Shed workbench designs

ausdb

Being who he is
@Haakon go the pallet racking like @ozzybmx and @creaky and use something like these as levellers (just drill and through bolt them once you get the rack/bench plumb and level.)
or do as @Dales Cannon says and stick some metal together with the high temp sparkly glue gun rather than mess around with timber.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Seriously, the metal systems are a non starter here, anything with 4 legs. This really has to attach at two points only - wall at the back of the bench top, and legs on the floor at the front.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Seriously, the metal systems are a non starter here, anything with 4 legs. This really has to attach at two points only - wall at the back of the bench top, and legs on the floor at the front.
Show some pics. Bit of 50 rhs glued together is quick and easy and solid. Fix a rail to the wall and two feets at the front with some flatbar on the bottom to the concrete. Then cover the top with some timber planking. I like that bunnies stuff, we made #2 a coffee table from it, but it wouldn't survive being a bench top at my place.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
You guys are Rufus rough guts, you don't bash things with a hammer on a benchtop, you do that on the ground or in a vice.
I think the thing I’m most excited about it having somewhere to mount a proper vice… I’ve been making do without for decades!
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Show some pics. Bit of 50 rhs glued together is quick and easy and solid. Fix a rail to the wall and two feets at the front with some flatbar on the bottom to the concrete. Then cover the top with some timber planking. I like that bunnies stuff, we made #2 a coffee table from it, but it wouldn't survive being a bench top at my place.
Some “interesting” choices were made back in the 60s when this was built!!
5407404F-4E93-4BC4-992B-4F1A98234F7D.jpeg
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
First, get rid of the double adapter unless you want fires.
Second run some more points, especially above the bench.
Thrid that will work fine if you dynabolt an angle of some sort to the block wall and then make up a frame that has two legs and a beam to sit on the angle. Bolt to both. Then cover the top with gay abandon.
Going to be tight getting the mill, the lathes, the bandsaws and press in there.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
You guys are Rufus rough guts, you don't bash things with a hammer on a benchtop, you do that on the ground or in a vice.
My big vice has a flat plate on the back that gets most of the heavy pounding (minds out of the gutter) but an anvil would be betterer, even a small one of 50kg ish.
 

ausdb

Being who he is
You guys are Rufus rough guts, you don't bash things with a hammer on a benchtop, you do that on the ground or in a vice.
Yes but what is the vice attached to, when you are hammering on it?
It's @Haakon pics would be too easy, as it's not a French car.
EDIT, @Haakon I take that back I didn't see your post above. The funky concrete looks like the footing for the wall.
I'm with @Dales Cannon if four legs is too hard. Mount said vice as close as possible to one of the vertical legs to transfer hammering forces to the ground, job done.
 
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Flow-Rider

Burner
Yes but what is the vice attached to, when you are hammering on it?
It's @Haakon pics would be too easy, as it's not a French car.
I'm with @Dales Cannon if four legs is too hard. Mount said vice as close as possible to one of the vertical legs to transfer hammering forces to the ground, job done.
You can clamp small things in a vice to say knock a bearing out, rather than mark all the top of the bench, the other stuff you can do on the floor with a piece of hardwood timber or with an anvil. I actually have a steel plate bench outside but many on here wouldn't fabricate stuff as I do.
 
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Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Yes but what is the vice attached to, when you are hammering on it?
It's @Haakon pics would be too easy, as it's not a French car.
EDIT, @Haakon I take that back I didn't see your post above. The funky concrete looks like the footing for the wall.
I'm with @Dales Cannon if four legs is too hard. Mount said vice as close as possible to one of the vertical legs to transfer hammering forces to the ground, job done.
I was mounting the vice on the Renault. No other reason for it to be there surely?
 

rextheute

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Is it easier to ‘ make a section level ‘ ie a 2m x 4 m section , follow thru on the mount to wall and floor theory , utilising all the ideas from previous shed nerds .
the Bunnings chi racking is fast n easy , form ply top , and a piece of old railway track for an anvil @Dales Cannon
Personally I would be bolting the vice to a floor post if you can get away with it?

I have a vice on a portable bench - good for holding shit .
and one on a bench that is made from an old bridge - older hardwood than me !
but the vice is mounted securely enough to to go to town on shit , so yeah .. there’s that .

As per @Flow-Rider , any heavy duty ‘ mechanic ing ‘ involves the floor and swearing .
 

cokeonspecialtwodollars

Fartes of Portingale
Some “interesting” choices were made back in the 60s when this was built!!View attachment 397791
Thinking outside of the box here but could the bench run along the length of the back wall where the Ryobi box is sitting in your photo? I'm assuming that the floor is level in that direction and then the wall with outlet could be shadow board for tool storage and shelves etc. At least this way you aren't standing on an awkward sideways angle while you're working at the bench.

Edit: Like this.
5407404F-4E93-4BC4-992B-4F1A98234F7D~2.jpeg
 
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Haakon

Keeps on digging
Thinking outside of the box here but could the bench run along the length of the back wall where the Ryobi box is sitting in your photo? I'm assuming that the floor is level in that direction and then the wall with outlet could be shadow board for tool storage and shelves etc. At least this way you aren't standing on an awkward sideways angle while you're working at the bench.

Edit: Like this.
View attachment 397816
Good idea, but am wanting to create some storage spaces up in the bat cave void.

I still feel like I want to frame this in timber though… Don’t have a welder for a start, but feels like it will be easier to work around the wonky floor.
 

cokeonspecialtwodollars

Fartes of Portingale
Good idea, but am wanting to create some storage spaces up in the bat cave void.

I still feel like I want to frame this in timber though… Don’t have a welder for a start, but feels like it will be easier to work around the wonky floor.
That's fair and I'm probably starting to move well outside the original scope but you could put in a small set of stairs to access the area above the bench which can still be bat cave storage. Don't underestimate how much of a toll standing on uneven ground for extended periods will take on your body.

5407404F-4E93-4BC4-992B-4F1A98234F7D~2.jpeg
 

Nambra

Definitely should have gone to specsavers
That's fair and I'm probably starting to move well outside the original scope but you could put in a small set of stairs to access the area above the bench which can still be bat cave storage. Don't underestimate how much of a toll standing on uneven ground for extended periods will take on your body.

View attachment 397817
Reckon standing on that slope would drive you nuts, you'll also feel super tall at one end of your workbench and super small at the other!

@Haakon, might be smart to actually step the benches down the slope, and/or build a raised level deck to stand on to give your feet something flat to stand on.

1678693940606.png
 
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