Need help designing a long bench on 24' wall.

[James W Glenn]

I am trying to design a bench to go along a 24' wall. This will be the first step in getting a little bit of useful space carved out of the garage/crap collection area, so under bench storage is absolutely necessary as well as enough depth for organized chaos to collect at the back of the bench.

I plan on using the space in part to build and repair canoes and small boats, so I will occasionally need to use the bench for planking and gluing up long scarfed strips. I have a sliding compound miter saw that I was going to reserve a place for at a 3/4 point and make up securely mountable blocks to support the work piece above any clutter.

I was just given a craftsman radial arm saw. I cant really visualize how I would utilize it much less integrate it into the bench. I am also trying to keep the dust production down and cluster the machines on the other side of the garage for machine work.

As far as vises, I will find a couple more cabinetmakers vises or make leg vises. I do have a pattern-makers vise that needs to go some where, so I was thinking about makeing the bench 4 feet shorter than the wall at the garage door end. I would mount the paternmakers vise on the front corner. It would be about 2 steps from my "cabinet makers bench" which will face the garage door. I dont know weather I will make the top out of dimensional 2x12 planks or some sort of torsion box top..

Thats the sum of my unorganized thoughts. I would appreciate any advise or or great ideas. Thanks, Woody

[Bruce Wrenn]

Try to get hold of a copy of NYW's Miter Saw station video. It has a lot of the features you are wanting.

[Jamie Buxton]

Keep either the radial arm saw or the sliding compound miter saw, but not both. They're similar enough that you're wasting space if you keep both.

[Tom Clark FL]

I am trying to design a bench to go along a 24' wall. This will be the first step in getting a little bit of useful space carved out of the garage/crap collection area, so under bench storage is absolutely necessary as well as enough depth for organized chaos to collect at the back of the bench.

Not exactly what you are asking for, but these photo might give you some ideas. Some of my first benches were all 8' long to provide both useable space on top with storage underneath. I suggest that you consider building shorter benches all the same height. If you ever move (my benches are 30 years old and have been moved to several shops over the years) they would be a lot easier to take with you. They also make rearranging the shop much easier as you can see in the second photo. Another thought. At first I had mostly doors covering shelves below, but they are a real pain in the rear when you want to find something buried somewhere. Today I use mostly drawers below waist height. They hold far more than shelves and are far easier to organize and find things.

You could easily mount your radial arm saw on a shelf between two benches…
By the way, my "organized chaos" is on two shelves over my workbench in the last photo. Keeps it out of my way and the bench is still useful.

[Val Kosmider]

Just to reinforce your thinking, I have a similar space along one wall of my shop where I am thinking of the same sorts of things which are on your radar screen.

I have already built a fairly decent bench with a tail vice, so I do not need to mount a vice on my 'long' work bench. Like you, I am thinking a long stretch of open, flat work space. In the 'middle' I am thinking of mounting a chop saw. In my mind a lot of this space will be for 'pull up the stool and do detail work'. Below will be a series of drawers (but NOT in front of the stool work area where you need a space for your knees to go), and cabinets. (The recent FWW Tools and Shops has a section on a guy who made nice rolling cabinets which slide under the lower bench. Maybe this is a thought to consider). Above I am thinking over head storage cabinets set back about 1/3 to 1/2 the depth of the bench work surface. Maybe a 'tool cabinet' for the things which I use regularly. Lots of lights--some might be 'under cabinet', but I wonder if that is too close? Will they get in the way and get broken?

To the poster who was concerned about using Polar in the kitchen, I have a lot of poplar which I bought to build these benches/cabinets, etc. I think it is strong, and will use some more decorative woods to 'jazz it up' a little with cherry, hickory or oak on corners where a little extra 'oomph' is needed.

Good luck, Keep us informed with pics as you go.

[James W Glenn]

I was casting about the web and found an image of a 20'+ plus planking bench I built 10 years ago as an apprentice. Many others have added to the mess in the following years.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_H1bLBw-FYtg/S-3n84u--0I/AAAAAAAAe_k/oVhJdl143MI/s800/IMG_7982.JPG

[Thomas Hotchkin]

James
Take a look at Google Images under (long radial arm saw bench) you might fined something else you like. Tom PS not my bench
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base_images/zp/radial_arm_saw_setup_1.jpg

[John M Wilson]

Tom Clark, who posted above, has published one of the most helpful books I have read on making shop cabinets. (He may be too modest to toot his own horn).

Here's a link: http://www.tomclarkbooks.com/Practical_Shop_Cabinets.html

I have used Tom's ideas, and concepts from the New Yankee Workshop Garage Workshop plans, in building my shop cabinets. Using these as thought starters, with a little help from Sketchup, you can design and build a custom set up that has everything you want and perfectly fits your space.

If I can do it, anybody can!

Good luck!