Tailgate as a workbench

[Dragos28]

One my favorite things I love about trucks is that the tailgate can always be used as an instant workbench.
Lovely weather this Sunday so I decided to do one of my "honey-do's" that I've been putting off.
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Making gates to access my back patio from the driveway.
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And for your viewing pleasure, the rest of my backyard :-)
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Anyhow, just wanted to share today's project, as it was beautiful weather, good country music playing outta my truck, and the sweet smell of food that my wife was cooking.



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[OkSlim]

Nice backyard. I used my tailgate as a workbench yesterday.

[wildbill23c]

I have a workbench no need for the tailgate, and the workbench is cheaper to move around than the truck. My truck is a driveway ornament now found a smaller and cheaper vehicle as a daily driver, now I swear my truck sits in the driveway and scowls at me LOL.

"If it weren't for trucks we wouldn't have tail gates"

[Big Tundra]

Damn, some hacienda ya there man! Awesome work, and yes, I to use mine as a work bench and hauler

[Toxarch]

Nice yard. I'd use a diagonal brace to keep the gate from sagging over time.

[Dragos28]

Originally Posted by wildbill23c

I have a workbench no need for the tailgate, and the workbench is cheaper to move around than the truck. My truck is a driveway ornament now found a smaller and cheaper vehicle as a daily driver, now I swear my truck sits in the driveway and scowls at me LOL.

"If it weren't for trucks we wouldn't have tail gates"

I also have a work bench, but the truck was right there...

Sucks that you don't drive your truck daily, kinda defeats the purpose of owning it... i'd hate to have to drive a smaller cheaper car knowing my truck is there... but to each his own.

[Dragos28]

Toxarch,
I also considered using some sort of diagonal brace but I haven't had any sagging problems on the original gate to the backyard. I think its due to the simpson strong ties i used on both sides & on all 4 corners (8 total for each gate)... it's pretty rigid.

[ponyuk]

I bought a used 5 ft by 15 ft workbench, but didn't realize how heavy it was when the guy fork lifted it on my trailer. It is 1/4 inch steel construction, and originally came out of Lockheed Martin . It sat on my trailer for 3 months because my front end loader couldn't lift it. Eventually one leg busted through the aging boards on my trailer. I had to cut it up and take it in my shop in pieces then reassemble it. Then put a new deck on the trailer.

Maybe next time I'll plan these things a little better.

[BigRed2007]

I've never thought about how many times I do this until now. I usually only have tools laid out on the tailgate to keep them off the ground. This happens in my driveway, at the firehouse, or at my Dad's.

[Dragos28]

Originally Posted by ponyuk

I bought a used 5 ft by 15 ft workbench, but didn't realize how heavy it was when the guy fork lifted it on my trailer. It is 1/4 inch steel construction, and originally came out of Lockheed Martin . It sat on my trailer for 3 months because my front end loader couldn't lift it. Eventually one leg busted through the aging boards on my trailer. I had to cut it up and take it in my shop in pieces then reassemble it. Then put a new deck on the trailer.

Maybe next time I'll plan these things a little better.

WOW, now that sounds like a beast of a work bench!
Post some pics if you can, it'd be sweet to see that workbench!

[StevenD]

Originally Posted by ponyuk

I bought a used 5 ft by 15 ft workbench, but didn't realize how heavy it was when the guy fork lifted it on my trailer. It is 1/4 inch steel construction, and originally came out of Lockheed Martin . It sat on my trailer for 3 months because my front end loader couldn't lift it. Eventually one leg busted through the aging boards on my trailer. I had to cut it up and take it in my shop in pieces then reassemble it. Then put a new deck on the trailer.

Maybe next time I'll plan these things a little better.

Did you get it from one of the LM surplus sales?

[ponyuk]

Originally Posted by StevenD

Did you get it from one of the LM surplus sales?

I built a 3,000 sq ft workshop myself earlier this year, and had next to nothing to put in it. A guy down the road from me buys trailer loads of their surplus stuff and sells them at the back of his car sales lot. I believe he pays 30c a loaded lb for it all, he slipped up and told me this, and I use this to get hiom way down on price.

I've filled the workshop for next to nothing. Along with that huge metal bench, I bought smaller welding tables, ESD benches, workbenches, filing cabinets, shelves, and 5 really awesome custom made rolling peg board systems (each has a 8 foot by 8 foot double sided pegboard with storage at the bottom that rolls on castors). I can move whole pegboards of tools around the workshop at ease. I also got a huge rolling toolbox for $600 that retails for $4,000 - its pretty cool as it still has the "Joint Strike Force" stickers on it, and originally had a layout of each tool it contained. One of the cabinets I bought was a little dented on one side, but I chose if over a better one because it has a really old school "Warning, do NOT store classified documents in this locker" sign on it. Its one of my favorite cabinets.
Other purchases include a autoclave I now use to powder coat small parts, a large HEPA shop vac, and other items I'm sure I forgot. With 3000 sq ft to fill I was his #1 customer for 3 months or so.
I'll post some pictures of all the stuff this weekend.

[Dragos28]

Now that sounds like an ultimate man cave! And all the items have a unique history! Love it, thanks for sharing and I'm looking forward to seeing some pictures.

I just built my house a few years ago and my budget didnt permit for a garage... sucks... but luckily on the property there was a 50' sea-train. Which now serves as my garage/storage area... unfortunately i work so much that i havent had time to empty it out and install shelvings in it, so all my crap is just thrown everywhere. maybe this coming summer...

I had a bit of luck, the neighboring building next to my business was closing down (it was a clothing department store) and they for some reason had two metal work benches on casters with drawers and a pegboard that they rolled out in the alley as I was out back taking out the dumpster. I asked them what they were doing, and they said they were throwing them away...
So i promptly rolled them into my building(and brought them home!). They also threw away all of their shelving and display tables etc... I got BOXES of metal pegboard hooks and shelving accessories... easily worth thousands.. all kinds of other brackets and boxes of casters.. basically my whole 6x15 supply room is packed... i've never had to buy any pegboard stuff since :-)

[ponyuk]

Originally Posted by Dragos28

I got BOXES of metal pegboard hooks and shelving accessories... easily worth thousands.. all kinds of other brackets and boxes of casters.. basically my whole 6x15 supply room is packed... i've never had to buy any pegboard stuff since :-)

Thats cool. My pegboard is only hardboard, but at least these used the 1/4 thick variety.

Originally Posted by Dragos28

Now that sounds like an ultimate man cave!

Well, I failed to mention I built (from a kit) a CNC plasma cutting table too. I think that does qualify as being a man cave


I'm part of an evaluation team for Home Depot, they send me a list of free stuff to choose from every month. I can pick two items from a list of around 90. This month I got a couple of Kayaks, but last month I got some really fancy storage panels and hooks from these guys:
Proslat
I can't imagine doing the whole workshop with it as it is $150 for a 4ft by 8ft section, but I did get two kits and the hooks, and was able to make a 4ft by 16 ft section. It is real sturdy stuff. I use it for pole-saws, chainsaws etc.

[OkSlim]

Originally Posted by StevenD

Did you get it from one of the LM surplus sales?

I used to love going to the surplus sales with my FIL When he worked at Rockwell. Then Boeing bought them and the sales became less and less of a deal. Boeing would strip anything someone might want and heavy steel would be just scrapped for the metal and the pickings got slim.