Old Engine Block Makes Sturdy Workbench Base

When Scott Bruce of Ozark, Mo., found an old straight-six engine block at a dump, he decided to use it to build a heavy-duty workbench.

"The bench is made entirely from recycled material. My only expense was the welding rod," says Scott.

He says the heavy-duty workbench works great for just about any project. "It can hold an anvil and tolerate any amount of hammering, welding, cutting or grinding, and there's a metal rib running down the middle that's useful for clamping projects of any shape in place. Also, the solid weight of the engine block base ensures the workbench isn't going anywhere," says Scott.

He inserted lengths of sewer pipe into cylinder holes at each end of the engine as legs. The pipes fit into the holes with very little play. To further secure the legs to the block he made a locking collar out of horseshoes. He heated the horseshoes with a torch and then beat them to the engine block around the circumference of each pipe. Then he welded the horseshoes to the pipe and the block. A similar collar was created at the bottom of the block.

The next step was to create a tabletop using sections of a junked trailer ramp. He welded two ramp sections together to create a rib that runs down the middle of the tabletop. Then he welded the tabletop to the pipe legs, first notching the pipes where they meet the tabletop. The final step was to bolt a vice to the tabletop.

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