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Unpopular opinion: stop building your workbench with 2x4s from the big box store
I see so many posts where people build these massive workbenches out of those wet, twisted 2x4s from Home Depot or Lowe's and then wonder why their bench wobbles or splits after six months. Look, I get it, they're cheap and convenient. But I learned this the hard way after my last bench developed a three-quarter inch gap between the top and the frame in under a year. For $11 more you can get kiln-dried Douglas fir from a local lumber yard and it stays straight through the seasons, trust me on this. My current bench has been solid for 4 years with zero sagging or cracking, even with my heavy toolbox sitting on it. Am I the only one who thinks the big box lumber is a total rip for something that needs to stay flat and level?
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spencer_hayes718d ago
Oh man, you just reminded me of the time I built a little rolling cart out of some "premium" 2x4s from the orange store. Looked fine in the parking lot but by the time I got it home and assembled, it had a half inch twist in the top rail. I tried to force it straight with clamps and ended up splitting the dang thing. Ended up using it as firewood. So yeah, I feel your pain, a straight board is worth every penny.
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aaron7088d ago
Ha, I gotta push back a little on this one. Honestly, I've had way better luck with the big box store lumber than I expected. I think the trick is to just spend 10 minutes in the pile digging through every single board. I'll find a straight one eventually even if it means pulling from the bottom of the stack. The lumber yard stuff is definitely nicer but for a shop cart build I'd rather save the cash and deal with a little sorting.
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