How Big is your bench

[Jeff Grimes]

For those of you utilizing workbenches in your shop...the stand-alone style...How big are they?

I'm in the planning stages for a basement shop, and I'm debating on how big/small to go on the workbench. I suspect that the bigger is not always better, otherwise I'd see most commercially avaiable benches wider than 20 some inches...

So...let me know what types of projects you do, and the size of your bench...Also love to hear suggestions, like "I wish it were ???"

Thanks.

[Stewart Crick]

Jeff,

Mine is 87" x 16" picture here:

http://www.workbenches.com/UltimateAmerican.htm

I build custom furniture. I do a little bit of everything on my bench including glue ups, sanding, hand jointing long boards. Sometimes I think it's too small. A tool tray is a great feature to have. HTH

Stu

[Jeff Grimes]

Jeff,

Mine is 87" x 16" picture here:

http://www.workbenches.com/UltimateAmerican.htm

I build custom furniture. I do a little bit of everything on my bench including glue ups, sanding, hand jointing long boards. Sometimes I think it's too small. A tool tray is a great feature to have. HTH

Stu

Wow..Thats the narrowest I've seen. Length will likely be determined y space in the shop...and width IS the purpose of the question.

When you say its "small" are referring to length or width?

[Eric Sanford]

Mine is 24" wide plus a 7 inch tool tray. The length is 58", but I would go longer if you can, especially if you decide to use a shoulder vise, because this set up infringes on your access space to the front of the bench. At 31" across I can still work from both sides, although next time I would make the outside rail of the tray wider for a better clamping pad. I do much of my work on the bench, but I recently added a second small bench to serve as an assembly/back up bench and it is very nice to have.

[Dave Anderson NH]

We all have different opinions and for that matter different methods of working. Personally as a mostly hand tool woodworker My bench is 28" wide by 72" long but only 33 1/2" high. I am currently in the process of drawing plans for a new bench based on a list of "wants" I developed over the last year or so. The new bench will be 24" x 84" including the twin screw tail vise from Lee Valley. I will have the height slightly lower at 33" even. I'll be building this one to fit my needs as a left hander with the face vise at the right hand end and the tail vise at the left hand end. The reverse side of the bench will have a sliding board jack and a leg vise. Since the bench is going to be free standing, having vises on all sides allows a lot of options. My current bench will be lowered to about 26" high and become my assembly table.

[Terry Hatfield]

Jeff,

Here's mine. I use it for a little bit of everything. I built it BIG because I like having the room for large glueups. Top is 42 X 99 and the thing weighs a ton. Love the storage. My most often used tools/screws etc.. are stored in the bench. Saves a bunch of steps. More in the shop tour on my site if you are interested.

Terry

[Ken Garlock]

Jeff,

Here's mine. I use it for a little bit of everything. I built it BIG because I like having the room for large glueups. Top is 42 X 99 and the thing weighs a ton. Love the storage. My most often used tools/screws etc.. are stored in the bench. Saves a bunch of steps. More in the shop tour on my site if you are interested.

Terry

Foul, 10 yard penalty for stealth gloat AGAIN ;)

Terry, you are going to have to stop showing the bench, you are causing too many creekers to drool, it is beautiful :)

[Mark Singer]

For those of you utilizing workbenches in your shop...the stand-alone style...How big are they?

I'm in the planning stages for a basement shop, and I'm debating on how big/small to go on the workbench. I suspect that the bigger is not always better, otherwise I'd see most commercially avaiable benches wider than 20 some inches...

So...let me know what types of projects you do, and the size of your bench...Also love to hear suggestions, like "I wish it were ???"

Thanks.

Jeff,

Most of the great workbenches are derived from traditional designs.
If you go to Deifenbach you will find the "classics" and dimensions. Open each file. By the time you figure the wood and hardware...it might pay to just buy one, you will use it the rest of your life. I have the "Ultimate American" which is about 90" and it is a great one.Here is the link:
http://www.workbenches.com/
Mark

[Mark Singer]

For those of you utilizing workbenches in your shop...the stand-alone style...How big are they?

I'm in the planning stages for a basement shop, and I'm debating on how big/small to go on the workbench. I suspect that the bigger is not always better, otherwise I'd see most commercially avaiable benches wider than 20 some inches...

So...let me know what types of projects you do, and the size of your bench...Also love to hear suggestions, like "I wish it were ???"

Thanks.


Sam Allen has a nice book "making workbenches" It has some good ones.
Mark

[Mike Evertsen]

my is 24"X60" I plan to build one that will be aleast 72" long 24" wide with a 24" drop extension,,,,,,

[Ken Robb]

Jeff, I have a basement shop with very limited space. Currently I am reorganizing it to better utilize the space. I am looking at a bench made by Fisch. Size is 19 in x 58 in and cost is $199.00 with free shipping. Here is the link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008ISTX/qid=1071598871/br=1-11/ref=br_lf_hi_11//104-2419163-6690316?v=glance&s=hi&n=553602.

[Bruce Page]

Jeff, I’m one of those people who generally thinks bigger is better, My bench is 36” X 96”, I build big stuff & small.

Oil prices have fallen lately. We include this news for the benefit of gas stations, which otherwise wouldn’t learn of it for six months. — Bill Tammeus, in Toronto’s National Newspaper, 1991

[Robert Waddell]

Mine is not big enough. 26 x 48 with tool tray and it doubles as an out feed table. I do small things and it is just big enough to get by.

[Jim Hill 2]

I spent a lot of time researching benches before I built mine. I purchased books, I checked them out of the library and I searched the web. The problem I ran into was that there is a bench for every woodworker depending on what your going to do with it and how you work. I stumbled into a web site by Bob Key in Georgia who basically preaches don't put a lot into your first bench. He said this because once you start working with it your going to decide what you really want in your next one. This was true in some of the responses earlier in this tread and a year after finishing mine it's true for me too. Here is the url to Bob's web site: http://www.terraclavis.com/bws/beginners.htm

I made mine a jointers bench 6' long 2' deep and 34" tall. I made it with two rows of dog holes running down the front and back. I also added a small tool tray to the end without the vice. The tail vice is really the biggest sholder vice I could find and a 2' jaw to match the depth of the table. The most difficult thing I found about building the bench is that you really need a bench to build one. I use my bench for everything now and think it's the best investment I have made in my shop so far. Good luck with yours.

[Paul Kunkel]

[font=Times New Roman][size=3]Jeff, I’m one of those people who generally thinks bigger is better,
I'll not post a pic , but if you must, see my shop tour. I like to keep it all off the floor. I think it is 12' x 16' -main and 4' x 8' catch all w/ vise and a 4' x 6' x 16"tall assy table. Then the cut off table is 24' to the left of the blade and abt 10' useable to the rt. Build what you need and have room for.

[John Weber]

Nothing fancy, just big, heavy, and functional. The bowling alley is 2-1/2" thick and has a plywood substrate. I then applied hard maple strips, bench dog row, birds-eye maple tool tray with ramps, and then edged everything with 1-5/8" x 3-1/4" hard maple. The end caps are glued and biscuited to support the tool tray, and then bolted in the middle and front. It does have a couple issues. First, I started the bench dog row at 6" from the end, if I did it again I would start at 3" and then go by 6". Although not as big of a problem now that I changed the vise to a Record quick adjust. Second, it could use a larger lip for clamping in front. When I finally placed it the base was as close to the wall as possible, but stuck out to far because of the sil plate. The shop is small so I wanted the top flush with the wall. This caused the top to overhang the back more then I had planned and reduced my front lip. I have 150 lbs of sand built in the center section of the cabinet, so add that to the 3"+ of top plus the base filled with tools - it doesn't move on me. The bench finished out about 30" x 72". If I built it again, other the the bench dog row and front lip, I would make the tool tray deeper & wider, and a full depth ebd vise would be nice.

John




http://www.weberwoodworking.com/pond/shoptourbench-p.jpg

[Mark Singer]

Nothing fancy, just big, heavy, and functional. The bowling alley is 2-1/2" thick and has a plywood substrate. I then applied hard maple strips, bench dog row, birds-eye maple tool tray with ramps, and then edged everything with 1-5/8" x 3-1/4" hard maple. The end caps are glued and biscuited to support the tool tray, and then bolted in the middle and front. It does have a couple issues. First, I started the bench dog row at 6" from the end, if I did it again I would start at 3" and then go by 6". Although not as big of a problem now that I changed the vise to a Record quick adjust. Second, it could use a larger lip for clamping in front. When I finally placed it the base was as close to the wall as possible, but stuck out to far because of the sil plate. The shop is small so I wanted the top flush with the wall. This caused the top to overhang the back more then I had planned and reduced my front lip. I have 150 lbs of sand built in the center section of the cabinet, so add that to the 3"+ of top plus the base filled with tools - it doesn't move on me. The bench finished out about 30" x 72". If I built it again, other the the bench dog row and front lip, I would make the tool tray deeper & wider, and a full depth ebd vise would be nice.

John




http://www.weberwoodworking.com/pond/shoptourbench-p.jpg


Big is good ! You can do little stuff on big...But you can't do big stuff on little...
Is that a quote?
Who knows?
Mark

[Mark Singer]

We all have different opinions and for that matter different methods of working. Personally as a mostly hand tool woodworker My bench is 28" wide by 72" long but only 33 1/2" high. I am currently in the process of drawing plans for a new bench based on a list of "wants" I developed over the last year or so. The new bench will be 24" x 84" including the twin screw tail vise from Lee Valley. I will have the height slightly lower at 33" even. I'll be building this one to fit my needs as a left hander with the face vise at the right hand end and the tail vise at the left hand end. The reverse side of the bench will have a sliding board jack and a leg vise. Since the bench is going to be free standing, having vises on all sides allows a lot of options. My current bench will be lowered to about 26" high and become my assembly table.


Is "Twin Screw" ok to use on this website? It sounds a little riske!

[Brian Knop]

Mine is 60" by 23". Would love to have made it bigger, but I only have so much room in my shop. I install a quick release vise, very nice!

Brian

[Stewart Crick]

...When you say its "small" are referring to length or width?

Believe it or not I'm talking length. Width has never been a problem. Unless your workbench is going to be used extensively as an assembly table you want it narrow so you can have access to whatever your working from both sides.

Stu

[Mike Cutler]

36"x99" and 40" high. Accessible from all sides. Nothing exotic 4x4 construction with 2 layers of 3/4" ply and 2 layers of 3/4" MDF for the top. I have a simple chest of drawers for storage underneath. Smooth, stable, heavy and VERY FLAT!

[Bruce Page]

I'll not post a pic , but if you must, see my shop tour. I like to keep it all off the floor. I think it is 12' x 16' -main and 4' x 8' catch all w/ vise and a 4' x 6' x 16"tall assy table. Then the cut off table is 24' to the left of the blade and abt 10' useable to the rt. Build what you need and have room for.

Paul, I'd sat those are big enough. You have more table area than I have shop!

[Chris Padilla]

http://members.roadfly.com/agent99/bench.jpg

Those of you familiar with AW (American Woodworker) should find this one familiar looking. It was on the front cover and had a red formica top instead of my grey one. This one measures 32" by 72". It is built of solid 3/4" MDF. The bottom is a torsion box and this thing weighs a freakin' ton! It's height is just a hair below the height of my Grizzly TS.

All the slots you see are wide enough to take clamps. The center portion is removable (there is one section stored underneath) to allow for various surfaces like a downdraft box and a box for my PC-121 (spindle sander, can just make it out still connected to my Woodpecker's plate underneath). The MS also fits nicely in this spot and is level with the two surrounding permanent boxes. My planer also fits in this spot although I put a long sled into the planer to plane boards. My planer's table is higher than the two perm. boxes so I use this sled.

One day, I will remake this bench out of 3/4" plywood to gain some lightness and I will double up the supports as the MDF is already bowing due to numerous clamp ups.

Everything in my garage (shop) is on wheels...gotta make way for the BMW to be housed every night...damn, how I hate moving stuff!

Chris