My 1st workbench done

[Tom Majewski]

Well ..almost done. Good enough to start working on. Fir 2x4 and 2x6. Top seems like it weighed 100 pounds when done. I wanted a middle tool well so that I could work on both sides of it. Besides holding all the little stuff, it also serves as a stop for edge joining boards. All my bench dogs are 3/4 oak dowels, some are capped with an oak square. Top is joined to the frame with oak dowels on each corner. Open lower shelf stores the clamps and planes. Finish is a wipe on Watco poly. Still needed are end vice install, and retractable castors. I'm very pleased with it- it certainly beats clamping work to my table saw.

[William Fretwell]

Tom, a good solid work surface. An end vise is great idea, there is one being given away on the classifieds for the cost of postage in the USA, right now!!

[Frederick Skelly]

Nice bench!

[ken hatch]

Congrats on finishing your first workbench, it is always a milestone.

ken

[Patrick Whitehorn]

Congratulations, Tom - I hope to complete my first bench soon!


Patrick

[Frank Necaise]

Nice job on your first bench. Looks like you are making good use of it already.

Frank

[Tom Majewski]

Thanks for the good words everyone. I find that I'm always in the garage now clamping boards to it , making useless cuts, practicing dovetails, trying to plane the perfect ribbon.... Gotta get a life.

[Mike Brady]

Nice looking, well-built bench. Depending on the vise(s) you choose, you may have to shift the top in the direction of your vise, as room is needed to avoid conflict with vise mechanism and the legs. That is assuming you want a woodworking vise, as opposed to one that just bolts through the top. It is hard to tell from the photos how much overhang there actually is. I know on my bench I am unable to install a wagon vise because there just isn't enough clear overhang without shifting the top.

[Tom Bender]

Nice bench but it looks like it could have a couple of issues.

The top may shrink and warp as it dries. Not a biggie but will be noticeable. And with it restrained by the crossmember, something is gonna give.

It probably racks front to back, needs something to brace the legs. The piece of plywood on the far end should be enough if it is well fastened. Need one on the near end.

[Kurtis Johnson]

Thanks for the good words everyone. I find that I'm always in the garage now clamping boards to it , making useless cuts, practicing dovetails, trying to plane the perfect ribbon.... Gotta get a life.
Sounds more like you found one. ;)

[ken hatch]

Nice bench but it looks like it could have a couple of issues.

The top may shrink and warp as it dries. Not a biggie but will be noticeable. And with it restrained by the crossmember, something is gonna give.

It probably racks front to back, needs something to brace the legs. The piece of plywood on the far end should be enough if it is well fastened. Need one on the near end.

Tom,

I expect Tom will find the limitations of his bench, if there are any, after working on it for awhile, if they are bad enough he will build another fixing most of what is wrong with the current bench. After several cycles he may end up with a close to perfect bench for his use. All the books and suggestions ain't worth one cycle of building if the builder pays attention to what needs fixing.

BTW, my very first bench build about 40 years ago is still in use. Not in the shop but in the back garden as a shabby chic plant and art (AKA junk) holder. It was in use in the shop uptil a couple of years ago as a sharpening bench. The building cycle is useful.

ken

[Dave Rose]

Great looking bench, looking to build my first also.

Nice Triumph, Speedmaster America?

[Rob Luter]

Nice job. As was mentioned, opportunities for refinements may present themselves over time. They did with me on my first and second (current) bench. It’s a process. Job one: hold work above floor. Job two: foster woodworking. You nailed the two main items. Nice set of planes too.

[Jerry Olexa]

Nice results..Like the well in the middle idea...Very well Done!!! Thanks