Building Space Saving Workbenches for a Small Garage Shop

Okay, this really does transform the space. If your workshop is in your garage, you know space gets tight real fast. Let’s fix that. These four workbenches all save a ton of space in different ways and will help you actually move around and find what you need. And after watching the last workbench build, you won’t need to buy drawer slides anymore.

Working in a small garage shop can be tricky to move around in if you don’t have the right workbench. But this first workbench is going to change all that. My workshop here is actually smaller than a onecar garage. And I’m the type of person that doesn’t like to spend a lot of money on a lot of things, but especially workshop furniture. So, this workbench is just going to use standard 3/4 in or 18 mm shopgrade plywood and construction lumber.

Murphy Style Folding Workbench

I designed this workbench after the great San Francisco native William Lawrence Murphy, who invented the Murphy bed in the early 1900s. So, this workbench is actually going to fold up into the wall like a Murphy bed, and the legs will fold in, giving me so much more room for activities.

But first, I need to build a sturdy tabletop. And for the tabletop frame, I mitered the edges so that there won’t be any exposed ending grain. And since I’m not a huge fan of exposed screws, I’m hiding the screws with dowels. I mean, why can’t shop furniture look nice, too? I like nice things.

I also wanted to make sure that the tabletop could be replaced if it got damaged or worn. So, I made those screws accessible. I’m actually using pocket hole screws here because I find the way the head of the screw is designed, it connects the table top to the frame really well.

One thing I regret is putting the side of the plywood that had this awesome grain character on the underside of the tabletop. I really should have put it on the top side because it would have made the workbench a lot more interesting. But alas, there’s no point in crying over spilled orange juice.

Tools and Build Approach

I’m a big believer that you don’t need a lot of expensive tools to make awesome stuff. And for this build, you really only need a table saw, miter saw, and drill. I do use a router and jigsaw later in this video, but I’ll tell you exactly what you can do instead of using those tools. They’re really not necessary.

Now, this workbench will end up being about 100 lb when it’s all built. So, you may be wondering if the bottom bracket that will hold the workbench on the wall is strong enough to hold that much weight. And I’ll show you exactly how I secure that bottom bracket to the wall.

Leg Structure and Strength

I’m cutting a notch out on the table saw using my crosscut sled to add a piece later that will make sure my legs don’t fold in while I’m using the workbench because that would be what we call in the business bad. I like my legs sturdy, don’t we all?

So, I’m gluing two 2x4s together, making these legs 3 in thick, leaving space for an upper and lower horizontal piece to add some rigidity.

I used to feel stuck and unmotivated when I would walk into my workshop, and I think it’s because my space was really cluttered. Nothing was organized, and my workshop furniture didn’t look that great. So, I started to build furniture that not only organized my tools and accessories, but also looked really nice along with saving a lot of space in my small shop.

Stability and Support System

The challenge I’ve discovered with building folding furniture or any furniture that has a folding component is keeping it sturdy and strong and really stable.

So, I’ve done two things to this workbench to keep it nice and stable. The first is adding this upper support piece to keep these legs nice at 90 degrees and to prevent them from overextending. The second way is adding a lower support stretcher, which is also going to prevent the legs from folding in when I’m using it.

There’s actually a third method I used to make this more stable. I added an additional diagonal cross brace that’s removable to make it even more stable, and it worked really great.

Wall Mount System

To secure the bottom bracket to the wall, I am using quarter inch by 3 inch long lag screws because they’re beefy and I’m making sure to drive them into these studs in the wall.

For the top bracket, I’m just using a piece of 3/4 in plywood and I’m using gate latches to hold the workbench against the wall. They don’t have to hold 100 lb. They have to hold a small fraction of the weight of the workbench.

This workbench saves quite a bit of space and it’s really easy to store on the wall and then bring it back down.

Portable Folding Workbench Concept

But what if you wanted to do work inside your workshop as well as outside your shop? You would need a portable folding workbench that is plenty sturdy for inside your shop but you could also take it anywhere you wanted to go.

This workbench is potentially going to save a lot of space, but it’s wobbly, a major flaw for any bench. I have an idea to fix it.

Material Optimization

I’m using 2x4s for a lot of this workbench, but do I actually need all 3 and 1/2 in of width? The answer is a big fat no. So, I’m going to be ripping all of the pieces down from 3 and 1/2 in wide to 2 and 1/2 in wide.

Weight is a huge consideration here. Plywood is really flat but it’s pretty heavy. Pine lumber is much lighter, so I am using pine.

Mistake and Rebuild

I made the really smart decision to make the tabletop first and then make the base. And I just realized something. I made this tabletop the wrong size.

The plan is for the workbench base to fit inside this tabletop, but the base will not fit. So, I need to make the base first and then size the tabletop to fit around that base.

So, it’s time to do a bunch of stuff over.

Folding Design Thinking

The first thing you have to figure out when building a folding workbench is how to keep everything tight and secure when the workbench is unfolded.

The second thing you have to think about is is it easy and relatively quick to fold and unfold. If it’s really complicated or timeconsuming to unfold it, then you’ll never use it.

For me, that amount of time is about 2 minutes maximum.

Build Improvements and Techniques

I’m using glue along with screws to keep everything extra strong.
I’m using 90 degree clamping squares to make sure everything is exactly 90 degrees.
I also used countersink drill bits, which are a gamechanger.

Tabletop Build and Sanding

These pine boards are great because they’re much lighter than plywood, but it can be tough to glue them up really flat.

So, I’m using clamps on the edges and I’m going to have to do a lot of sanding on this tabletop. Like a lot a lot.

Benefits

These workbenches save a ton of space.
They are easy to store.
They help you move around and find what you need.
They are strong and stable.
They don’t require a lot of expensive tools.
They use simple materials.

FAQs

What happens if space gets tight in a garage workshop
Space gets tight real fast and these workbenches fix that

Do you need expensive tools
You really only need a table saw, miter saw, and drill

Is folding furniture stable
It can be stable with support pieces and braces

Is wall mounting strong enough
Lag screws into studs make it strong

Is plywood good for workbench
It is flat but heavy

Is pine better
It is lighter and helps with portability

How long should folding take
About 2 minutes maximum

Do you need glue and screws
Glue keeps everything extra strong

Is sanding required
Yes, a lot of sanding

Can beginners build this
Yes, tools and process are simple

Conclusion

These four workbenches all save a ton of space in different ways and will help you actually move around and find what you need. If your workshop is in your garage, space gets tight real fast, but this fixes that.

And after watching the last workbench build, you won’t need to buy drawer slides anymore.