Cabinet-Base Workbench
Make this rock-solid workbench with modular drawer storage, a durable top, and optional vises. Perfect for any woodworking shop and beginner-friendly.
Build a rock-solid cabinet-base workbench that combines durability, storage, and traditional joinery in a design that’s approachable for any skill level. This step-by-step woodworking plan shows you how to create a sturdy, professional-grade workbench that’s ideal for both hand tool work and power tool projects. The bench features a strong leg-and-rail base, modular drawer and cabinet storage, and a simple, yet robust workbench top built from thick solid wood boards and a wide apron.
Unlike complicated slab glue-ups, this easy-to-build workbench top avoids flattening issues and offers plenty of clamping surface around the edges. Traditional woodworking features include square bench dog holes and the option to add face and tail vises, with a helpful drilling jig included for perfect alignment.
The real game-changer is the integrated base cabinets. Designed to be added after the frame is built, these modular storage units slide into place, giving you customizable organization for tools, hardware, and accessories without compromising the structure of the bench. Build them with dovetail joints, or use the joinery style of your choice for a personalized touch.
Whether you're setting up a new workshop or upgrading your current one, this cabinet-base workbench offers strength, function, and flexibility in one compact footprint—making it a must-have centerpiece for any woodworking shop.
OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 103"W x 36 ½"H x 42"D
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What You Get:
- 20 printable (digital) pages of step-by-step instructions
- Over 80 full-color photos, illustrations, and exploded views
- Cutting diagram and materials list
- Retail sources for hardware and supplies

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Imperial Plans
The United States Customary System of Units (USCS or USC), more commonly referred to as the English or Imperial system, is the standard set of units for our plans. It uses inches and feet for measurement. This is the one you probably want if you are in the United States, and it is the one we have traditionally offered on this website.

Metric Plans
The International System of Units (SI), more commonly referred to as the metric system, is the alternative set of units that we have available for some of our plans. It uses millimeters, centimeters, and meters for measurement. This is the one you probably want if you are outside the United States. These plans are provided by our business partner, Australian Woodsmith, and are based on the original Woodsmith plan. However, dimensions and other elements of the plan may vary between the metric and standard versions. Be sure to double-check the plan before building.


Premium Plans
All of the information that you need to build our plans can be found in the standard plan. However, if you want even more granular detail to make your job easier, you should consider our premium plans. These come with additional shop diagrams that we drew when creating the prototypes. Shop drawings are not available for every plan.
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Gift Plans
We have added the ability to buy plans as gifts for other people. If you enter someone's email address into the gift recipient email box, when you complete your purchase, that plan will be emailed to the recipient you indicated instead of to yourself.
The same plan cannot be purchased for multiple people in the same order. If you are ordering the same plan for multiple people, please place separate orders for each. This is due to the fact that we have built our site with the restriction of 1 product in the cart at any given time, in order to protect people from accidentally placing duplicate orders.
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There is no need to worry about accidentally buying a duplicate plan for someone who already owns it. If your intended recipient already owns the plan, you will not be able to add it to your cart for them.
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