Wear safety glasses when cutting and drilling — lag bolt pilots shoot chips.
Pre-drill lag bolt pilot holes (5/16" for 5/16" lag) to prevent 4×4 splitting.
This workbench is freestanding — test for wobble before loading. If it rocks, shim under feet.
Lift the top into place with a helper — three 8-foot 2×8s together weigh ~60 lbs.
Step 1 of 70 / 21 parts
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Materials
Lumber
Lag bolt
Deck screw
Step 1 / 7
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Cut parts & gather tools
Step 1 of 7
Cut all lumber to length before assembly. This is the "measure twice, cut once" moment — a workbench with mis-cut legs wobbles forever. Label each piece with pencil as you cut so you don't mix up short/long stretchers.
💡 Tips & Gotchas
•4 × 4×4 posts cut to 35.5" — identical length is critical; clamp them side-by-side and cut as one to check.
•4 × 2×4 stretchers cut to 93" (long) and 4 × 2×4 cut to 19" (short).
•2 × 1×1 runners cut to 93" — rip from a scrap 2×4 if you don't have 1×1 stock.
•4 × 5.5" deck boards cut to 93".
•Leave the 3 × 2×8 top boards at full 96" — no cutting required.
•Sand all faces lightly (80 → 120 grit) before assembly — much easier than after.