We recently moved into a new workshop as a home base for our camper van rental business. It's also where we work on passion projects, so it's been a bit of a mess as we tried to get organized. To help, we built an 8ft wide workbench to house all the tools and shop supplies strewn around the workshop.
We used to work off the floor or a makeshift table with two sawhorses and a piece of plywood, so we're excited to have a real functional workspace.
Planning and materials
Before starting, we modeled the general construction in Fusion 360 and made a cut list. Too many pieces to keep track of on the spot, so having it printed for reference was a lifesaver.
We used ¾" plywood for the carcass and ½" plywood for the drawer boxes and faces. The overall cabinet dimensions are 96" x 28" x 36" (L x W x H).
Tools and hardware: Firmgrip gloves, 1.25" Power Pro screws, Kreg pocket hole jig, pocket hole screws, Kreg door hinge jig, 12" bar clamps, leather sheet, 26" drawer slides, inset door hinges, Starbond CA glue.
Construction
Cutting and preparation
We cut down all the pieces and labeled them for easy access, breaking down full sheets of plywood with a circular saw first, since large sheets are hard to maneuver on the table saw. We clamped our pocket hole jig onto the worktable and drilled pocket holes on all the stretchers and inside divider pieces, then cut out the toe kick recess (3.5" high x 3" deep) with a combination square and jigsaw.
Building the carcass
We attached the first side wall with the bottom runners using a square and spring clamps to keep everything at 90 degrees, then repeated for the other side. We placed the bottom panel on top of the bottom stretchers and screwed it down with 1.25" screws, then attached corner runners and screwed in the middle panels via pocket holes before adding the top.
Drawer assembly
With the carcass complete, we left the middle section open while deciding what to do with it: more drawers, or open space for the shop vac and larger tools. While we mulled it over, we started assembling the drawers using butt joints, wood glue, and brad nails, then installed the drawer slides onto the carcass using scrap wood spacers to position them consistently (4" from the bottom panel, then 11", 6", and 3" between subsequent sliders).
With the slides in, we positioned the drawer boxes using a scrap piece of wood clamped to the front to mimic the face, letting us butt up the receiving end of the sliders and screw everything in place. We used paint sticks to keep a consistent perimeter around each drawer face, secured with brad nails aimed into the side panel of the drawer box so they wouldn't poke through.
Cabinet doors
We closed up the empty center section with a fitted piece of plywood secured with pocket holes, then used the Kreg jig to drill the hinge recesses and mount the doors. The hinges have plenty of adjustment for fine-tuning. A scrap stopper glued in place kept the doors aligned.
Drawer pulls
Using leftover leather from the camper van build, we cut 1" wide strips, made a quick jig for the drill press, drilled holes, folded the strips into simple loops, and screwed them directly onto the drawer faces.
Final result
This workbench is 8ft across, hosts 8 super deep drawers, and has shelves to home all our shop supplies. It's a huge upgrade to have a solid workbench, lots of storage, and a clean slate for new projects.
Bonus: removable casters
The workbench also has removable quick-release casters, added because we happened to be gifted a set. We love being able to move the workbench around to suit the needs of the space.