Planning to Build Your Workbench
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One of the first things you need to do, after getting rid of junk and cleaning your garage, and getting all of your measurements, is to get yourself a place where you can work. This means putting a workbench in a convenient location in your garage.
If you have taken the time to do a proper layout, then knowing where you will place your workbench will already be determined. It will also help you determine the dimensions of the workbench table as well.
The typical dimensions of workbench are about three feet by six-eight feet. More than likely it will be placed along a wall in the lengthwise direction in a one car garage. Making the width larger than three feet will make it awkward to reach across.
In a two car garage you may have the space to put the workbench in the center of your garage allowing access from all sides. Or you may be able to put it along the wall but with the shorter width touching the wall. In this case, you can make the workbench wider than three feet as you will be able to walk around the table. You can add another foot or so to the width making the bench about four by six-eight feet.
As for the workbench itself, you will want to design it so that you have space to store items under the table due to the small space available to you in a garage. A comfortable height for a workbench is between 34 to 38 inches.
With this height, you should be able to design your workbench so that you can put shelfes under the table. One, a an inch above the ground, and the next shelf up at about 25 inches. This will give you a two foot shelf, and then a higher shelf with a little bit less than a foot for space.
On the higher shelf, it is a good idea to put in a sliding mechanism so that you can access the items that get put further in.
The last important factor for the workbench would be it's sturdiness. You can't have a wobbly workbench when you are trying to cut or sand your workpiece. By adding two layers of shelves, this will immediately help, but here are a few more ways to make your bench sturdier.
Use thick, heavy materials for all your bench pieces. Use corner braces for the legs. Use carriage bolts, not nails or screws. Crossbrace the legs.
These tips about should help you out before you start making your workbench plans and start building.
