I like to work on a 16-foot-long work bench which is 2 feet wide. The top is 7/16- or 1/2-inch OSB or particle board. It is a cheap material which will hold a screw.

Under the top is a support structure of 2x4s. I use 7 pieces, which are 22-1/2 inches long and spaced roughly16 inches apart, to separate two 8-foot-long sides.

The way this works is: 1 short piece goes in the center, and another piece goes at each end. The remaining 4 pieces are spaced evenly in the remaining openings.

I use eight legs, each one 30-inches long, placed at each corner of the two benches. They are each held on with a 1/4-inch carriage bolt. These may be 3 1/2 inches long, but I frequently use ones which are 4-inches long. To tighten them I place a washer over the end and thread on a nut.

I use two carriage bolts to hold the two benches together, end to end.
If you already have sawhorses, then forget the legs, but do bolt th two benches together.

It takes 2 pounds of 16-penny nails, 10 carriage bolts(with washers and nuts) and at least 11 eight-foot-long 2x4s to make the two benches and legs. I get a couple more 2x4s to cut into miscellaneous cross bracing for the legs.

Once the 2x4 framework is together I set a panel on top and hold it in place with 4 drywall screws. There is a possibility I'll be cutting into these tops, so I want very few screws there--fewer 'targets' for dulling my saw blade, and fewer to remove when the top is all beat up and I want to flip it over to get a neater work surface
Until I started using a trailer to get my wood home I would have the dealer rip my 4-by-8-foot panel into two which were each 8 feet long and a fraction under 24 inches wide. Most places will do a cut or two for free, or for a very nominal price. After I started getting entire 4x8 panels I built the two bench frames, set them 4-inchs apart, ad set the wide panel across them. They supported the panel while I ripped it in half with a circulsr saw. The blade ran freely between the benches.

I work outside, so I paint these.

PGJ