Cheap workbench

[HRRLutherie]

Hi all

For my new workshop (my-future-workshop-t66407.html), I will need a workbench. I have been looking at these:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-be ... rod558647/

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=142157

The second one on this page

http://www.wnealservices.com/acatalog/w ... nches.html

Will they be any good? Will it be easy to reinforce them with trestles or extra stretchers?

Thanks in advance.

 

[marcros]

personally, i expect that they will all be pretty poor. at best.

If i were you, and on a budget of c.150 quid, I would buy some softwood and make a bench. there are various threads knocking about on here about first benches, or cheap benches, and no end of discussion about what to make the top from. I would rather have a bench made from 50 quids worth of softwood and 30 quids worth of fire door/mdf than any of those that you have linked to. You would still have some monety to spend on vices (either for work holding, or in the form of wine, women and song).

If time is an issue, look at laminating sections together so that you can make the tenons by extending the middle lamination.

i would lend you the Schwarz work bench book for the cost of the postage, but to be honest by the time you have posted it there and back, it is probably almost as cheap to buy on Amazon. Well worth a read though. The offer is there though if you want me to weigh it for postage cost.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Workbenches-Des ... gy_b_img_y

 

[HRRLutherie]

That's incredibly kind of you, but I think I may just buy it.

My question is: how do I build a workbench without a workbench on which I can build it?

 

[Sailormantom]

Hi
I guess making one yourself may be a bit catch 22 as you will need a bench to make a decent bench! have you tried ebay? I found a few old solid looking examples going for peanuts that would be good enough for starting you off.

Good luck

Tom

 

[beech1948]

As said above for about £150 you have two choices.

1) Buy. BUT it will likely be sub-standard. Although for that amount you could buy one of these

http://www.gandmtools.co.uk/cat_branch.php?sub=33

2) Build a softwood bench just as good as those expensive hardwood ones

http://picnicpark.org/keith/woodworking/workbench/BobAndDavesGoodFastAndCheapBench-ne.pdf

Al

 

[Fromey]

When starting out I had a similar quandary. I researched a lot and eventually had a look at one of the benches you link to at Yandles. It was a piece of junk. In the end I upped my budget and got a Sjobersg (http://www.axminster.co.uk/sjobergs-nor ... rod724536/) I'm extremely happy with it. Yes, it's light weight compared to others, but for size and budget, I don't think you can beat it. The main difference is that the top is made from full length timber, not the 'kitchen counter' mosaic type of construction that most of these cheap benches use.

 

[HRRLutherie]

What made it a piece of junk? Did it wobble? Did it break?

I was originally looking at this: http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=192493 but then my budget was halved. Would it be any good?

Also, if I bought one of the cheaper ones, would it benefit from stretchers and/or trestles?

 

[morfa]

There's lots of useful information here:

http://paulsellers.com/series/building-a-workbench/

About building a workbench. Paul does it all on a couple of saw horses. You can make a couple of saw horses with a couple of lengths of 2x4 or buy some cheap ones from screwfix/local DIY shop.

 

[speeder1987]

They tend to wobble and they're nowhere near heavy enough! If the bench can move while planing, you'll get chatter and rubbish results.

I made my bench from cheapo b and q timber, and laminated mdf and plywood top. With a vice from axminster it prob cost me £100 quid! Its heavy enough so it doesn't move and its rigid.

What are you planning to use the bench for? Mostly hand tools or power tools?

If you decide to go down the build your own bench take a look at one of chris shwarz's bench books they are superb

Regards
John



Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Fromey]

The one I looked at had a very thin work surface. It was made of odds and sods of wood laminated together, none of which spanned the entire length of the top. I suspect this might prove to be relatively unstable (wood shifting) under climatic changes. The frame was very light weight and the vices tiny (not that the Sjobergs vices are massive, but hey are definitely bigger). The main issue will be the mass of the bench. I have my Sjobers on a thick foam sheet (used to line horse floats) and it's quite solid until I start some rip sawing. These smaller and lighter benches will tend to ride about under heavy planing. However, it looks like you have a wall you could bolt it to.

 

[Webby]

http://youtu.be/uFpeNVO80kY

check this out ...i made one just got timber cut to size at the yard then screwed together at home

Dave

 

[The Bear]

Keep your eye on ebay for old benches being skipped from schools
Mine was £30, is big, heavy and came with 2 big record quick release vices.
Its bashed to hell but works perfectly fine

Mark

 

[Dangermouse]

I agree with people on here that say never buy a workbench, especially a "cheap" one. Even a basic cheap one costs a couple of hundred and will never last long, wobbles like a jelly and is made of rubbish. Spend that money on some good wood and a secondhand record vice. Then choose the best plan off the internet that suits your method of working, or modify it to. Then take a look at this series of videos by Peter Sellers. An old fashioned no nonsence woodworker, these will show you how to build a VERY GOOD bench with out haveing a bench to work on. If you are a serious woodworker and haven't got five or six hundred pounds to spend on a bench then this is the only way to go In my opinion. If you seriously cant make your own bench then as said an old school one is next best.
Peters video series
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru2ZiNs_Wek

 

[Mr_P]

Is there anything / a formula in that book about the height of the bench ?

I'm thinking belt height ?

I'm above average height and my back soons starts giving me grief if the surface is too low.

Still in the planning stage but collecting a couple of vices tomorrow. Premature but nearby.

 

[dp341]

Is there anything / a formula in that book about the height of the bench ?

I'm thinking belt height ?

I'm above average height and my back soons starts giving me grief if the surface is too low.

Still in the planning stage but collecting a couple of vices tomorrow. Premature but nearby.

Well, belt height is a variable in itself - the teenagers round here have their waist-band halfway down their buttocks whereas my Grandad has his halfway to his chest

I think the key factor is personal preference, you've stated you don't want something too low is there any way you could mock up a board at approximate height and see how it feels? Alternatively build something a little higher than you think you need and trim the legs a cm or two at a time until it feels right.

Waist height is probably a good start, I have one approx. 5cm lower which I prefer for hand planing, crosscut sawing, chiselling and one a little higher that I prefer for routing and cutting dovetails.

 

[Roughcut]

I think I read somewhere that by standing upright, let your arm hang down by your side and the workbench height should be the where your knuckles are.
Personally for me that is too low as I know I would have to bend over too much when planning etc. and that would give my back grief.
For me a workbench of waist height is more comfortable.

 

[Webby]

I was shown the elbow height for an engineers vice ........bend elbow and that should be the top of vice ....i have used this method for constructing my bench ...i.e deduct dimension of vice that is where your bench top should be ....if you havent a vice your snookered (hammer)
I have just read this back and probably doesnt help


Dave :O)

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Just design your bench with the bottom rails several inches from the floor, and make it a few inches higher than you think is right. Try it for a while, and cut it down inch by inch if need be.