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View Full Version : Built a new workbench... not bad for being free :)

Cobra4B
12-06-2009, 11:24am
Scored 3 large cabinets and 10' of laminate counter top from an office remodeling they did at work. I jumped all over it when the facilities manager asked me if I wanted the stuff. Also, got a 3'x4' WxH cabinet for the wall that'll be perfect for storring detailing stuff and spray bottles etc. etc.

I'm redoing my garage so that the work bench and storage is on the left wall and the back wall is free'd up and clear. This will make the space more functional for working on the cars.

The left wall has the foundation sticking out 3.5" w/ a 2x4 running down the top. This made it impossible to put anything on that wall b/c it stuck out. Because of this I'd been planning on making the wall a custom work bench, but when I saw the cabinets etc. I realized I could back-cut them, and that's just what i did.

I took the shelf out, measured for each, then used the wall ledge as the rear support. Going to snag 3' of counter from my current kitchen remodel to complete the bench and then get sheet metal to cover the complete top.

The drawers and doors are very off-white almost cream, but the covers are like an acrylic shell, they peel off leaving a wood door/drawer so I'm going to spray them bright white to go w/ the garage and will change the brass hardware out to complete it. Will have around 18" of peg board running above the red chair molding and a shelf above that running the length of the bench. Posters etc. will of course be relocated.

Pics -

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/House%20Remodeling/DSCF3619.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/House%20Remodeling/DSCF3620.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/House%20Remodeling/DSCF3623.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/House%20Remodeling/DSCF3621.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/House%20Remodeling/DSCF3622.jpg

UPDATE: Spent the snowdays working in the garage, made some good progress.

1. Installed some RaceDeck to create a work space and get the cabinets off the slab. Unfortunately they forgot all my male edging so I couldn't finish.

2. Peeled off the ugly off-white plastic on the doors/drawers on the freebee stuff I got from work. Going to paint the lower doors/drawers black and the wall cabinet pure white to match the other 3.

3. Got 3 36x15" wall cabinets from HD. Decided to do 3 of the same size to create a usable shelf on top. Had I done the 2 36x30s that I had intended they'd have been too tall.

4. Started putting up pegboard, but held off on finishing so I can run some new outlets and move the fridge under the counter.

Racedeck down and cabinets back in
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF3805.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF3809.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF3806.jpg

Wall cabinets done and pegboard going up
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF3810.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF3813.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF3811.jpg

Vs. my MSpaint schematic
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/GaragePlan.jpg

Took down the old cabinets on the backwall and cleaned it up some, makes for a more open garage.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF3814.jpg
Vet4jdc
12-06-2009, 11:29am
Cool Brian!

:yesnod:
wwomanC6
12-06-2009, 11:31am
It's coming along nicely Brian. Lookin good! :)
Garb55
12-06-2009, 12:14pm
Looks great.
MYSCZ06
12-06-2009, 12:43pm
score!!
Munch
12-06-2009, 12:44pm
Pretty sweet. That fits in there perfect it looks like.
DropTheTop
12-07-2009, 9:00pm
Nice score B! last year I took 3 drafting cabinets that my work was tossing. They make very sturdy and LARGE tool boxes! :cheers:
Culookin
12-08-2009, 10:06am
Nice score Brian!
illmac77
12-08-2009, 10:28pm
looks good :thumbs:
Sneaks
12-09-2009, 9:47am
Meh, if you had got them to bring it home and install it for free, THEN I would have been impressed. :toetap:
:D
Can't beat the price man! :thumbs:
Cobra4B
12-09-2009, 11:54am
My vision for the space via MS paint... will most likely put the big cabinet on the left side vs. how it's pictured here. Will store waxes, paints etc. in it. Peg board will be under the 3 30x15s. This way when I come out from the house to grab a tool I'll have my box to the immediate left and the bench w/ pegboard to the right.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/garage.jpg

Also, found that the cream white covers just peel off the doors and drawers leaving a formed MDF piece. Going to paint them bright white to match the rest of the garage and get the counter top covered in sheet metal.

Will finally do the floor in grey vinyl tile in the spring.
DropTheTop
12-09-2009, 1:33pm
My vision for the space via MS paint... will most likely put the big cabinet on the left side vs. how it's pictured here. Will store waxes, paints etc. in it. Peg board will be under the 3 30x15s. This way when I come out from the house to grab a tool I'll have my box to the immediate left and the bench w/ pegboard to the right.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/garage.jpg

Also, found that the cream white covers just peel off the doors and drawers leaving a formed MDF piece. Going to paint them bright white to match the rest of the garage and get the counter top covered in sheet metal.

Will finally do the floor in grey vinyl tile in the spring.

I like the bench grinder and vise on the left! :D
Cobra4B
12-09-2009, 1:43pm
Props for knowing what they're supposed to be :D Someone on Garage Journal asked my why Snoopy's bird Woodstock was sitting on the bench.
wwomanC6
12-09-2009, 7:06pm
Brian, looks like its gona be a real nice set up once your all done! :cool1: visual plan.
NEVRL8T
12-09-2009, 8:23pm
I like the bench grinder and vise on the left! :D

He needs to shovel the snow out of the garage though. :D


Nice set up!
Cobra4B
12-09-2009, 11:14pm
What you don't like my grey VCT flooring ;)
WKMCD
12-10-2009, 6:55am
What you don't like my grey VCT flooring ;)

Looking great Brian. I did my garage in VCT 5 years ago and it still looks great. I strip and seal it every other year and reseal it every year.
Cobra4B
12-10-2009, 12:32pm
What'd you do for floor prep? I was just going to de-grease it and power wash it and install... some of these guys on the garage forum are renting sanders and acid etching etc. etc. I mean this isn't an epoxy floor where you have to do all that crap, right?
Cobra4B
02-01-2010, 11:31am
ttt... OP updated with snowday work.
Cobra4B
10-17-2010, 3:58pm
Update: Didn't realize I started this stuff almost a year ago, but it's finally "done" (it's never done). I had the cabinets/bench/pegboard done and functional all year, but I finally painted the cabinets, added hardware, and made a "multimedia" area to get my laptop and speaker/radio thing off of my work bench.

Turned out pretty good for gloss spraypaint.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF4438.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF4441.jpg

Crawled up in my attic and found the cable line I had run to my dining room when I was going to make it a billiards area (never happened) and moved it to the garage, then stole the old crappy flat panel TV I had in my bedroom and moved it to the garage. The laptop is now at perfect standing height for me to use when working on a car project and it's plugged into the speaker steup so I can listen to Pandora out there too. It's nice having all that stuff off of the workbench.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF4439.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF4440.jpg
Garb55
10-17-2010, 4:13pm
Nice set up.
WKMCD
10-17-2010, 6:11pm
Looks great Brian!!!

You're fortunate not to have someone else's input on the garage mod. :slap:

BTW: Thanks again for dropping the cam off at VA Speed.
Cobra4B
10-17-2010, 7:48pm
Haha... she knows better than try and give any input on that area of the house :)
Munch
10-17-2010, 7:52pm
Looks really good. I listen to pandora in the garage all the time.:cheers:
NEVRL8T
10-18-2010, 9:31pm
Looks really good. I listen to pandora in the garage all the time.:cheers:

The only Pandora I know wore 8" heels and a thong to work. And she wore less when she was on the clock.
Cobra4B
10-25-2010, 11:12pm
My new tire rack was waiting for me at the front door when I got home from work this evening. After hitting the gym I got to work. The install was simple. Just took my time to double check my measurements and make sure I got the top part level. I then found all the studs and made sure I could get all 9 holes (5 accross the top and 2 more on each side). Fortunately the folks who framed the wall did a good job and the studs were on proper 16" centers. I pre-drilled then installed with 3" lag screws then installed the lower section and side supports. The mfg specs say it can support 200lbs.... I hope they published a lower-end estimate because each wheel/tire combo is 43.6lbs and the one new tire is 23.6 which puts me @ 198!

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF4456.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF4457.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF4458.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF4459.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/cvbowers/Brian%20Garage%20Stuff/DSCF4460.jpg

It would have taken me quite awhile to spec-out and build something this robust. I'm glad I went ahead and bought it since I'm supporting wheels/tires vs. tires-only.
DropTheTop
10-26-2010, 7:15am
Nice setup B. :cheers:

I like the air tool deal too. Kinda hard to forget (or be too lazy) to oil the tools, when the oil's right there in front of you! :clever:
Cobra4B
10-26-2010, 8:33am
Thanks.... the air tool rack is from Blazin' Bell Tech - Aluminum Storage Products for Trailer, Shop or Garage by Blazin Bell Tech (http://www.blazinbelltech.com/)
oyealiz
10-27-2010, 12:22am
Looks great Brian!!!

You're fortunate not to have someone else's input on the garage mod. :slap:

BTW: Thanks again for dropping the cam off at VA Speed.


Hey, his garage gets my vote! I'd love for ours to look just like that! :yesnod: Kevin would love the work space and all his tools organized, too, I'm certain! :cheers:

Great job, Brian!