# Wooden workbench suggestions



## biggs682 (16 Apr 2020)

Anybody got any suggestions or can vouch for any of the 100's of wooden work bench's for sale on the internet ?


----------



## Illaveago (16 Apr 2020)

Going by the rapid response it would seem that nobody has any kind words to say about them !


----------



## Illaveago (16 Apr 2020)

Just had a thought. I was wondering if Oak Furniture Land might have something which might be suitable . They are solid .


----------



## sheddy (16 Apr 2020)

I guess you get what you pay for.
Just be prepared to be disappointed and ready to change assembly & add extra bracing.

Many will be MDF.


----------



## All uphill (16 Apr 2020)

Mine's a solid old oak dining table. Just bolted the vice to it and ready for work.

Not sure if any of the charity shops are still delivering?


----------



## FrankCrank (16 Apr 2020)

....just a quick look, these look OK to me:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Garage-W...904878&hash=item20e9dd1878:g:0HcAAOSwjVVVwJ0R
You could always add a stronger top to make it heavy duty, ie mounting a vice


----------



## Fab Foodie (16 Apr 2020)

biggs682 said:


> Anybody got any suggestions or can vouch for any of the 100's of wooden work bench's for sale on the internet ?


I Built mine in the shed from 25mm Ply. Simple construction (your wood-yard might even cut pieces to size) and relatively cheap. Incorporates shelves underneath to store tools etc. Will post pics laters....


----------



## biggs682 (16 Apr 2020)

sheddy said:


> I guess you get what you pay for.
> Just be prepared to be disappointed and ready to change assembly & add extra bracing.
> 
> Many will be MDF.



Don't want MDF shelf or worktop



FrankCrank said:


> ....just a quick look, these look OK to me:
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Garage-W...904878&hash=item20e9dd1878:g:0HcAAOSwjVVVwJ0R
> You could always add a stronger top to make it heavy duty, ie mounting a vice



That's not bad although missing a back brace


----------



## screenman (16 Apr 2020)

Not a wood bench but these are so handy, we have bought some as presents and everyone loves them.


----------



## biggs682 (16 Apr 2020)

I think this is the best I have found so far just waiting for a couple of answers

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272063817672


----------



## Gunk (16 Apr 2020)

I have used two large Ikea chopping boards.


----------



## screenman (16 Apr 2020)

Well it looks OK, so simple to make though to a size that you want, all you need is a bench to cut the wood on.


----------



## raleighnut (16 Apr 2020)

screenman said:


> Well it looks OK, so simple to make though to a size that you want, all you need is a bench to cut the wood on.


You beat me to it


----------



## Randomnerd (16 Apr 2020)

Your local sawmill could do with your money. I run a small mill here and often run up a few benches in kit form.
Any good hardwood will do. 8 x 4” planks for the top and 4 x 4” legs with some 2 x 4 bracing all round. Handsaw, chisel, drill, a few dry pegs or bolts and you have (1) used up two days of lockdown (2) helped a local business (3) kept English woodland trade alive (4) got the perfect bench.
The EBay stuff is shite


----------



## Electric_Andy (16 Apr 2020)

Yes I'd agree with the above, get your own materials and you will get something twice as sturdy for the same money as a pre-knocked up new one. It's tricky at the moment though, depends how desperate you are to get one now. I had cast-offs from one of my Dad's properties, the old work tops from a kitchen. I have my vice on it, it's very sturdy and for extra support my vice is directly above the support legs. You could also order a big piece of stainless, it's very handy to have that as a surface instead of wood


----------



## Hugh Manatee (16 Apr 2020)

I recently fitted out my garage as a workshop and decided on two benches. A Clarke metal frame job from Machine Mart and one very similar to this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/new-hand...nch-mdf-top-/392430761859?hash=item5b5eb23783

The Clarke one is OK. I have the scroll saw bolted to it and the bandsaw at the other end. Not what I would call heavy duty though.

The wooden one is very good. I did the calculations and could barely buy the wood at the price it costs. Very easy to put together and once voted to the wall with a couple of metal L shaped brackets doesn't move. 

I then built a third bench based on this one but using 2 x 4 for the lathe. The lathe is now on the bought bench as I discovered that the lathe head rotates to allow bowl turning and my made bench wasn't big enough. (Boo!)

I would recommend that bench over the more expensive Clarke one. My only concern is the MDF top. I'm not sure if it is glued on as well. It might make replacing it in due course awkward but not impossible. 

I can take some photos if you want?


----------



## Electric_Andy (16 Apr 2020)

Or buy a cheaper one and beef it up yourself?


----------



## Hugh Manatee (16 Apr 2020)

Here's the bench I made and the corner of the purchased wooden bench.







I added doors to my bench. I can get better pics if needed! 

I just checked the seller of my bench and it was indeed a sawmill selling on e Bay.


----------



## Milkfloat (16 Apr 2020)

I have an old worktop that sits on freestanding shelves at either end. The only addition I have made to in it over 20 years is to bolt it to the wall to help when I really go at the vice mounted to the worktop. I know you said you don't want worktop, but what is the problem with it?


----------



## Profpointy (16 Apr 2020)

I bought one of these 

I think it was around £200 off Axminster. It isn't as nice as the £1500 de luxe Swedish ones but it is very good for what it is.


----------



## dodgy (16 Apr 2020)

I've got the 6 foot version of this and it's very, VERY well made. Not the cheapest, and it's now £20 more than what I paid just over a year ago.

View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076BT56TT


----------



## biggs682 (16 Apr 2020)

Randomnerd said:


> Your local sawmill could do with your money. I run a small mill here and often run up a few benches in kit form.
> Any good hardwood will do. 8 x 4” planks for the top and 4 x 4” legs with some 2 x 4 bracing all round. Handsaw, chisel, drill, a few dry pegs or bolts and you have (1) used up two days of lockdown (2) helped a local business (3) kept English woodland trade alive (4) got the perfect bench.
> The EBay stuff is shite



Well I agree with your comments.
If you want to do one in kit form and sort out the carriage then I am interested so let me know


----------



## biggs682 (16 Apr 2020)

Milkfloat said:


> I have an old worktop that sits on freestanding shelves at either end. The only addition I have made to in it over 20 years is to bolt it to the wall to help when I really go at the vice mounted to the worktop. I know you said you don't want worktop, but what is the problem with it?



Yes I want a worktop but not in MDF . 



Hugh Manatee said:


> Here's the bench I made and the corner of the purchased wooden bench.
> 
> View attachment 515414
> 
> ...



Thanks but ok at re pictures


----------



## raleighnut (16 Apr 2020)

Randomnerd said:


> Your local sawmill could do with your money. I run a small mill here and often run up a few benches in kit form.
> Any good hardwood will do. 8 x 4” planks for the top and 4 x 4” legs with some 2 x 4 bracing all round. Handsaw, chisel, drill, a few dry pegs or bolts and you have (1) used up two days of lockdown (2) helped a local business (3) kept English woodland trade alive (4) got the perfect bench.
> The EBay stuff is shite


I'd agree but use Pine* for the top planks but then I am a Cabinet Maker

* The bench top should be softer than the workpiece.


----------



## Randomnerd (16 Apr 2020)

raleighnut said:


> I'd agree but use Pine* for the top planks but then I am a Cabinet Maker
> 
> * The bench top should be softer than the workpiece.


Of course, a skin of softwood maybe. I imagined the OP would be hammering hubs or mounting truing stands...

@biggs682 ive only larch in stock at present, and the carriage would kill it for you. Surely there’s a local sawmill would run you up something suitable? pm me if you want me to ask my timber haulier - he runs wood into your neighbourhood and will know who’s making what.


----------



## ebikeerwidnes (16 Apr 2020)

I've got a Black and Decker workbench that I bought for my Dad - probably about 35 years ago - still works fine

However - has anyone got a system where they can use the workbench as a bike workstand - i.e. hold it up with a clamp while you work on it
I always used to just work on a bike with it upside down - but with all the stuff on the bars nowadays this is impractical - and hydraulic brakes can (maybe) have problems if turned upside down.


----------



## gbb (16 Apr 2020)

FrankCrank said:


> ....just a quick look, these look OK to me:
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Garage-W...904878&hash=item20e9dd1878:g:0HcAAOSwjVVVwJ0R
> You could always add a stronger top to make it heavy duty, ie mounting a vice


Im afraid to say, we use these a lot at work as flower assembly tables. The legs bend easily if struck, and they're not that sturdy, you certainly wouldnt want to mount a vice to them.


----------



## Fab Foodie (16 Apr 2020)

Apols, was 18mm ply but stiff and solid enough for the dimensions I had and the work I intend to do on it. @Hill Wimp has something similar for her craft work...it’s folding under the weight of wool....


----------



## derrick (16 Apr 2020)

FrankCrank said:


> ....just a quick look, these look OK to me:
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Garage-W...904878&hash=item20e9dd1878:g:0HcAAOSwjVVVwJ0R
> You could always add a stronger top to make it heavy duty, ie mounting a vice


Does not look heavy duty to me.


----------



## biggs682 (16 Apr 2020)

Profpointy said:


> I bought one of these
> 
> I think it was around £200 off Axminster. It isn't as nice as the £1500 de luxe Swedish ones but it is very good for what it is.



Just had a look at the Axminster website and they do look nice


----------



## biggs682 (16 Apr 2020)

screenman said:


> Not a wood bench but these are so handy, we have bought some as presents and everyone loves them.
> View attachment 515396




Is it one of these https://www.toolstation.com/keter-folding-work-bench/p10910 ?

Not sure if you could mount a vice on it ?


----------



## derrick (16 Apr 2020)

A couple of lenghs of 4x4. 2x4 and 2x6, and a little bit of work you can make a really solid bench.


----------



## Gunk (16 Apr 2020)

Mine must be the only decoupage bench in existence, recycled out of a cupboard from my daughters bedroom


----------



## Levo-Lon (16 Apr 2020)

I made one for work out of a length of kitchen work top and 4×2
Heavy but stable and about 1.2 m long


----------



## screenman (16 Apr 2020)

biggs682 said:


> Is it one of these https://www.toolstation.com/keter-folding-work-bench/p10910 ?
> 
> Not sure if you could mount a vice on it ?



No you cannot mount a vice on it but the grips that come with it are good, when I first got one I thought I may use it one day, no I use it almost every time I do some DIY, bike servicing, decorating, BBQ and lots more. Pops up in 2 seconds goes down in the same, I have no problem standing on it.


----------



## MontyVeda (16 Apr 2020)

what's the bench for?

If you're going to be sawing lengths of wood and chiselling out mortises, it needs to resist racking (is that the correct term?). If it's just for mending bikes or model making, then it won't need to be quite so bulky and sturdy.

A couple of paving slabs can be handy on the bottom shelf to give a light bench some weight, if you have some.


----------



## biggs682 (16 Apr 2020)

MontyVeda said:


> what's the bench for?
> 
> If you're going to be sawing lengths of wood and chiselling out mortises, it needs to resist racking (is that the correct term?). If it's just for mending bikes or model making, then it won't need to be quite so bulky and sturdy.
> 
> A couple of paving slabs can be handy on the bottom shelf to give a light bench some weight, if you have some.


Mostly bike related work


----------



## raleighnut (16 Apr 2020)

MontyVeda said:


> what's the bench for?
> 
> If you're going to be sawing lengths of wood and chiselling out mortises, it needs to resist racking (is that the correct term?). If it's just for mending bikes or model making, then it won't need to be quite so bulky and sturdy.
> 
> A couple of paving slabs can be handy on the bottom shelf to give a light bench some weight, if you have some.


Yep but it always surprises me when people have a heavy woodworking bench in a garden shed with a wooden (plank) floor then wonder why they struggle to chop out a mortice, you can see the floor 'bounce'


----------



## Profpointy (16 Apr 2020)

biggs682 said:


> Just had a look at the Axminster website and they do look nice



It isn't perfect and getting the vice lined up is slightly tricky, but the woodwork is good and once you add in the hardware I can't really see how they can do them for the money.


----------



## Fab Foodie (16 Apr 2020)

Profpointy said:


> It isn't perfect and getting the vice lined up is slightly tricky, but the woodwork is good and once you add in the hardware I can't really see how they can do them for the money.


My family are from Axminster and they're all cheap....


----------



## stephec (16 Apr 2020)

Fab Foodie said:


> My family are from Axminster and they're all cheap....


You'll end up being carpeted for jokes like that.


----------



## Fab Foodie (16 Apr 2020)

stephec said:


> You'll end up being carpeted for jokes like that.


We were constantly walked-over!


----------



## Randomnerd (16 Apr 2020)

Profpointy said:


> It isn't perfect and getting the vice lined up is slightly tricky, but the woodwork is good and once you add in the hardware I can't really see how they can do them for the money.


It’s only a guess, but the Latvian boy making them is paid tuppence ha’penny. That might be how they are cheap, no?


----------



## fossala (16 Apr 2020)

biggs682 said:


> I think this is the best I have found so far just waiting for a couple of answers
> 
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272063817672


I just got a pub style bench delivered from them the other day, good quality for the price.


----------



## derrick (16 Apr 2020)

biggs682 said:
I think this is the best I have found so far just waiting for a couple of answers

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272063817672
Looks like a few bits of 4x2 nailed together. My 13 year old grandaughter could do better than that.


----------



## slowmotion (17 Apr 2020)

fossala said:


> I just got a pub style bench delivered from them the other day, good quality for the price.


It looks pretty much ideal for bike-related stuff. There's no point in buying an immaculate solid beech worktop if it's going to get slathered in grease and road crap. A laminate surface should be fine.


----------



## gavroche (18 Apr 2020)

I made my own bespoke one. The only trouble is, the ceiling in my cellar is quite low and , when I forget, I keep banging my head on one of the beams. 
Many swear words have been said, both French or English, depending on the intensity of the knock on my head.


----------



## rogerzilla (18 Apr 2020)

Workbenches should be beech (hard and dense) but it is expensive.

I wouldn't buy from Oak Furnitureland due to concerns that I might be buying part of the Amazon rainforest. This is deeply unconvincing: 

https://www.oakfurnitureland.co.uk/page/sourcing-annual-report.html

WWF gave them zero for sustainability


----------



## Tail End Charlie (18 Apr 2020)

A bit late to the party, but I'd just get some 4x2, make a frame and mount a kitchen worktop on it. It's what I did and I used a 3m worktop, gives loads of space, vice one end, bike support the other.


----------



## Profpointy (19 Apr 2020)

rogerzilla said:


> Workbenches should be beech (hard and dense) but it is expensive.
> 
> I wouldn't buy from Oak Furnitureland due to concerns that I might be buying part of the Amazon rainforest. This is deeply unconvincing:
> 
> ...



Whilst I 've not read the link, surely oak doesn't grow in the Amazon, whatever the failings of said shop


----------



## Andy in Germany (19 Apr 2020)

I use a beechwood bench from Ulmia, fortunately I was able to get it from a colleague who had shut up his carpentry business.

Depending on your budget, you could try the Dictum shop, which is where most craftspersons in Germany go. Be warned though, that's a dangerous website...

On the other direction Paul Sellers has tutorials on all things woodwork and includes one on how to make a workbench from scratch using builders pine from a timber yard. Mindful that many people assume you already have a workbench he deliberately shows a method where you can start with rough cut pine and work on a trestle in the garden. I think he's since made a tutorial on how to make a trestle without a workbench.


----------



## Tail End Charlie (19 Apr 2020)

Andy in Germany said:


> I use a beechwood bench from Ulmia, fortunately I was able to get it from a colleague who had shut up his carpentry business.
> 
> Depending on your budget, you could try the Dictum shop, which is where most craftspersons in Germany go. Be warned though, that's a dangerous website...
> 
> On the other direction Paul Sellers has tutorials on all things woodwork and includes one on how to make a workbench from scratch using builders pine from a timber yard. Mindful that many people assume you already have a workbench he deliberately shows a method where you can start with rough cut pine and work on a trestle in the garden. I think he's since made a tutorial on how to make a trestle without a workbench.


Paul Sellers is indeed very good. The most important thing for a bench is stability, then it depends on what you're using it for. A woodworker ideally needs to be able to get all the way round it and for it to have a sacrificial top. For us, mere bike fettlers, things are different, but softwood 4x2 would be fine.


----------



## furball (20 Apr 2020)

biggs682 said:


> I think this is the best I have found so far just waiting for a couple of answers
> 
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272063817672


The top looks like a cheap laminate kitchen worktop. Basically chipboard therefore prone to damage from blows.


----------



## Profpointy (20 Apr 2020)

Andy in Germany said:


> I use a beechwood bench from Ulmia, fortunately I was able to get it from a colleague who had shut up his carpentry business.
> 
> Depending on your budget, you could try the Dictum shop, which is where most craftspersons in Germany go. Be warned though, that's a dangerous website...
> 
> On the other direction Paul Sellers has tutorials on all things woodwork and includes one on how to make a workbench from scratch using builders pine from a timber yard. Mindful that many people assume you already have a workbench he deliberately shows a method where you can start with rough cut pine and work on a trestle in the garden. I think he's since made a tutorial on how to make a trestle without a workbench.



Paul Sellers does a video where he speaks to the camera and quite casually planes a rough piece of sawn wood maybe four foot by one into a perfect flat surface in about 5 minutes. It's clearly dead easy ! Of course, if any of us tried it, it isn't easy at all - but he's been doing it for 50 years and is extremely good at it.


----------



## Andy in Germany (20 Apr 2020)

furball said:


> The top looks like a cheap laminate kitchen worktop. *Basically chipboard therefore prone to damage from blows*.



And _soaked _in formaldehyde. Lovely stuff...


----------



## Andy in Germany (20 Apr 2020)

Profpointy said:


> Paul Sellers does a video where he speaks to the camera and quite casually planes a rough piece of sawn wood maybe four foot by one into a perfect flat surface in about 5 minutes. It's clearly dead easy ! Of course, if any of us tried it, it isn't easy at all - but he's been doing it for 50 years and is extremely good at it.



I know, it's astonishing to watch, he makes beautiful dovetails in seconds as well, it's quite depressing.

On the other hand, I use his method for sharpening chisels and plane blades and it's faster and more effective than what I was taught in college...


----------



## biggs682 (21 Apr 2020)

Well a local carpentry company has been in touch so have given them an idea of what I want so will see what they come back with . 

Had another reply from a local wood and hand made furniture supplier and they were not interested at all , but did volunteer to help in the future if we needed a new kitchen


----------



## Mr Celine (23 Apr 2020)

DIY, constructed over twenty years ago from scrap wood and chipboard -







And when not in use it's flipped out of the way to allow access to the freezer -


----------



## stephec (23 Apr 2020)

Mr Celine said:


> DIY, constructed over twenty years ago from scrap wood and chipboard -
> 
> View attachment 517376
> 
> ...


I like the way you keep your porn pictures hidden under there as well. 😂


----------



## slowmotion (23 Apr 2020)

If the bench is for bike stuff, what exactly are the brutal operations that require it to be extra sturdy? If you are chopping out mortice and tenons in hardwood, I can see that you don't want the workpiece to wander off when you smack it hard...…..but fiddling about with a bike....????????


----------



## derrick (24 Apr 2020)

slowmotion said:


> If the bench is for bike stuff, what exactly are the brutal operations that require it to be extra sturdy? If you are chopping out mortice and tenons in hardwood, I can see that you don't want the workpiece to wander off when you smack it hard...…..but fiddling about with a bike....????????


You need to bolt a descent vice to it.


----------



## slowmotion (24 Apr 2020)

derrick said:


> You need to bolt a descent vice to it.


I agree, but the sort of things you do to bike parts don't need a rock steady platform. It may be metalwork, but it's not exactly blacksmith territory.


----------



## biggs682 (24 Apr 2020)

slowmotion said:


> If the bench is for bike stuff, what exactly are the brutal operations that require it to be extra sturdy? If you are chopping out mortice and tenons in hardwood, I can see that you don't want the workpiece to wander off when you smack it hard...…..but fiddling about with a bike....????????



I suppose the most grief it will get is when trying to remove frozen seat posts and or bottom bracket cups


----------



## jowwy (24 Apr 2020)

Mr Celine said:


> DIY, constructed over twenty years ago from scrap wood and chipboard -
> 
> View attachment 517376
> 
> ...


that freezer top needs a damn good clean and disinfect....no way i would put food in that


----------



## Mr Celine (24 Apr 2020)

jowwy said:


> that freezer top needs a damn good clean and disinfect....no way i would put food in that


The food goes in it not on it. 
It does tend to get used as an impromptu worktop for small jobs like stirring paint cans or cleaning paint brushes, which is what most of the ingrained stains are.


----------



## jowwy (24 Apr 2020)

Mr Celine said:


> The food goes in it not on it.
> It does tend to get used as an impromptu worktop for small jobs like stirring paint cans or cleaning paint brushes, which is what most of the ingrained stains are.


personally i still wouldn't put food in it, but its your and its upto you


----------



## Randomnerd (24 Apr 2020)

Here you are @Mr Celine. Straight from @jowwy ’s conscience. I trust you feel thoroughly ashamed of yourself. Thank heavens we are all here to show you the error of your ways!!


----------



## Mr Celine (24 Apr 2020)

Randomnerd said:


> Here you are @Mr Celine. Straight from @jowwy ’s conscience. I trust you feel thoroughly ashamed of yourself. Thank heavens we are all here to show you the error of your ways!!



The inside, where the food goes, is regularly cleaned and defrosted. I'd better not post a photo of my veg plot, there's food in there stored in mud.


----------



## jowwy (24 Apr 2020)

Mr Celine said:


> The inside, where the food goes, is regularly cleaned and defrosted. I'd better not post a photo of my veg plot, there's food in there stored in mud.


i shoot in my toilet, but i still keep it clean and disinfected........and food isn't stored in mud, its grown, then its cleaned and prepped, bagged before going into freezers, supermarkets etcetc.......unless yours goes from garden straight to the freezer, still covered in shoot


----------



## Mr Celine (24 Apr 2020)

jowwy said:


> ..and food isn't stored in mud,


I thought you were Welsh, you ought to know you don't need to lift leeks when they stop growing. Or parsnips. 


jowwy said:


> bagged before going into freezers


If not bagged then in boxes or other containers, the contents of which is not going to come into contact with the paint stains on the outside of the freezer.

Do you have any comments to make on the topic of the thread, which is workbenches?


----------



## jowwy (24 Apr 2020)

Mr Celine said:


> I thought you were Welsh, you ought to know you don't need to lift leeks when they stop growing. Or parsnips.
> 
> If not bagged then in boxes or other containers, the contents of which is not going to come into contact with the paint stains on the outside of the freezer.
> 
> Do you have any comments to make on the topic of the thread, which is workbenches?


you still clean leeks/parsnips before you store them though..........hope you wash your hands better than you clean the outside of that freezer

yes i do have ideas on workbenches, build your own to the spec you want and keep it clean and tidy. Hope that helps


----------



## Mr Celine (24 Apr 2020)

jowwy said:


> you still clean leeks/parsnips before you store them though.....


FFS you clean them before you use them. You don't need to lift and store them first, they're fine where they are, in the mud, all winter, not growing, just stored where they are.


----------



## jowwy (24 Apr 2020)

Mr Celine said:


> FFS you clean them before you use them. You don't need to lift and store them first, they're fine where they are, in the mud, all winter, not growing, just stored where they are.


but you still clean them......thats my point. the same as you eat off clean plates, you don't stop cleaning them, just cause they are going to get food on them again......

anyway you've gone off topic again


----------



## Tail End Charlie (25 Apr 2020)

Only on cyclechat, where a request for wooden bench ideas turns into the best way to store parsnips!


----------



## Gunk (25 Apr 2020)

You could always just use the garden table 😂


----------



## Randomnerd (25 Apr 2020)

You don’t _eat _off that grubby table do you? 😄😄😄


----------



## biggs682 (25 Apr 2020)

Well the three people who were preparing quotes for me at the begining of the week have failed to both  so i think i will give them till Sunday pm then i am ordering off line


----------



## Gunk (25 Apr 2020)

Randomnerd said:


> You don’t _eat _off that grubby table do you? 😄😄😄



Of course 😂


----------



## jowwy (25 Apr 2020)

Gunk said:


> Of course 😂





Randomnerd said:


> You don’t _eat _off that grubby table do you? 😄😄😄


I’m hoping you ate off plates that were clean and placed on the table.....once the table was wiped down


----------



## Gunk (25 Apr 2020)

jowwy said:


> I’m hoping you ate off plates that were clean and placed on the table.....once the table was wiped down



Why would you wipe down a garden table? We do eat off plates!  We’re not complete savages.

Don’t worry the plates are clean


----------



## Profpointy (25 Apr 2020)

Plates are always clean in our place. The dog cleans them for us before they go back in the cupboard


----------



## Randomnerd (25 Apr 2020)

Look at the state of that knife! Jeeezus wept. I’m glad _I’m _not eating that delicious salmon salad with those mucky irons. And _screw-top!!!! _You do realise that’s e-coli just waiting to happen.

In other thread news, @biggs682 we’re all on the edge of our seats about this bench. Only when you have it we can close down this thread and stop worrying about the cleanliness of our homes. I’ve just Detolled the dog, @jowwy will be glad to know.


----------



## biggs682 (25 Apr 2020)

@Randomnerd well i am glad others are worried about my bench as well as me .

Glad to hear that you have detolled the dog , just don't forget your daily swig of disinfectant before you go to bed


----------



## Gunk (25 Apr 2020)

biggs682 said:


> @Randomnerd well i am glad others are worried about my bench as well as me .
> 
> Glad to hear that you have detolled the dog , just don't forget your daily swig of disinfectant before you go to bed



I prefer to inject it


----------



## JPBoothy (26 Apr 2020)

rogerzilla said:


> Workbenches should be beech (hard and dense) but it is expensive.
> 
> I wouldn't buy from Oak Furnitureland due to concerns that I might be buying part of the Amazon rainforest. This is deeply unconvincing:
> 
> ...


And as implied above, why buy a piece of furniture quality kit for spreading grease on etc..


----------



## screenman (26 Apr 2020)

https://video.search.yahoo.com/sear...c54d775e27b0e6b1f48972e05f6de551&action=click


----------



## jowwy (26 Apr 2020)

Randomnerd said:


> Look at the state of that knife! Jeeezus wept. I’m glad _I’m _not eating that delicious salmon salad with those mucky irons. And _screw-top!!!! _You do realise that’s e-coli just waiting to happen.
> 
> In other thread news, @biggs682 we’re all on the edge of our seats about this bench. Only when you have it we can close down this thread and stop worrying about the cleanliness of our homes. I’ve just Detolled the dog, @jowwy will be glad to know.


Looks like those knifes are being used to eat his food with and were clean before doing.....stop trying to derail the thread and trying to make others look like pigs, just cause I pointed out your stinking freezer, move on


----------



## screenman (26 Apr 2020)

Made this yesterday from an old patio bench and some scraps.


----------



## Andy in Germany (26 Apr 2020)

screenman said:


> Made this yesterday from an old patio bench and some scraps.
> View attachment 518106



I like that. In fact, it looks more like a patio table, very smart.

You could get the best of both worlds and add an old kitchen worktop on top; it would be stable enough with that base, and would allow for a clamp or similar and avoid bits falling through the gaps. If you make a sort of inverted tray it would be secure enough while protecting the table beneath.

(Disclaimer: End user must make a full risk assessment of the hygiene implications of this strategy.)


----------



## screenman (26 Apr 2020)

Andy it is a patio table, my work bench is 7ft long made of steel and takes 4 people to move it, I am very lucky when it comes to workspace


----------



## Andy in Germany (26 Apr 2020)

screenman said:


> Andy it is a patio table, my work bench is 7ft long made of steel and takes 4 people to move it, I am very lucky when it comes to workspace



If it's anything like mine the actual usable area is probably still about the size of a piece of A4 paper...


----------



## screenman (26 Apr 2020)

Andy in Germany said:


> If it's anything like mine the actual usable area is probably still about the size of a piece of A4 paper...



I will try and sort a picture out, you will be shocked.


----------



## Mr Celine (26 Apr 2020)

screenman said:


> I will try and sort a picture out, you will be shocked.


With a freshly laundered and ironed tablecloth please, otherwise it might upset @jowly.


----------



## Tenacious Sloth (26 Apr 2020)

D.I.Y. brings me out in a rash, so I would never profess to be any kind of expert when it comes to workbenches.

But one thing that surprises me is that you don’t see more triangular workbenches, as three legs are inherently more stable than four. Pushed up against a wall with a vice on one of the exposed edges would still give you another decent sized edge to sit and work at.


----------



## jowwy (26 Apr 2020)

Mr Celine said:


> With a freshly laundered and ironed tablecloth please, otherwise it might upset @jowly.


The names jowwy...........another butt hurt poster using other people’s posts to detract from his own poor hygiene standards. Stop derailing the thread


----------



## Andy in Germany (26 Apr 2020)

Tenacious Sloth said:


> D.I.Y. brings me out in a rash, so I would never profess to be any kind of expert when it comes to workbenches.
> 
> But one thing that surprises me is that you don’t see more triangular workbenches, as three legs are inherently more stable than four. Pushed up against a wall with a vice on one of the exposed edges would still give you another decent sized edge to sit and work at.



That would be awkward for woodworking, because you need to be able to lay quite long bits of wood onto the bench and plane them, amongst other things. For smaller things like jewelry making or watchmaking they'd perhaps work, but that would probably also mean a bespoke desk.


----------



## PapaZita (27 Apr 2020)

My father built a bench based on this design (the wooden one at the top) from an old Reader's Digest DIY manual. It's about 50 years old now, and still solid. I liked it, so I built a couple more for myself. It's sturdy, simple to build, and easy to modify the size to your needs.


----------



## Randomnerd (27 Apr 2020)

You got the bench yet @biggs682?
@Mr Celine got a vid for you for lockdown 
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQxD5_KtBuQ


----------



## Tenacious Sloth (27 Apr 2020)

Randomnerd said:


> You got the bench yet @biggs682?
> @Mr Celine got a vid for you for lockdown
> View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQxD5_KtBuQ



That’s the creepiest D.I.Y. Video I’ve ever seen.


----------



## Randomnerd (27 Apr 2020)

Tenacious Sloth said:


> That’s the creepiest D.I.Y. Video I’ve ever seen.


 I think I would have left it at the red lead stage! Uber creepy. Love his rubbish strewn house. Classic.


----------



## newfhouse (27 Apr 2020)

I imagine the freezer contents would keep the local police forensics department busy for a while


----------



## neil_merseyside (28 Apr 2020)

You could still see the red lead/poor prep underneath the finish coat. Should have left it alone.
Factoid (or fable?) international orange is posh name for Red Lead on Golden Gate Bridge.


----------



## screenman (29 Apr 2020)

Workbench,


----------



## screenman (29 Apr 2020)

I like a tidy work area.


----------



## slowmotion (29 Apr 2020)

PapaZita said:


> My father built a bench based on this design (the wooden one at the top) from an old Reader's Digest DIY manual. It's about 50 years old now, and still solid. I liked it, so I built a couple more for myself. It's sturdy, simple to build, and easy to modify the size to your needs.
> 
> View attachment 518432


I really like the look of the timber version. Scaled down, it would be ideal for a mini lathe, probably with a couple of layers of laminate kitchen worktop as the top surface.


----------



## Cuchilo (7 May 2020)

screenman said:


> I like a tidy work area.


So do I 😷


----------



## bikingdad90 (7 May 2020)

screenman said:


> Workbench,
> View attachment 518665


Wish I could have a house with a double garage; instead got to make do with a single.


----------



## Gunk (8 May 2020)

bikingdad90 said:


> Wish I could have a house with a double garage; instead got to make do with a single.



Me too


----------



## screenman (8 May 2020)

A double garage is nice, but looking back my average working week over the last 45 years has been 60+ hours, I would not have got it otherwise.


----------



## Davos87 (3 Jun 2020)

Randomnerd said:


> You got the bench yet @biggs682?
> @Mr Celine got a vid for you for lockdown
> View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQxD5_KtBuQ



Looks like hes doing it up to store a body.


----------



## Ludwig (3 Jun 2020)

Here is a workbench I made from salvaged wood. You can use old scaffolding planks, pallets, doors and 4x2 and 2x2 and old plywood.


----------

