could i build a workbench with only £300??

[shim20]

will get on the buzzer tommorw to local timber yard see what they come up with.

 

[ByronBlack]

I don't understand what all the worry is about dinging or defacing a hard-wood table top, after-all that is what it is for. My top which took a lot of sweat and effort to make already has many scratches, staines, dings etc.. and you know what, it doesn't worry me at all. It is after all a tool, and how long does it take to smarten up again? About 5 mins with a plane or sander and it looks like new.

I much prefer to work on a hardwood bench than a composite material bench, it just seems much more durable, and satisfying to work on when using hand-tools such as mortice chisels, the shock is absorbed perfectly and you get nice crisp cuts. It just feels right to me, but it is a personal thing.

If I were to do mine again, I would do it exactly the same way, including using hard-wood for the base, it gives you the weight and stiffness without having to mess around with putting in cabinets etc..

I made a bench out of softwood for the base and composit materials for the top, it just wasn't the same for me, it never had the sturdiness that I've now got with the hardwood bench, and it would never last as long as this one either.

 

[OPJ]

Another reason I want to make a solid hardwood bench is because I want it to see me through the next 40 odd years until retirement... And I still intend to use it for years after that!

Make it right, make it once.

 

[misterfish]

If I remember rightly when Norm :norm: has made workbenches he has made them our of 4 by 2 for the main structure with either a solid hardwood top or 3/4 ply as a sub surface with 'masonite' (hardboard) fixed to that as he reckons that the surface can be easily replaced when damaged.

But as others have siad it really depends if you want it to keep looking new or used. As far as I'm concerned it is just another tool and I expect it to look more used as time goes by.

Misterfish

 

[shim20]

I don't understand what all the worry is about dinging or defacing a hard-wood table top, after-all that is what it is for. My top which took a lot of sweat and effort to make already has many scratches, staines, dings etc.. and you know what, it doesn't worry me at all. It is after all a tool, and how long does it take to smarten up again? About 5 mins with a plane or sander and it looks like new.

I much prefer to work on a hardwood bench than a composite material bench, it just seems much more durable, and satisfying to work on when using hand-tools such as mortice chisels, the shock is absorbed perfectly and you get nice crisp cuts. It just feels right to me, but it is a personal thing.

If I were to do mine again, I would do it exactly the same way, including using hard-wood for the base, it gives you the weight and stiffness without having to mess around with putting in cabinets etc..

I made a bench out of softwood for the base and composit materials for the top, it just wasn't the same for me, it never had the sturdiness that I've now got with the hardwood bench, and it would never last as long as this one either.

these are the reason why i am going to make it from solid wood so much more durable and longerlasting

 

[ike]

If you are not bothered about the 'look', regarding durability and use there's no advantage in using hardwood. A softwood frame with softwood top and a sacrificial top sheet of decent grade ply will see you out. Cost: Less than £100. :wink:

My bench stats: 4ft x 2ft, legs 4" x 4", bottom rails 4"x2", top rails: 6"x2", top: 8"x2" boards +3/4"ply. Record 53 QR.

Despite not being hardwood, it's a 'dead' bench with total shock absorption, thanks to sufficient mass.

Wish I'd made it 6' though :roll: I also misjudged the height and it's too low, so I plan to simply add a 6" top on top of what's there and reposition the vice accordingly.

Ike

 

[The_Stig]

Everything saying, "bye it, restore it":

eBay Bench Auction

If only I had a van

 

[thejhw]

I've been planning a bench and thinking about wood for the top. Ash has been suggested by my local woodyard, but I read somewhere that it flexes too much whilst clamping to be any good. :duno:
Does that make sense or is it another old wives tale?
I must admit that the softwood build with a hardboard or ply sacrificial top (or even just an mdf top a la PaulC) is favourite at the mo'.

Jim

 

[The_Stig]

I'm going for a softwood frame with a beech top, I'm just sat looking at some plans now

 

[The_Stig]

After hours of toiling with Google SketchUp I've finally got my design... I think!!

 

[thejhw]

Can you clamp to the bench with those cupboards under there Jamie?

I rather fancy something completely open under the top to give me clamping room and to give the sawdust somewhere to go.

Jim

 

[wizer]

I like it, I can't stand wasted space. But Jim's right, you need to work out how you're going to tackle clamping. Maybe more of an overhang at the front. Does your toolwell have a removable bottom?

 

[Rich]

£300.00 Quid, blimey, if you can't make it for £100.00 then you are doing something wrong, a bench needs to be sturdy and straight, nothing more, all you are going to do is work ON it, softwood all round will do with a replaceable mdf/hardboard top is plenty goodenough, having a bench made of the best materials money can buy, will not make the workpiece any better.

Rich.

 

[krismusic]

I guess it depends what type of woodwork you intend to do on it. I just made an 8'x 4' bench that I am very happy with. As my workshop is not huge, I made the bench collapsible. Having a large bench when needed and being able to collapse it when not needed is a total winner.

 

[The_Stig]

Does your toolwell have a removable bottom?

Nope, lol.

As for the clamping issue I'm going to have a little look and see what I can do for this, I've not finished designing the chisel box either, I'm pleased that I put it out there for comment otherwise I'll probably end up with something nice but useless... I'm still pondering over the cupboard on the right hand side, I'm sure I could do something else with it... maybe a mini drying kiln, lol.

 

[Lataxe]

What does a good workbench need? Weight and rigidity. Therefore a heavy hardwood is the best material for the job. Good commercially sold benches are made of beech or maple, typically, for this reason. Also, that stuff is ding-resistant, unlike punkwood (I mean softwood). Also, the joints don't go sloppy when subjected to the rack of planing and such.

You won't be able to buy enough of such timber to make the bench sooper-heavy for £300. Anyway, you need to spend all that on two Veritas twin screw vises. These are excellent and replace all other types of vise save the pattern-maker. Why waste money on racking old Records and such?

So, to keep to your budget you'll need to find free wood. This is a lot easier than you might suppose. All sorts of eejits throw away perfectly sound wood by the mega-ton every day. You just need to find the building renovation or other "renewal" where the rascals are wasting the stuff in the skip, bonfire or land-fill. Offer to dispose of it for a small fee of say £10. (I mean they give the tenner to you, along with the wood).

I made a 6ft X 2ft bench out of hard maple, sapele, iroko, blockboard (fer the cupboards) and some other odds & sods. It has 4" X 4" legs and 2" X 6" aprons (4 of). There is a full size double cupboard and drawers slung betwen the aprons. All the the timber was free - even the knobs fer the cupboards and drawers. The bench does have a slightly harlequinesque aspect but it's only a tool, like!

The dosh was spent on 4 geet big bed bolts (so the bench is knock-down) and two o' them Veritas twin-screws. The beast weighs many, many kilos and cannot be moved without herniation. It grips the workpiece like a hyena on steroids.

Should you wish to read the details, I can offer you a WORD doc about how it was made.

Lataxe, something of a scavenging hyena hisself.