That's a bit of an overstatement, especially for woodworking enthusiasts who will need features like an integrated vice and bench dogs. If that's you, I'll bet you already have an exceptional workbench. For the rest of us, what we need is a solid, versatile work-surface for assembling a bird feeder one day and re-sharpening a mower blade the next.

Maybe you don't think a workbench is really all that important. After all, you've only got a few tools and everyone knows the folding table in the basement is your space. A dedicated workbench isn't worthwhile, is it? I've seen too many guys stashing their tools in a kitchen drawer or expecting their kids to not touch the freshly painted picture frame. You need a proper place to work and store your tools, and I'm going to show you how to build it.