how eliminate wobble in a workbench?

[Jerry Olexa]

Planning to build a new workbench next few months (the list never ends:)). But concerned amount the amount of wobble in my current "store bought" workbench.
I like to make my benches "freestanding" so I can work around its total perimeter...I have heard of WWers fastening their bench to a wall or adding weight at bottom or simply building it EXTRA STOUT (heavy timbers etc) so it is difficult to move/wobble during use.....Any tips/ideas to insure a STABLE workstation?
Thanks in advance.

[Adam Schultz]

I've not actually done this, but adding gussets/brackets (triangular wood chunks?) to the corners of the joints is something I've heard done. That way the joints will wrack less.

[Chet R Parks]

Jerry,
When I lived there in Chicago my front loader washer used to bounce around all over during the spin cycle. I cut 3 inch squares of that synthetic steel wool and put it under the feet and it never moved again. The synthetic stuff I used was VARY course like a rats nest, the floor was smooth vinyl and stayed right in place for 15 years. I'm not saying it will work for you and weight would certainly help but might be something to look into??? Good luck.
Chet

[Pat Barry]

you could add some diagonal bracing end to end and /or front to back to tighten it up considerably.

[David Eisenhauer]

Jerry, are you talking about wobble due to possibly loose/inadequate joinery or due to an uneven floor the bench rests on? Most benches we have seen on projects here and on plans published for use in books, etc seem to have plenty stout enough legs and stretchers that are joined well enough to prevent anything like that. However, an uneven floor could still result in some wobble due to contact to the floor with less than all four legs. I also prefer a bench that affords 360* access but could see an uneven floor causing the need for something like Chet suggests.

[William Fretwell]

The structural design of many benches is poor. Four straight unbraced legs are common relying on the top and bottom joint for rigidity.
You see them on U-tube shaking with gentle dovetail sawing, despite looking substantial.
Very substantial legs and joints can do a serviceable job, the mass they contain creates inertia aiding stability.
No-one builds bridges that way, structural bracing is essential.

[steven c newman]

Mine used to wiggle a bit...then I fastened a sheet of 1/2 plywood to the back legs. Top of the plywood rest against the bottom edge of the top. There is also a 1 x 6 set between the sets of legs. It rests on a stretcher between the two legs on each end. No more wiggles..

[David Eisenhauer]

William, I agree if there are no stretchers included in the design. It does seem like four stretchers made up to the four legs (all of the sufficient size that one is used to seeing on the SMC builds and "workbench" type books) should not require additional bracing as long as proper sized/depth M&T connections are made.

[andy bessette]

A more or less complete cabinet beneath the bench can add great rigidity to the frame. And the cabinet can be loaded with heavy items to further stabilize the entire unit.

I keep a pair of 60 lb lead pigs beneath my small woodworking bench, in addition to a bunch of other heavy stuff.

[john zulu]

Good joinery would help a lot. Then again it depends on the workbench application. Do you still want to carry it?
It also depends on the money you have for this build. The MOST important is the table size and flatness. If money was an issue. Metal..... frame would eliminate all the wobbles.

Check out the builds from Roubo bench. That is one solid workbench.

[ken hatch]

Jerry,

Building a work bench requires, like most things in life, balance. Each part needs to be heavy enough, thick enough, strong enough to do the job but not too heavy or thick. Then the other factor is “completing the box” with strong mortise and tenon joinery that is draw bored or pegged. I draw bore the base joinery, pegs are enough for connecting the slab to the base. With a completed box and strong pegged M/T joinery it is almost impossible for the bench to rack. Size and weight will keep it from “scooting”.

ken

[ken hatch]

Jerry,

I just wanted to add: Even the last bench I built, a very light weight portable Moravian style bench, does not wobble. Because it is very light it will scoot on slick floors but there is no racking.

The secret to eliminating wobble, if there is a secret, is joints with wide shoulders pulled together with either wedges or pegs and of course stiff enough wood.

ken

[William Fretwell]

Ken your Moravian bench does not wobble longitudinally because it has structural rigidity in the shape of the legs. Good joints with wide shoulders all help but with many seasonal cycles and 20 years use joints can loosen. It is only structural rigidity that will last.

Full drawer construction under the bench (shaker style) would add lots of structural rigidity and weight, not to mention storage space but moving the bench becomes very difficult.

I designed my bench to last perhaps 300 years but at that point it may just be holding up a breakfast buffet in a bed and breakfast somewhere. At least people will get to see it and if it inspires one person to build it then it will almost be immortal!

[ken hatch]

Ken your Moravian bench does not wobble longitudinally because it has structural rigidity in the shape of the legs. Good joints with wide shoulders all help but with many seasonal cycles and 20 years use joints can loosen. It is only structural rigidity that will last.

Full drawer construction under the bench (shaker style) would add lots of structural rigidity and weight, not to mention storage space but moving the bench becomes very difficult.

I designed my bench to last perhaps 300 years but at that point it may just be holding up a breakfast buffet in a bed and breakfast somewhere. At least people will get to see it and if it inspires one person to build it then it will almost be immortal!

William,

I have no doubt a full set of cabinets built into the bench would add to its stiffness. Some do not like the limits those cabinets impose, I’m one of them. That said your solution to the racking problem can be a good one, I expect much better than adding gussets, plywood sheet braces, and other fixes for poor design and/or construction.

BTW, I’ve just replaced a bench built over 30 years ago with the Moravian bench, after 30+ years of use it did not rack. The only reason it was replaced was the tool tray on the Moravian is useful on a sharpening bench. Of the other two benches, one is about ten years old, the other over five. With either you could drive a truck on and they wouldn’t wiggle.

Of course as with all things wood.....YMMV.

ken

[Jerry Olexa]

Much wisdom here..Thanks to all,, Still thinking it over....My list is long before I can start the bench project...many good suggestions....Among them, the importance of the M/T joints....

[David Eisenhauer]

Jerry, from my experience, the Benchcrafted plans work well and result in a wobble-free bench. I will admit, it should not be difficult at all to design something very, very similar with the same results. I intended to use BC vises, so I went with their plans for the most part. Also, I used borg bought SYP for my build, so I bought a pile of 2x12s and stacked them up in the shop for few months to dry out and be tripped over before one trip too many tripped the get started switch. Hardest part of a bench build is the getting started part.

[Brandon Speaks]

I am no expert on hand tools but I have built a good many work benches that are rock solid. In my limited experience a perfectly square bench will wobble on most floors due to some unevenness of the floor. I have always built the frame from the bottom up so it is squarely on the floor before installing a level top. Its not uncommon for the longest post to be 1/2 inch longer than the shortest.

[john zulu]

Can you post a picture of you workbench?

[Rob Luter]

Hi Jerry -

I went with high mass and large joinery. My structural members are glued up 2x6 construction limber, and joinery is large scale mortise and tenon that has been drawbored and pinned. The mortises were actually created prior to gluing up the legs (1/2 on each side) so no chopping was required. It was a fairly simple process and it's solid as a rock. It was reclaimed lumber too so it didn't break the bank.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2583/4103275307_f30a5080da_b.jpg

[ken hatch]

Can you post a picture of you workbench?

You asked for it:

374837

Early in in the build. Once the slabs are installed the box will be complete.

374838

Back side with asymmetrical slabs.

374839

Ready to work.

Photos of some changes will follow, but this is basic bench.

[andy bessette]

KH--why asymmetrical slabs vs 1 slab?

[Adam Schultz]

oh I just realized you were asking about building your new bench. I thought you were interested in fixing your old bench until your new one was done. Gussets on a new bench don't make any sense. There's tons of info here and in other places about making a sturdy new bench.

[ken hatch]

KH--why asymmetrical slabs vs 1 slab?

Andy,

Several reasons, the most important for me is ease of build and stability of the bench. Around 300mm to330mm is all the width needed for work area but the bench needs close to twice that width for stability. I work alone and a single slab for a 100mmX600mmX2500mm bench top would weight around 400lb. Way too much for this OF to handle alone. Split that in half or ⅔ and each hunk becomes manageable.

Other reasons, by splitting, each part will fit in my 20” planer. The squareness of base and slab makes little difference because any error will be cured by the split. And the split makes a good holder for saws, chisels and squares in use.

It doesn’t have a down side but has many advantages.

ken

[ken hatch]

A year or so after completing the bench I found the perfect Beech board to add an apron to the bench. Turing it into my perfect French/English bench.

374887


As much as I enjoy building benches I doubt this one will be replaced, I expect there will secondary benches built, like a couple more Moravian benches built “just because” and I may replace the old prep/planing bench but unless what I use a workbench for completely changes this one will stay in place as the main bench.

ken

[Rob Luter]

You asked for it:

374837

Early in in the build. Once the slabs are installed the box will be complete.

374838

Back side with asymmetrical slabs.

374839

Ready to work.

Photos of some changes will follow, but this is basic bench.

I like this bench. I wish I had room in my tiny shop for something this size.

[David Eisenhauer]

Jerry, here is a mostly Benchcrafted design bench. I have a 4" gap between the split top slabs for a sliding tray and a couple of chisel racks to sit in and slide to the best location for work. As Ken says, no way I could move a one piece top around so I went for two 12" slabs that work well for me. I tend to plane on one side and do joinery on the other, although that is not written in stone. In addition to the BC leg and wagon vises, I also have a face vise located on the "back" (far side in the photo) left hand side. M&T construction with drawbored pins on the stretcher-to-leg connections. Another benefit to a split top is that you only have to make two mortises (on the underside of the split tops) match up to the tennons on the leg tops at a time. I made my leg-top to slab-bottom M&T connections a slightly looseish fit so that I would not have to fight to get a top slab in place. Wrestling the 8' long by 4" thick by 12" wide slab is work enough as it is without having to attempt to jerk a half made up-stuck slab off for mortise cleanup a few times. No wobble, no jiggle and still slideable (on the concrete floor) if I get serious about wanting to move it. I do not have any anti-slide material on the bottom of the legs and have no movement during hard service planning.

[andy bessette]

...a single slab for a 100mmX600mmX2500mm bench top would weight around 400lb. Way too much for this OF to handle alone...
Other reasons, by splitting, each part will fit in my 20” planer...

At 74 I can appreciate what an OF can handle alone. For heavy objects I sometimes use either a patient lift or HF shop crane. It is very rare that I need to move an assembled bench.

I'm green with envy over a 20" planer! Mine's an old 13" Delta.

[ken hatch]

I like this bench. I wish I had room in my tiny shop for something this size.

Thanks Rob,

It has lbeen a great bench.

ken

[lowell holmes]

My bench is made with 2X12 boards with a top and front apron. The legs are 4X4's. The front apron is 2X12.
There are two rows of dog holes in the top on 6" centers.

The bench does not wobble and has enough mass that I can plane on it. There are dog holes in the front so
I can put a board in the vice and using round bench clamps, boards can be planed straight and square.
I built it like the benches Paul Sellers made at Homestead Heritage in Elm Mott, Texas (near Waco).

[Russ Kupiec]

Is the wobble you are suffering with due to racking of the leg joinery or from uneven floors?