Every workshop or garage needs a good workbench. The more I started the build, the more I needed a large, flat surface to make building easier. Up to this point, I have been using a 4-foot folding table that I still have from my Dj-ing days. It worked, but it became very difficult to use for the larger projects such as the patio table tabletop. I came across this plan for a good sized work bench, but unfortunately it would take up almost half of my garage. Since building is still a hobby and not a full time thing, I still wanted to be able to put both cars in the garage and have all of my tools stored and put away when not in use. Instead of having to modify the plans to make a smaller workbench, the Shanty 2 Chic website did that for me! This workbench would fit perfectly at the front of the garage and have enough storage for my tools as well. My brother Ryan came by and helped me put this together in a matter of a couple hours. For the most part it was very simple, except for the fact that the guy at Lowes didn't cut the MDF correctly and I had to bust out the table saw to cut it down to size. For future reference, cutting MDF is very dusty. I didn't stain or paint the work bench because that would happen naturally with all of the upcoming projects I have planned.
First of all, I have quickly learned that outdoor projects in the middle of summer in Houston are miserable! Even with two fans blowing directly on me in the garage, I still lost about 5 pounds in sweat! Nonetheless, I was motivated to finish these benches for our patio table so that we could actually use it in the fall (which is around November in Houston). These were a relatively simple build since I was just making "mini tables" that match what I had already built. I chose to leave the center beams out from the original plans, but these came out sturdy and match our table perfectly! At only 6 feet long, we can comfortably seat 4 people on each side with plenty of elbow room. With a bench on each side and the ability to add a chair to each end of the table, I think we will have more than enough seating space with this table for years to come. With the addition of an outdoor rug and some accessories for the table, our outdoor dining set is now complete! |