First, you cannot use the advanced workbench in the chemistry workshop. This means you can't scale up production like in every other workshop by installing them. Second, weapon lockers have prices far higher than they reasonably should have, perhaps reflecting the pre-release situation where weapons manufacture absolutely required metal. This makes them into absurdly good trade goods to produce if you have enough wood.
I do like to keep a supply of 20 Improvised Musket Lockers around for trade. I find that I can usually buy whatever I want. Admittedly, they do take wood. And I'm finding that later in the game, wood is harder to keep in full supply than I was expecting.
