The demolition aspect of our shop remodeling is completed. We’ve completely taken down the walls, hallways, closet and workbench that was in our way. Next comes the initial build of the new workbench. What does that include?

I want to incorporate our craftsman table saw into the new workbench area. Not only will this open up more floor space but it will make cutting larger pieces easier. When it’s not in use we can drop the blade and have that much more flat space to work on. This move is a bit of a gamble. If I happen to be working on something large and then suddenly need an unexpected cross cut I might have an issue. But I think in the long run this change will be positive. We only cross-cut on the craftsman saw so all in all we should be in good shape.

I’m going to wire the workbench to support other equipment as well as handheld tools as needed. Because of the physical location in the shop, I also need it to support the outlets for several 220v tools (the Grizzly table saw and the new Grizzly band saw) as well as our secondary dust collection unit and two benchtop sanders. All of this will be incorporated into varying locations in the piece as it comes together.

Lastly, we will need a decent amount of storage in this new workbench. I’m going to be installing 4 or 5 wide drawers to accommodate some tool storage and for a lot of the little things I reach for often. The rest will be cabinets with drawers I think. We’ll see how it goes as it comes together.