Small Space? How To Build A Foldable Workbench.

[SickBiker]

Small room - 10 m², or 107 ft²

If you live in a block and have really small space in your apartment or room, I will show you some space saving tricks, so that you can not only store and service your bike indoor, but also make your place look like there's some passionate biker living in.

Main goals of this project is to find space in the 10 m² room for the following things:

• 4 bikes (3 on the walls, 1 on the floor, if needed),
• a workbench (which can also serve as a computer desk at your place),
• a large set of bicycle tools,
• a bike stand,
• a couch (if needed).

 

My main requirement while building this whole room is to KEEP THE FLOOR AS FREE, as possible, putting on it only a couple of things. There has to be a place for a sofa, or dresser, if you need and since it is a biker's cave  - we may want to make some indoor training there as well. For me - NO MORE STUMBLING on anything anymore!!!

 

Workbench or a computer desk.

It's time for step one of this project - building a working space. Depending on a height of our slab, it is going to be a typical workbench, or a desk and a workbench, if mounted at a sitting height.

Why folding desk:

• it gives us greater space, if you wanted to invite some friends over,
• no legs - even more space and easy access to under the desk (in my case - parking area),
• it looks clean and adds some bike details to our room design.

 

Workbench dimensions.

It is going to be a typical servicing and filming workbench in my case. I want to feel comfortable, when working on it, so I've set for it a height of 108 cm. An additional benefit of this height is also, that I'll be able to park my highest full suspension bike under it. My desk is also 60 cm (23,5 inches) deep and 200 cm (78") long, or wide. As you can see on the pictures, such a workbench has enough space for two bike wheels and some tools. You can easily go for a much shorter one - checking some typical computer desk sizes isn't a bad idea. I bought an oak slab, which is 19 mm thick, worrying about it's stiffness on such a length, but it turned out to be OK.

 

What you need to buy (very cheap, comparing to a quality computer desk prices):

• oak slab (in my case) or an OSB slab (will make a great and even cheaper workbench too),
• two old bicycle chains,
• expansion anchors (must suit the type of your wall and the hinges),
• two pitons,
• 4 mounting hoops (eyelets),
• bolts, nuts, spacers (I needed to put the spacers between the hinges and the wall),
• wood varnish (easy to clean from the oils and grease),
• sandpaper.

 

How to do it yourself:

1. Cut the desk to your prefered size and use the sandpaper to round its edges.
2. If you paint the desk with the varnish, let each layer dry very well, otherwise you'll be inhaling its odor for many days.
3. Put some objects under your desk, so that you can choose the mounting height.
4. Mark the drilling spots for your hinges on the desk and the wall. You can decide to fold the desk UP to the wall, if you for instance want to keep some furniture under it. Mine folds down, because I'll out some graphics and scratch protection on the wall, just over the desk. That's why my hinges are mounted under the desk.
5. Determine where to put the mounting hoops. They shouldn't be to low, as there might be to much force working on the wall anchors.
6. Drilling time! Don't push the drill to hard through the wood, not to damage the surface on the other side.

It was easier for me to fasten the hinges to the wall first and then mount the desk. Now determine the length of both chains with the pitons, brake them with a chain tool, then guide the chains through the mounts and close them again. Your workbench is ready to...work!