cellar to workshop - benches

I have finally redistributed the junk that was in the cellar elsewhere (garage) and am having the cellar tanked . The photos show half the space , the wall on the left is coming down to reveal a similar space. Overall it is about 4metres square.

I would like a bench with shelves , drawers etc along the right hand wall. Can anyone recommend good benching solutions. I have seen not a bad one in costco , and various ads for custom sized garage solutions.

Also not sure how to postion the lathe , the window visible is the only one and faces east . I spose i should point the headstock at it but the light from it isnt great anyway.

The two pictures show before and during removal of the damp lime plaster.

"I have finally redistributed the junk that was in the cellar elsewhere (garage) and am having the cellar tanked ."

So far as the bench top material is concerned, I would seriously consider using thck (1"?) kitchen benchtop.

I've seen 2'x6' heavy duty shelving sets in Costco that I'm intending to get for my new shed and have considered making one shelf at bench height then gap to top one above head height. Not yet tried giving their show one a shake to see how ridgid it is. Not been there recently so haven't seen this bench you mention.

Next common possibility is second hand kitchen units. Might need a new top though.

My current solid work bench is traditional construction using skip found timber. . However I wouldn't go that way again. All that bracing to make it ridgid isn't the best in practice. Now I would use 1in shuttering ply as sides and back of a box which is the same foot area as two solid legs while being self braced.

my bench is made of 3" x 8" redgum garden timber 'sleepers', took a while to season, but now its as stable as you could want. Initally i dowelled and glued, but as it dried it moved and split, so i drilled holes all the way through and bolted. (all-thread, with counterbores for nuts. )

the legs were 3x5 fence posts, but probably a bit lighter and bolted to floor/wall would be better.

Its as solid as anyone could want, i can hammer in the middle with virtually no bounce. The big drawback is it is a major effort to move, around 80Kg just for the top.

i have small chests of drawers underneath.

If money was less an object, then flatpack kitchen cupboards/drawers would be nice, with a 38mm benchtop, or a couple of layers of thinner board well screwed or glued together. 1" thick is a bit thin for hammering on. A nice smooth laminate on top would be nice, but then one hesitates to drill holes in it to bolt things down...

Of course, i suppose it all depends on what you plan to do on your bench...

- russ

Regarding Jeffs quesion on tanking. Builder is doing it and I know nothing about building . This video though shows it pretty well,

Edited By David Clark 1 on 15/02/2013 11:22:50

Hi there, all,

I have a (microscope) bench comprising a length of 1" kitchen worktop resting on two kitchen cabinets. The gap between the two cabinets is not quite four feet. Over about five years the top has sagged and taken a permanent set.

If I were starting again, I'd glue a sheet of melamine (e.g. Formica) on the UNDERSIDE (the side that's in tension). Or maybe screw a couple of flat metal bars to the underside, angle would be better but the vertical web is hard on the knees!

My workshop bench is 3/4" blockboard on an old steel kitchen double-drainer sink unit carcase - that's really solid but the base supports the top in at least four places. I haven't seen blockboard for sale in timber merchants' for decades.

Shuttering ply is good but my own choice would be at least two thicknesses of 3/4" glued together and trimmed along the front edge with a hardwood strip.

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

In our first house, I built a 10' bench across the end of the garage out of 10"x3" floor joists from a demolition site, supported on three brick piers. It proved pretty sturdy, though no doubt moved a bit with temperature and humidity.

Andy

PS "Tanking" turns a cellar into a waterproof box, so damp won't penetrate from the surrounding soil. Obviously, it must be non-porous, and also be capable of withstanding a degree of pressure if the water table is high.

I got to Costco today ans saw the bench you mentioned. It is indeed solid but the wheels would make it wobble when sawing etc.Best take them off for somethig else. Maker is Whalen. Their webiste has a few other options. It looks to be 2'6" deep. That is just more room for clutter at the back. I think for the money you could make it from Dexion with more custom shelving.

Kitchen worktop is chipboard which has no structural strength and is wll supported in its normal use as kithen units are normally less than 2 ft wide and have additional support. The 'solid' beech laminated tops look good though.

Forget light from that window. Just think of it as the exit for you fume extractor whne soldering or painting.

Despite the tanking I suggest you keep things open framed so that air circulates around the walls and you can keep an eye out for damp.

Wall is now down and replaced by 8x5 RSJ.

I have been looking at

http://www.bigdug.co.uk

Anyone have any experience of their stuff ?.

My bench is made from ex shuttering 5x4 laid side by side. Over this is a sheet of 1/4" ply giving a smooth and cheaply replaceable surface.The front edge is protected by a 1" x 1" steel angle.

My bench is made from ex shuttering 5x4 laid side by side. Over this is a sheet of 1/4" ply giving a smooth and cheaply replaceable surface.The front edge is protected by a 1" x 1" steel angle.