Pimp my workbench (Merged Threads)

[Kaleb Lindley]

Hello my fellow crafters! I was looking for someone that could help me to get ideas for a workbench hammered out i have a basic idea already set but i need help on carrying it out and know what i need to do so. If anyone would be interested or willing to help me come up with more solid plans for this bench itd be highly appreciated. Thanks for your time and effort!

[Kaleb Lindley]

Hey guys I'm brand new to this whole woodworking thing so I could use some help! Lets get started. I want my first woodworking project ever to be my workbench itself! I have a couple of "ideas" for the workbench but I need somebody to help explain to me exactly how I should go about my task. So first off i was planning on doing a fairly simple workbench. It would be 8ft long and 4ft wide and I don't knkw how high. I would do 2 x 4's for the base and then as the table top I would take solid hardwood Maple flooring pieces and somehow connect them and sand them down and cut them and what not to fit inside of my table base. So I would end up using a router to cut a section of the 2x4's out to nicely set the tabletop into the 2x4's! So here is the kicker you're gonna want to prepare youself for this... But I want to do a workbench that you naturally sit at but have a corner of it a probably 2ft x 2ft square be able to raise out of the table so I could stand if I like! I want it to work within the same concept as a scissor jack (http://www.directindustry.com/prod/columbus-mckinnon-engineered-products-gmbh/product-5850-570914.html) or whatever they're called! This is just one of the many "ideas" I have for my workbench. So if you would be interested in giving your input or cantacting me or whatnot please do! Thanks in advance if you did so choose as to help me with my situation!

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

Hello my fellow crafters! I was looking for someone that could help me to get ideas for a workbench hammered out i have a basic idea already set but i need help on carrying it out and know what i need to do so. If anyone would be interested or willing to help me come up with more solid plans for this bench itd be highly appreciated. Thanks for your time and effort!

I will be watching this thread as I also is thinking of building a new workbench. It will be a rather big tabletop 1x2 meters. The plan is to glue two 22mm plywood boards together. I have picked up some hard maple 22mm parquet floor second hand and plan to glue a layer of that on both sides and the edges. That should provide a heavy tabletop with a hard durable surface. Then I will drill lots of dog holes and fit some vices.

[Bill Orbine]

Adjustable work bench height can be very beneficial for some people. The workbench you make depends on the work you like to do. There are a few ideas you can google . Among one idea is to look at Noden Adjust-a-bench, by Geoff Noden whom I associate with time to time: http://www.adjustabench.com/ (http://www.adjustabench.com/about.asp)

[glenn bradley]

You'll want to define what your workbench is going to be used to work on. At 4' x 8' it is large enough for a sheet goods support table but, there is such a thing as too big for me. Anything wider than about 30" allows things to get out of reach unless you normally circle your workbench like a shark circles a surfer ;-) Some folks wouldn't be without a tool well whereas I don't find them necessary at all.

Some workbenches serve as material holding devices and as assembly tables. Mine does that and my latest bench was reduced in size because 32" x 84" was just too large; stuff would gather on the surface and stay there until pushed out of the way. This is a personal failing and I had to get my workbench back to being a workbench and not a storage facility. Speaking of storage, some of us wouldn't be without drawers whereas others use more traditional styles with the same footprint but, no storage (!?!).

You material holding decision is a thought process all its own; leg vise, twin screw, tail vice, dog holes (square or round), t-track, hold down types? It goes on and on. Do not think about it as daunting; it is an adventure. percolate well and the result will be a bench you will use for a very log time . . . I'm on number three and pretty happy right now; time will tell.

[Prashun Patel]

There are a lot of personal choices. If I were you (and I was you!) I would build your first out of a few 2x4's and a couple pieces of plywood or MDF laminated for the top. Make it a single height and use an appropriately sized stool. Make it simple and get on with making projects. Once you get through a couple projects, you'll realize whether you need a bench that is better suited for hand or power tool work. The size and type of your projects will also dictate your bench ergonomics and size. So, make it simple and then use it for a while.

[Robert Engel]

Thats a huge workbench! What are you planning to use it for?
Be sure you've got a massive support base. I would use 6x6's and stretchers for stability.
You don't need the slot the top can simply be lag bolted onto the base.

Instead of your adjustable top, I suggest an auxilary bench that sits atop the main bench clamped in place.
I find a moxon vise quite handy for sawing dovetails and such. Google "bench top bench".

[glenn bradley]

We all seem to love workbench threads. Probably because there are so few incorrect answers to the many questions ;-) I always find a good period of pondering leads to a better final result. Type this into your browsers address field and sit down with a cup of joe and look around: workbench site:www.sawmillcreek.org (http://www.sawmillcreek.org)

SketchUp is a mistake saver for getting the details right before you cut twice. Quadrille will do fine too. Common questions are:

- Use.
- Size.
- Height.
- Work-holding / vises.
- Storage.

Lets talk about all that stuff ;-)

P.s. My latest (reduced in size because I went too large . . . again):

329136

You can see the corner of the one it replaced in the lower right of the pic. The new one is 1-1/2" shorter and about a foot shorter. The +/- 30" width has worked well for me.

[Kaleb Lindley]

If you guys want more of an idea at what i am wanting i want an adjustable bench height and am thinking do something along the lines of a flippable outlet. And i would need help understanding how to make a master/ kill power switch!

[Robert Engel]

Before you decide or build anything, I recommend 2 workbench books one by Chris Schwarz and one by Scott Landis.
I am in the process of building the Klauzs bench as we speak.

The basic principles of a good bench are founded on stability and weight.
You really have to put a lot of thought into it. I recommend watching a lot of ww'ing videos and pay attention to the workbenches.

First you have to figure out what vises/configurations are going to work best for you and that depends on what kind of ww'ing you're doing.
There are specific necessities for a joiners bench vs. a general ww'ing bench.

There are tons of videos and info on benches.
Youtube has a bunch.
Fine WW'ing has 3 videos. You have to have a membership but its worth it just for the videos.
Popular WW'ing has a great DVD called Building the 21st Century Workbench.
I would be happy to loan it to you.

[David Utterback]

I built my maple bench about 5 years ago after reading the book by Chris Schwarz which is recommended above. It is an excellent resource and well worth the investment. He explains each feature of the various styles (about a dozen, I think) and why they are advantageous. I chose the Bob Lang example with few alterations. I liked this plan because the split top with the tool tray in the middle widens the flat surface and allows each of the halves to be re-planed by machine. I also liked that the leg surfaces that are co-planar with the sides of the top edge which extends the clamping possibilities.

So many resources for benches are available. It is a great adventure to explore them. Personally, I would not choose a plywood top because I do too much pounding and chiseling on mine which would degrade the veneer surface in pretty short order. However, you could add some additional fixtures to protect the top if plywood is used.

Good luck!
David

[Kaleb Lindley]

Thanks for not recommending ply wood i dont like to see everyone reccommending ply wood although cheap it doesnt look as nice as a hardwood slab or something of the similar

[Chris Hachet]

For a first bench, try the entry level basic bench of fine woodworking. Also, try Bob and Daves good fast and cheap bench....I have built a variation of the FWW basic bench that has served me well for the better part of a decade. Biggest thing is not to over think it. If you can get southern yellow pine from a big box store, and let it get good and dry, you will be miles ahead.

Also, if you make the base detachable from the top you can upgrade one or the other or both as your needs change.

Having multiple benches is better than an adjustable height bench IMHO. I ahve a lower bench for planing and hand work, and a higher bench for assembly that is also the outfeed table for my table saw.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Chris Hachet]

I will be watching this thread as I also is thinking of building a new workbench. It will be a rather big tabletop 1x2 meters. The plan is to glue two 22mm plywood boards together. I have picked up some hard maple 22mm parquet floor second hand and plan to glue a layer of that on both sides and the edges. That should provide a heavy tabletop with a hard durable surface. Then I will drill lots of dog holes and fit some vices.

IMHO smaller front to back will work better for many projects. I would go about 22 to 24 inches wide, and about 6 feet long. Access around the workbench (3 sides at least) in the ship is critical IMHO.

[Chris Hachet]

Before you decide or build anything, I recommend 2 workbench books one by Chris Schwarz and one by Scott Landis.
I am in the process of building the Klauzs bench as we speak.

The basic principles of a good bench are founded on stability and weight.
You really have to put a lot of thought into it. I recommend watching a lot of ww'ing videos and pay attention to the workbenches.

First you have to figure out what vises/configurations are going to work best for you and that depends on what kind of ww'ing you're doing.
There are specific necessities for a joiners bench vs. a general ww'ing bench.

There are tons of videos and info on benches.
Youtube has a bunch.
Fine WW'ing has 3 videos. You have to have a membership but its worth it just for the videos.
Popular WW'ing has a great DVD called Building the 21st Century Workbench.
I would be happy to loan it to you.

Agree on the books and videos recommended....

[Jim Becker]

I would caution you about making a "workbench" surface that large, at least in width, because of the reach challenges it brings. For an "assembly" surface, and if you have the space, a 4' x 8' surface would be quite usable, depending on the types of projects you build. Making something like that modular isn't a horrible idea.

As to height adjustability, I'm all about that. Whether you us a simple rectangular boxes to vary the height three ways or make or buy something like the Noden bench that was already mentioned (that's what I use), being able to vary the height of a workbench can be a very valuable accommodation, both for accommodating different sized projects as well as putting the height of a particular operation at the height that's physically comfortable for you.

Here's my original thread about the Noden Adjust-a-Bench

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?13609-New-Bench-Preview&highlight=Noden

[David Eisenhauer]

I understand your desire to build a bench as your first project. Without a bench, it is more difficult to do anything else. The problem is that, as a beginning woodworker, you don't know what dimensions, features and work holding capability (if any) will work best for you. As others have recommended, there are a couple books that describe all manner of woodworking benches and their various uses. It would be very helpful for you to read at least one of these to better understand the typical features of a wood working bench and what they are used for. You may change the direction of the type projects you envision working on at this time, and the bench you build now may not be particularly suited for the new direction. Secondly, as others have recommended, it may be better to start out with a simple, "quicker build" type bench just to get started to prevent you going into some type of brain lockdown from indecision/information overload/plan-replanning when trying to finalize your plans. It is virtually impossible for the first bench anyone builds to be the final design that they end up (or wish they had built), so crank out something fairly quick and easy just to get the ball rolling. Quick and easy can (needs to be) be solid and "wobble" free.

[Bryan Cramer]

Honestly just build something cheap and fast so you can get started building furniture. You will soon know what suits you best for your type of work and then can more accurately build a bench to suit you.

[Matt Day]

My suggestion is to do some more homework. There must be a million threads on bench builds here, obviously not including the rest of the inter-web.

I also would not be concerned about looks for your first utility bench build, you are planning to use 2x and flooring material after all. If you're really that concerned about the look of plywood, skin it with some Laminate or use melamine.

Regarding adjustable height, there are a few builds where guys have used harbor freight adjustable carts.

Take your time, research, and design it to suit your needs skill level and a budget.