Books - Workbench Design and Construction

[Charles Wiggins]

I am considering beginning to think about possibly planning to eventually design and build my own bench. Which books, articles, or videos do you recommend?

[mike holden]

If you are going to build your own workbench, then there is one book you MUST read!

"Workbenches from Design & Theory to Constuction & Use" by Christopher Schwarz

The only book I know that discusses the whys and wherefores of bench design and use.

It also discusses different vices and which is best for different operations. I discusses holdfasts and crochets etc. Wood varieties and their values for benchmaking. What is the right height for you. All the information you need to make a bench that fits YOU.

You may not make either of the benches shown in the book, but you will know, and understand, why you built your bench the way you did.

Highly recommended. And if you order direct from www & lostartpress & com (http://www.lostartpress.com), you will get an autographed copy and a CD. Lee Valley also shows the CD, but I dont believe that the CD comes with all copies, ymmv.

Me, I am saving up for a trip to Cincinnati to buy some yellow pine for mine.
Mike

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

none. It's a bench~!!

[Charles Wiggins]

none. It's a bench~!!

Not sure if your trying to be funny, or if you don't get the question.

[Gary Keedwell]

I think what he means is that he wouldn't spend the money on a book about a bench.....he has a valid point.

Gary

[John Schreiber]

I'm a big library user and I've read the Landis and Schleining books. The Landis book is excellent and entertaining and I have checked it out of the library many times. The Schleining book didn't do much for me, but is worth paging through.

I asked my library to purchase the Christopher Schwartz book (libraries love to get purchase suggestions from patrons) and it is on order. I suspect it will be excellent because Schwartz's blog link (http://www.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/)has been excellent.

The other source is web surfing and searching through the old threads here on the Creek. It's also useful to look at the commercially manufactured benches for ideas.

[Michael Gibbons]

Well, considering that the Scott Landis book is the only one that I own ,I voted for that. On the other hand I have perused the books at Woodcraft, Borders and Barnes & Noble and have tried to come away with info that would be benefical to my efforts. Also don't overlook magazine articles. Some are available as back issues that can be ordered online. Just look at the issue list and view the article index. Quite a few ideas came from those.

[Gary Keedwell]

I built mine from a magazine about 8 years ago. It is goes together with wedges. I loaned the mag out a few years ago and never got it back. People ask where I got my plans and I don't remember which mag it was that I copied it from:eek: I like my bench alot.
Gary

[Roy Hatch]

Charlie, Earlier today I spotted something that might be worth a look, and its free. Popular Woodworking has a video on the Holtzappfel bench. I've been considering a new bench since mine is the first project I built and I have seen a number of things that I would change.

The link: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/video/ then click on "more videos", then you will see the Holtzappfle.

Not that I've ever had a tailor made suit, but I think that your workbench is that personal. Your size and how you want to work are individual preferences and there countless variations.

Having read only one of the workbench books, it would be pointless for me to vote in your poll. Hope you find what you want. Oh, and you owe us some pics after you build the perfect workbench.

Roy

[Charles Wiggins]

Charlie, Earlier today I spotted something that might be worth a look, and its free. Popular Woodworking has a video on the Holtzappfel bench. I've been considering a new bench since mine is the first project I built and I have seen a number of things that I would change.

The link: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/video/ then click on "more videos", then you will see the Holtzappfle.

Not that I've ever had a tailor made suit, but I think that your workbench is that personal. Your size and how you want to work are individual preferences and there countless variations.

Having read only one of the workbench books, it would be pointless for me to vote in your poll. Hope you find what you want. Oh, and you owe us some pics after you build the perfect workbench.

Roy

Roy,

Thanks for the advice. I've already watched that video - twice. That, and all the posts I've seen lately about benches have got me thinking that I really need to do this. Right now all I have is a small table my dad built before I was born, and it's not even level.

[Charles Wiggins]

I'm a big library user and I've read the Landis and Schleining books. The Landis book is excellent and entertaining and I have checked it out of the library many times. The Schleining book didn't do much for me, but is worth paging through.

I asked my library to purchase the Christopher Schwartz book (libraries love to get purchase suggestions from patrons) and it is on order. I suspect it will be excellent because Schwartz's blog link (http://www.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/)has been excellent.

The other source is web surfing and searching through the old threads here on the Creek. It's also useful to look at the commercially manufactured benches for ideas.


John,

I've got you one up on that. I'm a librarian!

Actually, I will probably borrow the different books, but once I get into the design and construction phase I usually take so long making decisions and working out the details that borrowing books become impractical. And I don't know if I can talk my boss into making a woodworking purchase in the near future. We don't have a woodworking program, and they closed the carpentry program due to lack of enrollment, and we are flush with all kinds of WW books already.

I'm interested in the Schwarz book the most, but I can't get it on ILL right now. Only three libraries in the country even have it.

[Charles Wiggins]

I think what he means is that he wouldn't spend the money on a book about a bench.....he has a valid point.

Gary

Gary,

Hope you're right, because it wasn't funny. I guess I don't follow that train of thought. If I'm going to invest my time in doing this, I want to build the best bench I can, and not have to redo it in five years because I didn't understand something. I consider a good book and investment in that process.

[Charles Wiggins]

If you are going to build your own workbench, then there is one book you MUST read!

"Workbenches from Design & Theory to Constuction & Use" by Christopher Schwarz

The only book I know that discusses the whys and wherefores of bench design and use.

It also discusses different vices and which is best for different operations. I discusses holdfasts and crochets etc. Wood varieties and their values for benchmaking. What is the right height for you. All the information you need to make a bench that fits YOU.

You may not make either of the benches shown in the book, but you will know, and understand, why you built your bench the way you did.

Highly recommended. And if you order direct from www & lostartpress & com (http://www.lostartpress.com), you will get an autographed copy and a CD. Lee Valley also shows the CD, but I dont believe that the CD comes with all copies, ymmv.

Me, I am saving up for a trip to Cincinnati to buy some yellow pine for mine.
Mike

Mike,

Thanks for the input. I really do want to get a look at the Schwarz book. That probably the one I'll end up buying.

[Mark Engel]

Christopher Schwartz' book is on my Christmas list.

I have not seen it yet, but it has been recommended to me by many friends and other sources.

[Mark Hultzapple]

Whoa! I may have to build a Holtzappfel bench myself. With a name like that how could I go wrong? Although I may have to change the spelling slightly. :)

[Pete Clifford]

Charles,

Chris Schwarz's book represents a fundamentally different way of thinking about workbenches. Instead of showing lots of different types, he focuses on the functions that he considers essential and shows a couple of benches that fit these criteria. You may wish to mix and match, or come up with other criteria that are important for you. Since it has just been published, it is a current "hot topic".

[Pat Keefe]

Sam Allen's Making Workbenches - Planning, Building, Outfitting.
ISBN 0-8069-0535-2.
Discusses types of benches, building your bench, bench accessories, using the bench, storage etc. Good book.

[Clay Crocker]

Sam Allen's Making Workbenches - Planning, Building, Outfitting.

This is the book I own and used when building my workbench. I found it invaluable. I can not comment on the other books you listed since I can not recall having read any of them.

Clay

[Greg Cole]

Charles,
I've read 2 of the 3 (Schwartz & Landis). It's good reading and I like the background info in Chris' book.
Cliff was simply saying something I've heard a few times before.... "it's just a bench" not a work of art, a work bench. I think I read that about 10 times not too long ago reading threads on benches. There are a few different outlooks on benches and different classes of bench to say the least.
I too have some envy of some of these amazingly nice benches, but I too am far too cruel to my benches in general to have a grand in lumber in one.... paint, screwing things to the bench top, mechanical "thingys" and grease-grime etc etc etc. My bench is rather large at 8+ feet X 4+ feet... it also acts as a DP stand, miter saw station, neander bench... finishing bench, glue up station.... suppose if I had a dedicated neander bench I'd be more prone to not abusing that one and beating the snot out of the existing one. Actually, my want for a neander bench is growing... hence my reading up on benches recently.

[Henk Marais]

Hi Charles
I have the Lon Schleining and the Scott Landis books. I prefer the Landis book as a scource but enjoy the diffrent take that Schleining had on some of the same benches.

I am currently designing my bench, it will be based on the Shaker bench featured in both these books. I have however used some practical ideas from some of the other benches and will be improving the shaker bench (look out for future posts and photo's)

I want to keep the front as origional as posible and it will even have the leg vise with wood screw. However the back (the bench will be acessable from all sides) will house a Veritas twin screw.

Good luck with your project, I hope you enjoy the process as much as me. I also prescribe to a lot off investigating and planning before I invest my time in actualy building it. I have been planning my bench for 13 months now.

[rick fulton]

"Yup, in my humble opinion, workbenches are like lasagna; you don't buy them, you make them." - James Mittlefehldt, on the sawmillcreek forum.

Just another reason the Schwarz book should rate the best among SMC members. Maybe James will sell you a signed copy for a minimal fee.

[Thom Sturgill]

I haven't read Schwarz's book, but I based my bench on his design in a Popular Woodworking special on workbenches and toolbooxes published back in May 2005. Based on that article, I would recommend his book, and will chase down a copy. I may rebuild when I retire rather that move my existing bench from Florida to NC.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I own the Scott Landis and the Lon Scheining books and recently received the new book by Chris Schwarz. There is a world of difference between Chris's book and the others. Landis and Scheining show off eye candy and talk a bit about function, Schwarz concentrates on how a bench is used and what different folks need for functionality.

While Chris Schwarz slants his book heavily toward the hand tool user and what is needed to work effectively with hand tools, the book also addresses power tool functions. The single most important aspect of the book is its detailed explanations of what functions every bench should have and the different ways to accomplish those functions. After reading Chris's book you will never again think about a bench as you have in the past.

[Alan Schwabacher]

The Landis book shows you many options, and lets each user make the case for his bench. The Schwarz book shows you only two full options (and a few details of others) but argues forcefully for certain functional needs, and shows you how to choose among options. When you consider the huge number of bench plans available in books, magazines, and websites, it seems to me that learning how to evaluate your needs so as to choose the features best suited to your work is the most important feature. And that's where Schwarz's book excels. But it complements the Landis book more than it competes.

As to the idea that bench design might not matter as much as he believes, Schwarz addresses that too, after a visit to Sam Maloof's shop: "After all, the best woodworking I’ve ever seen in my lifetime was built on the worst workbenches I’ve ever seen."

[Brian Dormer]

There is a book "Making Workbenches: * Planning * Building * Outfitting" by Sam Allen that's really superseded by Schwartz, but you still might want to take a look. Same general idea - less polished execution IMHO.

You really need to look at Landis so you know "what's out there". Schwartz doesn't really do a survey of all the different benches. But Landis doesn't go as deep into construction. They are like peanut butter and jelly - you need 'em both.

The only thing I find lacking in Schwartz is that he really sidesteps some "reality issues" like having to MOVE your bench (to another house/shop). Schwartz would have you drawbore and glue every single joint - great if you have a garage door to your shop and the ability to move a 500 lb 72x24 bench in and out. In the real world - people move, shop spaces change. If you want to "take it with you" - you use bench bolts or wedges to hold everything together - and he pretty much ignores that. He needs a chapter on "how to" build strong connections that could be knocked down.

One tip - WoodWorking Magazine (Schwartz is the editor-in-chief) has run most of the material in the book. A set of back issues (and a look at their web site) will give you most, if not all, of the book - PLUS some other very good stuff.

[Charles Wiggins]

There is a book "Making Workbenches: * Planning * Building * Outfitting" by Sam Allen that's really superseded by Schwartz, but you still might want to take a look. Same general idea - less polished execution IMHO.

You really need to look at Landis so you know "what's out there". Schwartz doesn't really do a survey of all the different benches. But Landis doesn't go as deep into construction. They are like peanut butter and jelly - you need 'em both.

The only thing I find lacking in Schwartz is that he really sidesteps some "reality issues" like having to MOVE your bench (to another house/shop). Schwartz would have you drawbore and glue every single joint - great if you have a garage door to your shop and the ability to move a 500 lb 72x24 bench in and out. In the real world - people move, shop spaces change. If you want to "take it with you" - you use bench bolts or wedges to hold everything together - and he pretty much ignores that. He needs a chapter on "how to" build strong connections that could be knocked down.

One tip - WoodWorking Magazine (Schwartz is the editor-in-chief) has run most of the material in the book. A set of back issues (and a look at their web site) will give you most, if not all, of the book - PLUS some other very good stuff.

Brian,

Thanks for all of the info. I'm reading Landis right now (we have a copy at work) and I've got Sam Allen coming on Interlibrary Loan. Amazon has Schwarz for $20 but I want to get the deluxe version with the CD, which they don't list. The CD has the full text of the book plus plans for the two benches and a bonus plan for the Holtzapffel bench. Cool stuff.

[Keith Carscadden]

You can get Schwartz at Lee Valley with the bonus CD:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=58401&cat=51&ap=2

I've also got it (for my birthday) and also think it is excellent.


Keith

[Charles Wiggins]

You can get Schwartz at Lee Valley with the bonus CD:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=58401&cat=51&ap=2

I've also got it (for my birthday) and also think it is excellent.


Keith

Thanks for the heads-up. I'm going to check Asheville Hardware (to try and support them), but Lee Vally has a great price.

[Sue Wise]

I built the joiners bench in Sam Allen's book. Not pretty, but an excellent bench on a budget. That thing is a rock.

-Sue