Materials Needed

• You may already have some of the materials needed to build a sturdy work bench yourself. If you do, this project will be even less expensive. All you need are five 2-by-4-by-8s, one 4-by-8-foot sheet of 7/16 OSB (oriented stranded board and also called chip board), 3-inch drywall or deck screws, and 1 5/8-inch drywall or deck screws. If you have to buy these materials, see if the lumber store will cut the lumber to size for you before leaving the store. If they are not equipped for such a service, you will need a circular saw, a miter saw, a jig saw, a drill with a Phillips head drill bit, a tape measure, a wood clamp, a 4-foot level, a framing or speed square and a pencil.
  
  

Cut the Lumber to Size

• If you have to complete the cuts yourself, cut all of the lumber to size before assembling any of the parts. The finished bench will measure 48 inches long by 32 inches high by 26 inches wide (or deep). Given these measurements, you will need to cut the 2-by-4-by-8s to the following measurements: the legs are 32 inches long (four of them); the side stretchers are 45 inches long (four of them); the end stretchers are 26 inches long (four of them). The sheet of OSB will be used for the top of the bench and for the bottom shelf. The width of the sheet of OSB is already 48 inches wide, so you will just need to cut two pieces at 26 inches in width with a circular saw.
  
  

Assemble the Bench

• Assemble the long sides of the work bench first. Lay two legs flat onto the ground and lay two side stretchers on top of the legs. Pre-drill one screw hole per joint and secure the top stretcher to the legs with 3-inch screws (but allow room for three more screws per joint to be added later). Then measure up from the bottom of each leg 6 inches. Match the bottom side of the bottom stretcher to the 6-inch mark and pre-drill one hole per joint. Secure each joint with a 3-inch screw. Use a tape measure and measure diagonally both directions to be sure the side is square (if the side is square, the measurements will be the same). If the side is out of square, tap the wood lightly until the side is square. Then pre-drill three more holes per joint and fasten them together with 3-inch screws. With the sides of the bench still lying on the ground, attach the end stretchers to the ends of the bench. Place one end of the end stretchers on the ground against the end of the finished side. Use a framing or speed square to be sure the end stretcher is square to the floor. Pre-drill two screw holes and fasten each end stretcher to the bench side with 3-inch screws. Repeat for the other side. Stand each side upright and use a wood clamp to hold the unsecured end of the end stretcher in place to be fastened to the other side piece. Pre-drill the screw holes and fasten the end stretcher with 3-inch screws. Repeat for the other three end stretchers. Lay the top piece of OSB on top of the bench. True up the four sides of the top with the sides of the bench and fasten with 1 5/8-inch screws. For the shelf piece of OSB, cut a 3-inch by 5-inch notch out of each corner with a jig saw and put the shelf in place from one end of the work bench. Fasten the shelf in place with 1-5/8-inch screws.