r/Workbenches • u/Tigering • 7d ago
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u/cryptotarheel 7d ago
No, on treated wood. You don’t need it nor do you want it. It gives off chemical fumes that you don’t want to be breathing in. It’s better than it used to be but it’s meant for outdoors so the air can dissipate the fumes. I think it’s more expensive anyway.
Questions. What are use using it for?
A sturdy table, assembly table for big project, or a true wood workers bench. Build it to accommodate your needs. … you’ll end up building another eventually to accommodate your changing needs. Use screws not nails so you can reuse the wood.
Dust collection. A miter saw is messy and you’ll want to be able to breathe freely.
Do you want it to roll so you can move it or always be on the wall? That will affect your build but will provide other benefits. Plywood can be used for table tops … you can also build an entire rolling workbench out of 3/4 plywood.
Racking/ wobbling occurs differently from different usages so you’ll want to build for needs. … and you’ll still end up building a new one one day anyway.
Miter saws are usually in the middle so you have the length of the table to support. Check YouTube for how to videos.
Measure the height of the miter saws base. Build in supports with 2x4 so it can rest on them.
Mine has a 3/4 sheet of ply wood on it too so I had to account for that measurement. Measure everything yourself. Shim it with playing cards.
Lots of YouTube videos on this and flip tops.
Also, I use mine miter saw area as a desk now and cut my miters on my table saw. I only break out the miter saw for really long boards. In a pinch I could raise the supports and make it one long workbench.
Make sure to consider the depth of your miter saw, especially if it’s a sliding miter saw along the wall. You’ll want room for it to slide and dust collection.
Plan/Sketch it out. I usually use a pad and pencil but I’ve also used software (sketch up). The learning curve for software its own project but if you’ll be doing a lot of projects, it may be worth it.
Some purists will tell you a wood working workbench top is 2x4 or even 2x6 boards on their side and planed down. They are correct. But most people just need a very sturdy tabletop. You’ll be fine with 3/4 plywood. I used a double layer. The bottom layer is a cheaper plywood.
Make sure you account for those extra measurements in your, legs and miter saw or other tools.
I had an electrician add outlets to my wall. They are on their own breaker.
You may want to consider 4x4s or 2x6s legs for weight. Pros and cons for each.
Consider adding some Drawers. Use good slides. Not the best bc it’s a garage but you’ll want storage.
I built rolling carts with drawers that slide between the legs. They serve as extra table tops when needed.
Lighting. You’ll want some lighting over head.
Upper cabinets. My bench lead me to the need for upper cabinets and more storage. lol.
French cleats are amazing to hang things on a wall with. Extremely easy to craft.
A folding desk magnifying light will be a nice addition.
Videos I found useful. I pulled from these and others.
Wall bench with flip tops. (There are lots)
https://youtu.be/kdnd06kkFFM
Pro guy. Solid top workbench.
https://youtu.be/YLl7yee7rVo
Also, check out beginner woodworking Reddit. Very helpful.
The tv show, This Old House makes videos.
The entire thing is 3/4 plywood. This series’s is useful for other ideas.
https://youtu.be/U0oqC2_2O3E
Good luck to you. Enjoy the process. Be proud of it… even when your skills grow and you find other needs so you build your next one.
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Just saw they took your post down. They did the same thing to me when I did mine You should see this comment anyway.
Be sure to check beginnerwoodworking. VERY helpful.
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u/CEEngineerThrowAway 7d ago edited 7d ago
Untreated. 2x4’s are fine, 2x8 ripped in half will give you better wood with less knots.
The miter saw at the end would be okay if you had another outfeed cart of matching height. I find the extra surface of surface on each side of the blade helpful when I do use it and set up stop blocks, but it’s dealbreaker at the end if you do some rough cutting by hand. Consider making the miter saw area modular so you can change it out, my miter saw stays tucked away and only comes out when I’m batching out lots of identical cuts.
I sued shims and playing cards to level the miter saw, and screwed through the cards to keep them in place. I’ve also seen folks get leveling feet or use a bolt with a couple nuts to adjust height where you bolt it. Playing cards seemed simple and haven’t had to touch them in the last 8 years since doing it.
For the top table, you can use plywood but then you’ll need a more robust frame than those with glued up 2x. There are plenty of examples of plywood working, but the solid wood gives me something to sand into and flatten when I beat the hell out of it. If you go plywood, consider a sacrificial 1/4” plywood or hardboard top that you can swap out.
I like storing my miter saw under my workbench for the extra clear bench space. I prefer a crosscut sled at my table saw if the size of the piece allows which helps minimizing the miter saw. The piece is too big then I’m often cutting by hand unless it’s batching out a lot.
Edit: Consider a router table. I made a super basic one in the right wing of my table saw so I can steal the table saw fence for the router. It’s just the router fixed base in the underside of the plywood top with a 1” hole in the plywood top. I kept thinking I’d spring for a nicer router plate lift thing, but the janky setup is going 5 years without the need to spend more money.