Workbench Ideas

[BentleyLeather]

I’m giving my garage interior an overhaul and would like some opinions. Hindsight is 20/20 so to speak and I’m sure some of you have good advice. I’ve been using 2x4’and 2x8’ tables to spread out on. With larger hides the 2’ tables leave you wanting more room. 
I’m looking to build a dedicated leather working table. I’d like storage underneath for both tools and leather. I’m thinking 3/4” MDF for the top, around 6’x4’ and with casters that can raise and lower. 

I mostly make wallets by hand stitching and hand cutting, so tools are pretty limited at this point besides a creasing machine and hand tools. 
I kind of know what direction I’m leaning but thought I’d throw the idea out for opinions or ideas others have incorporated. 
 

Thanks, 

Bryan

 

[gojosh]

On my 3/4" MDF topped work table I added a sheet of 1/8" tempered hardboard (Masonite is a trade name) and trimmed it with a laminate router. It makes a wonderful surface that's more resistant to damage than MDF alone.

Consider trimming the edges out with solid wood, edge banding or filler+paint as the raw MDF isn't super durable.

I also ordered a massive self healing mat from an online signmaking supply company.

It's a wonderful table.

[zuludog]

Search YouTube for 'leather workshop tour' and 'leather workshop ideas' - there are several videos, which will dive you plenty of ideas & suggestions

[gojosh]

This is a rather poor shot of the top. It's massive - something like 75" long and nearly 30" deep.

Edited January 20, 2020 by gojosh

[RockyAussie]

20 hours ago, BentleyLeather said:

With larger hides the 2’ tables leave you wanting more room

Just my experience.....The larger tables tend to get stuff left all over them and when I want to lay out a hide I never have enough room. Solution ....I bought 2 of them large plastic foldaway tables that come out for just those occasions.

[BentleyLeather]

Thank you all for the input. I had thought about putting an edge board around the MDF. 
my grandfather used some as an out feed table to a saw and besides the random spills it’s held up fairly well for 20+yrs, besides it’s ugly now. The hardboard is a good idea too. 
 

2 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

Just my experience.....The larger tables tend to get stuff left all over them and when I want to lay out a hide I never have enough room. Solution ....I bought 2 of them large plastic foldaway tables that come out for just those occasions.

I understand. I had 12’ of workspace before and large parts were always covered up with tools. This time I’ll have 2 tables against the wall for all of my random hobbies and one rolling floor cart for leather. Hopefully I can organize stuff better. 
Debating size still and 4x4 or 4x5 may work just as well 4x6’ per the point you made. 

[KDR]

We made this thing years ago.  It's 96" by 48".  Edges are wood trimmed.  It is, as you can see, a bit a of magnet for clutter, but I always know where stuff is.  On the table!  The shelf underneath is good storage.  The space at the end was designed in to hold a spool of rope on a bar.  We have a tool hanging bar down the centre, a power bar at the far end and an overhead light, er, overhead.  This table gets used mostly for smaller, lighter projects and assembly.  There's another one, the same size but slightly lower, at the other end of the workshop that we use if we're hand cutting a hide.

[LumpenDoodle2]

Instead of using a self healing mat, I use a polyethylene cutting sheet the full size of my workbench.      I’ve found that if you use a round knife, the cutting sheet doesn’t ‘grab’ it the way a self healing mat does.   

[mike02130]

On 1/20/2020 at 4:16 PM, RockyAussie said:

Just my experience.....The larger tables tend to get stuff left all over them and when I want to lay out a hide I never have enough room. Solution ....I bought 2 of them large plastic foldaway tables that come out for just those occasions.

Exactly!!!  Well said.

[BentleyLeather]

I see this ended up being revived so I better give an update: 

Not long after this post I ended up building a 4' x 5' table using 3/4" plywood, 4x4's and 2'x4's with a framed edge and slight "Lip" around the top so my tools would not roll off. It has a bottom shelf as well that as mentioned above gets cluttered but I have a few pull out plastic bins and a big tote I keep leather scraps in. 

The table is also on casters so I can roll it into and out of my garage. I worked on it outside today because I needed better light and it was really nice outside. I did have an issue with stain + poly coat as it was in the 40 degree range when I built it and I was too impatient to let it sit days without drying (I sanded it lightly and applied a thinner coating). Overall I am happy with it, besides the finish being messed up in a few places and the fact that I was not ambitious enough to add drawers and storage for leather as I had originally intended. 

It gets cluttered often but it is now my only work space for leather so it forces me to keep it clean. I have not needed to cut any large items since making my wife a purse (thank goodness that is over). 

The only issue I see with it now is that we had thought about moving and I realized it would always remain a garage table because I did not design it to be taken apart and it's much too large to fit through most doorways.