Long Time in the Making

[Glen Walker]

Well guys, Ive been a member here for a couple of years, and only posted a few times, but I have gained a lot of ideas and good tips from your posts. Like most of you guys Ive always wanted to build that "perfect workbench", and after about 4 years Ive come pretty close. I started about 4 years ago and built a metal frame out of 3" square tubing and 4" thick Ash for the top. Of course just as soon as I got the frame and the top done I had to rush it into service for some other projects that moved to the front burner. Each year I would decide I needed to build that set of cabinets to fit under it, and each year something else would become a hotter project. So after 4 years of service I finally decided that the cabinets would be first on the list this year. I started on them back in February, of course then the Ice Storm hit and shut down production for about a month. Slowly I finished the drawers and frames, and the LOML completed it this week by staining it. We decided to stain the drawers three diffrent colors to make it stand out. So here are a few pictures of her all finished, let me know what you guys think......

[Eric Larsen]

Beautiful bench.

You still have to add vices, no?

[Rick Fisher]

love all the drawers and doors under.. Never did understand why more people dont use that space..

[Nick Abbott]

Pretty darned nice!

[Andy Bardowell]

What a great idea, I’m not sure why the three colors work but they do. Great bench!

[Jim Kountz]

Looks great, nice storage too!! Now get it messy!!

[sean m. titmas]

hey Glen,

that bench reminds me of the benches from my shop class in '85, back when they had shop classes in high school. yours has a real heft to it and looks like you can build a sizable piece of furniture as oppose to the skinny narrow benches i see so much of. im building a bench as the center piece of my shop and think i will make mine about 30" wide.

how did you join and flatten the top?

[Glen Walker]

Sean,
Thanks, and your right. I built it heavy enough that I will never have to worry about anything I try to set up there. I decided when I was building it that I wanted one of those old heavy tables that could stand up to just about anything. The top was a lot of fun to build, since the planer that I have only goes up to 13" wide. So I joined to top in 12" pieces ran it thru the planer and used a triple row of biscuits to line the individual pieces together when I put it together. After getting her together and clamping it flat with several clamps and straps. Then once dried I used a hand plane to bring any edges down good and true. I have intentions of building a few clamps on the end of the table, but Im not sure what type to build. Any ideas? The top is 48x96", a little wider than the normal bench, but I wanted to have plenty of room for the bigger pieces to be assembled.

[Sam Layton]

Good looking bench Glen. I know what you mean about other projects moving in front of the bench construction. I have my top constructed and thats it. Always something else comes along.

Sam

[Garth Keel]

It also looks very very heavy! Good thing you have it in the perfect spot:D

Question: it looks like the top just sits on the frame ( heavy enough to work). But, if it is attached, how did you do it.

[sean m. titmas]

Glen,

i never thought of building the table in 12" sections first. since im going to build a similar size top i'll use your approach to surfacing it.

as for clamps im going with a 24" twin screw on the side and a 9" quick adjust for the end. this way i can clamp just about any size piece. i may go with one of the tail vises that wrap the corner(im ignorant of the correct names but have seen them on others benches and like them)

the inside jaw of the 24 will be the full length of the 96" table with bench holes so i can securely clamp any length piece with just the vise and a dog.

[Vic Damone]

It looks like something my Father would of built, completely overbuilt. Very nice. Easy to move?

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Is that a floating top?

Sexy. Very nice.

[Glen Walker]

Its easy to move as long as you have a tractor, or dozer...... Actually I can move it fairly easily on the concrete floor, it takes a bit of mustard to get it to moving, but the floor is slick enough that it will slide. As for the top you are right, it just sits in place, but I have a couple of threaded inserts in the bottom to bolt it to the metal frame. I would guess that completed the whole thing probably would go somewhere around 700lbs empty. The top by itself probably pushes 250 or so. I actually used the front end loader on the tractor to pick it up and set it in place. Im trying to get the shop a little more user friendly by getting rid of some of the shelving and freeing up space for wood storage. Im thinking now its time I take a look at building something for the tablesaw to use as a outfeed table. Any ideas?

[John Keeton]

Im thinking now its time I take a look at building something for the tablesaw to use as a outfeed table. Any ideas?Glen, that is one nice bench, but I agree it does cry out for vices.

Somehow, the outfeed table I built from plywood scrap seems so inadequate in light of your massive bench:o Perhaps I should have started with 1/4" thick 6x6 steel posts?????:D

I would suggest, however, that the outfeed table do double duty much as your bench is doing. I have two drawer stack units under mine that are on casters. They provide storage, and can be rolled out for cleanup purposes or if I need another surface space for assemby, etc.

[Jim Becker]

That's a great looking bench!

[John Schreiber]

That looks great. Stout! is the word for workbenches. If you've got to use a tractor to move it, you must be doing something right.:D:D

You've got to tell us the story behind the cutouts on one end. Also, what kind of construction did you use on the drawers; are those dowel ends we can see on the faces?

[Glen Walker]

Actually yes they are dowels that you can see on the faces of the drawers. I planned on those drawers holding a bit of weight so I used dowels rather than screws to give me that additional strength. Its actually the first time I have used these types of dowels that are tapered, and I must admit I was very pleased with the way they work, and turned out. The drawers were made out of 3/4" birch plywood and held together with dado's. The cuttouts that you see on the top are either the two notches that I left out for future vices, or you are refering to the holes for the bench dogs.

[Brian Kerley]

love all the drawers and doors under.. Never did understand why more people dont use that space..


Because the drawers make it a lot harder to clamp things to the top, as well as to use things like holdfasts, etc

[John Thompson]

Almost missed your excellent bench, Glen.. You shouldn't have need for another as you went heavy duty on the first shot.

Sarge..

[Jerry Olexa]

Good job. Dramatic. Your effort paid off...