FREE Project Plan of the Month: Hobby Bench

[KregRep]

This great-looking bench provides the perfect place to pursue a variety of hobbies. It offers a large bench top with built-in trays for small items, plus shelves up above to hold even more. Underneath, an organizer holds 16-quart storage bins so you’ll always be able organize your supplies. Plus, the bench is super sturdy, so it will hold up whether you’re working with small crafts or heavyweight projects.

The entire bench is built from two sheets of MDF, a couple of 4x4s and three 2x4s.
THE PLAN IS ATTACHED AS A PDF BELOW. If you would like to print the plan, save it to your computer and then open it in Adobe Reader. You can download Adobe Reader for free here.

Once you're done building, be sure to share your project to inspire others and show off your work!

[Perry Productions]

Thanks for posting . . . I know someone special that would love this Hobby Bench.  Any idea how much this would weigh?  Hopefully, it is a 2-person move that won't break the back (up/down stairs).

[Robert Wolff]

Have an idea to downsize this to fit my grandson for his lego hobby.   

[Robert Wolff]

Robert Wolff said:

Have an idea to downsize this to fit my grandson for his lego hobby.   But where oh where can i get my hands on that stool???????/

[KregRep]

We ordered ours from Overstock. A quick Google Shopping search for "drafting chair" should return lots of similar results.

Robert Wolff said:

Robert Wolff said:

Have an idea to downsize this to fit my grandson for his lego hobby.   But where oh where can i get my hands on that stool???????/

[KregRep]

The stool originally came from Overstock.com. They are available from multiple sources, though.

Here's one source: https://www.officesupply.com/furniture/chairs-chair-mats-accessorie...

If you do a google search for "drafting chair" and clicking on the shopping tab, you'll soon see other variations on the same chair. It's sold in multiple colors.

KregRep

[Mj]

Robert Wolff said:

ROB...GO TO WAL MART ON-LINE, DESK CHAIR'S,COME'S IN SEVERAL COLOR'S, USE MINE FOR PLAYIN' GUITAR, VERY STURDY, CANDY APPLE PAINT IS AWESOME ON THEM....$39.95.

                                                                                                       Mj

 
Robert Wolff said:

Have an idea to downsize this to fit my grandson for his lego hobby.   But where oh where can i get my hands on that stool???????/

[KregRep]

The bench isn't a lightweight. To make material purchasing easier, the double-layer top, the organizer underneath, and the shelf unit on top are all made from 3/4" MDF (which all comes from two sheets). By the way, MDF is usually sold oversize, at 49x97, so that's how the sheets are sized in the plan.

A full sheet weighs around 50 punds, so there's probably 80 pounds of MDF, plus the base. I'd add another 25 pounds for the base, for a total weight of ~105-110 pounds. Yes, that's a bit heavy, but there's no such thing as a bench that's too sturdy!

If you want to make the bench lighter you could:

• Build the base from cedar
• Make the organizer and  the shelf unit from 1/2" plywood (modifying dimensions accordingly)

I hope this information helps!

KregRep

Perry Productions said:

Thanks for posting . . . I know someone special that would love this Hobby Bench.  Any idea how much this would weigh?  Hopefully, it is a 2-person move that won't break the back (up/down stairs).

[Rick Baker]

how sturdy would this bench be? I'm getting into reloading, and it looks like something I could use for that.

[KregRep]

Hi Rick,

This bench is extremely sturdy. Even without the organizer underneath that adds mass, the base is super sturdy--4x4 legs with 2x4 side stretchers, plus three upper  long stretchers and two lower long stretchers. 2 1/2" Kreg Screws tie it all together. Then, the double layer bench top is held on with additional pocket screws from underneath.

I think you could set a Howitzer on it and reload without any issues!

KregRep

[danny moore]

Did you try it and did it work out alright?

Rick Baker said:

how sturdy would this bench be? I'm getting into reloading, and it looks like something I could use for that.