Rethink Everything You Know About Workbenches

Triangles are stronger than squares because the shape means that there is no possibility of pivoting at the corners. The only way for the angle at any corner of a triangle to change is by changing the length of any side. If you're building with rigid materials, that just can't happen without catastrophic failure. With any parallelogram, however, all sides can remain at the same length while also pivoting at each joint. When you whack a triangular brace on, you transform your parallelogram into two triangles.

I just finished making my bench today and it's a winner!!! Since I read all the discussion around the cross bracing I decided to plywood the entire back section. It won't move either way now. This is a great design!

Super. So well thought out and for every issue you had, you were able to find a solution. Very impressive.

That was a joy to watch. Your design is very well thought out.

I really appreciate your attention to safety!

really good looking work bench, I really like how you solved each problem, I learned from those problems.

A workbench with a new slant and purpose...smaller size and fold away! Well done and thank you!

Fantastic work bench, I especially like you showing your mistakes and the fixes for them! Well done.

Very nice design. I love space saving solutions like this.

I didn't realize that I really need one of these until I saw your video. Thanks for sharing!

Nicely done, Thomas! 100% on the parting words, too 👍🏻

Now this dubbeling those large clamps to fit the large tabletop board, that is fantastic! I should have known before… so weird I didn’t think of it for my former project, making large 7 feet sliding doors. I managed, however this would have made my day for sure! Thanks man. You’re a craftsman. Like!

useing a diagonal brace is esetially the same as putting a full covered back panel on a bench/cabinet. By stretching it corner to corner it basically covers the same amount of area than a full back panel.

Good idea with the clamps

Great Video... you're the Mr. Rogers of Woodworking...

That bench is pure awesome Thanks for sharing !

Thank you so much for sharing. Hubby and I have been trying to figure out a plan and here you are. Being AMAZING! Thank you!

Good idea. I'll have to think about this one for my shop. Thank you.

With your notched out bottom 2 ×4 ...I suggest you screw two slightly larger metal plates to the ends of this removal rail so your foldable ends can't spread apart. Fitting small right angle wooden guusets/right angles.. is also a good way to make your table frame stronger or other projects without having to put in larger diagonal braces. Although the one in your design is at the back so only becomes a pest if you want to add removable shelf's to this design. Nice and compact. I used brass luggage latch hinges once in a over head storage compartment I built in a van . They are easy and work well. Nice compact design. 🙂🙏

This is great, and oh so close to an idea I’ve been working on. Well done. Scott