"Quick" solid bench for a friend

[Jacob]

..............
I still can't help wondering why the big, 'Roubo' bench fell out of favour. It was either because of the scarcity of thick lumber, or that eventually the tenons through the top, dried out and caused racking.
......
:wink:

Huge thick expensive unstable piece of timber for the top. The Brit "2 beam" model with a well in between does everything and is a lot easier and cheaper to make. Just doesn't look so glamourous! IMHO.

PS and the complicated construction! Look at these.
Yer brit bench is simplicity itself! Tail vices could be added if wanted.

It happens a lot in many areas that if a design looks too simple, however well it works, it can get overlooked in preference for the more complicated alternatives. Hence gadgetry in general.

 

[Benchwayze]

I find leaving mine flush allows me to balance long boards on dogs jutting out of the legs or use my holddown in the leg holes to secure things.

Mick

Quite so Mick.

However, doesn't an apron also provide a flush surface at the front of the bench?

I wouldn't use a full apron because of the effort in bending and stretching to get to the void behind it. But I see Jacob's point. An apron usually has holes bored, for holdfasts too, so it could serve the same function as a 'deadman', sliding or otherwise.

Maybe we should see all these variations as just that; variations, rather than 'improvements', or 'better-ways'.
I am still not going to use an apron, but mostly for the reason I stated.

 

[Jacob]

Main reason for the apron is to brace the front edge where all the work gets done. It's going to be a lot more rigid and adds mass to the front where it's needed (inertia resisting all the various forces). They look a touch wobbly without aprons or other braces IMHO. wobbly = plane chatter!

 

[Benchwayze]

Main reason for the apron is to brace the front edge where all the work gets done. It's going to be a lot more rigid and adds mass to the front where it's needed (inertia resisting all the various forces). They look a touch wobbly without aprons or other braces IMHO. wobbly = plane chatter!

Wobbly = waste of time too.

My present bench has no apron and the top is a mere 2.5 inches thick. But, the underframe is solid, and it rests against a brick wall, in the angle of the wall and a small buttress. The top is completely shot, (For which there is a reason) but it doesn't vibrate and it doesn't wobble.

It's too wide for my space and were it 6" narrower I would just replace the top. To make the whole bench narrower is doable, but I'd have to butcher a perfectly sound under-frame, which would be a sin, when some one somewhere, with a bit more space, could make use of it. I've mucked along with it for far too long. It's time for a change, so I'm 'eventually going to stop procrastinating' :mrgreen: and get on with a new bench. I think the pine I bought is just about shop-ready.

 

[Jacob]

Brick wall is the way! You can even plane on a workmate if you brace it against a brick wall.

 

[Jacob]

Idly browsing ebay andspotted this bench
Stuck me as good value for money and a very sensible bench. No fashionable bench nonsense here! I'd buy it straightaway if I needed one.

 

[Entenmann]

This thread has discussed a lot of of topics since the first post but one point which I did not see adressed explicitly is the weight of the bench.
The original poster said that the bench he wanted to build would weigh "over 100 lbs" (about 50 kg if I am not mistaken).

Don't you think this is too light for a workbench?
I used one of similar weight and it would not stay put when planing or sawing, which was annoying, to say the least.
(Of course, a brick wall, as advocated by Benchwayze and Jacob helps, but a brick wall can also get in the way of planes and saws at times).

Lasse

 

[theartfulbodger]

Good points, Lasse.

A certain amount of digression is a good thing sometimes as it adds food for thought, and different opinions which can lead to a more personalised design.

Having built one for my friend I built one for myself, and then after seeing how useful two benches were, and discovering woodworm in the old bench I'd found in the shed when I moved in, I built another.

Both are against walls (single garage) and after putting toolboxes and other heavy assorted garage FOD onto the shelves I think the original estimate of 100 lbs is a little on the low side. I did add an extra "front to back" plank (stretcher?) under the shelf and also some extra wood to reinforce the area I needed to cut away to fix the vice on.

The only methods I have of weighing it are either fishing scales, kitchen scales or the How Much Weight Have I Gained balance board thing from the Wii .... so I haven't.

Certainly no movement when cutting large boards clamped to the worktops.

If anyone needs a quick solid bench then I can recommend it But I'd advocate a slight readjustment of the dimensions so that the worktop is exactly the same size as the boards you can buy off the shelf DAMHIKT (or should that be DAMNIT)

 

[Entenmann]

I don't think the exact weight is important. If you don't experience any movement when working on it, then it is heavy enough. (Although I would enjoy a picture of the bench on the Wii balance board ).
Also: did I read that right? You already built three benches since starting the thread? Very impressive!

(As a side note: I hope I did not give the impression of criticizing the route which the discussion had taken. I merely wanted to cover myself if I had missed someone already talking about the weight) .

Cheers,
Lasse

 

[marcros]

Also: did I read that right? You already built three benches since starting the thread? Very impressive!

theartfulbodger meet condeesteso. You have much in common and could form a self help group...

 

[theartfulbodger]

Not at all! All input is welcome, just don't mention pineapples or sharpening.

With a chopsaw and a drill driver you can knock one of these benches out in a couple of hours. They're not as pleasing to the eye as a lot of proper benches but very easy and quick to build. And cheap! Seven 8 foot lengths of 2x4 and some scavenged wardrobes and MDF for the shelves/worktop.

 

[theartfulbodger]

Also: did I read that right? You already built three benches since starting the thread? Very impressive!

theartfulbodger meet condeesteso. You have much in common and could form a self help group...

hahahhahahahaha

One day when I've finished rearranging the garage and moving shelves about I'll get round to some proper woodwork. Then I'll slow right down.