http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo99/Virus_/Labtable.jpg

This is the rough sketch I drew of my design Needless to say, it is not to scale, and it was not done with a straight edge or any drafting tools, so forgive my sloppiness please.
You may have noticed that I am using two 2X4’s laminated to make one 4X4 for the legs. This is for two reasons:

A. We took a 90% budget cut
B. We don’t have 4X4s lying around.

The design is simple, practical, and durable. The only issue I might run into is the bench/lab table being too light. The solution would be to cut 2 more “F” parts, lay a bead of silicon on the original F parts, turn the bench upside down, and fill the cavity made By parts D,G and F with sand. Then the two new F parts would be screwed and glued to the bottom preventing the sand from spilling out. This method has another advantage; it brings the benches Center of gravity closer to the floor. This means the bench would be harder to flip over.

Each part also supports the next part. Everything is to be laminated together using exterior grade hardware (read as screws) and exterior grade adhesives. This makes the bench very resistant to compression, sheering, and racking. I am not to sure how the bench will deal with expansion (it is made out of wood). It could hold 1000 lbs. minimum if it is not dropped from height, but that would be pushing my definition of a safe working load, nor is it a concern, but everything I put my name is to be of a high standard.

However, I am contemplating adding some equilateral (thus equiangular) triangles into the design. It would make the bench stronger, and it wouldn’t be that much more material. The problem and advantage is that I salvaged scraped construction materials for our 8 benches. We might cut it close if I throw some triangles into the design.
Somethings you don’t see in my quick sketch:

Each bench will have a power strip so we can run tools and other essential equipment.

Each bench will have a machinist’s vice (I only have to buy 1, we have the rest).

Each bench will have a coating of polyurethane to preserve the wood.

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo99/Virus_/Cutlist.jpg

This is the cut list for my design.

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo99/Virus_/I-Jjointdetail.jpg

This is the I-J joint detail. I opted for a simpler butt joint instead of a miter joint because the miter joint takes more time to make, and doesn’t provide any other advantage other than aesthetics. You might also note that there is a 1/2” hole through parts “B”. This is so the user can change the work surface easily. I and J contain the tempered hardboard top. When it becomes worn the user just has to take a pencil and push the hard board up so he/she can lift it out and drop the new replacement in. I and J also function in a manner that keeps screws and other small parts from falling off of the lab bench/table.

I am going to ask totse if you can think of something I missed. Keep in mind my budget was cut 90%. This means I have to try to tap into what resources are around me.

Thanks in advance,
Disease

That looks good, but you might get better help in DIY.

Another option I thought of was a rednecked I-Beam made of wood. I could take a router (or throw a dado blade onto a table saw) and cut a dado the exact width of the plywood down the middle of two 2X4s. I’d most likely opt for a polyurethane or epoxy adhesive. But that would mean the entire bench/table would need to be re-designed to accommodate I-beams instead of dimensional lumber.

Maybe I’m just over complicating it. The best designs are usually the ones that are the simplest.

Definitely DIY.

Since none of you could refine my design, I went on ahead and gave the order for the production of the benches. We have 7 of the 8 done with the exception of parts I and J. We also have not mounted the power strips, drilled the mounting holes for the vices, or applied the polyurethane coating.
Anyways, soon as I get some free time (later tonight) I’ll upload some pics of the first bench for you.

The bench did hold up surprising well when we had 5 people sit on it. If each person weighed 150, that means the bench/lab table was holding 750 lbs. I highly doubt anyone will put something that heavy on them, but it is nice to know my design will support that much weight. Regardless, I’m going to see what we can do about getting some brackets, I’m worried it might come apart

My team (especially the guys majoring in mechanical engineering) loved the quick change work surface. I can understand where they are coming from because it is frustrating when you have to work on something that doesn’t have the following 3 characteristics:

A. Standardized parts
B. Ease of Access
C. Common materials

If anyone does have a new design concept, you will now have to retrofit it to what is already built.

So Pants, where did you get the idea that I was or said/inferred I was a certified lab tech or even a lab tech? You do understand that would mean I’d have to have an Associates degree?

Did you fabricate that, confuse/misconstrue what I said, assume, or did it come from someone else? I thought I made it very clear that I wasn’t a lab tech, but you seem to be inferring that I've led individuals to believe I am one.

If anyone does have a new design concept, you will now have to retrofit it to what is already built.

Alright.

1. Taking four feet of 2x4, sawn into 2 two-foot sections, drill holes - probably about an inch, but have one of your lab pplz hand you a test tube to measure - lengthwise through the narrow side... four inches through.

Mount two of these in the back left corner. Congrats. You now have test-tube holders for 20 tubes, with two inches space distributed between two holes. Adjust as needed.

Mount one the length along the front, too.

2. You're familiar with pegboard, right? Yeah. For semi-long-term lab setups, it's great. Modular build-a-lab which ain't get knocked over - you can run clamps for test tubes, columns, and a whole bunch of shit through, and use wire to tie up your loose rubber tubing, too. Of course, since it's not exactly "flameproof," your source flask in the distillation/fractionation reflux/whatever will probably be more "on the table" than "on the board," but it still works well for building a handful of setups...

90 degree metal angle bracket (drilled) on the left and right sides, six inches of chain per eye bolt hanging from the side for easy addition and removal of pegboard lab walls, holes in the center to add brackets for holding pegboard straight down the middle of the table, brackets on the back to add back paneling for the two cubicles - you'll want to run the left one in front of the test-tube holders, just one more reason to do something so unsafe as run test-tube storage in a strip across the front too - and probably a bin to hold spare nuts when your lab monkeys lose the ones that are SUPPOSED to be threaded back onto the eye bolts when not in use.

You might want to put a small bin or groove or somesuch to hold the brackets for the center under-the-table for easy setup. I dunno.

3. If you're up to it, a sink is never a bad idea. It can be done on a budget - it's a plastic bucket with overcaulked hosing on the bottom to run to a HAZMAT drain, and hosing running from your legitimate water source to your shower nozzle...

If you do this, never, ever, ever, ever put the skin next to the test tube rack. There's nothing worse than trying to rinse some HPO3 out of your eye only to find that your wash sink is emitting toxic gases rather heavily.

...just the few ideas that came to mind. If you're not familiar with metalworking and need tips for making and tempering tube clamps and such for the pegboard, let me know...

Speaking of laboratory workbench...
The below rewritten fragment is a part of a book I wrote for my lang. class, the assignment was to write a guideline book or something, let me know if anyone is interested in the full version, its about setting up a general lab and how to choose your equipment and glass, also few improvised ideas.

General guidelines for lab workbench construction:

The workbench: Most importantly, workbench needs to be spacious, not just for convenience, but to avoid dangerous situations and clutter while working on multiple things at once.

It also should be at the right height so that you can be comfortable while working long hours without stressing out your back or neck.

It should be resistant to chemical spills, and the floor underneath should be protected as well as easy to clean. Non-reactive coating will help prevent deterioration from accidental spills of corrosive liquids, which depending on nature of chemicals used might not only discolor the surface, but weakend the structure and result in breakage many pieces of expensive glass and hardware, in event of a critical failure.

Ideally the bench would be located right next to a sink equipped with a glass drying rack, cleaning brushes, and a faucet with nozzle-to-hose attachment for condensers etc. In cases where that is not possible a medium sized Rubbermaid container with a water pump can be used (to which ice can be added for additional cooling power, or dry ice and acetone if really cold temperature is desired).

The workbench should have storage space (shelves, drawers, cabinets etc.) that can be foam padded for storing glassware, and equipped with a lock for those expensive and dangerous chemicals.

Having an extension cord with a fused powerstrip conveniently mounted to the desk will serve you well. Be sure to position it in a way so that in case of a spill there is no way for the strip to get soaked and short-circuited.

Overhead lighting should be adequate, as close to the daylight spectrum as possible to allow for correct visual classification. Fluorescent 6500K bulbs served me well in this aspect. Powerful desk lamp hardmounted into the workbench on a flexible (ex. Gooseneck) stem is also a good thing to have handy.

Fume hood will be a blessing for those of you who spend more “labtime” outside of your lab, but they are also very expensive if professionally made and installed, therefore I urge you - if you are building your own desk think about mounting a high shelf frame that can serve as support for your fume hood. Thick cardboard, bathroom exhaust fan, and laundry drier duct is all that is needed for a cheap n’ shitty hood that gets some work done if smell is the only concern, but if working with corrosive and poisonous gases would invest into better materials that will last longer (sheet aluminum and ducting isn’t that expensive either).

Having a fire suppression system in your home lab is not always an option, but a fire extinguisher is crucial and should be easily visible and accessible, for your safety and others. Two various types would be even better, such as powder and foam/co2.

Having a gas supply for the burners is nice, but if a tank is used it should be located as far away from the workstation as possible. Another option is buying the Bunsen with built in gas compartment that uses lighter butane cans for refills, but I suspect that they do not reach as high temps as the standard and are more expensive in the long run.

Steam supply is rather unnecessary, unless you really insist on using your steam bath in which case it is easy to rig using a cheap hotplate and a teapot.

Lets cut off over here before it gets too off topic. It probably doesn't help OP but maybe someone will find some good pointers here.