The Ultimate shooting enthusiast work bench

[doc Russia]

So, I have pretty much cleaned up the garage for the first time since I moved into this house over a year ago. I finally am getting it to a workable space instead of a place to park cars and park junk. Along the back wall, I am going to put a work bench in. It will be 8' long since the gun safe is bolted in place to the foundation on one side, there is a wall on the other, and 8' is a nice round number. It will give me a few inches to spare. Because the garage is designed with an elevation around the edge, one leg will have to be about 4" longer than the others.
I am planning on spaces for the following (from left to right):
small anvil
hard vise
soft vise
drill press (a small one one)
reloading press.
The back will be pegboard, set 32" from the front edge, and actually attached to the wall.
There is a power strip hanging over the safe, which I will use.

I am kind of sending this out there to see if others have any good ideas for how to put together a work bench.

Any particular surface you would recommend?
Lighting recommendations?
Is there a way to change out the vises/anvil?
What, if anything, should go under the bench regarding storage?
How best to bolt it to the wall?

I have a separate shelving unit dedicated to ammo, so that is taken care of.

I am looking forward to everyone's ideas.

[Fill]

Must be something in the air, I just spent the last 2 days cleaning and re-arranging stuff in the garage to make space for an 8' workbench and some shelves. Back in the 'carving duplicator' thread this self-leveling epoxy was brought up by HTRN.

The cost is reasonable for a small bench, and having a reference plane will improve the quality of anything you cut or assemble on the bench. I called and talked to the folks at the link, and they gave me some ideas. I was thinking of cutting a dado around the interior of a ring of 2X4s, about 1/4" down, putting a piece of plywood in the groove, and attaching legs to the bottom. Then just add epoxy to the top.

How deep are you thinking of making your bench? And instead of making short legs, why not just attach to the wall?

[Darrell]

If you're going to mount a vise, put it on one corner of the workbench, and have it mounted so you get sufficient overhang to clear the table at the front, diagonal and the side (assuming your vise will pivot on its base). Keep at least one corner of the bench free and open, this will be the part of the bench you'll use the most. Putting a workbench into a room corner is not the best idea. Actually, I think it's best if the workbench is freestanding, so you can work from all four sides. Putting it on locking casters can help when you need to move it.

I've built workbenches at my job, usually of 2" or 3"x3/16" or 1/4" steel angle, all welded, and using a 1/4" 4'x8' steel top, attached to the frame with flathead bolts so it's flat on top. Very stout for industrial use. Of course, I didn't have to pay for the materials. I've had to use workbenches built by others, and had to deal with poor design/lack of planning--trying to use a workbench when all four corners are tied up with vises and such can be maddening. You might consider getting one or two underdrawer units for storage.

[doc Russia]

Love the idea of the epoxy.
The bench will be 32" deep. I am a little over 6' tall, and can easily reach back that far. I was planning on having a backstop on three sides (about 1-2" high) and a small shelf at the back. the bench will be in a corner. Kind of have to do it that way. There will be a free corner, though. I also really appreciate the idea of using T-rails to switch stuff out.

Attaching to the wall mibght work, but I don't think it will be as stable as if it had its own legs. I could be wrong, and will talk to CC about that.

[DwightG]

I like free standing benches. You get to take them with you if you move or even if you just need to rearrange the furniture. My shop floor plan has adjusted several times over the years. I built mine out of 2x3 rectangular tubing welded together. The top is 3 layers of 3/4 plywood glue-laminated together with 1/4" of tempered Masonite on the top. The Masonite was given multiple coats of verathane. It's 32" wide and 36" tall and has a heavy bench vise on one corner. I built threaded leveling feet since concrete floors are never flat or level and I hate a rocking workbench. I had a friend who's a cabinet maker built a series of 18 relatively shallow drawers to fill the space under the bench. The bottom of it is high enough above the floor to run a push broom under. It's held up very well for 30 years under all sorts of use.

[DwightG]

I don't mount reloading presses to freestanding benches, unless they've got something to bring the load forward of the tabletop (and of the pivot point of the press, or whatever else is acting as a lever arm on the bench) at least six inches. Otherwise, you can tip the thing over (even if it weights 300lbs... ask me how I know).

Yup. That's why my loading bench (I've posted pics of it here before) is an "L" configuration. The leg of the L gives it that forward load bearing point you mention so that it can be free standing. It's also modular. Assembled it's 4-1/2 x 6-1/2 ft but unbolts into (2) 3ft sections, a 2ft section and an 18" corner section. It's not real convenient to move but it's movable. Done it several times.

Another thing to consider on a bench if possible and depending on the type of use it's planned for is overhead storage. When I get time I plan to build a bench with some overhead cabinets cantilevered up on one or two steel frame members to allow use of some of the space above the bench which is otherwise unusable. It will also provide a place to mount lights for the work surface.

[blackeagle603]

An 8' bench is pretty small for all the uses and equipment you mentioned using on it. I second giving though to t-rail or other mounting methods. That way it can configured and reconfigured for specific purposes.

Your loading press will tend to dominate the bench unless you're able to pull it and store to the side or rear of the bench. There's some cool removable plate mounting methods that can be used. Check out the reloading bench thread at Cast Boolits for some interesting removal base ideas (e.g. posts #125, #169).

Then there's this Cast Boolit member's proprietary "Rock Dock" mount.

[DwightG]

Then there's this Cast Boolit member's proprietary "Rock Dock" mount.

The concept is OK but I think I'd prefer something that's mortised in flush with the bench so that there's not a big gob in the way if I want to use the bench as a flat surface. That and I like steel for such things. Aluminum tends to peen and batter over time.

[Aglifter]

Well, at the plant we have a 6'x6' work table w. I-beam for a frame, and 1" plate for a top, w. an anvil on one corner, and a vise on the other... Its cool. Stupidly over-done, but cool.

On lifting platforms, we'd alternate the layers of plywood, and glue and screw them, to get as much rigidity as possible.

[JimTX]

Doc,

Just sent you an e mail regarding your bench inquiry.


Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX