Workshop table ideas

[joydivision]

Just made it, total cost £30, built it out of timber and 18mm chipboard, am going to use it mainly for monitors, keyboards and laptops, the base units will go on the underneath it, I have a very sturdy spare computer desk which I will use to put base units on while I am working on them.

Debating if I need a back board or not as that would add the budget as I would want to add plug sockets etc, where I could just use 6 way blocks.

Amazing the 4 x 2.42 mitre timber planks fitted in the Panda, was god smacked at that, I was expecting to have to leave the car in the car park and walk back with them .

I hope the chipboard is thick enough, but its the same thicker than computer desks and never had any issues with them.

 

[score444]

Here are my plans for my workbench if I can secure the lease on a new office next week.

I plan on using two or three wooden doors as the actual bench, 30 inches deep and 80 inches long (depending on how much space I decide I need for the bench). They are about $30 each at Home Depot.

Behind the length of doors, I will screw in a 1x4 piece of wood to keep things from falling behind the bench.

I will then secure the bench to the wall using heavy duty L brackets. I plan on hanging it between 40 and 48 inches high. I will also leave an inch or two in between the wall and back of the bench. This will allow to easily hide cables without having to run the cables over the bench.

I plan on mounting 2 monitors on the wall, each with a 4 port kvm. Above the monitors will be a shelf also mounted with L brackets that will allow for storage.

Anyone have any comments or suggestions?

 

[joydivision]

Finally done now, it is not perfect but I am very pleased with how it has turned out considered I just made it up as I went along as it is has been years since I've done any wood work.

Here the pics

Still need to get a USB KVM too.

I also have a standard computer desk which I will use for my test machine and a couple of taptop desks too.

 

[Kitten Kong]

Looking good there Ian.

However I would also brace underneath the worktop. On all 4 sides, else pretty soon that chipboard bench will start to bow, and you will have to fit another one.

 

[Martyn]

Nice job Ian but can't help thinking my Ikea tables are ready built and very strong at £20 a time. My tops are about 30mm thick!

 

[joydivision]

I looked at the Ikea ones, but they didn't do delivery, and both stores are a bit hard for me to get to, as I don't do motorways (too chicken ) and would have been well over week until I could have got a lift.

Well worth knowing for the future though.

Part of the reason I did this was it was a good excuse to get my tools out, not used them since I built my HIFI rack.

And yep it could do with another leg at the front or something, will do it in the next couple of days. Need to catch up with work now.

 

[Kitten Kong]

It isn't another leg you need Ian. Directly under the worktop (chipboard), this needs bracing against all the legs, all the way round. Else within a couple of weeks (Yes I mean weeks), it will start bowing.

Then you will have to replace the top. Screw the braces through the legs, and then secure it with screws on the worktop. You could use mirror screws if you don't want screws showing, or even just countersink the screws enough, so that its level with the chipboard, and not going through. Do not use the L shaped brackets which I can see everywhere. These will not be strong enough to hold it all together.

(In my old life many many years ago, I used to be a joiner).

 

[joydivision]

By bracing what do you mean exactly? Do you mean to support the worktop more, or do make the legs themselves more secure?

 

[Martyn]

They delivered mine ok Ian

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/customer_service/shop_online/about_delivery.html#how

 

[joydivision]

A bit late now Well worth knowing for the future though, it didn't have the delivery option on the tables you showed me, the ones that did cost a lot more, but it appears they will deliver everything.

Will keep it in mind next time I need some furniture Never been to Ikea in my life, so the place is alien to me.

 

[alluseridsrejected]

The 2 Desks I Built:

I threw a couple of desks together. Nothing fancy (the less fancy the better for this purpose). Just some spare plywood I had from another project. It took me a little over a day to build them. I am still working on organizing everything. I do have quite a few tools to do it with like a table saw, but it could be done with smaller tools without too much additional effort.

1st desk & shelf above it:


Another picture of the 1st desk:


2nd desk:


shelf above 2nd desk: