Making A Work Bench

[pollys13]

I've been thinking about this for sometime looked at some designs and plans. Actually been looking into it properly for about a fortnight.
I found Rules For Workbenches the other day that talks about features to look for and stuff.

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techn ... orkbenches

Earlier today I saw this workbench which looks like the main contender at the moment.
I can probably keep the cost down by getting the timber from the wood recycling place.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Buildin ... workbench/

I'm thinking when I use my Metabo planer/thicknesser , I may need to remove any planer ripple or marring on the boards with my smoothing plane. This bench has dogs so can rest boards, like house door rails and stiles, on top to plane. Also with the face vice can rest house door frame on floor, securing with vice. Then after sawing through the wedged tenons can plane off last few remaining mm.
If anyone has the time, could they take a few minutes to look through the Instructables plan and let me know what they think?
Cheers,
Peter.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's OK - but I wouldn't want to pay for the fancy vices, certainly not for a first bench. A Record 52 or 52 1/2 is fine and easily obtainable. Have a wade through all the bench builds on this forum - there are loads. Jacob's favourite trad. one is good (although I wouldn't have one with an apron ... that's a matter of personal choice). There are a few good books available if you look at Amazon or Waterstone's Marketplace. Someone'll be along in a minute with suggestions on that one.

 

[Fitzroy]

Peter. A workbench is on my list once the new workshop is done. I've a stack of sycamore sat waiting! Anyhow I was bought the Chris Schwartz "workbenches from design to construction" book for Christmas and I've got a lot from it, especially the focus on what do you want to do with your bench, so what functionally does it need?

 

[whittler1507]

Hi Peter, I would take a look at the Paul Sellers website. He talks a lot about workbenches, a point he mentions is height, I think that Chris Schwarts benches err to the hand tool use height wise as that's his thing.

Definitely worth considering, what tools you primarily see yourself using.

Stu


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[pollys13]

It's OK - but I wouldn't want to pay for the fancy vices, certainly not for a first bench. A Record 52 or 52 1/2 is fine and easily obtainable. Have a wade through all the bench builds on this forum - there are loads. Jacob's favourite trad. one is good (although I wouldn't have one with an apron ... that's a matter of personal choice). There are a few good books available if you look at Amazon or Waterstone's Marketplace. Someone'll be along in a minute with suggestions on that one.

Cheers for the reply, I noticed a few days ago, that Axminster have very similar vices as in the design at an affordable price.
I'm thinking the £34.96 version.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/york-plain-s ... de-ax22375

 

[Cordy]

Would This be a good base for a woodworking bench ?

I'm fairly new to woodwork; if I can get permission to leave car out-side I will convert garage to work-place

 

[Brentingby]

You might give this bench some consideration. The "vices" would be inexpensive and the design is easily adjusted for the space you have available.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I think that there is so much to consider when making a bench, and you never stop learning about what you want from a bench.

My first bench (my first build, anyway) was from Alf Martenssen's book. 1970-something, I think. My current one is is from Scot Landis' book. That and Chris Schwartz's book are essential reading I think. Both talk a lot of sense.

Mine has woodworm now, so I plan to replace it at some point.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

For a first bench, don't worry too much about anything fancy. Just make it solid - really rigid, preferably heavy, and with a flat top. Put in a tool well if you like. Use whatever materials you can lay your hands on fairly easily. Don't bother about fancy joints for the underframe, just nail, screw or bolt it together, so that you can get it into service as quickly as possible. A face vice is a very handy attachment, but beyond that, don't bother with twiddly bits.

Then just use it. You'll find out what you want of a bench that way, so the next one can incorporate the features you need for the work you do.

 

[No skills]

CC makes a point missed by many in building their first bench and those advising first time builders.
It is the soundest bit of bench building advice you will find anywhere, I strongly advise you follow it.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

100%^^^^ Your second bench will be different and better.

 

[pollys13]

For a first bench, don't worry too much about anything fancy. Just make it solid - really rigid, preferably heavy, and with a flat top. Put in a tool well if you like. Use whatever materials you can lay your hands on fairly easily. Don't bother about fancy joints for the underframe, just nail, screw or bolt it together, so that you can get it into service as quickly as possible. A face vice is a very handy attachment, but beyond that, don't bother with twiddly bits.

Then just use it. You'll find out what you want of a bench that way, so the next one can incorporate the features you need for the work you do.

OK cheers for that.

 

[pollys13]

CC makes a point missed by many in building their first bench and those advising first time builders.
It is the soundest bit of bench building advice you will find anywhere, I strongly advise you follow it.

OK thanks for that.

 

[pollys13]

100%^^^^ Your second bench will be different and better.

 

[graduate_owner]

If I was to make a bench as shown in the Tommy's Trade Secrets video, I would replace his 'bracing' by sheet ply covering the entire back and both sides. That would help to prevent diagonal movement. At the very least I would add diagonal bracing.

K

 

[shed9]

Just finished my first wooden bench in the last few days. I built a fairly narrow top (around 20") and put as much heft into the whole thing as I reasonably could. I went for one face vice using two York universal vice screws from Axi connected internally with a couple of mini Moto sprockets and a length of suitable chain. The vice works superbly and I could not be happier. I need to face the internal faces of the vice with either cork or leather and it needs a few finishing coats of oil on the top.

Things I wanted from the bench and things I learnt (for what any of it is worth?)

1. Make it as heavy as you can or at least bolt it to the floor if you can. You do not want to be chasing your bench around the workshop.
2. As Chasirechappie says, don't go to too many lengths to make it pretty, the focus needs to be function over from. Be mindful that your bench will take some abuse overtime anyhow.
3. Keep it simple but robust. Don't overthink the design and joinery.
4. Use it as an opportunity to learn where you can.
5. Try and keep the height relevant to other equipment in the workshop, i.e. other benching, table saw, etc.
6. Don't drill to many dog holes yet, drill them as and when you need them, easier to add than remove and in reality I'd say you would be better off with a few well placed dog holes as opposed to lots.
7. Try to keep it a bench, don't get sucked into making something more than that or a multi purpose platform.

I used bog standard CLS planed and glued into larger sections. It was cheap, simple and I don't care how abuse it takes. I overdid the vice a tad, but that was a learning curve for another project and again I kept the cost down.

The Instructables one looks okay, it's simple, uses readily available materials and tools and it looks up to the job. I would say if you intend to flatten with a hand plane that a no 6 or higher will be a better tool than a smoother in the initial process.

I'll post pics of mine in the morning.

 

[ED65]

I couldn't agree more with the advice to keep it simple and just get one made. It's so easy to dither and dither about what features you want (oh look shiny!), how high the work surface should be, what material(s) to use, even what joints to use for every single timber connection (hint: most joint options are strong enough). This can lead to procrastinating over it for weeks. Or months. Or years. In the meantime you could still do with a proper bench every time you make anything. So build a bench, even if it's not perfectly suited to your needs it's miles better than no bench. You can add a few bells and whistles to it over the first weeks or months of using it as you find out what you could do with.

In terms of heft, as Schwarz's rules say heavy is good. But you don't have to go ridiculous here and many a lighter bench (e.g. smaller ones made from softwoods) can still be fine in terms of rigidity. The lower mass is generally only a problem if you do a lot of dimensioning by hand. If you do find you're having trouble with the bench moving during planing operations there are a couple of easy fixes which don't involve adding weight to the bench. Can you nail or bolt into the floor where the bench will be, or glue something to the surface?

Cheers for the reply, I noticed a few days ago, that Axminster have very similar vices as in the design at an affordable price.
I'm thinking the £34.96 version.

Didn't we cover vices just recently? Oh yes, we did

The Axi ones seem to be fine, but you can get a good vintage vice for less than a third of the money without too much trouble and the money you save on that could pay for most or all of the materials for the bench itself.