Well gosh, i am suprised noone has mentioned the built in mini fridge. Ive got one in my room, and its saweet!
Heres some more things to think about.
- Most definatly have a vice, and place it at the end of the bench so you can have lots of room.
- I wouldent actually build drowers(i cant spell <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>) into the bench. I would make a few shelves that are extremely sturdy to hold seperate tool boxes that have drowers (sheesh i suck at spelling) in them already.
-If you want anything on the top of the bench, i would recomend elevating it off the actual surface of the bench. This way you have maximum space to work on.
-Definatly have excelent lighting. If there is one thing you go all out on, this should be it! Like "thewholefnshow" said, have a light that is super movable so when your doing real intricate stuff you can see exactly what your doing!
- Heres a neat idea! Buy an engine stand, and work it into a dip into the work bench. Make sure and give it alot of space around it so that any sized engine (within reason) could swivel a full 360 degrees. This could be extremely handy, but if size is a factor, then this is probably too much.
- Make a special shelf that holds a small boom box. I have a hard time working on anything without music!
- next to the boombox, have a small rotating fan that can be angled down at you from above. You will probably love this the most on those hot muggy nights!
- Im not too sure on the type of material to use for the surface...something extremely durable and something that will clean easy! Make sure it is light in color. If you have a dark work bench, it would be easy to loose small bolts and o rings and the such on it.
- If you have air tools, rig up a quick release somewhere into the bench so you can do porting and polishing and trimming right there on the bench without lots of hoses across everywhere!
- Try and work in a powerstrip into this baby. You never know when your going to need an extra electrical connection!http://www.sears.com/data/product_images/tools/large/00959018000-dlv.jpg See how the powerstrip is worked in there?
- If at all possible, try and make part of the surface removable. This would bake clean up of the surface extremely easy! You could just take it outside and spray it off with a hose!
- Make a holder for the major rachets somewhere within easy reach. like the 1/4 inch rachet and so on and so on. This would get rid of the "crap wheres the ratchet" problem!
- http://www.sears.com/data/product_images/tools/large/00910388000-dlv.jpg See how this workbench has the spot to sit in? This will also make your life tons easier! But the color on this is all wrong! you would loose parts so bad with that dark of a bench!
Thats all i can think of for now...im sure ill think of more at work tomorow! make sure and take lots of pics!
Tyler
<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbsup:'> <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbsup:'>