Garage Workbench Projects You Can Start Today

Before building my garage workbench, I used to use an old kitchen table as my workbench. It worked well enough but was not ideal.

I then built a completely new garage workbench that is great for working on big projects.

It has no problem holding my motorcycles and is much more stable than the old kitchen table ever was.

Having a garage workbench will save you a lot of time and frustration by making it easier to get your projects done.

They are especially helpful for working on bigger projects, like building a shed or working on your car.

You can use various types of garage workbenches or build your own. You can even use an old kitchen table if you are tight on space.

Discussed below are 20 different project ideas that you can do on a garage workbench.

1. Painting Furniture

Painting furniture is a great way to give an old piece of furniture a new life. You probably already have a few things around the house that you can repurpose or re-paint.

Garage workbenches are also perfect for painting, as they will allow you to reach all sides of the furniture easily.

A garage workbench is especially helpful if you are painting larger pieces of furniture, like a desk or dining room table.

2. Building a Shed

Building a shed is a large project that you can do on your garage workbench.

It will require you to drill into wood, and if you have not done this before, it will be a lot easier with the help of your garage workbench.

If you are new to power tools, this is a good project to get started on. You can do it with minimal power tools, but it will do the job much easier.

3. Car Repair

If you are looking for something more advanced than painting furniture but are not ready to make the jump into building your shed, car repair is a great option.

You can easily work on your car on top of your garage workbench. For instance, if your car does not have working lights, consult a professional before fixing them yourself.

However, you should be able to do things like check the oil and other minor repairs with ease from the comfort of your garage workbench.

4. Painting Walls or Trim

Painting walls or trim will save a lot of money hiring a professional painter.

It will also give you a sense of accomplishment when finished, even though it may seem small compared to other projects that people do on their garage workbenches.

If you are new to painting walls or trim, you should take precautions. For instance, if painting the trim around your door, make sure to cover the floor and other areas that you do not want to paint.

You can use a large sheet of cardboard as a shield between floors and walls by taping it down with some painter’s tape.

If you do not have any on hand, trash bags will also suffice for this job.

5. Designing Your New Home

Before moving forward on building your dream home, you should first design it so that all costs are figured out beforehand, and there are no surprises during construction.

One way to save money is by using free software like Google SketchUp, which you can use from your garage workbench.

It will allow you to design the layout of your new home by drawing its measurements on a grid much like you would with graph paper.

The program provides tools that let you easily change the dimensions of certain objects, which, if done incorrectly, can cost serious money to correct at a later time.

6. Fixing Drywall Holes

If you are working with drywall, there will be holes that need repairing sooner or later.

You can do this yourself by cutting out the area around the hole with a pair of tin snips and then applying drywall compound to patch it back together.

Once dried, use sandpaper to smooth out the patched area before painting over it.

7. Engraving

Whether you need to engrave a special message or monogram on some furniture, an old piece of jewelry, or even metal tooling for work, your garage workbench comes in handy.

A laser cutter is unnecessary for this task, as you can use other types of handheld tools to get the job done.

However, if you have access to a laser cutter, it will make engraving on larger pieces of metal much easier.

8. Drafting

Drafting is essential if you are an architect or skilled tradesman that plans on working with blueprints often.

You can easily draft new designs or edit existing ones right on your garage workbench. It will be much easier if you have access to a computer connected to a plotter if you are new to drafting.

This will allow you to easily see what your new design or edits will look like in real life before committing to them.

9. Creating Furniture Patterns

Creating furniture patterns can be an extremely useful skill when building your custom pieces of furniture.

It does not matter if you are building small cabinets or large bookshelves with many different compartments; having a well-made pattern can save you hours of time and frustration when figuring out each part’s dimensions for your project.

The best way to create these patterns is by using computer-aided drafting (CAD) software.

You can draw your pattern right on top of the garage workbench, save any needed changes in the file, or print out the project photos to show it off to others.

10. Building Furniture

Garage workbenches can be used for building furniture like cabinets, stools, and even small bookcases.

This will save you a lot of money buying new furniture that may not necessarily look how you would want it to in your home.

If you are trying to build furniture using plans from other websites or books, make sure you read through them completely before trying any procedures yourself.

That way, if something goes wrong, at least you know what should have been done instead.

If there is no existing plan for your design available, try drawing one up yourself on paper first before making it in real life.

11. Soldering

When building electronics, soldering wires together is an extremely common procedure, but it can be not easy without the right supplies.

This task will become much easier if you have a garage workbench nearby to lay out all your tools and parts and make soldering joints with your welder or torch much faster.

You should only attempt soldering for this job if you are already know-how and are aware of what precautions to take before doing so.

If you lack experience working with solder, find someone who does and ask them for lessons before trying anything at home by yourself.

12. Working With Sheet Metal

If you work in a shop that requires you to create or repair sheet metal products, it would be wise to invest in your welder and garage workbench so you can do this procedure at home.

Cutting, bending, and welding pieces together is much faster than doing this on-site, saving the company time and money.

Having a dedicated space for these tasks is unnecessary if you already have experience working with sheet metals.

However, a home-based garage workbench setup will make a huge difference if you are starting.

13. Welding

Working with welding on-site without all the proper equipment on hand can be a dangerous and frustrating experience.

This is why it’s often easier to do this at home, where you can work without such limitations.

You will need a garage workbench set up if you want to do any welding for this job and access to the proper safety gear and protection measures for your family.

If you are new to welding, make sure you read all the instructions and manuals before attempting anything by yourself.

14. Soldering Pipes

If you deal with soldering pipes frequently in your line of work, it may be beneficial to invest in a welder and garage workbench that specifically caters to these tasks.

Working without having the right equipment on hand is not a good experience, as you will need to make many adjustments due to a lack of supplies.

If you are an experienced pipe welder, this type of setup is unnecessary.

However, if you do not have any previous experience working with pipes, investing in a garage workbench for this job may be beneficial.

15. Preparing and Organizing Materials

You will save a lot of time and effort when reorganizing your workroom or constructing a dedicated garage workbench for all tools.

If the supplies are disorganized, they may become damaged over time which is costly to replace.

You can avoid this by investing in a setup that is easier to manage and taking good care of materials as you use them.

People who enjoy working with tools should have enough space at home for this task. Otherwise, it’s best to leave these jobs within the company.

16. Fixing Things

If you frequently work on fixing things in your line of work, then it may be best to invest in a dedicated setup at home or garage workbench.

Working without proper supplies is extremely frustrating and can become hazardous if you are not careful.

Make sure to organize your garage well enough so that tools are easy to find when you need them, or ask for help from someone who has experience working with tools.

If no one knows how to fix any problems, they will have to send engineers out on site, which takes time, money, and effort.

17. Carpentry

Carpentry tasks are often easier at home because there is more space and a more organized environment.

If you do this type of work on the job, you may have to stop your activities to reorganize your workroom constantly.

This can be time-consuming and costly if you damage any tools due to a lack of organization.

Ensure that all materials are properly maintained, and there is enough space for these tasks at home; otherwise, leave them within the company.

18. Working with Cabinets

If you frequently deal with cabinets on the job, investing in a garage workbench to do these tasks at home will be beneficial.

If you don’t have your setup, working with cabinets can be frustrating due to a lack of space and organizational skills.

It may also become hazardous because you are not properly equipped for the task. Ensure there is enough space in your garage for this type of work if you want to complete this job at home.

19. Sculpting

Sculpting is a slow process that requires patience to maintain focus throughout the day.

This makes it much easier to accomplish this job within the company rather than trying to do it on-site without assistance from others who enjoy doing this.

To avoid wasting valuable time rearranging supplies, make sure you have all materials organized before starting any sculpting project.

Even though many people enjoy working with clay, this task can be frustrating if there isn’t enough room or organization in a workroom.

You may break tools due to lack of space, so make sure you have a dedicated spot for this job at home.

20. Woodwork

Woodwork tasks are easier to complete when done at home because there is more space to move around, eliminating waste of time.

However, it can become frustrating if you do this on the job site because people may get in your way.

If someone enjoys working with wood, make sure they have enough space to complete these tasks without distraction.

Also, ensure all tools and supplies are properly taken care of, and no one will get in the way.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, these are some of the more popular types of work that you can do at home.

If you enjoy doing these things, then it’s best to make sure your household is set up for them so that they can be completed without getting in the way of other activities.