A simple step-by-step guide to making a great utility unit

If you ask DIYer’s what they need most in their home projects and construction arsenal, many will tell you a simple workbench would make a great addition. A workbench is useful for simple jobs, from clamping and cutting fiddly items to having somewhere to lay strips of timbers or metal for hand-sawing, not to mention the added bonus of some open shelved storage for smaller items. A retail workbench can be quite costly and bulky to store. However, with just one sheet of good quality 18-24mm plywood or MDF, its pretty easy to make a compact workbench that can sit proudly in the corner of your garage or toolshed and not get in the way.

This basic project is the perfect way to solve your cutting headaches if you need a permanent place to attach a steel clamp or simply cut strips of timber. Any novice DIY enthusiast should be able to make this with minimal hassle. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get building!

Materials

Firstly, you'll need a full 2440 x 1220mm (8" x 4") sheet of 18mm-24mm deep plywood or MDF. Either will work however, plywood is the preferred option as it tends to be stronger and will hold together better, not to mention resist moisture for longer, assuming the workbench will be installed somewhere outside in a shed or garage.

You'll also need 6 plastic or stainless steel corner brackets, a box of 1" self-tapping wood screws, a circular saw (or hand saw), a jigsaw, an electric drill and a 2mm wood drill bit.

Cutting List

Firstly, let’s cut out all the pieces you’ll need to make your workbench. Most of the shapes use straight edges, so there’s little in the way of complicated cutting, making this project pretty straightforward!

By following Figure 2 as shown, you will need to cut two pieces for the bench’s sides labelled (A) measuring 812mm long by 368mm wide. To prevent the workbench from rocking on the floor once built, it is recommended that you also cut out circular shapes at one end of each of our two pieces to create feet. The best way to do this is to grab a large round pot of paint and use the pot’s circular shape as a template to draw nice, exact circles with a pencil and then cut them out using a jigsaw. Simple and guaranteed to give you a good finish.

Next, you will want to cut the largest piece labelled (B) which is your bench’s back panel, measuring 1117mm long by 812mm wide. Now cut your (C) piece, which is the bench’s middle horizontal shelf at the same length as the (B) panel, measuring 1117mm long by 368mm wide.

We’re nearly done. All that is left is the penultimate piece to cut which is the workbench top, labelled (D). Cut that at 1270mm long by 432mm deep. And finally, the smallest piece which is the bench’s all-essential centre vertical shelf support to add strength labelled (E), should be cut at 362mm long by 381mm deep.

And that’s all the cutting done!

The Build

Before piecing together, make sure you are working on a firm level surface, otherwise your finished bench may not be square when constructed.

To save hassle later, it is advised to firstly attach your L-brackets to both (A) panels and the centre (E) shelf support. You will need to attached them to the shorter ends of each piece. Simply lay each panel flat on the floor and then whilst holding a bracket in position, mark with a pencil where you want to attach each bracket. 50mm from the edge is a good distance. Then using your drill, drill pilot holes for each bracket and then attach all your brackets to the panels with a screwdriver or electric drill. Now we can start to put the bench together.

Firstly, take panel (C) and measure halfway along the long length and make a mark at 558mm. Do the same along the other edge and then draw a pencil line. The line should be exactly square to both edges. Now measure 100mm in from the line’s edge and mark a visible dot (or X) ready for drilling. Do the same from the other edge, leaving with you two marks and then drill two pilot holes right the way through the panel. This will make it easier for you to attach shelf panel (C) to the support panel (E).

Next grab your support panel (E) and attach the edge (without the L-brackets) to the middle of panel (C) using two wood screws through the pilot holes you just drilled to form a T-shaped piece.

Now take one of your (A) side panels and measure 390mm from the top edge where your L-brackets sit. Do the same along both edges and draw a horizontal pencil line where to two marks meet. Again like the (C) piece, measure 100mm in from either edge of the drawn line, make two pencil X marks and drill two pilot holes into the panel right the way through using your marks. Once done, do exactly the same with the other (A) panel then attach both at either end to the short edge of the (C) panel (now attached to the E panel as a T-shape) using wood screws. You should now have a basic H-frame that may be a little wobbly so be careful when moving the frame.

To make the frame more rigid, let’s now attached the back panel. Carefully lay your constructed frame onto it’s front facing edge so that the back edge is facing upwards. Now lay the back panel labelled (B) in place and manoeuvre it into the correct position, ensuring it fits square and snug. Once in position, attach it to the frame by drilling and attaching wood screws from the edges at both end of your (A) panels. To make the frame extra sturdy, measure halfway along the width of the (B) panel to 558mm and draw a perfectly square pencil line. Use that line as a guide to drill and screw the back panel (B) to the support (E). Once attached, your frame should feel much more solid.

For extra rigidity, you could also drill screws through the back panel (B) into the (C) panel shelf as well. If so, your frame will be super-sturdy!

Finally, your workbench needs a top! So now lay your constructed frame on its back and then place the top panel (D) in place and attach it to the frame by screwing through the L-brackets you attached earlier. That’s it, your workbench is built.

All you have to do now, is turn it to the correct upright position and place it somewhere where you can use it for all your cutting and clamping jobs.

Finishing

If your workbench has any rough edges from cutting, grabs some course sandpaper and give the edges a good rub down. This will remove any sharp corners or splinters which can cut your hands. To make your bench more weather proof, you could either stain it with some good quality wood varnish or paint it with hard wearing exterior wood paint.

Now you have the perfect compact workbench and all it cost was a single sheet or plywood or MDF, some brackets and screws. It’s as easy as that!

A simple step-by-step guide to making a great storage unit for wood cut offs

Most DIY enthusiasts who regularly make home projects or repairs will start to build a collection of timber cut offs and pieces that they are loathed to part with. Wood is expensive and there’s always a small job that may require just a tiny piece of timber to complete it, so why throw away cut offs when they can be so useful? A pile of loose wood cut offs can start to clutter up a corner of your shed or garage and this becomes a nuisance, not to mention messy. So why not build a simple, portable cut off bin to store them all?

This simple home project is the perfect answer to organising your timber pieces and takes just minimal materials and time to complete. Any novice DIY enthusiast should be able to make this with little difficulty. So let's get started and find out how you can make your own portal timber bin in under one hour!

Materials

Firstly, you'll need a full 2440 x 1220mm (8" x 4") sheet of 18mm deep plywood or MDF. Either is good however, plywood is the better option as it tends to be stronger and will hold together better, not to mention resist moisture for longer, assuming it will be stored outside in your shed or garage)

You'll also need 4 casters (wheels) to make your bin portable, 4 corner L-brackets (or similar), a box of 1" self-tapping wood screws, a circular saw (or hand saw), an electric drill and 2mm wood drill bit.

Cutting List

Firstly, let’s cut out all the pieces you’ll need to make your bin. All of the shapes use straight edges, so there’s no complicated cutting involved, making this project really easy!

By following Figure 2 as shown, you will need to cut three pieces for the bin’s 2 sides and centre panel labelled (D) measuring 794mm long by 394mm wide. To achieve the angles on these panels, measure and mark your cut piece with a pencil at 152mm from the edge along the short side and then mark 375mm from the edge along the long side. Then using a long straight piece of timber or ruler, draw a diagonal line connecting the two marks you have just made. Then with a hand saw (or electric saw) cut along the line to complete your first piece.

Give is a light sanding to remove any rough edges or splinters and then use this piece as a template to mark out and cut two further pieces at exactly the same size. Once done, you should now have three "D" panels.

Next cut 2 pieces measuring 812mm long by 394mm wide, which will be used as both your "A" and "C" panels which have exactly the same dimensions. One will be used as the bin’s front panel whilst the other will be the base panel.

Next, cut your "B" piece, which will be your bin’s back panel at 812mm long by 812mm wide. This piece should be square, with the length and width being exactly the same dimensions.

Finally, cut your two "E" pieces to 590mm long by 378mm wide. These are your bins dividers, giving your bin a total of four compartments to organise various different sizes and types of timbers.

The Build

First off, make sure you are working on a suitable hard flat surface, otherwise your finished piece may not be square when constructed. Once ready, we’ll tackle attaching the three "D" panels to the base panel "C". You may need some assistance from another person to tackle this first stage so grab and extra pair of hands!

The easiest way to attach the panels is to firstly measure exactly halfway along the length of the base panel (C) and draw a pencil line marking the centre. Then along the pencil line, mark two holes at 50mm from either edge and drill two pilot holes right through the base panel.

Now, with the "C" panel sat upright on its edge (being held by your friend), marry it up to one of your "D" panels to create a T-shaped formation and screw your base panel "C" into the edge of the centre divider panel "D" with two 1" wood screws. Now do exactly the same with the remaining two "D" pieces. Drill pilot holes at the ends of the "C" panel and then screw your remaining two "D" side panels to the base, to form a W shape.

Next, carefully turn your constructed frame to the correct upright position and marry up your back panel "B" to your frame so that it touches the rear edges of both the three "E" panels and the base "C" panel. With your helper holding them in place, drill pilot holes along the four touching edges and then screw the back plate to your frame using 1" wood screws through the pilot holes. Once done, your frame should be sturdy and solid and your helper can now go take a break!

We’re close to finishing but firstly, we need to get your divider panels (E) ready. With a tape measure, mark 50mm from the end of the long edge at both ends on just one side of both panels. These marks will tell us approximately how far down our divider panels we want to attach our L-brackets which need to be attached now.

So, once you have your two marks in place on both "E" panels, place an L-bracket up to the edge and mark the two holes with a pencil. Now lightly drill with minimal pressure to make two shallow pilot holes but do not drill all the way through the surface of the sheet. Screw your L-brackets onto your "E" panels at both ends and leave to one side.

Now return to your constructed frame and measure exactly halfway from the back edge of the centre and a side  "E" panels touching the back "B" panel and draw vertical lines from top to bottom with a straight edge such as a spirit level. Do this on all the internal sides. These marks will tell us where we wish to place our interior divider "E" panels so that we can align them and screw them in place using our recently attached L-brackets.

As the above suggests, slide your interior "E" dividers inside the constructed frame, then firstly screw them to the centre "D" panel with the L-rackets. Once in place, then hold them square to the outer "D" panels using your pencil marks nice and steady. Then screw the outer "D" panels to the interior divider "E" panels by drilling pilot holes and 1" wood screws.

By now, your timber bin is really starting to take shape and there’s just a couple of stages to go and that is to attach the front "A" panel. Simply lay your constructed frame on its back, place the "A" panel onto top of the front opening, drill pilot holes along the bottom edge, the two side edges and the centre line and attach with 1" wood screws.

Your bin frame in now constructed! All that’s left to do to make it portable is to attach the casters. Simply lay the bin on its back, hold each caster up to the corner edges of the base, mark the holes with a pencil, drill pilot holes appropriately and then screw to the base with your 1" wood screws.

That’s it, you’re done! Return your timber bin to its upright position and admire your handy work.

Finishing

If you want to give your timber bin the finishing touch, give it a light sand with a thin coarse sandpaper along the cut edges to remove any splinters and then you can either stain it with some good quality wood varnish or paint it with hard wearing exterior wood paint.

Now you have a suitable place to store all those timber cut offs that were cluttering up your tool shed. Happy organising!

A simple step-by-step guide to making an adjustable, multifunctional sawhorse

If you're regularly involved in DIY projects, no doubt you've had many scenarios where a sawhorse would have saved you a lot of time and effort. Yet many retail sawhorses can be expensive, impractical and bulky. So what’s the answer?

We have the ideal home project that involves the simple construction of a multi-functional sawhorse using just a single sheet of 8” x 4” 18mm plywood that will do more than just a single job. This design will give you a strong frame to use for cutting long lengths of timber, large sheets of plywood or MDF and act as a sturdy scaffold platform that will take your weight for hard-to-reach jobs indoors. So let's get started and find out how you can make your own lightweight plywood sawhorse in no time!

Materials

Firstly, you'll need a full 2440 x 1220mm (8” x 4”) sheet of 18mm deep plywood. Unfortunately, MDF is not recommended as it is not strong enough for this particular project.

You'll also need boxes of 1” and 1.25” self-tapping wood screws, a jigsaw (or circular saw), an electric screwdriver (or regular screwdriver) and some good quality wood glue.

Cutting List

Your first task is to cut to shape and size all the components of the main support frames of the horse. Firstly, you'll need to cut a total of 4 side panels labelled (A) on the Figure 2. Each of these panels need to be the exact same size at 762mm tall by 406mm wide at the base and 101.5mm at the top centre point. By cutting them to this size, you should be able to get four from your single sheet of plywood, simply by cutting them alternately with two upright and two upside down, laying side-to-side.

Don't forget cut out a semi-circular shape at the base of each side panel. This will create “feet”, preventing the horse from rocking on uneven surfaces. The cutout doesn't have to be accurate but it's essential to have this to avoid an unstable sawhorse when in use.

Next we move onto the sawhorse worktop. Cut 2 lengths of plywood at 1651mm long by 400mm wide. These will form the table top of the sawhorse and be attached together later on to create a strong, weight bearing surface.

Now we need to cut out the support joists for the sawhorse frames. From the plywood you have left, you should be able to cut out 12 lengths of plywood measuring 406mm long by 102mm wide.

And finally, cut yourself two pieces of plywood at 400mm long by 25mm wide, which we'll attach the your final sawhorse worktop near the end of the build which will act as cleats to hold the top in place, when in use.

The Build

Firstly, create a set of 6 double-lined joists by attaching two together each with wood glue, labelled (C) on Figure 2 and as illustrated on Figure 3. Clamping them together whilst they dry will ensure they set accurately with no movement.

Once your double-lined joists have set, attach them along the centre vertical line of your side panels as marked in Figure 3, 51mm from the top of the side panel and then spaced top edge to top edge 228mm apart vertically. Use your 1.25” wood screws to attach the joist at either end to create your two horse bases, as shown in Figure 3. Once done you should have two sturdy based.

To create the worktop, you can take one of two directions. You can either simple attach the two sheets marked (D) in Figure 2 using a combination of wood glue and 1” screws to make a simple 36mm thick plywood base which will be sufficiently strong enough for basic jobs.

If however, you intend to use the sawhorse for other tasks such as a step scaffold that needs to bear significant weight, you will need to build an integrated subframe to add strength and rigidity to the sawhorse worktop. By following Figure 4, you can build a basic frame from leftover plywood or ideally from a few lengths of rough sawn kiln dried timber lengths at 19mm wide by 38mm in depth.

The subframe is fairly easy to build by cutting two strips to exactly the same length as your worktop at 1651mm and then adding 5 side joists incrementally 406mm apart, cut to 324mm in length. Attach the subframe simply by using 1” screws through the plywood worktop surface and additionally through the base sheet.

By adding the subframe, you significantly increase the overall strength of the worktop and reduce the possibility of bending, warping or even breaking under extreme pressure. If you have the materials at hand to do this, we highly recommend you follow this part of the instructions.

Finally, once your worktop is constructed, attach the two remaining cleats marked (B) on Figure 2 approximately 150mm from either edge. These will act as stops so that your sawhorse remains in place whilst in use.

Now you are ready to assemble and use your sawhorse for various cutting tasks and use any one of the three different set heights of the support joists as your scaffold platforms depending on the requirements of the job.

Finishing

If you want to give your sawhorse the finishing touch, give it a light sand with a thin coarse sandpaper, especially along the cut lines to remove any sharp edges or splinters and then you can either stain it with some good quality wood varnish or paint it with hard wearing exterior wood paint.

A simple step-by-step guide to making a robust and handy step stool

No matter how tall you are, there’s always something in the house that’s either out of reach or too high to grab. Accidents in the home are extremely commonplace and falls are amongst the highest incidences that occur. An rickety chair or use of an unstable object can quickly lead to a slip or collapse under your weight and before you know it, you’re being rushed to the emergency room to check for broken bones due to a nasty fall.

Yet the construction of a simple, compact, lightweight and sturdy step stool could be all you need to solve those common problems of reaching objects safely and securely without the risks of doing yourself harm or having to go and grab a bulky step ladder from the garage outside.

Materials

All you need is approximately a 1/4 of a full-sized plywood board or sheet of MDF and you should have enough material to make the stool. Ideally, the thicker the board, the better. We recommend 12mm (1/2”) plywood or MDF minimum, however 18mm is ideal for a studier frame. That way, the finished piece will be stronger and won’t warp or bend under pressure.

To build the step stool, you’ll need a box of 1 - 1.25” self-tapping wood screws, a jigsaw (or circular saw) and an electric screwdriver (or regular screwdriver).

The Build

Firstly, you’ll need to cut out two L-shaped sides from a square piece of plywood or MDF that is approximately 380mm (15 inches) in length and depth (see Fig. 1) - the same dimensions both sides and then remove block that is one quarter of the size to create the L-shape. This block should be approximately half the length and depth of your main square piece so should measure 190mm x 190mm (7.5” x 7.5”).

Next, you’ll need to cut four batons of equal length to connect both your L-shaped plywood or MDF panels together which will start to form your frame (see Fig. 2). Each baton should be 400mm (15.75”) in length and 50mm (2”) in depth.

Position the batons as shown in the diagram and attach using a combination of wood glue and two self-tapping wood screws at each end through the sides of the L-shaped pieces. If you are skilled at wood work, you could alternatively, attempt to make jig holes in your batons which will hide screw-heads better and make the finished item look more professional. When done, you should have your basic frame assembled.

Next, cut your top step piece with a jigsaw (or circular saw) at a size of 460mm (18”) in length by 230mm (9”) in depth to allow for plenty of overhang and attach to the top step of your frame using screws through the surface into the batons below (See Fig. 4). If you're feeling confident, you could even cut out a carrying handle shape on the top step to make your stool nice and easy to move and store away.

Finally, we need to cut and attach the bottom sheet to your step-stool. Firstly, cut a piece of plywood sized 400mm (15.75”) in length and 460mm (18”) in width. Now we need to trim the edges halfway to allow for the step to slide and fit snugly inside the frame and then overhang at the front. To do this, you’ll need to cut both edges of your bottom piece 43mm (1.67”) in depth and 190mm (15”) in length to create a fat T-shaped piece (see Fig. 3).

Once cut, the thin edge of your sheet should then slide into the back of the lower step of your frame, allowing you to attach it with screws and wood glue (See Fig. 4). Congratulations, you should now have a finished step stool!

Finishing

If you want to give your step stool a quality finish, give it a light sand with a thin coarse sandpaper, especially along the cut lines to remove any sharp edges or splinters and then you can either stain it with some good quality wood varnish or paint it with furniture paint.

Tips on using medium density fibreboard on external projects

MDF (Medium Destiny Fibreboard) is now one of the most commonly used composite boards on the market and it’s easy to see why.

Most important of all is it’s relatively inexpensive. You can usually purchase MDF boards at the fraction of the cost of real wood such as plywood and by and large, it is just as good, if not better at certain applications. With it’s composite construction, made up of tiny wood chips, fibres and resin, it offers a strong and adaptable solution to many building projects needs.

When cut, it tends to leave a relatively smooth edge unlike some timber boards that split and splinter, and the overall finish achieved when edged or painted can be of a particularly high standard. It’s dense, heavy and durable under most conditions.

However, most MDF’s are not great in damp or wet conditions and if put under a lot of strain, can split or crack if put under too much stress. MDF also does not tend to take nails or screws as well as real wood boards, due the fibres not being able to thread as well. That said, it still offers an excellent, cost-effective way of producing great looking finishes for a number of items such as furniture, shelving, laminate flooring, mouldings and doors. In most instances, every home in the country will have MDF somewhere or other.

Where can I use MDF effectively?

MDF is ideally suited to dry, internal environments only. Standard MDF tends to absorb rather than repel moisture, so if there is water near by, watch out! It won’t take long for the boards to soak up any damp nearby and that’s when the resin in the MDF starts to break up and deteriorate. If this happens, the boards will have been compromised and will most certainly need replacing.

There are however, certain types of MDF which are adapted to cope better under damp conditions. Both Veneered Fibreboard and Moisture Resistant Fibreboard are both designed to deal with moisture far better than Standard MDF.

Veneered Fibreboard

As the name states, this type of MDF is veneered with a thin layer of wood such as ash, cedar, cherry, oak, maple, pine or walnut to name a few. By veneering the MDF, it dramatically improves the aesthetic appeal of the board but also its water resistant properties. By choosing a strong wood as the veneer, this will inevitably improve is ability to resist water when used outdoors on all veneered facing sides.

Remember however, that if any edges are cut and exposed, these need to be veneered or protected to prevent water from penetrating and damaging the boards.

Moisture Resistant Fibreboard

Unlike Standard MDF, MR MDF does not use urea-formaldehyde based resin and instead uses a moisture resistant phenol-formaldehyde glue instead. Due to this type of resin being more expensive, MR MDF invariably comes with a higher price tag. But if you’re in need of an MDF that can deal with the wet, this the most suitable option to go with.

Extra Tips

Even if your MDF is veneered or uses moisture resistant phenol-formaldehyde resins, its is still advisable to paint or seal the MDF to improve its water resistant qualities. Where the MDF is unfinished or has exposed edges, a water sealant or paint will give you an extra insurance policy against water damage if you intend to use the boards where water is ever present.

Some MDF boards may not take a waterborne polyurethane based paint so well on first application which is perfectly normal. If binding does not occur, try applying a seal with a shellac first, then apply the sealant polyurethane once dry.

Know It’s Limitations

Remember, MDF was never designed to be used is extremely wet conditions. Even if you choose to use a veneered or water-proofed MDF, they are only suited to environments with a modest level of damp. If the area you intend to use the boards is consistently wet, perhaps you should consider using another material that can cope with such applications better.