WIP - My First Workbench

[morfa]

So this evening I started on my workbench build. Currently I only have a small 8x6 shed, so that's going to limit the size of the bench. It'll probably be 5ft by 2ft basically. As soon as I've got a bit more cash I've got the go ahead to turn the concrete slab that was the rear access car parking space into a proper workshop, that's 14ft by 8ft. At the moment I'm just in the planing the 2x4 stage. Also I've not got enough clamps to put the worktop together. Got the first two done, took about an hour and a half. Pretty poor I guess, but this is pretty much the first serious load of planing I've ever done.

In fact on that note, is it normal to get blisters on your hands when doing lots of planing?

I'm doing a mix of the bench here:

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

and this one:

http://picnicpark.org/keith/woodworking ... nch-ne.pdf

I'm also planning on using holdfasts so wasn't going to bother with the rectangular dog slots. Or should I put them in?

Well or no well?

I'll be doing the removable aprons as per Paul Sellers to make moving it to the 'main' workshop once that's built a bit easier. Some of the stuff he does seems a bit faffy, but hopefully shouldn't be too hard/take me too long. Anyway, here's a pic of my kitchen/workshop as it stands:

 

[marcros]

i wouldnt bother with the rectangular dog holes. they are more complex than they look because they need a slight angle to them.

 

[carlb40]

TBH i would just make a very basic bench for now. My first bench ( still use it) was a trestle design with a torsion box top infilled with extra ply / mdf.

That way you get to know what you do/don't need in a bench. I will be making a Roubo bench this year as i now realise what my present bench is lacking in.

I will be going the round dog hole route as there seems to be more options available for them.

If you can afford it, i highly recommend this book
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Workbenches-b ... 51a7c1d2e9

 

[marcros]

TBH i would just make a very basic bench for now. My first bench ( still use it) was a trestle design with a torsion box top infilled with extra ply / mdf.

That way you get to know what you do/don't need in a bench. I will be making a Roubo bench this year as i now realise what my present bench is lacking in.

I will be going the round dog hole route as there seems to be more options available for them.

If you can afford it, i highly recommend this book
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Workbenches-b ... 51a7c1d2e9

+1 for the book. I paid a bit less on Amazon I think- about a tenner or so

 

[speeder1987]

TBH i would just make a very basic bench for now. My first bench ( still use it) was a trestle design with a torsion box top infilled with extra ply / mdf.

That way you get to know what you do/don't need in a bench. I will be making a Roubo bench this year as i now realise what my present bench is lacking in.

I will be going the round dog hole route as there seems to be more options available for them.

If you can afford it, i highly recommend this book
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Workbenches-b ... 51a7c1d2e9

I think this is very good advice, I built a basic bench and as I use it more and more, the little things are annoying me more and more. For instance I made the bench a little to low, even though I thought it would be right for me and it hurts my back a bit when I use it.

Also the book suggested is very good and can be had slightly cheaper as an ebook, if moneys an issue

John

 

[Roughcut]

I would recommend round dog holes.
Since building my own bench i've purchased a Veritas planing stop and wonder pups.
Both very handy to have for doing surface planing on the bench and they fit snugly into 3/4" round dog holes.

 

[morfa]

It is going to be pretty cheap and basic. I'm just laminating 2x4s together for the worktop and building fairly boring legs out of 4x4s (or 2x4s glued together). I probably will stick a apron on it. The tool well might go by the way side as well, seems like hassle. I'm trying to stick more to the Paul Sellers design as he's got a load of videos on Youtube showing you how to make the bench. Vicewise, I'm just putting a standard QR vice on it. Whatever I can find that's cheap basically.

The thing that's taking most of the time currently is the planing as I'm not very good at it. Then I've got to clear out the shed.

I've heard of Chris Schwartz's book, but at the moment, I'm probably going to stick with the two plans I've got.

 

[carlb40]

TBH i would just make a very basic bench for now. My first bench ( still use it) was a trestle design with a torsion box top infilled with extra ply / mdf.

That way you get to know what you do/don't need in a bench. I will be making a Roubo bench this year as i now realise what my present bench is lacking in.

I will be going the round dog hole route as there seems to be more options available for them.

If you can afford it, i highly recommend this book
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Workbenches-b ... 51a7c1d2e9

+1 for the book. I paid a bit less on Amazon I think- about a tenner or so

Yeah i got my copy just before xmas for about 12 quid i think. Best money i have ever spent

 

[keithkarl2007]

The key thing with workbenches is work-holding. I haven't got a workbench either and it will be the first thing I will build. It's something I don't want to rebuild if it doesn't suit me so I'm in the planning stages figuring out the best affordable work-holding methods. It's something you should think about along with leg vises and such. I think the split top would be a good idea also.

 

[morfa]

First half of the first half of the workbench is almost done.

I've decided on the dimensions of the well etc. The diagram I've got shows it better, but this is how it will end up width wise.

1" apron
16" back section (2x4s)
6" well
6" back section (2x4s)
1" apron

So that's 30" in total.

Piccy of the first 4, 2x4s ready. So there's 8 in the first section in total. Hoping to get the rest of it done tomorrow and glue it all up. About 3 nights worth of work so far. It's taken me a while to get the hang of planing. Never done it before. But I'm getting better at planing the 2x4s so they're ready.

Wondering what everyone does with all the shavings? I've got loads now and it seems a bit wasteful to bin them all.

Also what size vice? 7" or 9"? Any makes good? Quick Release or not? Or will a cheap one do?

eg

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/QUICK-RELEASE ... 19d8d4a884

 

[carlb40]

Looking good there. My bench has a quick release vice. It is nice to have a quick release vice feature. Mine will probably be up for sale in a few weeks or so.

Unfortunately i bin my shavings/ saw dust etc. It is a waste as in the last 8 days i have had 7 or 8 dustbin bags full thrown away

 

[Jacob]

i wouldnt bother with the rectangular dog holes. they are more complex than they look because they need a slight angle to them.

Why's that then? Mine seems to work fine.
It's 1" square in a hole same size hacked through with a firmer chisel. Just a tight fit. The dog is long so I can trim the top end many times before I need another.
But I wouldn't bother with dogs to begin with. Paul Sellers trick with sash cramps is a very good alternative. Like a lot of simple things - it's better than it looks!
Also I'd stick with Sellers bench design. It's more or less the UK standard as used everywhere and is amongst the easiest to build.

 

[ColeyS1]

My dog holes are just morticed through with a 3/4 bit. They also hold the veritas holdfast just fine. I originally made some round aluminium dogs, varying height but they very rarely get used- similar story with the wonder dog, very rarely gets used

These are the main holding devices I use in the dog holes- a square peg with a square bit of wood on top :lol: another advantage I found using the square peg, is for quick plaining it doesn't matter if the work piece is bang on in line with the peg. Using the completely round ones would cause the wood to shoot off (if not central ) and cause me to swear :roll:

 

[morfa]

Dog holes - At the moment, I'm not putting any dogs in. I figure they can be added afterwards. I was planning on using holdfasts to be honest, I like the look of the ones here - http://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/sho ... cts_id=266 - haven't got the money at the moment, so they'll have to wait a while. I do like the idea of square holes tho, makes sense, that way the dog will always be square.

Vice - So is size important? 7" or 9"?

 

[carlb40]

If you do a search on here for holdfasts, you will find a hooge thread. Those are made by one of our very own esteemed members and work very well.
As to the vice, it depends on what you wish to use it for? How big a capacity you need? Plus you can add wooden cheeks to the vice to extend the width slightly

EDIT

Found the thread
holdfast-group-buy-may-have-found-a-uk-blacksmith-t42256.html

 

[morfa]

Simple answer is, I don't really know. I've not been woodworking that long, this is my first real project. Most of the stuff that I've got planned to do will probably be on the longer side of things. So planing planks smooth for shelves. Making cabinets. Making small kitchen worktops. So they probably won't be that thick. But they probably will be long. I'm actually thinking I'll end up with two vices at each end to hold the long stuff. But I'll see if I need that once it's built.

 

[carlb40]

Don't bother with a second vice yet. Just use a clamp to clamp the board to the apron. Or once you have the holdfasts you can use those in the apron to hold the timber.

 

[Benchwayze]

Morf...

14 x 8 feet isn't big enough either. Mine is 17.5 x 9. and it's a pain trying to work in an aisle that is 4 foot wide at its widest. It was fine thirty years ago, but as you buy machinery, you soon fill up a space. So now I encroach onto the drive, and have to work in public (No swearing allowed of course) and limited to suitable weather for using the track saw. Most inconvenient; especially not being able to curse now and again.

Were I twenty years younger I would ignore SWIMBO, extend the mortgage and build a decent sized shop in the back-garden. :mrgreen:
Best of luck

 

[morfa]

Benchwayze - no machines, hand tools only. I don't see that changing either. I might be able to extend the base by a few feet to say, 14x10ft, but not more than that.

I bought the 9" cheap vice from ebay. It seems ok so far. However I knackered my shoulder over the weekend, so have made no more progress.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A short length of spur type shelving support screwed to to leg is useful; use a short shelf bracket, and take it out when not in use or you'll run it into your leg. It allows you to position or level something before cramping it up.