Workbench top ends

[Dave Cav]

Yesterday I picked up a load of ash and a little walnut which will eventually be turned into a workbench top. The walnut will be used for the dog hole strips to add a little contrast.

I am planning to have a large conventional wood jaw vise on the front left for the front vise, and two smaller Wilton iron vises in the end position to act sort of as a twin screw vise, only also able to act independently if needed.

I'm basing my design (loosely) on Chris Schwarz's $175 workbench, only I want solid ends on the top, not the end grain of the main bench boards. On the right end, the end of the bench will also serve as the inner jaw of the end vises. My question is how best to fasten the end pieces onto the main bench top. I initially thought to make the front and rear main top boards longer and dovetail the end pieces into them, but I don't know if that will accommodate seasonal movement. I'm thinking more along the lines of breadboard ends, but how to fasten them on? T & G, sliding dovetail, just screwed on, or something else? I'm also thinking about using another dark wood, like purpleheart, for the end pieces and vise jaws, again to add contrast and some visual interest; purpleheart is also very hard and reasonably tough. Another consideration is that the two end vise's rear cast iron jaws will need to be inlet into the main bench top and then the inner wood jaw added, so that's another complication.

Thoughts?

thanks
Dave C

[Luke Townsley]

Thoughts?

Naaah. Nobody around here much cares about workbenches anymore. ;-)

[Doug Shepard]

Breadboard ends are usually to solve crossgrain movement problems. But the movement on your bench ends would be in the same direction as the vertically laminated top. The difference in species could be a slight problem but if you pick something with similar movement traits I dont think you'd have to worry. I'd go with your initial thought of dovetailing.

[Alan DuBoff]

I'm basing my design (loosely) on Chris Schwarz's $175 workbench, only I want solid ends on the top, not the end grain of the main bench boards.
Curious why? I had planned on putting end caps on my bench, but changed my mind after reading Chris's articles and book. I just don't see the advantage of doing so.

I'm thinking more along the lines of breadboard ends, but how to fasten them on? T & G, sliding dovetail, just screwed on, or something else?
I was going to do mine with t&g, with a tongue on the bench side and a groove in the cap. If you go that route, don't forget to allow for expansion/shrinkage, you can elongate the bolt holes to allow for that. At least you should think about using bolts, since the glue will prevent those caps from settling/moving also.

I'm also thinking about using another dark wood, like purpleheart, for the end pieces and vise jaws, again to add contrast and some visual interest; purpleheart is also very hard and reasonably tough.
Purple heart has truely become one of my least favorite woods to work. Other than looking different due to the color, and it does contrast well, it is without a doubt one of the worst woods to work. It's hard as nails, it splinters a LOT, and the splinters hurt like all heck when you poke yourself with one (i.e., long and sharp). If your looking for color, I suggest something else like paduk or bloodwood.

FWIW, my office/shop floor is solid purple heart. I have used it on various other projects as I had a lot of t&g left, but I tell you, I can't wait to be rid of all the purple heart in my shop, it is one of my least favorite woods to work.

Another consideration is that the two end vise's rear cast iron jaws will need to be inlet into the main bench top and then the inner wood jaw added, so that's another complication.

Thoughts?
My suggestion, don't make it any more complicated than it needs to be. I would forget the end caps, leave out the purple heart, and go for a rock solid bench that you can work with hand tools on.

[Richard Magbanua]

Here's how I did my end...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/magbanua/sets/72157610497536990/

Really, the only reason I needed one was to accommodate the wagon vise. The other end will be cut even and left plain. The end cap is just attached with Spax screws with washers in oversized holes. Pilot holes were drilled and the screws were screwed in just snug. I used grade 8 washers only because they were the only ones that matched the screws.

Good luck and keep us updated!

[Dave Cav]

Nice looking bench; thanks for providing the link to the entire construction process.

[Dave Cav]

You've made some good points; I probably hate purpleheart almost as much as you. The previous shop teacher at my high school bought a bunch of it and the students are always wanting to use it in cutting boards and other projects. The splinters are horrible. I may, as you suggested, just keep it simple and leave the ends plain, or possibly just screw the inner faces on in elongated holes.

[Alan DuBoff]

You've made some good points; I probably hate purpleheart almost as much as you. The previous shop teacher at my high school bought a bunch of it and the students are always wanting to use it in cutting boards and other projects. The splinters are horrible. I may, as you suggested, just keep it simple and leave the ends plain, or possibly just screw the inner faces on in elongated holes.
Funny you say that, I made some cutting boards out of hickory and purple heart that looked and function well. It is just working with it that annoys me. I also used hickory and purple heart to skirt a dimensional bench in my garage, front was hickory and sides purple heart. Color wise it looks great. I kid you not when I say I had to sharpen my saw after cutting 2 decent sized houndstooth joints, it really took a toll on the handsaw I used. The purple heart does look nice though, and it's plenty strong to be in a bench, lots of folks do it and I had cut some that I was going to put into my top when I laminated it, but in the end decided not to use it. I have a 27" wide bench.

The end caps will work if that is what you want Dave.

For most folks that means a tailed router to cut the groove, and possibly a tailed router to cut the tongue. I didn't put the end caps on my bench though, and don't see where it would hinder it's performance at all. A wagon vise is a good reason to have one though, if the wagon vise suites one's needs. You can do this with hand tools, but prepare for the time as it might take a while to chop a long groove/mortise. The tongue can be done with a rabbet plane, trim the ends with a handsaw.

That way I have seen this done, and the way I was going to do it on my bench is to have the front portion of the end cap snug, with the front ancholred (no elongation in the hole for the front), and even put some glue in the front area. Leave the rear with about 1"-2" and space, so that the tongue will slide on the rear of the bench. On the rear bolt, elongate that hole to facilitate that. I was going to use 2 bolts exactly like that. You could put more than 2 bolts if you like, but I would do as I mention, anchor the front and let the rears float inside elongated holes. I would leave the same amount of space in the elongated holes as you do on the rear of the end cap groove, if you go that route. That is how the Lon Schleining bench was done in FWW #167.

[Hank Knight]

Dave,

My end caps are attached with a mortise and tenon - a long tenon on the end of bench top fits into a long mortise in the end cap. The end cap is bolted to the bench top with bed bolts I purchased from Lee Valley. There are three bolts per end cap. Two of the bolt holes are elongated to allow for movement of the top.

Hank

[Thom Sturgill]

I know Chris does not like tool trays. I do.

My take on his $175 bench has a frame around it where the front board extends past the ends of the top other boards which have a short tenon. End boards connect to the front and back boards, and have a groove for the tenon. The tenon is NOT fastened or glued to the end boards. The back board is about 6" from the rear edge of the table top and supports one side of a tool tray. The bottom board of the tool tray is a floating panel and provides for expansion.