How to Build a Modular Workbench (DIY)
Step 1
Design to fit your garage
Super tool storage
The bench and tools sit compactly against one wall so you still have room for the car.
If the hassle of clearing a workspace is making you put off that project you’ve been promising your significant other for weeks, have we got a project for you! Here’s a workbench design that’s ready when you are. This bench layout lets you quickly fold out, slide out and pivot into position all the tools and work areas you need. When you’re done for the day, you can have everything stashed neatly away five minutes after you hear the dinner bell. Tons of tool and storage space on a lower shelf, in under-the bench roll-out drawers, inside low-cost upper utility cabinets and on Peg-Board will organize your tools and help your projects go faster.
Best of all, the workbench is cheap and easy to build. And even though the bench is 16 ft. long, you can haul all the materials home from the lumberyard in just one pickup load. Plus, no fancy tools or know-how are required—just basic carpentry tools, a screw gun and a circular saw. Round up a free weekend to put this workbench together and you’ll be knocking out that long-awaited baby crib (or is the kid already in eighth grade?) by Sunday night.
First make sure it (and your car) fits
The beauty of this garage workbench is that it takes advantage of that narrow space between the garage door and the side wall most garages have. But you can put it wherever you have 16-plus ft. of wall space. The bench is divided into four equal-size bays, so you can shorten it by one or more bays, or reconfigure the tool and workspace positions.
Our garage had a 30-in. space open between the door and the side wall, so we built a 16-ft. long by 2-ft. deep bench. Alter the bench depth to suit the available space. Go out into your garage, lay out the entire plan on the floor with masking tape and consider the following:
Car parking. Pretend that the bench is in place with the car parked in its normal spot. If you can comfortably open the door and exit the car without maneuvering like a circus contortionist, you’re in good shape. But if you have to make the bench narrower, you can. If your garage is like most people’s, you probably already have 2 ft. worth of rakes, lawn mowers and bikes to negotiate.
Miter saw depth. Check the operating depth of your miter saw. If you have one of the new slide miter saws, you may need more bench depth, but if you have a conventional miter saw, you may be able to make the bench narrower. The limiting factor is the depth of your saw. Set it as close to a wall as you can, then measure the distance to the mounting holes in the front of the base. That’s how narrow your bench can be.
14 Super-Simple Workbenches You Can Build
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