Please show me your workbench(es)

[Christian Aufreiter]

Hello folks,

my former main work bench (beginner’s grade Sjöbergs, nothing really great) has been abused as a storage place for wood for several months now. As a consequence I only used the front wise and work that required more space was done on the floor or on saw horses.
I know that I need to find a better place to store my wood but this isn’t the topic of this thread.
What I’d like to know is what you guys use as your main workbench. A traditional woodworking bench, a sturdy assembly table, a …? What are the pros and the cons?

Right know I can think of two options:
A) Get rid of the Sjöbergs and build a heavy-duty traditional-style woodworkers’ bench.
B) Get rid of the Sjöbergs and build a sturdy mobile workbench equipped with a front wise and Veritas clamping stuff.
Please note, my shop is small and will get “even smaller” due to additional tools and although I like handtools I don’t think I’ll become a Neander any time soon.

Thanks in advance.

Christian

[Michael Pfau]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=21158&d=1120001195

Christian, here is my workbench. Made of red oak, I can wheel it in the corner or anywhere I want. For me it works great. Since this picture was taken I built drawers in the center where the planer is. Its all finished off. Veritas twin screw vise. I hope this might help.

[Jeff Murphy]

Here is the top of mine. I since have "beefed" up the undercarriage.
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL544/716354/1398349/42254088.jpg
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL544/716354/1398349/42254091.jpg

[Bob Noles]

Don't know exactly what you are looking for in a bench Christian, but here is a link to mine with some pictures. It is a brute and can hold up to about anything. Like you..... my shop is small also.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=17648

[Bob Marino]

Here is the top of mine. I since have "beefed" up the undercarriage.
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL544/716354/1398349/42254088.jpg
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL544/716354/1398349/42254091.jpg

Wow! That's almost too beautiful to use!! Very nice!

Bob

[Peter Pedisich]

Christian,

The workbench I made several years ago is actually just a utility bench and not a true woodworker's bench.
If I had the chance to do it over again I would certainly make a traditional bench with the Veritas end vise and proper dog holes.

Good Luck!

Peter

[tod evans]

christian, here`s mine. tod

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[Steve Ash]

christian, here`s mine. tod


Tod, did you make that one? It looks massive, used and cluttered...I like it!

[Vaughn McMillan]

Jeff, it's a shame you couldn't find any good-looking wood for your bench. :eek: :D

- Vaughn

[Jim Young]

I have two, both purchased, one old and unidentifiable and the other a Diefenbach. Write up on my web site.
http://www.simoli.net/images/Woodworking/Shop/Benches/wRestore8_20060104.jpg
http://www.simoli.net/images/Woodworking/Shop/Benches/wRestore9_20060104.jpg

[Jeff Horton]

Southern yellow pine construction (read tooby's). And I love it. Only one thing I would change and may someday. I would make the base larger so the drawers could be deeper.

But in my defense when I built it drawers were not even thought of. Just a shelf was all I planned and then I outgrew it and added drawers. And I recommend the drawers too! Still need to build the large bottom drawer. :o

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Just after I finished the drawers on it. See how clean it is??

39497

This is more like it. I use hand tools a lot and I dare say there is hardly a project that goes through my shop that doesn't spend some time on this bench. I have the leg vice and an end vice with the square dog holes and I just can't imagine working without out. I use it all the time! I have a large shop and was given a 10' oval conference table. It's a great space to work on too. If I had to just pick one it would be a woodworking bench because you can use it for so much more.

[Jay Knoll]

Christian,

Here's a link to mine -- plans from ShopNotes

I like it a lot. It stands in part of the garage -- which is only a garage when we aren't here. Having it stand out from the wall makes for efficient working, but not efficient space utilization.

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=15811

Jay

[lou sansone]

here are a couple of photos of my bench

lou

[Hank Knight]

Christian, my shop is small too. My small workbench was located against a wall. When I needed to work on something large, I set up sawhorses with a plywood top. I liked being able to work from all sides of he sawhorse table and I found myself using it more than my workbench. Finally, I decided to replace my small bench with a large one and put it in the middle of the shop floor so I could get to it from all sides. I love the setup. I wish I'd done it years ago. Here is a photograph of my bench.

[Jim O'Dell]

Here is the top of mine. I since have "beefed" up the undercarriage.
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL544/716354/1398349/42254088.jpg
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL544/716354/1398349/42254091.jpg
Jeff, I usually don't point out my fellow Creeker's shortcomings, but I think you missed something in Christian's post....He said work benches, not dining tables!

Seriously Jeff, that is some beautiful wood. I bet it makes working in the shop that much nicer (and harder to stay focused on the task at hand). Jim.(with no current work bench)

[Frank Fusco]

Jeff, he wanted pictures of your workbench. Not your lawyers conference table. :rolleyes: Beautiful.

[Steve Wargo]

Below is the link to my daily user. A totally non-traditional bench. Works like a champ, and weighs a ton (probably closer to a half ton). The top is consturcted of Quatersawn MDF for extra stability (right Alan?). Hope this helps.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=20844&highlight=created+monster

[John Renzetti]

I built this about 8 yrs ago. It's a bit more beat up now.
take care,
John

[Frank Fusco]

Tod, did you make that one? It looks massive, used and cluttered...I like it!

I've seen that bench and shop. At first glance the vices look like massive overkill. But seeing some of the work Tod does, they ain't.

[Allen Bookout]

I love seeing your work benches, all of them seem very practical and some are even works of art. However, one thing that I notice is that they are all quite large and a one even VERY large (tod). Christian mentioned having a small shop which is the case for a lot of us I think and space is at a premimum. I have a small cheap, light, unstable beanch, about 1' 8" by 5' with end and side vises that is not even worthy of a picture. But one thing that I have learned is that I can do most of what I need to on it although shakily.

What I would like to have, and what I think that might be usable for Christian, is a rock solid 2' by 6' bench with a fold down that is also 2' by 6' that I could raise and adjust perfectly flat with the bench top, maybe with some leveling bolts or something, to handle larger stuff and to use as an assembly table.

Has anyone seen anything like this, or have one like this, that would be a plus and not a minus?

Allen

[Frank Chaffee]

Frank Fusco,
If you preview a post with that has pics uploaded to Sawmill Creek, the pics will not be displayed in your post. …Just the way it is.
Frank

[Bruce Page]

Christian, Here’s mine that I built several years ago. I wanted a bench that had a big flat surface with lots of storage. The 36” X 96” top and the 14 drawers, 27” deep gave me that. It is all mortise & tenon construction.
I don’t know what it weighs but it is heavy!

[tod evans]

Tod, did you make that one? It looks massive, used and cluttered...I like it!

yeah steve i built it, all but the legs, a friend gave me the legs years ago,they`re from the burlington-northern engine rebuilding facility that used to be located in spfd. mo. that division was closed in the 50`s so they have some history! the top is 3x9 3 1/2" thick basswood with scrap maple skirt. actually it`s kinda clean in that picture, i snapped it last night when i got in from an install. tod

[Bill Pentz]

I just gave away my bench and my father's bench last spring. My bench was just a big heavy Douglas fir frame with laminated top copying so many others and was replaced with a larger Sjöbergs, but my father's bench incorporated a few things that might be of interest.

His bench base was a large heavy old solid 72” oak dining room sideboard (similar to a dresser but with center drawers and side cabinets). On this he placed a 96”x30” heavy laminated hard rock maple 3" thick top with attached tail, end, and metal vises. The laminate came from an old bowling alley. He and I flattened that top with a router and reference boards. The metal vise was easily removable with three heavy lever screws that locked it in place by tightening into nuts he mounted into the table surface. He swore one day he would put the metal vise on a hinge so it would tuck out of the way...

[Christian Aufreiter]

Hello folks

thanks for your replies. It is a pleasure to see your workbenches. All of them are real beauties so please don’t feel offended if I don’t reply directly to every single post.

@ Michael:
Your workbench comes pretty close to what I had in mind. How thick is the top?
Is the mobile base shop-built? Does the bench move during hand-planing?
Have you ever wanted to stand closer to the bench than the mobile base allows?

@ Jeff:
As others stated, your bench looks beautiful. Way too beautiful for my purposes …

@ Peter:
Nice solution. One or two utility bench(es) is what I’ll probably end up with.

@ Tod:
I don’t think that your bench would fit my shop. But other than that I like it.
BTW, do you collect Milwaukee tools? ;)

@ Jim:
Thanks, I already checked your site.

@ Jeff;
Cool vise. Did you build it or buy it?

@ Jay:
Once again – too big and too nice ;)
How did you laminate the top?
The skirts look great. The curve gives a nice touch.

@ Frank:
No mess – just very well used. ;)

@ Bruce:
Very solid – impressive. Have you ever wished you would have built a thicker top?

Regards,

Christian

[Bruce Page]

@ Bruce:
Very solid – impressive. Have you ever wished you would have built a thicker top?

Regards,

Christian
Christian, The maple top is the only thing that I didn’t build. When I was pricing out the maple, I discovered that I could buy the pre-fabricated top for a little more than half of what it would’ve cost me to purchase the lumber. Do I wish it were thicker? Sure, for appearances only. For functionality, the 1¾” maple is plenty strong enough. I’ve had the very heavy machinist vise on the right end from day one without any sagging.

[Jeff Horton]

@ Jeff;
Cool vise. Did you build it or buy it?

I bought this one. I assume it to be very old but I don't know the history. Building one would be simple and if I ever need another I will build one. Plus it is dirt cheap. If you interested let me know and I will put up some photos of the vise. I really like my vise.

[Jay Knoll]

@ Jay:
Once again – too big and too nice
How did you laminate the top?
The skirts look great. The curve gives a nice touch.


Christian

I used the marble floor in our living room -- it is dead flat having been laid with levels on each tile.

I put down an extra piece of MDF, then put down the first two pieces, one was cut exactly, the other was a bit oversize. Then I piled anything and everything that I had that weighed anything on top of it, 5 gallon pails of joint compound, left over bricks from the yard, etc. I laid out the pattern for the dog holes and used drywall screws to tighten everything up. Once it was dry I used a router and a flush cut bit to trim the edge. Then I did the whole thing all over again for the next layer. Skirt was put on with Miller dowels.

Jay

[Christian Aufreiter]

If you interested let me know and I will put up some photos of the vise. I really like my vise.

Jeff, I'd appreciate more pics of the vise. Thanks a lot.

Thanks for the clarification, Bruce. If I understood the construction of you bench correctly, the top is supported by the carcass apart from the overhangs on the left and on the right. That certainly provides stability.

Jay, thanks for the detailed explanation. How many screws did you invest in the top? ;)

Have a nice day,

Christian

[Henry Cavanaugh]

I am new to this thread. Just watching now. I made my bench by glueing a 1'' and two 3/4 sheets of MDF and thick heavy oak trim. I plan to build a lower assembly table and will look at a IKEA top http://www.ikea.com price for a 96 x 25 x 1 1/8 solid Beech is $79.00 a 73 x 39 x 1 1/8 $129. Other sizes available.

[Roger Bell]

nothing fancy, single Record vise. 30 x 60 inch lam maple top. weighs 200#. bed bolts hold stringers to legs. you can't likely see the row of dog holes down the front edge. "tail vise" when (rarely) needed consists of LV screw/benchdog. ten years old. one of these days.....maybe something nicer but this has been adequate for hand tool work.

good for planing and clamping. bench in background upper left is similar, but just bolted together and features cruddy formica top. used for gluing and finishing.

[Ben Grunow]

Isn't there anyone out there who made their bench from leftover framing lumber and plywood (of various thicknesses)? My benches are all ripped down 2 x 12 and 2 x 10 legs, stetchers and braces with a couple of layers of CDX ply. A six foot level generally sits flat but occasionally up an eigth in some places. Assembled with drywall screws so the top sheets are replaceable and MAYBE the edges get rounded over with the ROS. Ignorance is bliss to me. I would be afraid to work on some of the benches shown, they are nicer than my dining room table! By the way, I have not finished building the dining room never mind the table. I can't be the only cave man, the rest of you are just hiding. Wish I had some pics.

[Frank Fusco]

Man! Wadda mess. One of these days I'll clean it off and start over again. My bench isn't real pretty in the classic sense of some shown here. But it has a story. When I was a small child (I'm 67 now), my family lived on the west side of Chicago. On the street behind us was a tavern/restaurant that had one of those bowling type games where heavy steel disks were slid down a smooth surface. It was 20' long and made of laminated maple and oak. Somewhere along the line, the tavern closed and my father bought the game and cut it up into several sections. Those were made into workbenches. He used them in his professional cabinet making shop for many years. This one is 8' long. When he reitired and moved to Arkansas the benches came along and he started another business. Eventually he sold that business. Two of the benches remained but he kept this one and six years ago it came down to me. For whatever reason he painted the top green. Maybe one day I'll strip and sand it, but that's only on the 'maybe' to do list. It is gosh awful heavy but very sturdy. The top is about 80 years old and, barring disaster should last indefinately.>>

[Carl Hill]

Well, here's some pics of the workbench I built last year. All quarter sawn hard maple with a wipe on poly finish. Works good so far.

39678

39679

39680

Carl

[Bart Leetch]

But here is one that I posted in the wrong Thread I meant for it to go here.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=20844

[Frank Chaffee]

Carl Hill, Sir,
Your bench stands among the best I have ever seen, from the attention to the carved-in tool tray, the alternating levels of stops for viced wood from two directions, through the easily accessible platform above the drawers, and down to the solid stringers that facilitate moving with a pallet jack.
Worthy of emulation, indeed!
Frank

[Tyler Howell]

Well, here's some pics of the workbench I built last year. All quarter sawn hard maple with a wipe on poly finish. Works good so far.

39678

39679

39680

Carl
You've been holding out on us Carl.
The picture gods need more sacrifices of great WW projects to be appeased.:mad:
Beautiful bench. Thanks for sharing:cool:
You've got a lot of catching up to do.:mad: :D

[Bruce Page]

You've been holding out on us Carl.
The picture gods need more sacrifices of great WW projects to be appeased.:mad:
Beautiful bench. Thanks for sharing:cool:
You've got a lot of catching up to do.:mad: :D

I agree Tyler!

All of these benches are worthy of their own threads!!

[Steven DeMars]

I really like your bench . . . any chance you used some existing plans or your own design . . . . If your own I would sure appreciate some additional pics . . .

Thanks in advance,
Steve

[Danny Buie]

Christian,
Attached are some snapshots of my bench and other items. The bench cabinet is built from plywood much like kitchen cabinets. The cherry is from a log I help saw into lumber. I work out side due to limited space so casters are on everything. The top is 1 5/8 maple with 3 1/4" edging. The top is half of a worktable from a highschool shop auction. The vise came with the table. The bench is the same height as the table saw and you can see I also use sawhorses.
The storage cabinet was built to allow me to get all my portable tools outside and be able to close them up at the end of the day or to run an errand. It is the same height as the bench. The top is the other half of the school table top in its original beatup condition. Plans are to clean it up one day. The cabinet is actually under my lumber rack in this picture and what you are seeing in the very top of the photo is a cherry chest I have started that is temporaly stored in the lumber rack. The dooors are on piano hinges and serve as storage. All the dados provide a very flexible arrangment. I have a couple of trays, the ROS tray is in the foreground on a low bench. I have two of these low benches for another work height situation.
The clamp rack works but not as I had hoped. It gets all the c-clamps, handscrews, and light bar clamps out but no place to put the pipe clamps. The box on top was supposed to be for more tools but is more of a junk collector. Room for improvement.
This is what works for me. I always enjoy seeing how everybody else solves the problem.
Danny Buie
Baton Rouge, La.

[Christian Aufreiter]

Thanks again for your messages. Now I’m even more confused than I was before as a result of your inspiring ideas. But that’s fine. ;)
Carl, nice bench and one most impressive tool trough.
Danny, another nice bench and the storage cabinet is an excellent example of most efficient use of space.

Regards,

Christian

[Carl Hill]

Thanks for the kind comments. Unfortunately Steve, the plans came from my own peabrain and are only scratched out on a legal pad. I've got to learn to use one of the CAD programs. I used the Leigh FMT for most of the joinery. Did I say I love my Leigh FMT?

Thanks again,
Carl

[John Hulett]

I'm glad this thread was started, as I'm realizing how badly I could use a good solid workbench. I've considered building one by using the laminated top technique, but I think I would be challenged by getting the durned thing flat. I understand that a jointer plan (LN 7?) would be the tool for the job. Any other methods used for flatening the top? Am I better off buying a top (ala LV) or perhaps using 3 layers of MDF?

- John