Appreciation post: the before-and-after on my workbench setup over two years

I redid my garage workbench back in 2022 after years of just piling stuff on it... the difference is night and day now. Back then I had a saggy particle board top with a busted vise and tools scattered everywhere. Finally put in a 2x4 frame with a 3/4 inch plywood top and added a french cleat system for hanging everything. Cost me about $150 total and took a weekend but now I can actually find my framing square without digging through junk... has anyone else noticed how a simple bench overhaul makes you wanna build more stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_drew1d ago

Man I redid mine last year and now I spend more time organizing than actually building stuff!

coleman.hannah22h ago

Wait, is it just me or has organizing become the hobby people do INSTEAD of the actual hobby these days? @the_drew I totally get what you mean, I started a woodworking corner last winter and now I have this whole labeling system for my screws that I'm honestly more proud of than anything I've built. It's like we've tricked ourselves into thinking sorting bins is the productive part when really it's just procrastination with extra steps and a trip to the hardware store.

tessap9721h ago

25 different labels for screws is wild though. I have a friend who color coded his entire electronics kit by voltage and now he just opens drawers to admire them. He literally bought a label maker just for his label maker accessories. I'm not even kidding, he has a little pouch for the extra label rolls. It's a whole separate hobby at this point.