Built a $30 workbench from scrap wood yesterday

Realized I've been overcomplicating shop projects for years. One sheet of particle board and some 2x4s did the trick. Anybody else got a simple build that changed how you work?

2 comments

2 Comments

bennett.patricia18d ago

Hold on, you got particle board to work for a workbench? I always thought that stuff was too weak for anything heavy... wouldn't it just sag in the middle with a little weight on it? I tried the same thing once with a leftover sheet from a closet project and it bowed like crazy after a few weeks. Did you brace the bottom or something?

carr.brooke18d ago

Glue and screw a couple of 2x4s across the bottom in a frame, that's all I did. The particle board itself isn't strong, but the wood frame underneath does all the heavy lifting. My bench is about 6 feet long and I've had a full toolbox sitting on it for two years now with zero sag. You really have to treat the edges with some sealer too, or they'll swell up if anything gets spilled on them. But for a cheap workbench that just needs to hold stuff, it's totally fine.