Workbench Plans - Workbench Woodworking or DIY?

Workbench Plans
You’ve come to the Web to find some help in building a workbench . And if you’re like me, you’ve seen a few workbenches -- in places like your friend’s basement or the back room at your hardware store, but you’re still not exactly sure how to bring it all together. You want to make sure the legs will be solid, and that means trying to figure out what kind of joinery at the corners will make that happen.

If you haven’t already noticed, there are a zillion websites devoted to workbench plans, or I should say a zillion websites trying to get the attention of people wanting to build a workbench. I’m being a little cynical, because I’ve done LOTS of searches for workbench plans, clicked to the websites, only to find some really lame instructions or drawings that didn’t help much. Of course, what the site really wanted me to do is click on something totally unrelated to workbenches.

I don’t want to dismiss all workbench plans sites, though. In fact some (well, actually just a couple) are really worth checking out. But before we get into particulars, let’s talk about the kind of workbench you’re interested in building. Like I said, there are a lot of different workbench plan sites…and also a lot of different kinds of workbenches.

Woodworking or DIY?
One of the first things I noticed about workbench websites is that when people talk about a "workbench" they’re usually talking about a woodworking workbench. It’s a big difference –especially if what you’re really looking for is just a simple bench to poke around on stuff in the garage (like me). Not that I have anything against woodworking. Sure, someday I’d love to have all the tools and the know-how to build nice furniture for the house. I appreciate the craft love affair that woodworkers have…the kind of love that drives them to spend thousands of dollars on expensive tools and fine hardwoods. What a dreamy shop that would be.

And the woodworking benches...designed for woodwoorking...are absolutely beautiful pieces of furniture. You won’t find construction-grade lumber in these things. In fact, most are built from either oak or maple, and that makes for one strong bench! You’ll pay extra for that kind of a bench, though. For example, at you can buy one of these beautiful benches (already built) for around $500. Even if you decide to build the monolith yourself, be ready pay between $200-$300 just for lumber and hardware.

Finding the Right Plan
For now I suspect that my bench will have 2x4s that I’ll pound together with nails or screws. Not exactly the most glamorous looking thing, but what I need is something practical and something that works. But I could still use some help in figuring out how to attach my 2x4s together in some way that makes good engineering sense. I know enough from experience that just nailing two boards together doesn’t make for the most durable joint. I’ve seen some examples of boards with cut-out notches that seem to make a stronger platform for the bench, but I’m not exactly sure how to go about doing this. So I’m off to Google to find some help.

Are Free Plans Really Free?
The first thing I saw when I searched Google.com for workbench plans was a lot (and I mean a lot) of websites telling me that I can get a workbench plan for free. Not really believing that I can get anything for free, I did a pretty exhaustive search on a lot of free workbench plans sites...just to see what was there. Okay, so technically I didn’t have to pay for any of this stuff, but the bigger question was whether or not the so-called workbench plan was worth the bother. If you can’t already tell from my sarcasm, I wasn’t impressed. Most of the "free plans" sites were little more than what I call "Web bait," meaning that the site is designed to get your attention just long enough to get you interested in something else...like home mortgages and online dating.

Why Spend $10 for a Workbench Plan?
As happy as I was to find at least a couple of decent free plans on the Web, in comparison to what’s available for just a few dollars more out of your pocket, well, there’s really no comparison. That’s why in my opinion it’s well worth the $5-$10 you’ll spend to get a complete set of instructions for building a workbench. Why? With your five bucks you’ll probably get what the free plans are often missing: step-by-step plans, nice drawings and photos, and shop tips and techniques from the plan authors. The photos alone are worth the extra money, showing you exactly what the workbench should look like when it’s completed.

My list for the best sites to buy workbench plans is short. First check out the plans at PlansNOW.com. Most of these come from the editors of Woodsmith and ShopNotes magazines, and are probably the best quality woodworking plans you’ll find on the Web at this point in time.

For workbench accessories I like Rockler.com...lots of stuff you won’t find at Home Depot or Lowes. Rockler is the king of hard-to-find hardware for all kinds of woodworking and DIY projects. The most fun you’ll have is looking through their amazing catalog. It’s a great way to come up with ideas for stuff you would have never thought of otherwise.

Back to the Workbench plans. You should be able to find something at PlansNOW that fits the bill for what you need. Also take a look around at some of the shop jigs and shop storage plans. Also very cool.