safe my miter noticed to the bench with a couple of bolts. I did shim it up just some thousandths over the peak the benches left and proper, although. I hooked a store vac as much as a cyclone separator and hooked up that to my new Bosch miter noticed. There’ll nonetheless be mud, however I’m not a fan of these miter noticed coffins that folks construct in an try and include each spec of mud. Finally, I’ll work on some modifications to extend the effectiveness of the mud assortment, however for now, this should do. I not less than have it hooked to an iVac swap that begins my vac mechanically after I pull the set off and continues to run for a couple of further seconds earlier than shutting off mechanically.

If you’re taken with utilizing this precise design, the measurements are as follows: Left part, 62x28x41”. Middle part, 33x28x37”. Proper part, 72x28x41”. High was 1/2” MDF with a 1/4” melamine prime.

There will probably be tons extra to return on my store enhancements. Try the video on this construct for much more particulars on easy methods to create an excellent practical workspace utilizing only one wall.