Beginner’s Workbench

Two of my major inspirations to start building were the Shanty sisters at Shanty-2-chic.

They use Ryobi tools and pocket holes for nearly all their builds. None of their plans require an expensive investment or fancy joinery. They have FREE detailed plans (usually color-coded), which include a BUY LIST, a CUT LIST, aaand a YouTube video for each of their builds. What!? Talk about having your life together. 

They link everything they can in their tutorials. They also have videos on how to pick out straight lumber or how to rip the edges off a 2×4. To top it all off, everything they build is a gorgeous, farmhouse style piece of furniture that I totally drool over. 

So – since they recommend your first build to be a workbench for your garage, I went for it. 

They have incredible plans, details, pics, and videos for you to follow here. 

My build below was completely made by following their tutorial.

TOOLS I USED: 

Drill 

Miter saw 

Kreg Jig 

MATERIALS NEEDED: 

Lumber (given in perfect detail on Shanty’s website!) 

(4) 5” Casters 

Wood Glue 

2-1/2” Pocket Hole Screws 

2-1/2” Wood Screws (star head = game changer)

OK – so – Shanty 2 Chic are the creators of this bench and have phenomenal detailed plans to follow. So definitely do that when you tackle this build. 

This post is to simply share my process and things I messed up along the way, LoL 

Here we go:

I first made all my cuts and set them in a pile. 

Next, I assembled the upper frame, the lower frame, and the four legs. 

I did use wood glue during this process. Which is the first thing I would change if I re-did it over again.  

As a newbie, I really had no idea what I was doing. I definitely made mistakes and using wood glue makes correcting those mistakes much harder. 

Today, I only use wood glue for very permanent projects. Things that I know need that additional strength.

My workbenches don’t necessarily need wood glue because I don’t have insanely heavy tools on top of them. I also wanted to leave the glue out of the builds so they can dis-assemble easily. If I ever move or decide to re-arrange my space, breaking pieces down by unscrewing vs having to chop everything with a circular or miter saw is so much easier. I’ve been using my workbenches now for over a year without wood glue and they haven’t budged at all *knock on wood* 

Next step is to attach the legs to the bottom frame. 

Then flip the workbench upside down and attach the foot pads and casters.

Make sure the casters are locked and flip the bench upright.

You will want to insert and attach the bottom piece of MDF at this point. Once that is in place, you’ll attach the top frame. 

Then lastly, the top piece of MDF. 

You did it! Woohoo! 

This build is great because of how simple they make the instructions.

I felt so empowered after completing my first build! It absolutely fueled me to find my next project. 

This build was super powerful because it created my foundation for so many future projects.

I no longer had to follow plans to build a table. 

I use their amazing method every time I build a worktable now. First creating the legs, adding the longer supports, then the short supports, adding the MDF tops, and finishing with locking casters. I customize the height and length to whatever I need for that particular space or project. Plus, having built the workbench and put it to good use, I’m fully confident in the strength of the build and durability against heavy use.

The foundation this build gives you will carry on for the rest of your building days, for sure.     

What I’ve modified over the past few months is: 

1. You don’t need to pre-cut all of your pieces before you start. I first hand draw a plan based on what I need for the space. You will get better at this over time, I promise. I’ll jot down the height I need the leg pieces to be (example: 31” long). 
2. I’ll head to my miter saw and chop a small sliver off the end of the 2×4. These boards are not always straight on the ends when you buy them. Also, they sometimes have staples in the ends so chopping that little bit off gives you a fresh and flat end. 
3. Measure 31” from the end you just chopped and mark it with a pencil, then make your cut. Use that piece and set it on top of your next board. Use your hands to feel the end is flush with your new board and make a pencil mark where the first board stops. This method ensures you’ve cut all 8 pieces for your legs the exact same length – making less room for wobble. 
4. Now that you’ve got all 8 pieces cut for your legs, drill pocket holes into 4 of those pieces. I evenly space the pocket holes to help distribute support and usually always overcompensate. 
5. Assemble those 4 legs using 2-1/2” pocket hole screws and set them off to the side. 
6. Now, based on your hand drawn plan, figure out the length your longest supports need to be. Use the same pencil mark method for these 2 boards to make sure they’re the exact same length. 
7. Connect two of the legs with one long support then repeat with the other set. I typically just screw 2-1/2” wood screws directly through the legs into the support (pre-drilling first), skipping the step of pocket holes. Be mindful, you want the long support to be flush with the bottom of your assembled leg. Meaning you can run your hand across where the two pieces connect and feel that they’re even. This is because you’re going to be attaching a footpad over this area so you want it flush to minimize the wobble. One thing I never paid attention to in the beginning is if things were even or square. So all of my builds came out VERY wonky. It’s something you develop over time and trust me, you’ll get there. I use these things to check square on all of my builds and I lurve them. 
8. Next, you figure out the length you want the shorter supports to be. These are typically what I will connect with pocket holes. 
9. This is the point I will flip it over and attach the foot pads and casters. 
10. Now you’ll flip the piece right side up and attach your bottom shelf of MDF/plywood. I usually attach using 1-1/4” wood screws, pre-dilling first to avoid splitting. 
11. Next, repeat the same process you did for the bottom, up top. Attach the long supports first, then add the shorter supports via pocket holes. This time ensuring the supports are all flush with the top of the leg so that your countertop can lay flat. 
12. Final step is to add your MDF/plywood top and attach with wood screws. 

SHE’S DONE. 

Literally make it any height, any depth, any length. Paint it, stain it, add a logo on it. She’s yours. 

These babes are solid and can withstand heavy, consistent use. They’re the absolute best. 

I hope you found this even slightly helpful. I would love to hear about your build when you go for it – let me know in the comments!