Workbench / Assembly Table Drawers - Seeking Recommendations

[Art Tripp]

I am in the process of building a combination workbench / assembly table for my shop. The basic construction of the bench is 2x6 & 2x4 framing with a double layer of 3/4" plywood for a top and a tempered hardboard work surface.


My plan is to install two drawers that will hold a variety of items including screws and fastening hardware, handtools and a variety of other items. Given the size of the drawers and how quickly the weight can add up, I would like for the drawers to be strong and heavy duty enough to support the load without sagging or failure - though at the same time economical to construct (thus no fancy drawer slides or hardware).


Each drawer will be 30-3/4" wide by 42" deep and 5-1/2" tall. The drawers will be accessible from each side of the workbench and will pull out about 20 inches with the remainder of the unextended drawer supporting the extended section (thus allowing half of the items to be accessible from one side and the other half of the items from the other side of the workbench).


The drawers will rest on a full depth support ("A" in the photo) and my plan is to install 1/32" thick "Slick Tape" on the top of each support and/or on the bottom of the sides of the drawer. There is a full depth 2x6 along the top of each side of the drawers to prevent the drawer from tipping and dropping when extended (with enough clearance to remove any swelling & expansion concerns).


I would appreciate recommendations on the drawer construction and supports.


What would be the best material for the fronts of the drawers, the sides, the drawer bottom, and for the drawer supports ("A" in the photo)? Also what type of construction / joinery would be best, and what type of additional supports would you recommend.


I have searched around online but due to the drawer size and the weight of the contents, as well as the use (nothing fancy is needed, just adequate long-term functioning) I wanted to get the insight of anyone here.


Thank you in advance.






Workbench 1.jpg Workbench 2.jpg Workbench 3.jpg

[Andrew Seemann]

1/2 Balitc birch for the sides, 1/4 or 1/2 baltic for the bottom in a dado a half inch from the bottom. Glue and nail the sides, maybe a lock rabbet or drawer joint at the corners.

You could build one as a test drawer to see if the single drawer will move easily enough, but it would be faster to break down and do individual drawers for each side with full length extensions slides. It will be more functional in the long run, and you won't have to fight the weight of the drawer and contents every time you use it, not to mention everything sliding to the middle or other side.

[Jim Becker]

I see two major choices here:

• Build stout, but heavy drawers full width and use extra heavy duty slides ($$$) that can handle a large amount of weight
• Build narrower drawers conventionally and use regular heavy duty slides

Do you actually need 30+" wide drawers to store things? Can ~15" wide drawers handle your needs?

[Prashun Patel]

I wouldn't make 'through drawers'. If your table is 42" deep, you can make (2) 21" drawers that open from each side respectively. Buy good quality, heavy load full extension drawer slides. They're pricey but you'll thank yourself for the next 10,000 times you open and close those drawers.

3/4" plywood sides + 1/2" bottom. People swear by Baltic birch, but I have reasonable luck on shop furniture using BORG ply.

[andy bessette]

I wouldn't make 'through drawers'. If your table is 42" deep, you can make (2) 21" drawers that open from each side respectively. Buy good quality, heavy load full extension drawer slides. They're pricey but you'll thank yourself for the next 10,000 times you open and close those drawers.

3/4" plywood sides + 1/2" bottom. People swear by Baltic birch, but I have reasonable luck on shop furniture using BORG ply.

This is what I'd do. And half the width, as Jim suggested.

[Wayne Cannon]

In deciding on vertical drawer position, consider any clamping configurations you may want to use, as drawers immediately under the top can interfere with clamping work against the top, or even through the top (as clamps through "dog holes"). If so, you may want to leave 8-10" open/clear immediately below your top's structure.

[Carl Baker]

Given the parameters, my recommendation would be to use a 1/2" or even 5/8" (depending on how heavily you really plan to load them) plywood bottom that rides on top of your rail "A" in your picture. install another rail on top of "A" just above the thickness of the plywood you've chosen to prevent tipping when extended. I'm assuming you are sticking with framing lumber, so the drawer sides sit 1 1/2" - 1 9/16" inside the edge of the plywood drawer base; basically making the protruding plywood bottom the drawer slide. I would use the second rail on top of the plywood instead of the 2x6 you used for the top because in the scenario you describe, there is nothing to track the drawer and keep if from racking without it. The 2x6 above would certainly handled "tipping" but it wouldn't slide smoothly and the opposite end would get hung up on the opposite leg unless it were pushed in gently and perfectly straight.
You could step up to some roller bearings in the bottom rail if you think the weight would keep this from sliding freely.
I think this checks your boxes in terms of the way you want it to function, no expensive hardware, etc. It's not as elegant as some of the other options offered but I didn't see furniture quality in your original list of "must haves!"

[Robert Engel]

Art,

I would also recommend separate drawers for each side. Potentially there could be a lot of weight because 1) all the hardware and 2) the bottom would have to be very stout material. I wouldn't want to have to shove that much weight around.

No doubt extension slides are the best way to go. You can buy 20" slides for around $15/pr. If you don't want to do that, then if you install the back about a few inches in from the end this leave a little bit of sides extending to give you a "full extension" drawer.

Thick drawer bottoms add a huge amount of weight to a drawer so I wouldn't go with 3/4". OTOH hardware can get heavy and you don't want it sagging either. I think 1/2" ply would be adequate. You might want to consider single sided laminate. The laminate really adds a lot of strength and if you use white is brightens up that dark drawer. You can make you're own quite easily or there are commercially available sheets call Panolam.

Adding a strip of hardwood to the bottom edge of a plywood door give better sliding action against a hardwood runner.

[Art Tripp]

I appreciate the wealth of information and it has helped immensely. I have been involved in a few other projects so haven't had the opportunity to go any further on the workbench, but my plan is to utilize my greatly enhanced knowledge (of which the forum played a key part) and further evaluate my specific needs, then build a combination of smaller and larger drawers (with slides of some sort). My quick and simple, one-size-fits-all idea just isn't up to the standards I would like to live with and I plan on the unit being around for a long time. Thank you for the many ideas and I am looking forward to putting it to use.