Top for my first Workbench

[KarpEnter]

How does a noobie make up his mind on his workbench top ? Ask the forum experts stupid.
... and that's exactly what I am doing now :lol:

This will be my first worbench and due to some limitations, I will not be able to produce those lovely glued 2x4 beech tops. Hence stacking multiple layers of readily available (2 feet x 4 feet) wooden boards (from B&Q / Wickes) looks like the only way out

What material do I use for stacking up and what should be its sum thickness. :?

OR instead of stacking, are there any simpler and quicker ways of making a top ?

Other factors - legs will be at least 2" x 2" and height = leg height + 50 cms (from forums)

 

[Blister]

Good luck with the top

 

[paulm]

Depends on the space you have available of course, and how you design the support frame, but I used three sheets of 18mm mdf (could be ply) topped with thin ply as a renewable surface, and lipped with wooden edging.

Nothing fancy. Could probably get away with two sheets rather than three if you wanted to keep the cost and/or weight down.

I drilled lots of 19mm holes in the top in rows, and on the front vice wooden jaws (x2) and use turned wooden dogs with these for holding work on the top.

Also use a holdfast and wonderpup and can do most things with one or more of the holding methods.

Would suggest you make the legs a lot sturdier, 2x2 sounds very small and light, and not sure what you mean by the height bieng leg height + 50cm, is that a typo ? Height is important to get right to be comfortable in use, but not sure of any rules of thumb here, perhaps others can make some suggestions.

Make sure your apron boards are good and wide also to help reduce racking when you start planing on it.

Cheers, Paul.

 

[PowerTool]

Comfortable bench height will vary a bit in relation to your own height,but 36"/900mm is a good start.
Otherwise,I agree with everything Chisel has said about sturdier legs/frame,sheet material top,and renewable surface (I went for plywood top with MDF replaceable layer,but some of that is because it's what I had :wink: )

Andrew

 

[KarpEnter]

Sorry, should have been clearer on the "leg height".

What I meant to say was the height of the "legs" of the workbench (as a guide ?) can be the user's own leg height + 50 millimetres ( sorry.. not cms)... remembered having read something like this in the forums

Is this a guide to workbench height at all ? Or is there any other "formula" ?

Regards,

 

[Paul Chapman]

I also used three sheets of 18mm MDF for the top. Mine is about 7'x2' and as this makes it very heavy, I lipped the individual sheets with solid wood first, then glued them together. I used a couple of biscuits to help alignment which was helpful because I was doing the glue-up on my own. If you do this, you will need plenty of G-cramps and curved cauls to even out the cramping pressure and make sure it glues up nice and flat.

I have a record 52D on the front and one on the end and four rows of holes for Veritas round bench dogs. I keep the top regularly waxed which makes it easy to get dried glue off.

I originally intended this to be a temporary bench but it's been so successful I've used it for years and it's still as good as the day I made it.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Argee]

Is this a guide to workbench height at all ? Or is there any other "formula" ?

Stand relaxed in your working footwear, hands by your sides. Get someone to measure the distance between the floor and the point at which your wrist joins your hand. That's what I did and have always been comfortable when working at that height.

Ray.

 

[garywayne]

Hi KarpEnter.

I once read that working height should be as follows:

1/ Stand up straight in front of the bench with your arms down by your side.
2/ Now bend your arms at the elbow to an angle of 90 Deg.
3/ Now bend your wrists down with the fingers pointing down.

The height from the floor to your fingertips is approximately the height of your workbench.

I would make the bench a bit high and work on it for a while doing different actions to see how comfortable it is. If necessary cut the legs down a bit until comfortable.

I hope this is of some help, and good luck.

 

[RogerM]

I also used three sheets of 18mm MDF for the top. Mine is about 7'x2' and as this makes it very heavy, I lipped the individual sheets with solid wood first, then glued them together.

Paul

Hmm. A workbench is my next project. Making the top from sheets of MDF sounds like a less labour intensive method than making a beechblock top, and also I'm not at all sure about the features that I want so expect it to evolve.

Paul - what glue do you use to laminate such a large area please?

 

[Paul Chapman]

Paul - what glue do you use to laminate such a large area please?

I used Evostik woodworking adhesive - the one intended for interior and exterior use in the blue container. If I remember correctly, I used a large adhesive spreader like you use for wall tile adhesive, so it went on quite quickly. My workshop is my garage so it can get a bit damp, so I reckoned a slightly waterproof adhesive was best.

When glueing up something as large as a bench top, always do a dry trial run so you have everything ready and know exactly what you are going to do, and in which order. If you have a helper, make sure it's someone who works the way you do :wink:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[KarpEnter]

My workshop is my garage so it can get a bit damp
Paul

Paul, does the MDF board not get distorted due to the dampness. My future workshop would be a shed with cedar cladding. Not sure if a shed like this is enough to withstand "destructive" levels of humidity and cold

 

[Paul Chapman]

My workshop is my garage so it can get a bit damp
Paul

Paul, does the MDF board not get distorted due to the dampness. My future workshop would be a shed with cedar cladding. Not sure if a shed like this is enough to withstand "destructive" levels of humidity and cold

I treated mine with Sadolin wood preservative and keep the top regularly waxed and have had no problems at all. I reckon my garage gets as cold as a shed would.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[KarpEnter]

I treated mine with Sadolin wood preservative and keep the top regularly waxed and have had no problems at all
Paul

Thanks Paul. Finer but equally important points like these, are very informative for niewbees like me. Much appreciated

Regards

 

[Shultzy]

Another way to determine the bench hight is to stand with a plane in your hand at a comfortable hight and get someone to measure how far its off the floor. I have a back problem so I'm having my bench at 44". The bench has to be of solid construction so that it doesn't move, so the legs should be a minimum of 3x3 with cross-members to keep it rigid. Worktops are I think down to personal preferences so laminated, MDF, plywood and even old worktops are all ok.

 

[mr]

You don't mention what your limitations are regarding a 2 x 4 beech top but you can swap out beech for some less expensive material and construct in the same style if you see what I mean. I used 2 x 4 pine on the basis that pine was cheap, readily available and would likely be softer than anything I was working on - meaning if I dropped something on the top it would be the top rather than the workpiece that got damaged. It's worked for me as I say didnt cost the earth which was a good thing considering it was a first bench like yours and the design would likely change if / when I remake it.
cheers Mike

 

[Jake]

Most of my bench top is an Ikea beech worktop, from the seconds section, £30.

Or a fire door is often recommended.

 

[Anonymous]

My workbench was liberated from a school some years ago which was closing its woodwork department

I simply put a plinth around the base to jack the height up (and to stop things getting lost underneath) and made a new top from 25mm birch ply eliminating the tool well which I found a pain even when I was at school!

A secondary top of 12mm birch ply screwed on top can be replaced every year or so as it gets too many dried up glue splatters on it.

New vice jaws from 25mm birch ply compensate for the increased top height.

Works a treat - I wish I could find a couple more old school benches.

Cheers
Brad

 

[Paul Chapman]

I think, at last, I might have got the hang of posting pictures :roll: Anyway, here goes. This is my bench made with an MDF top http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... 557c5d.jpg

Only wish I'd cleared up all the mess underneath it before taking the picture

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Alf]

Paul, dunno if you were even trying to, but if you stick the image code round that link like this:

[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid221/p5bf68a6d26f9888cecde3e76367c86bd/eb557c5d.jpg[/img]

It'll show in the post like this:

Sorry if I'm doing a course in egg vacuuming, but it might be helpful for someone else

Cheers, Alf

 

[Paul Chapman]

Thanks Alf. Dunno what I'm doing at the moment, so you certainly weren't teaching me how to vacuum eggs :? :? :lol:

Cheers :wink:

Paul