Old Table, New Work Bench

Good Enough Construction was at it again today. Out came the drill and the tape measure and the circular saw and the saw horses and the ever-important pencil and in a couple of hours I had a work bench, complete with a tool tray.

A few weeks ago, while building the storage shelves in the basement, I discovered an old – a really old – trestle table in the utility room. It was eight feet long, the legs were bent and rusty and it sagged just a little in the middle. It was rickety and my first thought was: find a pick-up and haul it to the dump. Then another thought struck me: Why not transform it into a work bench?

The rickety old trestle table I found
in the basement

The legs were bent and rusty.
They had to go!

Last week I posted a request for scrap 2x4s, 2x6s and plywood on an FB buy and sell page. Within minutes, a complete stranger offered to give me – give, not sell – the 2x4s and 2x6s that I needed. Cool. I could start the transformation.

I cut the legs and screwed them into place, added the cross pieces and, with no free or cheap scrap plywood, improvised the tool tray with some scraps of panelling that were also in the basement. Two hours later I flipped my creation over, nailed the panelling into place and had a work bench that was much sturdier than the table had been.

Sturdier, but a bit tippy…

I failed to take the sagging in the middle into consideration and so it tends to rock a bit. Only a bit, mind you.  I’m counting on some counter-sagging to even it out in due course.

And I still had time to strap on my snow shoes and go for a short trek to gather some small, fallen trees for a Yule project.

My new work bench ready for
the next project!

It’s been a good day!