u/sid351

Firstly, I know this is rough in places. I built it. I have a long list of DIY projects to do in our new (well, been here 1 year) house. I cleared enough space to be able to build this, and it felt a bit of a luxury while other jobs wait, so I went for fast over beautiful. Maybe for Workbench 3.0 I'll get planned all round wood (doubt I'll ever have space for a planer) and do some proper joinery.

The key things are the top is flush and I now have room to use my bigger tools in my garage (UK single garage) properly.

This houses:

- Table saw

- Storage for table saw jigs

- Compound sliding mitre saw (which is frankly too big) that folds away

- Router table

- Storage for the fence

- Vice

- Bench top drill press (stored underneath and brought on top when needed)

- Extension lead for the electrics, with the cables routed and pinned to the workbench to keep them out of the way and safe

It has retractable caster wheels (that are a pain to steer on my wavy drive and unlevel garage floor, but it is mobile).

I do have some finishing touches to sort out (namely route in the mitre slot extensions for the table saw, and route out the fence tracks for the router table).

I also need to think about dust collection and how to best address that with my shop vac + cyclone bucket.

We moved last year, and I've finally got to the point with the DIY job list (and space in the garage) where I can get my workbench sorted out.

In the last house I had a simple 2x4 frame, with a ply top, butted up to the wall in the garage.

For Workbench 2.0, I want to be ambitious. It needs to house:

- Table saw

- Mitre saw that folds away

- Router table

- Vice (mounted better than last time - it was an after thought for 1.0)

- Storage for things related to those specific tools

It also needs to be somewhat mobile so I can spin it around in the garage, and wheel it out to the drive when I'm doing things that are too big for just in the garage.

Size wise I'm limited to 1.2 x 1.5m as that's the biggest (literally) I can spin in the garage around everything else I have in there.

With that in mind, I did some CAD (cardboard aided design) to work out the layout of things.

During the CAD, and day 1 of framing it out (no photos, sorry) I was thinking of just plopping my bench top router table in a space behind the table saw, but in practice I can't line up the mitre slots of the table saw and the bench top of the router table. My plan now is to take the motor and rising mechanism off the bench top router table and mount them to the underside of the wooded bench top directly.

Today's efforts have seen me get the mitre saw in place and fold away. (If I could go back in time I'd get a smaller one. There was an offer, I had a voucher, and I got too excited and got a massive one.) and got the top in place. I need to dial in the height so it's all flush with the top.

I still have plenty to do, as you can see (the table saw is wonky AF):

- Dial in the height of the mitre saw so it's all flush

- Make a blanking plate for the mitre saw section and a way of fitting it

- Mount the vice & line/face it with plywood

- Fit the table saw & dial in the height so it's all flush

- Route in the mitre slot extensions for the table saw (I'm thinking T track)

- Remove the shelf & supports that were going to be for the bench top router table

- Mount the router motor and rising mechanism

- Route in the T tracks for the router table fence

Now, I know it's rough. I'm trying to get it built quickly as there are still loads of jobs on the DIY list for this house and in some ways my workbench feels like a luxury (even though it'll make all the jobs a lot easier). Frankly as long as the top of all flush, and it's sturdy, I really could not care less about the framing being beautiful, or square, or flat. My garage floor isn't level, nor is my drive, so trying to have everything be square and level on the bench feels like it'll have me chasing my tail. Tbf, I could add leveling feet in the future if I get bothered by it.

Maybe I'll get planed all round wood (I doubt I'll ever have space for a planer, nor a jointer) and do proper joinery for Workbench 3.0.

I'm hoping to get some time in the week to be able to finish it off, so will update when it's done.

I see you all with your Kamados.

I just wanted extra grilling space to augment my Charbroil Kettleman, and it looks like Argos are celebrating UKBBQ week as well.

I was happy with £55 tbf.

Brb, going to collect now.

Link: https://www.argos.co.uk/product/5981887