Built two workbenches, one with 2x4s and one with a butcher block top. The difference shocked me.

I spent last spring putting together a simple 2x4 workbench from a popular online plan. Cost me about $60 in lumber and a Saturday. Then I got tired of the wobble and built a 2nd one using a solid birch butcher block top from a local lumber yard in Portland. That bench was $200 total but absolutely rock solid. Has anyone else found that spending a bit more on the work surface made all the difference for your garage projects?

2 comments

2 Comments

grantl9415d agoMost Upvoted

Started out with a 2x4 bench too... thought it was fine til I tried planing a board on it and the whole thing shook like crazy. Swapped the top for a solid core door I found at a salvage place for $30 and added a couple cross braces underneath. Night and day difference. The weight of the top matters way more than I expected... keeps the legs planted even when you're really leaning into something.

julia_burns914d ago

Sixty bucks and a Saturday for a wobbly bench? Sounds like you paid full price for a lesson in physics.