Prior to beginning building of the workbench, accurate measurements of the space available are needed. This ensures the design will fit the available space and still leave room for any cars or other items to be parked in the garage along side the workbench.

Depending on the type of work you do, you may need to move oversized or heavy items from your vehicle to the workspace often enough to consider location during the planning process. Availability of electrical power is also a consideration during the planning phase for a workbench, although it's usually a cinch for an electrician to tap some power to any location in the garage for the cost of a service call.

Once location and size are decided on, it's time to consider the detailed design of the workbench. Three requirements of any workbench are:

1 - Plenty of room for laying out materials likely to be used often.

2 - Tool storage space - pegboard, cabinets or shelves, consider the tool space you will need, and how you would prefer.

3 - Fixture space is needed for a vice clamp to hold your work, a grinder, or other equipment that your work will commonly involve.

With your workbench design ready to satisfy the above three requirements to one degree or another, it's time to start work. Gather together all the supplies tools needed - nuts and bolts, nails, screws, etc. If varnish or painting the workbench is part of your plans, you'll need those supplies too.

Building your own workbench gives good practice when handling more complicated projects. Since a workbench is not a decorative piece of furniture, finish and perfection are not required. Another advantage to building your own, is that standard pre-fabricated workbenches available for purchase are mass produced in sizes that might not fit the space you have available.

By building your own garage workbench, you can decide on the particular specifications for every aspect of the bench. Every feature has a purpose, and no space is wasted. If you're building from scratch or using someone elses blueprints, modified or not, you've got a sturdy piece of garage equipment that will easily surpass the quality of any mass produced, once size fits all workbench for purchase.