I made my main bench out of an old pallet rack. It was easy to build and very inexpensive. Both the horizontal and vertical pieces come in various sizes but what I got was pretty standard. I have a shorter one that's about 5' long and I can assemble it in just a few minutes when I need it.
The one below is 10' long. It's free standing (not bolted to the wall or floor) and it doesn't budge. The verticals are 7' apart which is perfect for putting 3 standard 27" wide tool chests and 2 standard file cabinets underneath it. The surface is 30" deep 1/8" steel on top of four pine 2x10's. I've had engines (not Jeep!), transmissions, axles, etc. on it with no problems at all.
It was easy to set the height of the bench; just cut the vertical rack to a what's comfortable. The rule of thumb (taken with a grain of salt) is that you want to set the top of your vice by bending your elbow and extending your fore arm horizontally so that your hand sits flat on top of it. I set this one for my Record No.4 vice. The one shown is a Record No.6 and it's a bit high but OK. I also have a Record No.8 and it's way too high to work with comfortably. Also, when you install your vice, clamp a piece of stock in it vertically; a 2x4 works well. Push the vice back so the stock hits the front face of the bench and then pull it back toward you by about a half an inch. Sounds pretty basic BUT I've seen many guys install their vice too far back on the bench and then realize they can't use it properly. Ever seen a bench with a lot of empty holes around the vice? That's usually why.
The one below is 10' long. It's free standing (not bolted to the wall or floor) and it doesn't budge. The verticals are 7' apart which is perfect for putting 3 standard 27" wide tool chests and 2 standard file cabinets underneath it. The surface is 30" deep 1/8" steel on top of four pine 2x10's. I've had engines (not Jeep!), transmissions, axles, etc. on it with no problems at all.
It was easy to set the height of the bench; just cut the vertical rack to a what's comfortable. The rule of thumb (taken with a grain of salt) is that you want to set the top of your vice by bending your elbow and extending your fore arm horizontally so that your hand sits flat on top of it. I set this one for my Record No.4 vice. The one shown is a Record No.6 and it's a bit high but OK. I also have a Record No.8 and it's way too high to work with comfortably. Also, when you install your vice, clamp a piece of stock in it vertically; a 2x4 works well. Push the vice back so the stock hits the front face of the bench and then pull it back toward you by about a half an inch. Sounds pretty basic BUT I've seen many guys install their vice too far back on the bench and then realize they can't use it properly. Ever seen a bench with a lot of empty holes around the vice? That's usually why.
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... either goto a restaurant supply store or a closing down or closed down restaurant.. and get the stainless steel tables .. come in all different sizes... solid legs, fairly cheap compared to HD and Lowe’s stuff.. I made one for my buddy with a left over table from the restaurant .. I wish I had a pic but it’s waist height, about 6’ long and 36” deep
