Build Your Own DIY Woodworking Bench With This Easy-To-Follow Guide

Woodwork is an activity that allows you to get a little creative, while also using your hands to build something practical.

There really is a limitless number of items that can be built with wood. Whether you need a new dining room table in the house, perhaps with a set of chairs, need to put up some shelves around the house, or maybe you need to create a new cabinet to place your television and speaker set on.

Regardless, making your own wooden furniture is a really great way to save a lot of money, and you gain the rights to brag about the fact that you made it yourself, of course.

With a DIY woodworking bench, the task of making something with wood becomes easier than ever before.

Everyone who enjoys building their own furniture and other items from wood can agree that a woodworking bench is one of the most useful accessories in their garage.

These benches offer a major advantage when it comes to building really anything out of wood, but the primary problem is they can be extremely expensive.

Taking out a thousand dollars out of your pocket for a workbench might not be something that you are looking to do.

The other option is to build your own one – which is a task easier said than done, I know, but if you dedicate yourself and some time to the project, you’ll be able to quickly learn how to make a woodworking bench to make future projects easier.

A particular issue that people often find when it comes to reading up on tutorials and guides that tells them how they can build their own DIY woodworking bench is that these are basic tutorials.

They usually only provide details on how to create the basic structure, ultimately leading to a table that can be used for woodworking.

This does not include some of the most essential accessories to a workbench that you need in order to create your projects easier, faster, and more conveniently.

Planning Your DIY Woodworking Bench

First things first – before you start hammering wood onto each other and start building your own woodworking bench, you need to do some planning.

Every woodworker has their own particular preferences when it comes to a bench that they will be utilizing to help them build their projects.

There are simple approaches and more advanced options that you can utilize if you feel the need.

Since a woodworking bench needs to be a stable and firm table with additional accessories attached to it, you need to make sure you know exactly what you expect from this particular project before you get started.

A good way to do this is to take a piece of paper and a pencil and draw what you want.

Start with a rough sketch, grab an eraser and take out parts that you do not feel happy with, and continue to perfect the sketch until you have something that you like better.

You will have to add in a couple of measurements to ensure you cut the wood to the right length, etc.

It will be a really good idea if you decide where you will be placing the woodworking bench once you have built it.

This way, you can use that particular area to determine how large you want the workbench to be. Take measurements and fill them in the sketches. Have a height, width, depth, and all other measurements ready.

Also, consider the attachments that you want to add to your DIY woodworking bench. There really are a lot of useful options that you can add, all of which will ultimately help you out while you build furniture and other items on your workbench.

Try to draw these into your sketches so that you know their dimensions and how they will form part of the table that you are about to start building.

Having a visual representation of everything will be very helpful when it comes to cutting the wood and putting everything together.

You’ll have something to work off, and you’ll notice that the end result will also be much more impressive.

What You Need To Build A Woodworking Bench

By now, you should have a good idea of what type of woodworking bench you want to build. You should also have a sketch with some dimensions that you can follow.

Now, the time for gathering the necessary materials in order to build your woodworking bench has come.

This step still plays a role in the initial preparation of your project, as there are a few options that you will need to decide on while you are gathering the right tools and materials.

First of all, consider the type of wood you would like to use in the woodworking bench. There is quite a variety available that you can choose from. When you consider the type of wood, take your preferences and your budget into account.

There is no use in buying the most expensive wood if you won’t be able to add any extra accessories to the bench in the process.

Oak is a good option. A medium-density fibreboard can also work, but when you choose this particular option, try to top it off with some hardboard to add more durability to the countertop of your workbench.

You will need enough wood for the entire bench. Make sure you have everything before you start the project; otherwise, you might run out of wood midway through, and the project might come to a halt.

If you prefer to use different types of wood for the legs of the bench, then add this to your planning and gather the appropriate wood.

You’ll need a saw, a drill, and a relatively large number of screws for the project. Make sure you have adequate drill points for your drill as well. In addition to these, make sure you have appropriate bolts and other tools available.

For quality and effective woodworking bench, you will also need vises that will keep your wood stable and secure while you are working on different projects.

The vises can be conveniently placed between the upper layers of your bench, which ensures they will not be in your way, while still providing you convenience.

Different types of vises are available on the market. Be sure to opt for a couple that is suitable to the design that you have in mind. Refer back to your sketches if you need to. Do not add too many vises, as this may overcrowd the workbench and make the construction more difficult. Aim for one or two.

How To Make A Woodworking Bench

You now have your plans ready in front of you, and you have gathered the necessary materials to make a woodworking bench, the next obvious step would be to get to the construction part of your project.

Make sure you have a clear and open space to work with and try to work closely to the location where the bench will be located when in operation. Also, be sure to have your plans ready and handy close to you during the entire process.

Start out with your project by measuring, marking and then cutting the wood accordingly. During this step, you need to closely follow the measurements of the plans that you drew earlier.

This will ensure that everything is perfectly proportioned and that there are no parts of the bench that come out skew or “weird” looking.

It would be much easier if you cut all of the wood that you will need during your project before you start with the construction.

This way, you don’t have to move between different tasks the entire time. If all of the wood is ready to be used, then the process becomes faster and easier.

Start with the bottom part of the woodwork bench that you are building, and move upward. You should initially construct the legs and the supportive structure of the bench, which will eventually be used to mount the top part of the bench.

This way, you can gradually progress with your project. As you move along, be sure to test the sturdiness of the structure and to fix anything that might make the bench feel unstable or wobbly.

Once you get to the top part, be sure to add multiple layers.

Here, you should be creative and come up with some unique ways to add extra space for storage. For maximum efficiency, the vises that you will build into the bench should be placed between the layers of the top section.

Here, you can also add dedicated sections using extra pieces of wood to create storage space for tools, equipment, and other items that you frequently find yourself using when you are working on a project.

After everything has been put together, there are a few more steps left. You should sand the entire bench with basic sandpaper, and follow with some stain if you prefer.

Finally, add at least one top layer of varnish to protect the wood and to add that “finished look” to your DIY woodworking bench.

Conclusion

Anyone who enjoys working with wood, making tables or anything else, can greatly benefit from a woodworking bench.

While these benches tend to cost quite a lot of money, a DIY woodworking bench can be a much more affordable option – and it gives you an opportunity to work with wood, something you likely already enjoy.

Are you wanting to build more furniture for your home why not check out our Teds Woodworking Review with over 16,000 blueprints for you!

In this guide, I provided you with the basic materials needed to make your own bench, and I guided you through a simple process that you can use to craft a woodworking bench on your own.