Long ago, when we first moved into this house, I had to leave some of the old Pole Barn Shop items behind....just wasn't the room..  So,, when I resumed woodworking at this new location...wasn't a whole lot to work with...

Not the best space....decided to build a bench for down here...maybe that would help things out a bit...

Dumpster dive produced an old waterbed frame...a stile from a door (not sure where the rest of it went) and a few 2 x 4s.   Already had a few pieces of barn siding....

I had just got done building a saw bench out of one of the waterbed planks...made use of a sawtub..

Decided this was a bit too low to work from...and moved around to much....tried a different sort of bench ( was years before that Work Mate showed up)

If I clamped a plank to the stepladder, at about the right height, then I could clamp parts in place to that plank...

And make cuts for the saw bench's top...where the legs go...to

Cutting the legs themselves, to..

Holding things while I added parts....Made a decent saw bench, too...

Finally fell apart this winter, as it stayed outside the entire time....so..about a week later..there was a nice, sunny Sunday morning, just the right temp outside, and no rain in sight.   Decided to use the rest of the Dumpster dive wood supply, and cobble a workbench for the shop....Set up the stepladder bench, again...and we're off..

Cut a 5' long plank.   Worked over the end a bit...and cut two notches....circular saw to rough it out, handsaw to finish the cuts....Needed this on both ends.   Laid another plank over on the saw bench

Goal here was to get 4 leg planks cut...1-1/2 x 4" x 32"....Saved the center piece.  Planks are Pine 2 x 10s.  Plane to remove the saw marks..

Clamped 2 legs together, laid out where a notch was to go.   Piece laying across is what was left over from the rip cuts for the legs..next, a few cuts were made...

Then the waste chopped out..

Then a cross piece was worked on...

Screw head is a plane stop, as I had to fine tune these parts.  Then arse emble one set of legs, while the other end was clamped to the ladder-bench...

 

Then add the second set of legs...and that 1x on the cross pieces..pictured here isan apron getting notched...

The 5/4 is the front apron, the 2x4 is the back.   Notched to fit over 2x4 ends...I also scrounged some 3/4" plywood, to make a tool tray...front side and floor...

Countersunk holes were for 3" long screws....had to send the Boss out after a box ($7!!!!) of screws.   Was checking for "flat"...

Had some scrap 1x 6...added those to  the ends of the legs.   Still had some scrap 5/4 pieces...added those as foot pads..  made it a bit more stable..

Then the planes worked on the top a bit..

Was trying to get the aprons flush, as well.   Double check..

Starting to look like a bench?  

Now...it took two people to get this into the house, and then slide it down the steps to the shop...on it's top...flip it over...

And set it up on it's own four feet....since then...added a leg vise ( was from the Pole Barn Bench) a Crochet( a hook at the end of the side of the bench, to hold a long plank) and a end vise.   End vise was a $10 find,,,added some wood for jaws.    And..nowadays?

has that "lived in look"...so going strong, too.

 

Well, that is the story about how my shop got a workbench....

 

That is a interesting explanation and evolution of a workbench. 

 

My first bench started out with, "seemed like a good idea at the time."    

Ok..I started the workbench at 1100 hrs that Sunday Morning,,,had an afternoon "break" while waiting on the screws...by 1900 hrs that evening...we had the bench down in the basement, ready to go to work...Screws were the only expense in the main build....

 

Not too bad of a little bench?   Seems to fit in with the shop, now?

8 minutes ago, steven newman said:

Ok..I started the workbench at 1100 hrs that Sunday Morning,,,had an afternoon "break" while waiting on the screws...by 1900 hrs that evening...we had the bench down in the basement,

 I started one morning, a year later it was done and in use.    Made it out of a old service writers station from Pepboys.  Particle board with some formica like veneer.

 

 

Note: I did find a date/time stamp on a couple of the old pictures....September of 2013...means this coming September, it will be 7 yrs old....not too bad?

14 hours ago, steven newman said:

.not too bad?

Let's just say it is WELL-USED!

John