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Mike Olson
06-04-2012, 10:43 AM
I'm finally getting around to putting together a new workbench and I have a question about leg location.

Particularly i'm wondering why 99% of the workbenches I see have the legs inset from the sides by quite a bit. Is there a benefit to the inset?
My new bench is going to be 5' long by 25.5" deep being made from 2x4 lumber glued together with 2x10's for a front and back apron.

I'm interested in having as much room under the bench for storage so my preference would be to have the legs right at each corner flush with the front and sides.

Bill Houghton
06-04-2012, 10:55 AM
A lot of vises, end and face, are easier to mount if the legs aren't in the way. And, even if you don't use vises, being able to clamp stuff easily is a boon. Clamping to the top is made easier, too, if you've got some front overhang (although note that what people call the Nicholson bench design, with a wide front apron, doesn't allow for this, and the workers who used it produced good furniture anyway). I think these are two reasons for the overhangs.

But there are tradeoffs, as you note. The footprint of the legs needs to be large enough for a stable bench, and, on a short bench like yours, this can limit how much overhang you can afford. And storage is certainly an issue.

My bench is similar in size to yours - I bet you've got a small shop, like I do - and my shop is so small (11x11 feet, not counting the space in the stud bays) that I can't give up any storage space. I struggled with the overhang issue. I wound up putting shelves under the overhang on the left (end vise) end, where I keep the portable power tools, in their boxes.

David Weaver
06-04-2012, 11:06 AM
I only have a 6 foot bench, I'd love 8 (for mouldings). Mine is a cheapie bench, but the legs are still inset.

It's nice to have those corners free of legs to clamp things on the ends, even without regard to the vises, and it's also nice to have the leg on the front vise end closer to the middle of the bench because mortising and heavy mallet work (rare as you might get into such a thing) right over the legs always feels nicest - and it's a little more awkward to do that kind of work if you're doing it right on the end of a bench.

Jim Koepke
06-04-2012, 11:55 AM
My face vise is on the overhang. It is convenient to be able to hold a piece in the vice and be able to clamp it to the leg for a better hold. It is also possible to clamp a block to the leg to prevent torsional movement on a narrow piece when a lot of pieces are being run through for end grain work.

One use for over hang is when working on boxes or drawers to have room for hanging it over the end of the bench to smooth dovetails or one of the sides.

A bench is a tool that different workers use and design differently. When trying to fall asleep at night, the design ideas float through my mind and how they are used get filtered into my memory banks for later.

jtk

steven c newman
06-04-2012, 12:02 PM
233632The bench i'm working on/with. This is the leg vise end233633and the leg vise. The other end?233634 i have since closed this end off, the open space will be for a wagon vise. Length of top=57-1/2" , width of top=19-3/4'. I don't like to bend and reach across tables, so the bench is narrow. Legs at the wagon vise end are inset from the end by about a foot, or so. So far, I have worked all over this bench, even clamped a riven 2x6 to flatten with planes to make the "chop" for the leg vise. Still needs a "Dog Town" done. That will wait until I make some dogs. Then I can make the holes to fit. Top is Beech, with pine aprons, and Beech 4x6 legs.

Mike Olson
06-04-2012, 12:16 PM
I'm going to continue on with my plan to place the legs flush with the front and sides and add a leg vise to the left leg.
That 5' bench is actually taking up my entire allotted space. I'm wedged into a corner of the laundry room.

I currently have a horrid metal/MDF topped bench that the previous owners of my house left. Above that i built what i thought was going to be a fantastic tool cabinet but it sticks out from the wall too far over the bench and I can't open the doors all the way due to other stuff that has since been stored in the laundry room.

So my plan, is to build this new bench and have NO stretchers across the front at the bottom of the legs. Thus the 2x10 apron and 2x10 front legs which hopefully will provide enough support to prevent racking.
I will be making the Anarchists tool chest that will roll under the bench to store most things, and I can use as a bench to sit on.
I'm going to remove the wall hung tool cabinet and put some hangers between the wall studs to hang only those tools I need for a project which will be removed from the tool chest during use.

Hopefully everything goes together as easily as I plan. I'm trying to take pictures along the way so I'm going to be posting up something when i'm done.

Mike

Jim Koepke
06-04-2012, 12:20 PM
I'm going to continue on with my plan to place the legs flush with the front and sides and add a leg vise to the left leg.
That 5' bench is actually taking up my entire allotted space. I'm wedged into a corner of the laundry room.

There are often compromises one must make to fit into the space one can find.

Sounds like you have put some thought into this and have worked out a solution for your situation.

Take a lot of pictures.

jtk

Don Jarvie
06-04-2012, 2:21 PM
Mike, the 2x4s will move after you plane and joint so mill them a bit oversize and then a few days later mill them to size. I made my top the same way and 2 of the diagonal ends have risen a bit so the top will need to be replaned. Also leave some overhang in the front so you can clamp pieces to the bench if necessary.

Using 2x4s for a bench is a good way to start since the materials are cheap. I've been using my bench quite a bit lately and have started to see its limitations. The next bench will be the keeper.

Jim Ritter
06-04-2012, 6:39 PM
The legs on my bench are inset for end clamping options and so I can have these planing stops bolted to the strecher.

http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m628/boatman53/workbench/88566a52.jpg

http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m628/boatman53/workbench/09f7330f.jpg

This bench is small also 5' 3" long and 22" wide. The outer edge of the legs are 48" apart. I will be building a tool storage box for under the bench this winter when I slow down a bit.

This is the link to my bench build if anyone has an interest.
http://photobucket.com/albums/m628/boatman53/workbench

Bill Houghton
06-05-2012, 3:46 PM
My bench is a plywood box, with multiple vertical dividers making cubbyholes. Adjustable shelves allow storage of tools. The top, a solid core door, is lag-screwed to a 2x4 that's lag-screwed to the framing. No way elegant, but it's worked for over 20 years. Sometimes you have to look at what YOUR needs are, not the designs of others.

You also work with the space you've got; your shop beats mine for little, but that's what you have availlable. If I recall correctly, Aldren Watson's "Hand Tools: Their Ways and Workings" has a shop fit into a coat closet; you might track down that book at your local library and see what he's got to offer.

Jessica Pierce-LaRose
06-05-2012, 9:30 PM
Sounds like you've got even less work space than I do, Mike. Feel for you, I've been there.

I'm not sure if I'm imagining your space right, but see if you can't get yourself some "take off" space on the runway for your planing strokes on either side of your bench, (or at least, maneuver your bench to get some if you need it) otherwise, your short bench ends up being even shorter in practice. I've worked in spaces where even though I had a vise and a bench, not having enough room made things like sawing and stuff a pain because it was hard to properly get "behind" the work - you really want more room than you think for some things!

Mike Olson
06-06-2012, 11:09 AM
Sounds like you've got even less work space than I do, Mike. Feel for you, I've been there.

I'm not sure if I'm imagining your space right, but see if you can't get yourself some "take off" space on the runway for your planing strokes on either side of your bench, (or at least, maneuver your bench to get some if you need it) otherwise, your short bench ends up being even shorter in practice. I've worked in spaces where even though I had a vise and a bench, not having enough room made things like sawing and stuff a pain because it was hard to properly get "behind" the work - you really want more room than you think for some things!

I have plenty of take off & landing space. I planned the bench so it would stick out further than the storage shelving that is to the right of it. and to the left of it is the door way into the laundry room so that's not going to be a problem.

Progress is going slowly but is continuing.
So far:
I have the top glued up with the front and back apron
Front legs are glued up
Back legs with the bottom stretcher got glued up last night.
Hopefully tonight i'll be able to start cutting the lap joint in the front legs and apron so they fit flush with the front.