I want to get a heavy wooden carpenters style workshop bench to go down along one wall in my garage, does anyone know where I can buy one or maybe a carpenter to build one for me?
I'd recommend getting one built: I did a few years ago, and it was far better (more sturdy) and no more expensive than any I found ready-made after a long search.
If I could remember the name of the person who did it, I'd gladly share it with you, but unfortunately I can't (other than it was a friend of a friend who also tought carpentry).
You can find lovely ones online, specially at sites like www.finetools.com but unfortunately they don't ship to Ireland due to the prohibitive shipping cost on account of the weight. Why not build your own, you can get some great simple to follow plans online? Some planed softwood and some sheets of ply would make a fine bench- it doesn't need to be a work of joinery- most of these benches are put together with screws and bolts! Alternatively you could pick up an old table or redundant kitchen carcass and add a substantial work surface to it?
[broken link removed] do a range including some of the Sjobergs benches and ship to Ireland. They also sell all the hardware (vices etc) you would need to build your own, which is what I did with a nice big chunk of beech I got from Woodworkers.
Leo