Small workbench ideas

[Rt5403]

So I don't have a shop or a place to put a large workbench. I'm looking for ideas for small ,sturdy ,and portable workbench for building muzzleloader kits. Any help would be appreciated.

[smylee grouch]

Check out the workshop tools forum portable bench plans.

[dogcatcher]

Adjustable height 3 legged sawhorse with a 2x10 or 2x12 top.  3 legs will set solid on almost any uneven floor.  Bolted together it will be portable even in a small SUV.

[44-henry]

I built this one a few years back when I was living in a townhome with limited space. I built it in my university lab but could have done it at home, though not as easily. All was made from 2" construction lumber which was dressed down and laminated with mortise and tenon construction.

[smylee grouch]

Nice looking bench Alex. 

[elkhorne]

Rt,
If you are a member of the NMLRA, there are photos of a couple of smaller benches I built last year in the December 2020 issue of Muzzle Blasts under the “Schools On” section. One is very portable and the other is very solid but fits in a relatively small space. Also, on the NMLRA website, members can review most of the Muzzle Blasts magazines back to the late thirties. In the April 1966 issue, there is a plan for a “laptop” workbench on page 18. It would be very portable to work on small projects while watching tv or sitting in a chair or at a table. Questions on the ones I built from the 2020 magazine, just pm me for more details. Good luck.
elkhorne

[Jerry V Lape]

Built this because I needed something I could easily transport and because I really don't have an air conditioned space to work in other than the living quarters.  So far it has worked for three builds.  Legs assemblies come off with two bolts and two wedges.  The main beam is solid oak but could just as easily be laminated from 2x6 lumber.  Legs are oak 2x2s from rack at Lowes.  Vise is mounted on a plate which comes off with two bolts. Feet are soft rubber so it doesn't slide around.  I can plane on it which is easier if I put my foot on the leg spreader.  Legs are angled about 15 degrees to sides and end are tightly inlet into the main beam.  The wood bench support can be moved by pulling to pins and inserted in additional holes spaced along the main beam. Missed them in the photo but there are two removalable dowels in the top of the support to provide lateral stability.  I can also use bench clamps with the support to clamp the work piece to the support. 

 

[Maineshops]

Just built this one, working out very well for me lots of light for my macular degeneration swing out shelves give quick access to needed stuff

[B.Habermehl]

Here’s another approach.



BJH

[Rt5403]

Awesome looking benches guys, really giving me some ideas. Thank you.

[Rawhide Rick]

If you try a search, someone was offering plans to build a bench similar to what BJH shows.  This was only a few months ago.

It’s interesting to see what people come up with to meet space issues but still get the job done.

[kudu]

A long time ago I saw a bench in a old friends apartment made from Pipe and various
joints, Tee,s , elbows etc. and a butcher block top.

The funny thing was he used 2" Pipe Flanges and lag screwed it to the kitchen Floor
In a apartment he didn't own.

He was is a good renter paid on time - mostly cash after 5 years or so he moved, had new linoleum put in kitchen before he left  about a 10x12 kitchen or so !!!

Amazing what a guy wont do for a work bench, he reloaded shells mostly.

[elkhorne]

These are some photos of the 2 benches I made last year during the pandemic.
 
One that I call my portable bench, is a 2x6 bolted to a metal sawhorse from a big box store and has adjustable height legs. I added a Tee track down the center to mount my different vises or bench accessories. My main vises are Panavise Model 301s and i added wood w/ leather jaws to them. Their base has holes for Tee slot bolts to attach to the bench. The entire thing comes apart easily for trans[ortation almost anywhere.

The second is a bench that is less portable but still requires only a limited space. I got the idea from a couple of benches that David Rase showed on this site a couple of years ago. It is constructed of primarily 2x10s and a 2x12 bench top. All members are assembled with lag bolts, deck screws and Kreg screws glued together with Titebond III. The top has a double Tee track for attaching my different vices and bench accessories. Use of the Tee tracks came from a friend of mines bench in Canada. Thanks Denis! I hope these two descriptions and the accompanying photos will help someone creat their own small workbench.

[Craig Wilcox]

Nice job there, Gary.  A good use of the tracks.  Believe I have some of that track out in the garage.

I used an old TV console for a workbench for quite a while, whilst I was in the apartment.  Now it is a stand-alone bench for the drill press on one end, a small sander in the center, and a place to saw metal objects on the other end.

I like it for the built-in drawers (4) and shelves.  You may be able to find something similar at the Goodwill-type stores.

[Jakob]

Having relocated and now living in a smaller condo,  I needed a small workbench and used this thread for inspiration.
 Initial plan was just to use regular construction lumber and only handplane the top, but as I had to visit my old city, I took the opportunity to go the workshop and mill all the lumber there.
Still using construction lumber (10x2's and 8x2s), but it took 3 hours to joint, plane and cut all the pieces to size, which is a fraction of the time it would take doing it by hand.





Took a lazy afternoon to assemble and it's heavy and sturdy. Very happy and it should make shaping much easier.

Still need to make a mount for my other light and undecided on how to mount the other vises. Leaning towards T-track or matchfit tracks, but dog holes might just do the trick.

[t.caster]

Jakob, keep the wood chips & dust out of your floor heaters somehow.

[Jakob]

They are glycol baseboard heaters, not electric.

[acorn20]

Built this one a little over a year ago.