I think one of the important things to build for the workshop is a wooden work table, either to use as a workbench or to use it as a stand for some of the power tools. In my case, I want to use it to make a homemade table saw and a router table, both on the same structure. I suppose it would be better to make two tables, one for each purpose, but I think this way I will save material and space. In this post, we will only make the structure. It is a similar system to the one Steve uses in this YouTube video: build a cheap but sturdy workbench (even if you don’t understand English, you can understand the process perfectly), but making the joints in the legs and crosspieces to fit everything and make the table look nicer. Basically, it consists of four vertical legs connected by horizontal crosspieces and some reinforcements inside the corners.
I will use treated wood posts of 7×7 centimeters as legs (they turned out to be cheaper than untreated wood of the same dimensions) and for the sides, I will use 3×7 centimeter slats that I will cut from a 3×23 centimeter board. Yes, the result is going to be a fairly heavy table, but I hope it will also be very stable. You can see the measurements and plans for this workbench in the image.
The wood joints I am going to make are half-lap joints. I can cut them with the circular saw, and they are easier to make than mortise and tenon joints.
The sides will be attached to the legs with screws and glue. In the garage where I have the workshop, there are many temperature changes throughout the year and some humidity, so instead of using white carpenter’s glue (I couldn’t find any suitable for outdoor use), I will use a special polyurethane glue for outdoor use.
Here are a couple of photos of the setups I use to record the videos.
The table structure didn’t turn out very pretty in the end, but since it is for the workshop, I didn’t want to complicate things too much by adjusting the wood joints. The only thing I was concerned about was making sure the top was as level as possible so that the board I will put on top is perfectly flat. I might end up sanding it down with a belt sander, but I still have a lot of work to do on the table. The structure turned out quite stable, and I think I should make another one for a workbench since the small table I use wobbles too much.
As I mentioned, I glue the joints with polyurethane glue. Being able to disassemble the table would be an advantage, but I sacrificed this for stronger and more resistant joints to make a more stable structure, which is very suitable if we are going to make a workbench. This glue expands a bit and fills the gaps. The excess comes out through the seams, but it is very easy to remove by cutting it with a spatula.
Check here how to make an even simpler workbench.