Under Bench Storage - Making Better Use of Your Space

I am a terminally untidy person-- just ask my wife! (and look at the current state of the shed too!)

So anything that allows me more workspace and benchtop has got to be a good thing.

Well I built a workbench to roll around my shed/mancave, it was made from 2 drawer units that cost me $5 each and a discarded piece of marine ply top and bottom rescued from a skip, but mounting the vice/grinder etc on it would make the useable space, well much less useable

Time for some lateral thinking!!!!!

Those of you who have read some of my other Instructables will know I hate stuff being thrown away and going to landfill.

Well in another skip I found several decent sized pieces of really good quality plywood, when I "liberated" it I had no idea what I would use it for, but free is free!

I cut 2 pieces of 5/8 ply to suit the base size of my grinder and vice, obviously size will vary depending on what tools you are going to stow.

I ripped 2 pieces of 60mm wide and 2 pieces of 30mm wide 3/4 ply the same width as my bench

Glued and screwed them together and set aside to dry

Ripped another piece of 3/4 ply the width minus 60mm of the kneehole in my bench by half the bench width

Also shown is one of the bases which I bopped a couple of holes through

I continued the holes through the baseboard and then opened them up as clearance holes for nuts (later!)

I bolted the base to the grinder (in this case) and then glued and screwed it to the larger baseboard

All glued and screwed

I attached the cleats to the underside of the worktop and screwed in place, sorry not the clearest of photos but I think it can be made out.

This was a bit fiddly trying to get the clamps on by myself but managed it, I also trial fitted the baseboards to make sure they would fit and slide

So first picture is the working position, and second in the stored position, I will probably drill a hole and put a drop nose pin or bolt through to ensure it stays in position when working.

I will mount the vice in the same way on the other side of the knee hole (when I get around to it!!)