Whether you are a professional engineer or a DIY enthusiast, a carpenter, or a crafter, your workbench is the centerpiece of your workshop. It’s where you spend most of your time when you’re working, and it should be optimized for your productivity. Do away with a standard desktop, and upgrade with purpose-built workbench accessories. Here are some of our favorites:
Lighting
Depending on the kind of work you do and the available ambient lighting, you’ll probably want to purchase a good workbench light. Anglepoise lamps are the classic, giving you the ability to focus light on specific spots – but for a broader lighting option, consider an LED strip. These are a great option for workbenches with cabinets as they can be softer on the eyes and a long strip light gives a consistent light level over your whole bench.
Self-Healing Cutting Mats
Protect the surface of your bench with a good-quality cutting mat. Self-healing options retain their smooth, consistent surface for much longer than standard models and can make your work easier and more enjoyable.
Bench Grinders
Keep your tools, blades, scissors, and knives as sharp as possible with a bench-mounted grinder. They’re simple to use, and the sharper your equipment is, the faster and smoother your work will go.
Magnetic Strips
If you’ve ever suffered from screws, nails, components, or even tools rolling away from you or getting lost – you need a magnetic strip. These heavy-duty magnets will keep everything within easy reach for quick access. Strips can be mounted on the bench itself, on the legs, or even on adjacent walls.
Power
Almost every kind of crafting, engineering, or DIY activity needs power: be it a lamp, a sewing machine, power tools, or fans, everything needs to be plugged in at some point. Having multiple cords and extension leads lying all over the place is messy and disorganized and can create a hazard, so fit a power strip to your bench to cut down the risks and keep things tidy.
Bench Vice
Use a bench vice to hold your workpiece perfectly still while working on it, or hold it in place overnight while adhesives or paints dry. There is a wide range of bench vices available – some are for very specific uses like pipe- and woodworking, and there are also more general-use versions, so be sure to get the right vice for the kind of work you do.
Louvre Panels
Louvre panels are the perfect way of organizing and storing your smaller items. Fix the panel to a compatible workbench, and then use plastic storage boxes for each different item you need to use. Everything will be nicely organized and always within reach.
Peg Boards
You can fit a pegboard to your bench or adjacent wall to keep your tools neatly organized and easily accessible. There are peg options available for a huge range of tools and supplies, from hammers to paper towels, so tailor your board to your specific requirements.
Shelves, Drawers, And Cupboards
Many workbenches have the capacity to add on shelves, drawers, or cupboards to expand and improve your storage options and let you keep your workbench tidy, clean, and organized. If you have security concerns or want to keep potential hazards away from children, be sure to get lockable versions.
