Built-in Bench Advice

[dan lemkin]

Hi,

My next project is a bay window bench. The bench is going to extend out from the parallel window 24" and be 18" high. It will form a trapezoid (kinda - the front two angles are square). The walls are framed plaster. The floors are quarter-sawn white oak.

Please tell me if this plan will work. First - pull the moldings. I was going to laminate 3/4" birch plywood to the plaster walls screwed into studs. This was going to rest and screw into another piece of 3/4" ply that will sit on the floor. Attachments to the wall will be made with drywall screws. The plywood will be attached with pocket joinery.

The plywood will serve as a lip to rest the top on, and backing to attach a face frame to. On the front of the bench, I will create a walnut face frame in which two overlay cabinet doors and two drawers will be inserted.

There will be two plywood dividers that run the full height and depth of the bench to provide support for the bench, rigidity for the face, and mounting for the drawer slides. I was going to dado them into the bottom, and pocket screw them into the top.

The top will be laminated 5/4 walnut. the face 4/4 walnut --> 3/4". The doors and drawers walnut 4/4 (maybe with some borders or strips of contrasting wood... (wife's decision)

Questions:

1) should I screw the base into the hardwood floor beneath - or just attach to the other plywood that is screwed into the studs?
2) Will the two plywood pieces spanning the top provide adequate support for the bench?
3) I was going to use partial overlay hinges and overlayed drawer fronts... Is this a major no-no... if inset doors and drawers are preferred for a nice piece of furniture, can someone recommend specific hardware (simple, modern, clean)
4) How far should I overlay the leading edge of the bench? I was thinking about 1", with a 1/4" round-over. We like the straight edge look, but want it to be comfortable enough to sit on...

All advice welcome. thanks
dan

[Jamie Buxton]

First off, it sounds like you're thinking of building this bence in place. I wouldn't do that. I'd build it in the shop, and then install it in the house. The biggest argument for this is that you have a mess in the house for a shorter time.


1) should I screw the base into the hardwood floor beneath - or just attach to the other plywood that is screwed into the studs?
If you build the unit in the shop, so that it is structurally sound, you don't have to anchor it into the bay window area very well. Your kitchen base cabinets, which are likely done this way, are probably just tacked in place along the back wall.
2) Will the two plywood pieces spanning the top provide adequate support for the bench?
So you have a 5/4 hardwood top, supported solidly in two places by plywood edges. Yes, that's sufficient.
3) I was going to use partial overlay hinges and overlayed drawer fronts... Is this a major no-no... if inset doors and drawers are preferred for a nice piece of furniture, can someone recommend specific hardware (simple, modern, clean)
Overlay is easier to do, and more resistant to problems due to cabinet racking during insallation. But it tends to look like kitchen cabinets, not fine furniture. Your choice.
For inset stuff, I like cup hinges (I use Blum), and Blum Tandem drawer slides.
4) How far should I overlay the leading edge of the bench? I was thinking about 1", with a 1/4" round-over. We like the straight edge look, but want it to be comfortable enough to sit on...
That should work, particularly with inset drawers and doors.

[dan lemkin]

I was going to build the plywood box in place to account for the angular inaccuracies and drift of a 80 y/o house. But once in place, I was going to measure/template and build the face frame, top, doors, and drawers in the shop.

Does this make sense?

For hinges - how about brusso double offset knife hinges? Are they hard to miter in the ends?

[Jamie Buxton]

I was going to build the plywood box in place to account for the angular inaccuracies and drift of a 80 y/o house. But once in place, I was going to measure/template and build the face frame, top, doors, and drawers in the shop.

Does this make sense?

For hinges - how about brusso double offset knife hinges? Are they hard to miter in the ends?

Well, you can build it your way, but you're probably better off to build the entire thing in the shop, including doors and drawers and everything, and then install it. In the shop, you make a nice strong cabinet, with everything straight and square and such. When you install it, you adapt it to the 80-year-old house. Adaption includes tricks like leg-levelers, scribing, and moldings to cover gaps. It is really pretty straightforward.

Knife hinges are challenging in that they have no adjustability. You have to install them exactly right, the first time. They look pretty, and impress other woodworkers, because we know how difficult they are. However, cup hinges are more often used in industry, because they're adjustable after installation. That makes them a lot less excruciating to use.

[george wilson]

Having your workbench surrounded by the window,is that going to give you enough length to plane wood? Also,I always have a vise at the end of the bench to let wood I am sawing off extend out past the end of the bench. Are you going to be o.k. with these limitations?You also won't be able to have a tail vise,or rows of holes for dogs to clamp long boards between for planing wood.

Your type of work may not need these features,but I thought I'd mention them just in case.

[Chris Padilla]

Dan,

I don't know if you mentioned it but if you plan to sit on this bench, I assume the top will overhang the cabinet a bit or the cabinet will be set back a bit? You'll want "toeplate" room for legs to swing, I think.

[dan lemkin]

Dan,

I don't know if you mentioned it but if you plan to sit on this bench, I assume the top will overhang the cabinet a bit or the cabinet will be set back a bit? You'll want "toeplate" room for legs to swing, I think.


I was thinking about 1" of overhang... maybe 1.5". thought more would look funny.

For the european hinges.... does someone have specific recommendations for an insert mount. Can they mount to the back of the face frame or will I need a flush inner wall to mount to? As it stands, there will be about a 3" face-frame between the outer wall and the opening for the cabinet. So the inset door will kinda be just hanging in the face frame... this is why I was thinking about the knife hinges... if I am correct, I was going to use the 5/8" brusso double offset for 3/4 doors.


Having your workbench surrounded by the window,is that going to give you enough length to plane wood? Also,I always have a vise at the end of the bench to let wood I am sawing off extend out past the end of the bench. Are you going to be o.k. with these limitations?You also won't be able to have a tail vise,or rows of holes for dogs to clamp long boards between for planing wood.

Your type of work may not need these features,but I thought I'd mention them just in case.

George.... It took me a second to realize we are talking about two very different things... This is a bench-SEAT... and more importantly... a storage area to hid all my kids toys. -- my workbench will be free standing in the garage, and is a project for later this spring :-)

[Chris Padilla]

I was thinking about 1" of overhang... maybe 1.5". thought more would look funny.

My bad. At 18" high, most legs will be touching the floor and not swinging--I THINK!--...a child's legs might. Okay, you're good to go! ;) haha :D

[george wilson]

Oh! Well,that's different !

[Jamie Buxton]

Can the cup hinges mount to the back of the face frame or will I need a flush inner wall to mount to?

They want a mounting surface which extends a couple inches back from the back of the door. It is easy to glue in mounting blocks there.