I’m planning out a new mobile workbench.
Well, I’m planning multiple workbenches. But right now I’ve got my focus set on a mobile one.
The great part about building a workbench is that you can fully customize everything. The downside is that you have to customize everything.
My cabinets have worked out well in my home office (shown above), and so I’ll do similar for the workshop.
The frame will be 80/20. I love working with t-slot aluminum, and I can reuse some from prior projects. I haven’t decided on the exact design yet.
I already have swivel casters. I also have some drawers slides from a previous bench that I can reuse, with 21″ and 15″ depths. I can make or buy more drawers, depending on how many I need. Maybe I’ll have some shelves.
I don’t need to use those drawers slides.
Drawers on the front and side? Front and rear?
I’ll need a butcher block-style wood top. I started looking at some options, as I’m not really up to building one myself right now. Maybe I will build one, but probably not. I can always use double-stacked MDF for the time being.
Dimensions? That’s the biggest question right now.
48″ x 30?” 60″ x 30″?
I have a rolling tool cabinet that’s 48″ x 27″. It’s a good size, but a little cramped length-wise as a primary workstation. A little more depth could allow for vertical tool holders or some gear to be placed out of the way.
If its footprint is too large, which a 72″ length would certainly be, I’ll have trouble moving it around when needed.
48″ x 48″? 60″ x 48″? Is that too deep?
Or is a 30″ depth sufficient enough to allow access from both sides.
Moving on to height.
“What will I be using the workbench for?” Well, potentially a little bit of everything. Hammering, filing, soldering, assembling, precision measuring. Not heavy work, not ultra-fine work.
Kitchen counters typically have a 36″. My office workbench has a ~40.5″ height.
Lower height: heavy work
Medium height: light work
Tall height: precision work
A lower height is better for use with machines, such as saws. I think I’ll plan for a separate shop tool stand. I also need to build a router table base, as my Woodpeckers’ one is pretty terrible and inefficient.
I’m thinking 38″ or 40″ might be a good height for light work and some light precision work. 36″ is too short and gives up too much storage space. 42″ would be a little too tall.
What about the worktop thickness? 1.5? Close to 2″?
The length, width, and thickness of the worktop determines everything else.
I ordered a butcher block top from McMaster Carr 2 years ago, but returned it because there were voids right where the mounting screws would go.
Tekton’s Rousseau workbench tops are superb, with full-length laminations. They cost a premium, shipping is included.
Grizzly has a worktop for $169, but freight is $199.
Do I get a Tekton top for quality, simplicity, and lower risk, a thinner or lower cost workshop-grade worktop, or build my own from maple (on-hand) or maybe 2x4s (with rounded edges trimmed off).
I just parted with woodworking tools, but a table saw and hand plane should suffice for making my own laminated top. It’s just a matter of whether I can find the time, which I doubt right now.
The design comes next. If I go with say a 60″ x 30″ top, 27″ drawer slides might be a good fit. I’d likely mirror the setup in my office, which has banks of 12″, 12″, and 26″ drawers. Maybe I would just have 2 banks of drawers to save on cost.
But, 48″ x 27″ or 30″ would be a more manageable size for rolling around when needed. I can also plan on task-specific workbenches against walls, or floating next to the main bench on wheels.
Maybe I’ll tackle the mobile shop stand and a wall-adjacent workbench first, as those dimensions have less variables.
If I don’t want to make the tops, where’s a good place to source a 1.5″ to 1.75″ butcher block top from?
