I found as I was getting older , that sitting at the workbench, hunched over so I could see what I was doing, was causing me all sorts of upper and mid back strain, so earlier this year, I decided to add a small work table to my desk so that I could stand while building models. It has worked out well and I generally have far fewer problems with my back.

But the small table had been placed where I used to have my work area which was directly in front of my tool chest where I normally kept all my daily use tools for building models.It was an open design, but getting to the drawers was a pain and because the table was narrower than the chest, I couldn't always open a chest drawer without having to slide the work table one way or another.

I resolved to improve on this and decided to modify the tool chest into a work table so that the drawers would be front and center and easily accessible. The tool chest is a cheap Harbor Freight chest, so I was not concerned about taking it apart and modifying it.

I basically removed the hinged top, removed the latches, removed the slide out drawer cover (which I never used anyway). Then I created a new wider and deep top for the chest and reattached it to the chest with the original hinges. This way I can lift up the top and still make use of the top of the chest for storing less often used items.

The chest was too short however, approximately 4 1/2" too short so I added some legs to the bottom. I placed them on the sides which creates a nice area under the chest where I can place two plastic trays I use to hold things like sanding sticks, and other tools I need but which are not in the tool chest.

So here it is and I've include a photo of the first table for comparison. I still need to clean up and reorganize my work area, but the space behind the chest is now open and available for use. I have a small set of shelves just to the right in the old table photo. This is where I keep my thinners, spray cans, and miscellaneous larger bottles. I am going to make a slide out tray for underneath this so that this can slide into that open space. This will in turn free up the space next to my computer monitor for some other as yet undetermined use.

A great idea, my friend @clipper!
Thanks for sharing!

A great idea indeed, Carl @clipper
Also easy access to your tools this way.

Thanks everyone, the design has been working out fine. I'm in the second phase of modifying this area now. I'm always thinking on how I can improve my work bench for my needs. That means identifying areas that are still a problem and then trying to find a solution to that problem.

One big problem I have is lack of horizontal surface area on the desk to place things.This is because I keep my in work models in plastic boxes (with lids) and they are near the work area. But the downside is that they take up a lot of desk space. My desk has shelves built over the top and the consequence of that is that there is a vertical leg supporting the upper shelves that comes down in the middle of the desk top.

This vertical support prevented me from using the center of the desk for my stand up work table. So today, I moved the vertical support back enough to make it possible to slide the standup table to the right and make better use of the center of the workbench.

Behind my stand up table is a space that I am going to have a shelf for my chemicals that can slide in and out from behind the standup table. When this shelf is retracted behind the stand up table, a whole bunch of desk space to the right of the table has opened up. Its in this space that I will be moving my plastic in work boxes. This in turn frees up the entire left side of my workbench and gives me the horizontal desk surface I am looking for.

I understand that this might be hard to visualize without pictures. So here is a photo as of today of the work bench. Some of the items noted in the photo have not been accomplished yet. One thing I want to do to the standup table is mount some small blocks on the bench top to keep the table from sliding off.

A very practical layout of your workspace, Carl @clipper

These are nice improvements, offering great inspiration, my friend @clipper!

Thanks Spiros (@fiveten) and John (@johnb). It's already paying off in an improved modeling experience.

No need to say sorry, Carl @clipper
Your approach in making your workbench more efficient is very successful. I'm happy you are sharing this.
I do like it this way, but unfortunately I don't have the space to create this, well, I do have the space but someone else is claiming that already 🙂