Rolling Workshop Workbench From Recycled Cabinets

My workshop had gotten way out of hand. Projects, scrap, tools and other items had taken over. It was time to reorganize and update the space. I had wanted a new work bench for some time. My existing bench was made from my grandmothers old bathroom door!

My overall plan for the garage was to eventually put all my cabinets and storage on wheels for cleaning as well as to keep the space flexible. My wife stores her vehicle in our garage. When her car is out, I can roll the equipment around to make better use of the space.

Credit to my son for all his help. He is featured in the photos.

I used various tools for this project. Basic hand tools will work for this. I attempted to use only scrap wood where needed and recycled cabinets. I did purchase 2 x 4s for the top as well as wheels for the base.

Safety first. Always wear safety glasses to cut as well as hearing protection. I also will use leather gloves as needed for handling sharp items. Sanding mask or a respirator is a must.

Tools I used:

Miter saw

Panel saw

Drill and driver

Hand sander

Wood screws various

Wood glue

My goal was to make a functional large sturdy rolling bench using my old cabinets and scrap I had accumulated. The length was determined by my space and what scrap material I had available.

We began by removing doors and drawers from the two cabinets I was using. We flipped the units over and removed the legs from the base. We also glued the loose gray siding and reinforced the cabinet boxes with some screws.

I had lots of uniform scrap left over from cutting plywood for previous projects. Any two matching boards were used to make a base or side panel. The boards for the most part were approximately 84". While the cabinets were upside down, we joined them together. We attached the widest boards I had,. gluing and then screwing them together. We paid close attention to keeping the cabinets square. When that was done, we rolled the cabinets a quarter turn and repeated the steps along the top edge. We repeated that on the other side. When we were done we attached swivel wheels. This was one of the few items purchased new.

For Christmas the year before my wife had gotten me an awesome wood working vise. Now I had an opportunity to use it. We made a simple frame for the top with 2 x 4s. We then flipped the top over and attached the vise per instructions using screws and washers. We then flipped it back over and attached the top from inside the cabinets.

I had a piece of 1/2" plywood left over from another project. I used my panel saw to cut it down to size. I love this saw. It allows me to knocked down oversize boards easily by myself.

We set the top onto the 2 x 4 frame and attached it with screws. I filled large voids and cracks with wood filler and the whole top was sanded.

I can't tell you what a joy it is to use. Even though its heavy it rolls around the garage easily.

Two updates are a ruler tape glued to one edge and strip lights under the edge just because!

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks for viewing!