Drop-Down Workbench

Start by getting your bench surface. It’s just a 30"-wide solid-core door. If your home center doesn’t have one on the shelf, you can special-order one. You could even pick up a used door.

• Cut a Shelf to length from a 1x4 board, as shown in the cutting diagram.
• Also cut a mounting Cleat to length from a 2x4 board.
• Then, with your pocket-hole jig set up for 1 1/2" material, drill pocket holes in the back face of the Mounting Cleat, as shown.

Attach the Shelf to the Mounting Cleat using 1 1/4" coarse-thread pocket-hole screws.

Cut a Hinge Plate to length from a 1x4 board, as shown in the cutting diagram. Then attach three hinges to the Plate as shown.

Cut a Front Rail to length from a 1x4 board, as shown in the cutting diagram. Then, with your pocket-hole jig set up for 3/4" material, drill pocket holes in the back face of the Front Rail as shown.

Now you can mount the Front Rail to the underside of the Bench Surface, as shown, using 1 1/4" coarse-thread pocket-hole screws.

• Cut two Legs to length from a 2x2 board, as shown in the cutting diagram.
• Also cut two Leg Blocks to length from a 1x4 board.
• Then, mount the Leg Blocks to the underside of the Bench Surface, as shown, using four #8 x 1 1/2" flathead woodscrews in each Block.
• Screw the Legs to the folding leg brackets, and then mount those to the Leg Blocks.

• With the parts complete, you can mount your bench.
• First, determine its location, and then locate the wall studs in that area.
• Measure up from the floor the combined height of the Leg plus Leg Block (34 1/4") and mark a level line on the wall.
• Place the Mounting Cleat/Shelf assembly on this line, and attach it by driving two screws through it into each wall stud.
• Then screw the Hinges to the back edge of the Bench Surface. Hold this assembly in place over the wall cleat, and screw the Hinge Plate to the Mounting Plate.