Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...

[Doofus]

hidetheelephants said:

Ply doesn't make a good work surface, hardboard or MDF is better as it doesn't splinter and the former is much cheaper than ply.

I use 18mm MDF and replace it once a year or so

[skwdenyer]

Doofus said:

hidetheelephants said:

Ply doesn't make a good work surface, hardboard or MDF is better as it doesn't splinter and the former is much cheaper than ply.

I use 18mm MDF and replace it once a year or so

Presumably you could just turn it over once a year, and replace it every two?

My preference is stainless steel sheet over a solid sub-base (38mm t&g moisture-resistant chipboard mezzanine decking is great for that), but hardboard or thin MDF is also a good option as a sacrificial surface.

[Voldemort]

skwdenyer said:

Presumably you could just turn it over once a year, and replace it every two?

Yes, if your work surface is a perfect rectangle. Otherwise, no.

[alock]

RacingPete said:

I’m about to build one. What did you use for the worktop, as was thinking of getting some kitchen worktops?

Oh and on new tools, just got a Wera torque wrench, lovely thing

I built a very solid frame from 2x4s with most joints overlapping. Legs were doubled-up to create vertical support within the overlapped joints. This was before an extra row of noggins went in.



A sheet of 18mm MDF glued and screwed over the entire surface adds more strength.

A second layer of 18mm MDF as a sacrificial surface then screwed on from underneath. Entire surface has 3 coats of varnish but that's because I typically need to place lots of wet items on my workbench.

[illmonkey]

I made benches with 18mm ply, but when I done the back bench in an old garage, I paid £100 for 3x 40mm of oak worktop (delivered!). It looked great and very solid. Might be worth a look

[skeeterm5]

I have knocked up another workbench and used the sides of old ikea wardrobes for the top. Beats throwing them away, the are nice and smooth and also square.

[Doofus]

Voldemort said:

skwdenyer said:

Presumably you could just turn it over once a year, and replace it every two?

Yes, if your work surface is a perfect rectangle. Otherwise, no.

Plus, I drill holes in it to enable me to temporarily mount various things (grinder, pillar drill etc), and those holes line up with holes in the steel cabinets the worktop sits on.

[donkmeister]

Snow and Rocks said:

As above sturdy support framing is important, then I used cheaply available 8x2 planks with the intention of putting down an easily replaceable ply top - probably overkill but it's absolutely rock solid.

That's nice - sooo much flat surface to pile up junk on, and an upstairs for the Mrs to leave a load of crap too!

My workshop is too messy to send a photo, I'm ashamed. However, something I did that I haven't seen others do is to add heavy duty retractable casters to my workbench so I could, in theory, wheel it outside if I needed/wanted. Lots of various versions on the usual online tat bazaars but mine are like these:



There is a high density rubber foot that you crank down with a thumb wheel, then when you want to roll you crank it up and the weight is on the wheel instead.

[tight fart]

Thought I’d try the open ended ratchet mentioned week or so back, AliExpress £7.
The spanner itself feels nicely made but I wouldn’t buy any more.
The head is chunky any 13.2mm thick, the open part is only 6.7mm so limited to what it will slip over, but who doesn’t need another 10mm spanner.

[skwdenyer]

tight fart said:

Thought I’d try the open ended ratchet mentioned week or so back, AliExpress £7.
The spanner itself feels nicely made but I wouldn’t buy any more.
The head is chunky any 13.2mm thick, the open part is only 6.7mm so limited to what it will slip over, but who doesn’t need another 10mm spanner.

So ideal for working with nuts on long threaded studding (air con ducting hangers and the like)?

If it is a 10mm head, that’s an M6 thread in the majority of applications. Why would you want more than 6.7mm opening for that?

[GeneralBanter]

Doofus said:

Plus, I drill holes in it to enable me to temporarily mount various things (grinder, pillar drill etc), and those holes line up with holes in the steel cabinets the worktop sits on.

Same here. I found the aluminium sheet in the worktop great for bolting Records biggest vice to and keeping things clean and tidy.

[The Gauge]

GeneralBanter said:

Same here. I found the aluminium sheet in the worktop great for bolting Records biggest vice to and keeping things clean and tidy.

And I have no doubt that you know where every single tool is and could find them whilst blindfolded, whereas women have to rummage through a tiny handbag for ages before finding what they want

[GeneralBanter]

The Gauge said:

And I have no doubt that you know where every single tool is and could find them whilst blindfolded, whereas women have to rummage through a tiny handbag for ages before finding what they want

They’re normally in front of me at the checkout, only start to look for their purse when told how much and generally only there to buy a bloody lottery ticket!

[ferret50]

The Gauge said:

GeneralBanter said:

Same here. I found the aluminium sheet in the worktop great for bolting Records biggest vice to and keeping things clean and tidy.

And I have no doubt that you know where every single tool is and could find them whilst blindfolded, whereas women have to rummage through a tiny handbag for ages before finding what they want

Ah!
Relief!

I was starting to wonder how you lot kept such tidy workbenches, my entire garage resembles the photo above!

[Promised Land]

ferret50 said:

The Gauge said:

GeneralBanter said:

Same here. I found the aluminium sheet in the worktop great for bolting Records biggest vice to and keeping things clean and tidy.

And I have no doubt that you know where every single tool is and could find them whilst blindfolded, whereas women have to rummage through a tiny handbag for ages before finding what they want

Ah!
Relief!

I was starting to wonder how you lot kept such tidy workbenches, my entire garage resembles the photo above!

That is a proper working bench, he knows where everything is, if need be can find space to work in. Too many sterile work benches/ areas just like the garages thread in GG.

Each to their own of course but for me it needs to look used as all 3 of mine and my 2 MFT style tops are. That’s because it’s needed to earn me money.

[GeneralBanter]

Promised Land said:

That is a proper working bench, he knows where everything is, if need be can find space to work in. Too many sterile work benches/ areas just like the garages thread in GG.

Each to their own of course but for me it needs to look used as all 3 of mine and my 2 MFT style tops are. That’s because it’s needed to earn me money.

That’s about a third of it, I moved a lot of car stuff to another shed where they are, and with an old house/garden/barns and anything else that comes up I’m probably in there more hours a week than my day job.

[sparkythecat]

ferret50 said:

The Gauge said:

GeneralBanter said:

Same here. I found the aluminium sheet in the worktop great for bolting Records biggest vice to and keeping things clean and tidy.

And I have no doubt that you know where every single tool is and could find them whilst blindfolded, whereas women have to rummage through a tiny handbag for ages before finding what they want

Ah!
Relief!

I was starting to wonder how you lot kept such tidy workbenches, my entire garage resembles the photo above!

What you need to have handy is a piece of plywood about 30 inches x 15 inches, with a bit of 2 X2 screwed lengthways to it. Grip the 2x2 in the vice and you instantly have two and half square feet of clean workspace, elevated from your bench and ideal for those delicate jobs that require close up inspection.
To improve it, you can edge it with something to prevent any small fixings or components rolling off.

[Sporky]

Promised Land said:

That is a proper working bench, he knows where everything is, if need be can find space to work in. Too many sterile work benches/ areas just like the garages thread in GG.

Mine probably looks pretty sterile - I clear up, tidy, and clean after each job. Quite often between stages. For woodwork there's otherwise too much risk that a bit of scrap or a missed but if hardware marks something you've been working on for weeks.

[donkmeister]

sparkythecat said:

What you need to have handy is a piece of plywood about 30 inches x 15 inches, with a bit of 2 X2 screwed lengthways to it. Grip the 2x2 in the vice and you instantly have two and half square feet of clean workspace, elevated from your bench and ideal for those delicate jobs that require close up inspection.
To improve it, you can edge it with something to prevent any small fixings or components rolling off.

Ensure you fit a vise to it, then once you've covered the plywood with bits and odds and sods you can take another piece of plywood, screw a piece of 2*2 to it...

[RacingPete]

Has anyone used any of these things, or have recommendations - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204403657117



With how my garage doors are, thought it would be useful to move cars around to make them fit better etc