Shopping list — The 6'9" Workbench

Lumber — pick straight boards, reject any with twist or wet spots

4x4 × 8 ft pine post

Qty: 2 — one for each outer leg, plus a margin board for the inevitable bad cut

Choose the straightest two in the pile. A twisted 4x4 will fight you for the entire build.

~$40

2x4 × 8 ft stud-grade pine

Qty: 8 — for frame rails, interior dividers, side rails, stretchers, and one or two spares

~$45

Sheet goods — have the store rip these to your cut list at the saw desk

3/4" sanded plywood, 4x8 ft (birch or maple, paint-grade)

Qty: 2 sheets — cabinet bottoms, doors, lens shelves, lens cabinet liners

Skip MDF for doors — too heavy. Skip oak ply — wastes the grain under paint.

~$140

1/4" hardboard or plywood, 4x8 ft

Qty: 1 sheet — cabinet back panels

~$25

Countertop — drive to IKEA, get help loading it

IKEA Pinnarp walnut countertop, 98 3/8" × 25 5/8" × 1 1/2"

Qty: 1 — Item #204.674.79

~110 lb. Awkward in a hatchback. You may want IKEA delivery; check before you drive.

$179

Cabinet hardware

Threaded leg levelers, 3/8"-16 with T-nuts

Qty: set of 4 — search "furniture leveler with T-nut" on Amazon

The T-nut is hammered into a 3/8" hole in the bottom of each 4x4 leg, then you thread the leveler into it. The plastic foot of the leveler is what touches the carpet.

~$15

Surface-mount black barrel hinges, ~4" leaf

Qty: 6 — two per door, three doors. Get the heavier-duty version; lens doors are heavy.

~$25

Black bar pulls, 5" or 6" center-to-center

Qty: 3 — matte black, simple bar style

~$20

Magnetic door catches, black

Qty: 3 — keeps doors shut without latches

~$10

Shelf pins, 5mm

Qty: pack of 20 — for the lens cabinet's adjustable shelves

~$5

Fasteners

1 1/4" pocket-hole screws, coarse thread (Kreg blue-coat)

Qty: box of 100+

A pocket-hole screw has a flat tip and self-tapping threads — different from regular wood screws. Don't substitute.

~$10

2 1/2" pocket-hole screws, coarse thread

Qty: box of 50+ — for joints into the 4x4 legs

~$10

1 5/8" wood screws

Qty: 1 box — general assembly, attaching cabinet bottoms to rails

~$8

#14 × 4" lag bolts

Qty: 8 — for anchoring the back rail to wall studs

A lag bolt is what holds the bench to the wall. These are non-negotiable for safety.

~$15

1/4" × 1 1/2" lag washers

Qty: 8 — one per lag bolt

~$5

Figure-8 fasteners (or Z-clips)

Qty: 8–10 — for attaching the top while allowing seasonal movement

A figure-8 fastener is how you attach a wood top to a frame without forcing it to crack as humidity changes.

~$8

Edge banding & glue

Iron-on birch edge banding, 25 ft roll

Qty: 1 — covers the raw plywood edges of the doors

You apply it with a regular clothes iron. The heat melts the glue on the backing.

~$10

Wood glue (Titebond II or III)

Qty: 1 bottle

~$8

Finish — paint and oil

Matte black self-leveling enamel, 1 gallon

Brands: Benjamin Moore Advance, Behr Cabinet & Trim, or General Finishes Milk Paint (Lamp Black)

"Self-leveling" means brush or roller marks flatten out as it dries. Cabinet-grade paint is non-negotiable here.

~$60

Stain-blocking primer, 1 quart (Zinsser BIN or Cover Stain)

Qty: 1 — blocks knot stains from bleeding through your black paint for months

~$15

Hardwax oil for the top (Rubio Monocoat, Osmo Polyx, or Odie's Oil)

Qty: 1 small can — two thin coats on the walnut top

~$40

Power — for the integrated pop-up outlet

In-counter pop-up outlet (Legrand adorne or Hubbell SystemOne)

Qty: 1 — mounts in a hole drilled in the countertop

Pick the exact model before drilling — the hole saw size depends on the unit (usually 2 7/8" or 3 1/8").

~$120

12-gauge extension cord, ~10 ft

Qty: 1 — wired into the pop-up outlet, plugged into the existing wall outlet behind the bench

~$15

Tools you might already own — uncheck what you have

Stud finder

Mandatory. The wall-anchoring step depends on finding studs accurately.

~$25

Speed square

A triangular ruler used as a saw guide for square cuts on the 4x4s.

~$12

24" or 48" level

For leveling the bench and checking the wall is plumb.

~$20

Sandpaper assortment (120, 180, 220 grit)

~$15

Painter's tape

For masking pocket holes and joint faces before spraying paint.

~$8

Drop cloths

For your spray area in the garage.

~$10

Respirator (paint-rated, P100 or equivalent)

Don't skip this. HVLP spray creates fine paint mist.

~$22

Hole saw set + Forstner bits

Sized to the pop-up outlet hole (usually 2 7/8" or 3 1/8"). Check the outlet spec.

~$35

Drill bit set + 3/8" bit + 5mm bit

The 3/8" bit is for the T-nut holes. The 5mm bit is for the shelf-pin holes.

~$22

A pair of clamps + a straightedge

For making clean circular-saw cuts on plywood (if you can't get the store to do it).

~$30