Tool Trough in Bench

[Jim Young]

Been doing a lot of looking at benches lately and have finally decided that I will buy one. Would rather spend my time making stuff for the house than making the bench. Since I have been getting into hand tools more lately I figure I would get a traditional style bench, something with the dogs. Now I am wondering the value of the tool trough. I'm looking for some input to those that have these type of benches as to how they feel about the trough. TIA

[Ted Shrader]

Jim -

The English to Woodworker dictionary translates trough to dust catcher. I don't like them. If you have something rolling all over the place, put it in a small box. At least you can dump the dust out of the box. Flat tools generally stay where you put them and don't need confinement.

Ted

[sascha gast]

you rather buy one??? hmmmmmm, the sjobergs might look decent, but the vices are cheap and the legs are flimsy.

, but no to the dustcatcher, rather go with a little box.

sascha

[Frank Pellow]

I really like a trough and use it to quickly clear the bench when I want to temporarily lay something out.

Jim, I suggest that you add a poll to this thread.

[Tom Scott]

I made my bench with a trough and like it. It depends on the type of work you really expect to do, though. With hand tool work you don't have so much dust as you do fluffy shavings, and those don't tend to end up in there. If you're a mostly power tool guy and will end up using it to sand 90% of time instead of plane, then it becomes a trap for dust. I like being able to put tools in the recess and still be able to spread out large panels without worry of knocking them off the bench.

Just my $0.02,
Tom

[Mark Singer]

I have the Difenbaugh and use the trough...I have had benches without them...and have gone through a couple of Starret squares...$$$$ falling off!

[Alan Turner]

I am a pro-trougher. Mine is divided into 3 sections, and has no angled ends. The first one, on the left, holds my commonly used measuring tools: pencils, white charcoal pencils, smaller rules, saddle squares, marking guages, marking knives, etc.
The one on the right, which is small, holds bits of sandpaper and various sanding blocks, etc. The largest one, in the middle, is where my 12" Starrett sq. lives, along with various scraps of wood used as clamping aids for the tail vise, wooden wedges, etc.

I find that it is quicker to grab the common items used all the time than to search through drawers, etc. I have a couple of hard maple blocks which are the exact height of the trough's depth, and use them when I need to clamp from the back side.
Each to his own.
Alan

[Marshall Harrison]

Go with the trough. Mine has one and it is great for holding tape measure, squares and other small stuff so that they don't get in the way. Mine has a trap door on one end so saw dust is not an issue. I also use one of those magnetic bowls to hold nuts and screws and such to keep them out of the way.

[Jim Young]

I have the Difenbaugh and use the trough.

I decided on the Diefenbach, like yours. I just haven't decided if the loss of bench top space is worth the convenience of haveg a trough. I'm leaning toward the Ultimate American for the length and design. Just wish the site had some pictures of the bench, not just the little pic from far away.

By the responses so far I see that the trough will be appreciated. I like the thought of having certain tools live in there. I hate having to go to the cabinet all the time.

Thanks for the great responses.

[Carole Valentine]

Jim,
A long time woodworker I know (who ironically shares your first and last names!) was always anti-trough. Then for some reason he decided to add one to his bench about a year ago. Go figure. Anyway, he loves it and has been bugging me to add one to my bench. I probably should since I have a bad habit of putting small iitems like squares, tapes, pencils etc just anywhere when I need bench space. At that point it is a crap-shoot as to whether I will ever find those items again.:o

[Jim Becker]

I don't have one on my new bench (nor on the previous one) and since to-date I have not used a lot of hand tools, I've not found a need. That might change and I'd have to make some accomodation; probably something under the edge at this point. But as some have observed, the trough can be quite handy when working with a lot of hand tools.

The bottom line is personal preference and work habits.

[Mark Singer]

Jim,

I have the Ultimate American and can send you or post pics if you like. Mine is without the drawers below...


I decided on the Diefenbach, like yours. I just haven't decided if the loss of bench top space is worth the convenience of haveg a trough. I'm leaning toward the Ultimate American for the length and design. Just wish the site had some pictures of the bench, not just the little pic from far away.

By the responses so far I see that the trough will be appreciated. I like the thought of having certain tools live in there. I hate having to go to the cabinet all the time.

Thanks for the great responses.

[Dave Anderson NH]

While Roger Myers kids me about being a neatnik and keeping a pristine shop, the truth is far different when I'm actually working on a project. My bench is troughless and the new one I will be build will also be sans trough. I don't want to sacrifice the surface space, I know my work style is one of clutter, and I don't want to risk piling tools on top of each other and damaging tool edges. I have my bench area set up with a floor to ceiling hand tool wall behind me and I just reach back to get the tool that I need. The lack of trough also forces me to put the tool away as soon as I'm finished using it and there isn't any time loss involved. I am planning to put a french fitted pencil and marking and measuring tool drawer under my new bench. Remember that working with or without a tray is a very personal choice and is mostly dependant on your personal preference. If possible try out some friends benches both with and without trays.

[Mike Tempel]

I am a pro-trougher too. I have 2 benches with them - only one has the angled end. Yes they do catch a lot of dust but they seem invaluable for me to place just about anything in them that I need to stay on the bench. I may be sticking my neck out but my benches, while not the largest available, are sturdy and extremely well used over the past 12 years. I paid less than $50 each (one at Walmart and one at Lowes) - both have only one drawer which is handy for the dogs and a shelf below, and a wooden vice on each end (one on the front of the bench and one on the end). Both are level, stout, and have withstood the test of time in a well used environment.

Mike.

[Jim Barrett]

I built this bench about 15+yrs ago and I really like the trough in it. Easy access for my chisels, saw, pencil, etc and a good place to move the shavings to. The trick is not to "suck" up any small parts when I am vacuming up the shavings once I am done ;)

Jim

[Frank Pellow]

Thats a great looking bench that you built Jim. Nice looking planes too.

[Jim Barrett]

That bench was built with plans from Woodsmith #50 when it first came out in 87 or so. One of my first big projects...it serves me well but I would change a few things on it if I was to build it again (I would still keep the trough:) )

On my bench I have an old Stanley #5, an old Garrett Wade Paragon #5 plane and a new Lie Nielsen #7 plane. I really like all of the planes, they work great. I am working on refurbishing a #3 and a #4 I purchased on ebay a month or so ago. In fact I recently finished flattening the top on my workbench with the #5 and #7 planes.

Jim

[Brian Hale]

What about getting the bench without a trough and then, if you decide you want one later, building one that you can attach. Perhaps making the bottom out of dowels would reduce the dust collection problem?


Brian :)

[Bill White]

I built my bench about ten yrs. ago from bowling alley material without the trough. Guess that I'm not the best judge, but that's the style I've got and like it real well. Hey, the price was right.

[thomas prevost]

Prevost Rule (I imagine others have named the same rule for themselves). If it can fall on the floor, it will. And it will roll under any available place where it cannot be retreived. Thus, a through is a great place to put the chisels, hardware and like. Saves bending over to pick them off the floor. Also it seem like every time I place a screw on the bench, I put the project on it scratching. Again, the trough prevents this.

[Neil Clemmons]

Like Jim, I too built the Woodsmith bench years ago, with the trough. It's great for keeping things from falling to the floor.

I liked the trough so much that when I got the Festool MFT, I added a removable trough to it, made out of 1/4" Baltic Birch ply. You could do the same thing on any bench. As you can see, it's a catch all, primarily for clamps and stuff.

Neil

[Jim Becker]

Neil...great idea on the MFT "trough"!! I might just have to do that, too, to keep all the little parts and clamps at hand.

[Frank Pellow]

Neil, thats a great idea! I have and MFT "in storage" right now and, when I pull it out, I think that I will add such a box.