Hello from a newbie

[Chen-Tin Tsai]

Hello. I am new here, reading, absorbing, learning and contemplating. Most of my woodworking revolves around fixing trim around the house or building rickety furniture :o However, as of late, the hand tool bug has bit me hard and I'm in serious doo doo :D

Two weeks ago, I had just one cheap Home Depot special block plane that couldn't plane worth a dang. Now, I'm up to five Stanley Bailey planes: #3, #4, #5 1/4, and two #5's. I've started tuning them, starting with the number five, and managed to sharpen and polish the iron to something resembling sharp (and I've got the cuts on my fingers to prove it :eek:).

Thus far, all I've made was a piece of wood, starting from a 2x4 that I surfaced on all four sides into a nice, square, flat piece of wood about 12" long, 1.25" thick and about 3" wide. And, now I'm sore :p However, this weekend, when I can get some more wood, I'm going to attempt making a small hallway table for my keys and stuff.

Now, I have a quick question regarding a work bench. I have a space (technically a bedroom, but it's become my all-around junk collection room :cool:) about 9' long and about 10' wide. The 9' side is along an outside wall of my house which is where I'd like to locate my bench. However, I don't want it so big that I can't move around it, or move it if I have to. Is there a "minimum" size to the workbench I should make it? I've read through Chris Schwarz's blog and he mentioned something like 300lbs. Is this reasonable?

Thanks! :) BTW, I go by CT, but the registration wouldn't let me use that...

[Matt Radtke]

Now, I have a quick question regarding a work bench. I have a space (technically a bedroom, but it's become my all-around junk collection room :cool:) about 9' long and about 10' wide. The 9' side is along an outside wall of my house which is where I'd like to locate my bench. However, I don't want it so big that I can't move around it, or move it if I have to. Is there a "minimum" size to the workbench I should make it? I've read through Chris Schwarz's blog and he mentioned something like 300lbs. Is this reasonable?


There's no 'minimum' size for a bench. The rules of thumb, so to speak, are A) sized appropriately for the work you intend to do and B) as big as your space allows.

Ergo, if you're going to make jewelery boxes, a 3' long bench might be overkill. If you're cutting the moldings for you house, 16' might be too short.

Based on your first comment, you'll be making furniture for your house. I'd shoot four about 7' long for your 9' wall. That would give your tail vise room to open and give you some wiggle room.

As far as weight, I would have a specific target number. Make the top about 3" thick and the weight will take care of itself. If you're moving your workbench while planing and such, first make sure your blades are sharp. If they are sharp and you're still moving the bench, throw some sandbags on your under carriage.

[Sam Takeuchi]

You don't need a bench that large or that heavy if you are planning to make small-ish furnitures like hallway table, speaker stands, chair and stuff like that. 3' x 2' benchtop will be plenty enough. Workbench is just that, a place you prep wood and make things on, so it just need to be large enough to do your things comfortably. If you are planning to make something larger in the future, probably make it a bit larger, but if your room is small, probably you should stretch your arms out and move around to see how much space your body needs to do planing, sawing and all those tasks comfortably. So I think that's totally up to to decide how big or small you want the bench to be.

Weight gives stability to the bench, but you don't have to make the bench that heavy (they do tend to get extremely heavy if you make sturdy top anyway). If the bench moves around when you plane some materials, you simply need to add some weight to it using anything that's heavy like sand bag, bucketful of water, concrete, bunch of bricks or simply bolt the bench to the floor, wall or anything of that sort.

[David Gendron]

My first shop was 10x10 and my bench is 60"x24". I since moved to a bigger shop...12x12 and I would like a bigger bench but the 5 feet bench work good! I ike my bench kind of in the middle of the shop, so I can work all around it. It is made of DF and it is heavy anough. Keep us posted on your progress, and welcome to the Creek

[Jim Koepke]

CT,

Welcome to the Creek.

The registration requires we use full names. I may be naive, but I do hope we are all using our real names.

The registration does not require us to list a location, but many of us wonder if you could be a neighbor.

Now to discuss the question of your bench... A bench is merely a tool for holding your work. Let your work define your bench.

I have seen benches made for the single purpose of planing that were nothing more than a beam with planing stops and legs.

I have also imagined a "Rube Goldberg" style bench made to handle every imaginable task known to man.

I like to have free room all around my bench. If a board is being edge planed, it is difficult to do without room at both ends to start and stop.

At one time my shop was so crowded, my work often moved outside during the warmer months. That is not an option now as my home is in the land of almost perpetual rain. It is kind of strange having precipitation almost every day and the neighbors talking about drought. Welcome to western Washington.

You may be able to use a small bench for a lot of your work and have the ability to add an extension for planing longer stock.

There are many ways to do the same task. Keep us informed of your plans and results.

jim

[Chen-Tin Tsai]

Hey, ya'll. Thanks for the welcome. What I'm trying to accomplish is to build a bench that would work well for hand planing, cutting dovetails, some sawing, and also work as a work table for when I'm wrapping fishing rods, as well as a work surface for other assorted household duties.

I don't have much in the way of power tools, other than a portable table saw, jigsaw, drill press, drill (corded and cordless), and a Sawzall. I would love a hybrid or cabinet saw, or even a better contractor saw, but I have no space to keep it or use it. The table saw I use outside and store in a non-climate-controlled shed.

For my first bench, what I'm thinking about is building it out of kiln dried fir or pine 2x10's or 2x12's from the Homies as I can't afford 50bf of maple or other hardwood. The top would be made from pieces ripped on my table saw to be whatever thickness a 2x is, about 3" wide and 6' long and glued together face-to-face to form a 24"x72" (thereabouts) top. The legs would probably be also glued up 2x's, about 3"x5" and however long to make the top 32" (which, after measurement standing, is where my pinky joins my hand)

[Jim Koepke]

Sounds like you have done a bit of reading other threads on bench making here.

One good reason to build a first bench is to find out what works best to incorporate into your second bench. My current bench is store bought. It is nice, but I would like it to be an inch or two higher. It comes to the height of the common method of testing, but bending over to face plane is a bit hard on my back. I find edge joining a board of about 8 inches to be a comfortable height. This is one of those things I will work out before my next bench is built.


What I'm trying to accomplish is to build a bench that would work well for hand planing, cutting dovetails, some sawing, and also work as a work table for when I'm wrapping fishing rods, as well as a work surface for other assorted household duties.

You may also want to consider a mounting system for you portable table saw and other portable tools you may have in the future. Not sure if you have plans for under top storage, this can help in tight quarters.

I am finding hold fasts quite a good tool for holding things. So far there are only two, not sure if more are in the future. The problem with hold fasts is my bench is not made to take the stress they can put on the parts of the bench used to secure them. My thoughts are to use Doug Fir for most of the top and a strip of maple for the dog holes and possibly for the front apron. Have not decided on the apron yet, I have a good old piece of 4/4 oak that is dying to be used somewhere. May use it to laminate with another strong wood for the apron.

No decision has yet been made on my preference for vises. The wagon style vise is appealing, but I also like to hold things across the tail for sawing, planing and other processes.

The most likely arrangement will be to have vices that are all easily removed to allow for putting on a different type of vise. There are also four sides to a common bench. There is no reason not to have a tail vise at both ends and face vises at different corners. Haven't gotten to that point yet.

Have to make and sell a few things before even finding the wood can be considered.

jim

[Chen-Tin Tsai]

I probably would not be bringing the table saw inside...it makes a lot of noise, dust, and takes up quite a bit of room. The room I'm working in is around 10'x11' or so, but has a couple of weird corners that reduce the total space. With the workbench against one wall, my storage rack on another, and my drill press and stand against the third, I'm out of walls to use (the last wall has the main circuit breaker panel for the house and the closet for the "bedroom" on it).

As for work holding, I've already got a face vise (one of the Taiwanese made metal deals, with a pop up dog and quick release) that I got off of CL for $15. I plan on mounting this on the left side, near the end. Haven't thought about a tail vise, but I saw the set up for the coffin makers bench and the parallel dog holes with wedges for holding stuff and I think that would work well for me. I think the bottom stretcher being lower would be good for me, so I can build in a storage shelf for some of the stuff that currently reside down there. That way, I can get it out of the way, and get some extra weight.

I wonder if the wood from the BORG would be stable enough for my bench, or if I would need to let it acclimate for a bit. Unfortunately, in order to acclimate it, I'd have to leave it in my living room for the duration...:o If I need to acclimate it, should I leave the boards whole (the 2x10 or 2x12s), or go ahead and rip them to something near the final dimensions?

[David Gendron]

You would need to get your wood aclimated befor building, but not befor cuting it to rough dimenssion, it would actualy speed up the aclimatisation process, but be sure you sticker it well and evenly. I think if you have choice in between DF or Southern yellow Pine, for the same price, I would go with the second one! As for a vise, I realy like the leg vice I have on my bench, it is cheep to make, hold realy well and you can take it off realy easily, compared to a face vise, that you alwayse have the screw and guide bars in the way!
Just my $0.02

[Pam Niedermayer]

I think you want to be careful to avoid getting grease on your woodworking bench. Just a note for "other household tasks."

I use a 5.5' long bench for most everything except assembly. While I'd love a larger shop and longer planing bench, the little one does OK.

Pam

[James Scheffler]

I wonder if the wood from the BORG would be stable enough for my bench, or if I would need to let it acclimate for a bit. Unfortunately, in order to acclimate it, I'd have to leave it in my living room for the duration...:o If I need to acclimate it, should I leave the boards whole (the 2x10 or 2x12s), or go ahead and rip them to something near the final dimensions?

I had bad luck with Home Depot 2x4s for my bench. They warped all over the place and I had a hard time getting them into condition to use. Eventually, I got it all together and the bench is fine. Perfectly stable.

You'll probably do better ripping down 2x10s or 2x12s, especially if you can avoid the center of the tree. They tend to come from bigger trees. The price is right anyway, so if some become unusable you can just buy more.

Part of the problem with construction lumber is that, while it is kiln dried, it is dried to a higher moisture content than furniture-grade wood. I believe this is true for any source of construction lumber, not just the BORG.

Best of luck....

Jim

[Harlan Barnhart]

I just built a base for a workbench from construction grade Douglas Fir. I sifted through 2x10's and found tight, straight grain. It needs to air dry for a month or two.

[Jim Koepke]

Part of the problem with construction lumber is that, while it is kiln dried, it is dried to a higher moisture content than furniture-grade wood. I believe this is true for any source of construction lumber, not just the BORG.

Best of luck....

Jim

A lot of the lumber I have seen recently at the borgs is sold green.

As far as the 2X10 and 2X12 pieces are concerned, Harry Strasil made a point of getting pieces that have the grain running with the long direction and not the short. This has to do with how the wood acts when it is under load.

jim