How to Plan and Build Your Own Jewelers Bench

I sketched this up on a piece of graph paper hoping that it could help some people that want to build their own jewelers bench. I’m not an artist, so hopefully you will be able to understand the drawings. This bench is a simple one and only requires a table saw, hand miter saw, cordless drill, glue and screws. You can add knobs to the drawers if you want.

All the drawings are hand drawn by me. Please use them with this guide, but please don't copy them unless you give me credit and please don't claim them as your own.

DISCLAIMER: You are going to need to measure a lot for the last steps in this guide and for the drawers. If you do not measure first and then make the drawers to fit, you will have to make them again.

Lets start out with a list of materials. This is all in English measurements and uses standard lumber sizes.

A 4’x8’ sheet of Plywood. I like to use 3/4” thick, but you can use ½’ thick if you need to.
A 4’x8’ sheet of Masonite or equivalent top. I chose a top of ¼” thickness.
2 pieces of 2x4’s 8 feet long
About 25 feet of 1x3’s to make the drawer sides
18 feet of 1x2’s to make the runners for the drawers
A 1x6 that is 6 feet or longer.

Begin by cutting out the sheet of plywood into these size rectangles:

48”x24” for the top
48”x12” for the back
(2) 18”x22” for the drawer case sides
(2) 11 ¾” x 22” for the drawer case top and bottom

Then the Masonite: (don’t cut the drawer parts until you have assembled the bench and can measure and make sure you have the right size. Below is just a guideline.)

48”x24” for the top
29”x22” for the large drawer bottom
11 ½” x 22” for the small drawer bottoms
13 ¾” x 18” for the drawer case back

Start by gluing the plywood and Masonite together to form the top of the bench. I would use Elmer’s wood glue and stack a bunch of books on top overnight so you get a good bond.

Make both leg assemblies out of 2x4’s. Use the picture as a guide for lengths. Leave a 2x4 width in the back of both leg assemblies for the attachment of the back leg brace. So that boils down to 4 pieces 36” long and 2 pieces 21 ½” long. Glue and screw them together. It is best to use a carpenter’s square to make sure they are at the correct angles.

Screw the back brace (2x4  46” long) into the space you left in each leg assembly and screw the back to the leg assemblies. It doesn’t matter how much is above the top, but half is a good guideline.

Lay the top on the frame and ensure that there is equal amounts extending over each side. Screw the top down. To make it sturdy, you might want to use 2 screws for each 2x4.

Take the drawer case sides you cut and cut some ¾” pieces from the 1x6 board. Nail those ¾” pieces to the case sides. MAKE SURE you measure equal spaces before you screw them in. If not your drawers won’t fit. Then screw or glue the drawer case top and bottom to the sides. (My diagram says 18” deep, but you already know you cut them 22”. Sorry for the mistake.) Then screw the Masonite back to the case and finally, screw the entire case to the frame and top of the bench. Use a bunch of screws if you will be storing heavy things in the drawers.

Make 3 drawers by taking the 1x6 and cut it up using the measurements you get from the inside of the case. If you measure the space you have to fill before you cut, you will end up with fewer mistakes. Screw and glue it all together. Now is a good time to measure the drawer you just made and cut the Masonite for the bottoms. Remember how I said to wait to cut out the Masonite for the drawers, now you won’t have to waste some. Screw the Masonite to the bottoms of all the drawers; remember there is 3. Add knobs if you would like some way to open the drawers.

Now you have good fitting drawers because you were careful and measured. Look how good your bench is turning out!

Use the 1x2’s to make the large drawer runners like shown in the first picture or the picture below. They can be anywhere you want the drawer to be. Make sure you space them out so the drawer can fit between them. Screw them in and take a step back to look at your good work.

Take the 1x3’s and start to make your large drawer. This one takes a lot of measuring too, so make sure you double check. Screw the drawer pieces together and then cut out the last piece of Masonite for the bottom. Slide the drawer in and see how it fits.

There are few things that you can do to make this jewelers bench fit your needs. Make sure to grease the drawer runners with a bar of soap or they will not move very well. You may want to take a jigsaw and make a “belly hole” like commercial benches but that’s up to you.

I hope that this guide helped you make your first jewelers bench and also saved you a lot of money!

Take a look at some of my other Hubs on Jewelry Making!

Planning Your Jewelry Work Area - Explains some of the supplies and things you will need to consider when you want to set up your own workstation.

How to Solder Silver Part 1 - Explains tools and supplies, and even a little bit of safety to consider when you are planning your first silver soldering project.

How to Fuse Silver Jump Rings - If you don't want to solder your jewelry, why not take a look at fusing?

How to Make Silver Wire - A small overview on the process of making silver wire from scratch.