Simple solid bench design / vice placement?

[Copes]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to make a pretty decent bench, something really nice and solid but nothing too fancy, just laminated 2x4s. The idea is to replace my current outfeed table on my AW10BSB2 as my workshop is pretty small and its the only sensible place i can squeeze in a bench.

After watching a paul sellers Q/A, i changed both vice configurations to not be built into the table as he made some good points on that, but as to whether it should be right at the end so i can easily cut tenons etc or should be in inset inside the leg (better stability on the bench?) I'm not really sure. I did think about swinging it around and having a tail vice... that's still an option. The problem is that corner is the only real option for a vice either side or tail, the other side of the bench is against a wall and i already have the vice, it's an old record 53 manual screw, without a popup dog which i restored, used to be my grandfathers so it's something i'd really like to use.

I will also most likely add some dog holes, and i was potentially thinking of getting some of those dog clamp jobbies, so mitigate the need for a end vice?

So to ramble on a bit less, i've got two main questions;

1) What would be the best suggestion for my vice placement? side, or tail... which do you find most useful? (i'm right handed if that matters... i thought it might make cutting on the end difficult.)
2) Would the actual bench construction be okay? Would the lopsided side-end vice cause issues with balance?

I'm planning on building out a cabin and drawers after the main thing is put together, bit wide draw at the bottom for general blank storage, offcuts etc - i moved the rail up to give it abit of clearance.

Cheers guys (i know that isn't the axi saw, the height of the table top is a 1-1.5cm~ above the planned bench height, just so i don't clip the edge.)

 

[thetyreman]

I'd definitely avoid putting the vice on the right side of the right leg, always go inside the leg, you will find if it's a very heavy vice it will be unbalanced, especially with a record 53.

are you left handed? if so keep it on the right side, for right handed people it usually goes on the left leg inside corner.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

I'd agree with keeping the vice inside the leg. I think you're asking for trouble having it too close to the end.

Construction looks pretty solid - are you making the legs out of two pieces or am I reading the drawing wrong?

 

[Copes]

I missed this, yes I agree with you now.

I'm going with the inner leg setup.

I was going to laminate the legs, but on my trip to the reclamation yard, I found some nice 4X4s which will do a smashing job instead.

I need to work out what kind of feet to add, after some discussion and checking, my floor isn't very level and I need a reasonably level run from the saw to make it actually a help, not a hindrance!

 

[Beau]

Sorry to disagree with everyone but I would stick it outside of the leg. Unless your bench is very light really cant see it bothering the balance of solid bench. My bench has the vice on the left side as right handed. The nice thing about having the vice near the end is you clamp work in it and you are free to cut to the left of the vice. If your worried about the balance just try it on the end with a couple of clamps to test the balance. Would be amazed if there was a problem.

 

[deema]

This is just my opinion, so feel free to disagree, work benches are such contentious things.

Firstly, are you a hand tool person, or power frantic, both are cool, but it does determine the bench you want. A really solid area is required for hand tool people, where planing stuff up requires a flat, stiff surface. Usually a width of 6 to 12" is all that is required, it's determined by the width of the stuff your going to plane. The rest of the bench doesn't need to be so ridged so why go to the expense?

Vices should be positioned so that you plane into them, so for a right handed person it should be on the left. The reason it's normally inside the leg is that you apply a lot of pressure on it for various activities, and inside provides the most ridged position, both ends o what it's attached to are supported.

I personally don't like the Ruben type benches, and I'm a English style work bench kind of guy. It was what by great great Ganda there, great grandfather, grandfather and dad used to make stuff I'm in ore of,so it's good enough for me! This is a simpler design which allows the wood to move with the seasons without racking the bench. It's simpler to replace the top when it wears out or to alter when you've worked out a new layout. With a through tenon design, once the top is worn out / you change your mind, it's a remake. The English and French always had different ideas o most things!!

My advise is make a bench. Accept that it's a tool to be used and abused and that you will make another. Determine what you like and don't like, bodge what you have, get it just about right and then make another that's much closer to what your needs are. There are lots of opinions, and lists of benches, but at the end of the day, no one either admire or buys your bench, just what you made by using it.

My father and I were only today discussing the vertices of my bench, I had a set of ideas of what I thought would be better, the old master, quietly and pursasively countered each thought I'd had an and I agreed that what I have is probably best, an traditional English bench with aprons.