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The dimensioning trick makes this bench: it's designed backwards from the 24" x 48" 3/4" plywood project panel sold off the shelf, so the one sheet-good in the build never touches a saw. Everything else is five 2x4s — two ladder leg sets, top and bottom frames, and a lower shelf slatted from 21" crosspieces.
The assembly sequence is worth copying into other builds: the bottom shelf slats are placed by CENTERS, not measured gaps — find the center of the shelf, center the first slat on it, then center slats in the remaining openings, repeating until full. Zero cumulative spacing error, no arithmetic.
The final step is really a fork in the plan: measure your caster height, cut that much OFF the legs, and the same bench becomes mobile at the same working height. Do it at build time or years later. Pick yellow-toned 2x4s (the plan's note — they're typically drier and lighter than the red-toned ones), and this is a legitimately good first workbench: cheap enough to abuse, sturdy enough to outlast the shop it starts in.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 2x4, 10 ftYellow-toned (pine/spruce) preferred — drier and lighter than red-toned. | 5 each |
| Plywood project panel, 3/4", 24" x 48"The top, used exactly as purchased — the whole bench is dimensioned around it. | 1 each |
| Self-tapping wood screws, #9 x 2-3/4", flat head | 70 each |
| Self-tapping wood screws, #8 x 1-1/4", flat headTop attachment (and casters if adding them). | 20 each |
| Swivel casters, 2", lockingOptional — the legs get shortened by the caster height, keeping the bench at working height. | 4 each |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| LegsAdding casters? Cut them shorter by your casters' installed height. | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 29 1/4" |
| Long rails | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 45" |
| Crosspieces and shelf slats | 11 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 21" |
| TopPlywood project panelNo cuts. | 1 | 3/4" × 24" × 48" |
Buy 7 boards at 8 ft.
6 boards
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Mark all four legs 12" up from the bottom and square the line across with the speed square. Clamp and attach the legs to the 45" rails with 2-3/4" screws — the 12" line locates the bottom shelf rail. Two identical leg sets.
Screw 21" crosspieces between the leg sets at the top, two screws per joint, forming the top frame.
Repeat at the 12" marks for the bottom shelf frame. The bench now stands; check it doesn't rock before filling in the shelf.
Find the center of the bottom shelf opening and the center of one 21" slat; match them and screw down. Then center a slat in each remaining opening, and repeat — every gap self-equalizes, no measuring, no cumulative error.
Steal this method for every slatted thing you ever build.
Set the plywood panel on top, adjust the base until the panel's edges match the frame, and screw down with 1-1/4" screws about every 12". The factory panel edges square the bench as a bonus.
Going mobile: measure your casters' installed height, cut exactly that off the legs, and screw the casters to the leg bottoms. Same bench, same height, now it follows the work.
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