Work Bench ways to secure top to legs

[phil harold]

I am looking at building a work bench
Top out of soft maple, legs oak
what ways are there to connect to the legs that are removable
not that I am going to move it often but to be able to break it down into a flatter package when moving would be nice

[Jim Becker]

If the top is heavy enough, mortises in the bottom of the top, as it were, with matching close fitting tenons on the base wouldn't come apart until you want it to. A couple of small L-brackets hidden behind the legs can insure that further. But you'll want your base so that it cannot rack, too.

[Ron Citerone]

I used a method that may not be the most gracious, but I did it on 3 benches and so far so good.

My tops are 2 3/4" thick. The rails underneath the top is 3" wide and 3" thick.

I counter bored the top and ran a 3/8" or 1/2" bolt through the top and through the rails with a little extra for top seasonal movement.

The problem is you can see the bolt heads on the top, but they are below the surface level. It collects sawdust, but a shop vac cleans it right up. Have taken them apart and transported them with no problems.

Ron

[Paul F Franklin]

Tenons on the leg tops and mortices in the bench top are the traditional way. I just have a stout (4x4) stretcher between the top of the leg pair at each end, then a few 3/8 GRK lags up through the stretchers into the bottom of the top. Since the stretchers are fairly wide, and I offset the lags, they provide rack resistance too. Although most of that comes from the lower leg stretchers.

[Mark Gibney]

I make four 3/8" x 2" x whatever" hardwood pieces - I don't know what to call them. I fit these down flush into where the leg and rail meet. I glue and screw them in place. They each extend about 3" out either side of the leg / rail.
I then simply screw, through an oversized hole, up into the bench top with a couple of stout screws / lag bolts, two at each location.
I've done this on two benches and I haven't run into any issues.
Mark

[Matthew Hills]

I am looking at building a work bench
Top out of soft maple, legs oak
what ways are there to connect to the legs that are removable
not that I am going to move it often but to be able to break it down into a flatter package when moving would be nice

Have you seen Will Myers' moravian bench (https://youtu.be/GKI4aQtIRlg?t=48)?


Matt

[Phil Gaudio]

Maybe a bit unconventional, but I drilled and tapped holes in the bottom of the bench slab and have machine bolts holding the top to the base. Its been a few years now, and no issues. To be clear, these are not lag screws: they are machine bolts.

[glenn bradley]

My top is 3" thick and sets on four 1" dowels that are driven up through the base. When you get into these kinds of weights gravity is your friend.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Tenons on the leg tops and mortices in the bench top are the traditional way. I just have a stout (4x4) stretcher between the top of the leg pair at each end, then a few 3/8 GRK lags up through the stretchers into the bottom of the top. Since the stretchers are fairly wide, and I offset the lags, they provide rack resistance too. Although most of that comes from the lower leg stretchers.

I use a modified version of this, steel dowels as floating tenons. Wanted the top to lift off easily for moving.

[roger wiegand]

Mortise and tenon plus gravity. Nothing moves when it's not supposed to, easy to take apart when necessary.

[Matthew Curtis]

My top is 3" thick and sets on four 1" dowels that are driven up through the base. When you get into these kinds of weights gravity is your friend.

This was my first thought

[Bryan Lisowski]

I'm building a bench now, split top, 4" thick top. The legs have a tenon and the top will have a mortise at each location. I will also add a few screws up through the rails.