HobbyZone WM01 Bench Organizer Review

By Michael Benolkin

Review

One of HobbyZones more popular products is the WM01 Bench Organizer. Machine cut from plywood, this is a heavy-duty alternative to the modular workshop system that made HobbyZone famous. At almost 24" x 9" x 7", this kit builds into a sturdy organizer for benches that require robust storage for demanding hobbies like woodworking, radio control vehicles, etc. The basic unit provids five drawers, a rack for chisels, drill bits, brushes, etc., and a hanger for pliers/cutters/etc. This unit is shows the optional WM01s organizer drawer in the lower left section in place of a rod dowel that can be used to hold sandpaper.

The kit comes in a sizeable package that weighs nine pounds, and on opening the package, you see a well-packaged set of wood parts. One might be intimidated by the number of parts in the box, but the instructions wisely have you work through the peripheral assemblies first.

After sorting out the parts onto my bench, the first task is to assemble the three drawers that sit in the bottom of this unit. Construction is dovetail and with the help of Gorilla non-foaming wood glue and a small rubber mallet, each drawer goes together easily. Setting the three drawers aside, there are two larger/flatter drawers up next that go together the same way. The instructions are well-illustrated and make the assembly process very easy.

With the five drawers out of the way, you have significantly fewer parts remaining and the instructions have you assemble different portions of the main organizer, and here the construction is a mix of dovetail and tab/slot. Once again, Gorilla glue is used and I was a bit surprised at just how quickly this unit assembles.

While the Gorilla glue dried on the main organizer and the five drawers, I assembled the optional WM01s drawer organizer and it is a quick and easy task.

If you've built any of the modular workshop modules, you know just how well the parts fit together. The difference between the modules and this organizer is the wood - the organizers are made from MDF (particle board) while the organizer is made from plywood. The parts are a bit more difficult to assemble without a little lubrication (white glue) and a few taps of the rubber mallet. One might wish to rub down the organizer and drawers with sandpaper or steel wool to knock off some of the splinters remaining on the parts. You can paint or stain this unit as desired and even apply a clear coat (Minwax) to seal the wood.

This was a fun project and the full assembly process took a little more than an hour to complete, though I was taking my time and admiring the precision machining that went into this kit.

Need more space? HobbyZone also produces a companion wall-mounted organizer that is designed to sit above and behind this unit, the WM02 Wall Organizer.

You can see this and other products at the HobbyZone website (www.hobbyzone.biz) and on their eBay Store. Stay tuned as we build up other modules and see what we can do with them to organize the bench!

My thanks to HobbyZone.biz for this review sample.