While I was working on my very first woodworking project (Which will be a later post once I get everything organized for it), I had an epiphany...
...I am very tall.
I guess not overly tall, I'm only 6'2", but working on the floor of my office trying to make straight cuts and do pretty much everything bent over made me feel like a giant...it also REALLY FREAKING HURT MY BACK!
So I had to stop my first project. I really needed a workbench, something that would bring my projects up to me, instead of forcing myself down to them. But how can I afford a workbench, when I'm making my own furniture because we don't have any money...
I've mentioned in the past, I love pallets, but could I turn a pallet into a workbench?
No, I couldn't...it took 3.
The construction was pretty easy, it only took me about an hour and a half from concept to reality.
The top is flipped over for a reason (there's usually a method to my madness). The grooves where they put the pallet jack or the forklist make *great* grooves to make a cut in, just center your project over them. So I flipped the pallet over and just screwed it into the others using some cheap 3" drywall screws I "liberated" from one of my server boxes.
This was great, except that the width of the pallet is wider than my doorway...so I had to disassemble the whole thing again later. When I brought it outside like the picture above, I got some hefty hinges (again, from the server box) and screwed those to connect the leg pallets to the shelf pallet. Now I can fold the legs in (most of the way) to be able to get it around a lot easier.
The bottom shelf took a little thinking, but it's funtional now. I nailed some scrap 1xWhatevers onto some scrap 2x4 joists. The 2x4s sit on a little lip on the bottom of the leg pallets.
I really need to learn how to use google sketch so I can have visuals for all of my modifications...bleh, one more thing to do, I guess. Just be content with my powers of description for now.
One thing I love about my bench (other than the fact that it's free) is that I can do pretty much anything I want to it. Need bolts run into it to secure the miter saw? Sure! Drill away! Miss a cut and slice over an inch into the bench? No problem! back the saw out and try again! It's a pallet, who cares if it gets destroyed by my inexperience? If I totally ruin the thing, go get another one from work and screw it into the top!
Great idea Mike. Was thinking along the same lines but I need something a little bigger as I tend to spread stuff everywhere. Putting a plan/drawing together to make one double the size with 2 pallets along the top. So, i am going to need 6 pallets for the top base and sides, as well as another 2 for joining pallets together and extra slats.
ReplyDeleteThe mind is racing....