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I need a workbench for my basement. Something to tinker a few mini projects on with a vice as well.
This is the best I can find https://www.chronos.ltd.uk/product/clarke-chb1500-wooden-workbench/ any other recommendations before I get it?
Making one is not an option as I don't really have much room and am too impatient.
I bought one like that bruneep. It's fantastic I have to say.
This is a generic bench , mine cost £40 a fair few years ago , unless bolted to a wall they are quite wobbly , I think something like the link below is more sturdy and better value, there are quite a few UK companies making good value benches , a vice is the only extra for some and included in the following and 1/2 the price , and as I mentioned I think more sturdy :
edited for spieling mistoks
Axminster do some decent looking ones...
Both the Lumberjack Tools and the Axminster benches have looked good when I've seen them in their respective showrooms. Lumberjack's stuff is great for the price. I bought a table router and can't fault it.
Alternatively, a pair of Stanley saw horses (the ones with the cutouts for CLS timber on the top) plus a couple of lengths of that CLS with some 18mm board on top makes a pretty good bench. Portable, sturdy and folds up small. I use it more than my chunky bench.
Make one yourself. If you have the room to put one in surely you have the room to make one?
They're pretty easy to build, you can tailor it to your specific needs (size, height, etc) and you'll likely get more for your money.
Coming from a long line of carpenters I'd be shunned by my family if I ever shop brought something as simple to make as a work bench!
If you're open to tempting to make your own, this is an absolute piece of piss:
http://straightchuter.com/basic-workbench-design-plans/
When my garage-replacement shed is finally built, I'm going to be building my own - I'm basing it on this one by Matthias Wandel:
I already have a door waiting to use as the top - one of our new internal ones that got damaged during fitting - it's oak veneer with a solid core so is 35kg and should make a solid top. Because it's textured I'm going to skin it with a sheet of ply, which also has the benefit of being easily replaced when damaged.
Thinking about a second sheet of ply which is hinged to the back that can be lifted out of the way for 'messy' jobs and dropped back down for 'clean' ones. Probably going to be adding some adjustable feet too, for leveling.
Whilst I did find that making my own was quite educational (turns out I'm terrible at hand sawing, for example), making a workbench without any existing workbench isn't exactly trivial.
I basically did exactly the same as what nedrapier posted, then bolted it to the wall. Solid as a rock. Due to pathological cutting requirements we had a five foot length of oak block kitchen worktop 'spare' which I'd been saving for five years for it.
What sort of thing are you going to be clamping?
Ime, those wooden end vice things are a little unwieldy. Not great for smaller stuff, plus if you look, the handle comes above the level of the benchtop when rotated which can be limiting for certain things.
You could also look at a workstation from Bigdug for example, then add a vice.
Depends what you need it for I suppose but if you got it, I would maybe screw some ply on the back to brace it all up a bit as the bolt together jobs tend to work loose often.
making a workbench without any existing workbench isn’t exactly trivial
I was planning on getting a cheap Workmate-a-like for workbench building assistance.