Cheap workbench

[Jeff Wittrock]

Hello all,

This is my first time posting to this forum.

I just thought I would post some pictures of a workbench I made this year. It isn't finished, but at least it is to the point that I can use it.

I read a few books about workbenches before I made it, "The Workbench Book" by Scott Landis, and "The Workbench" by Lon Schleining. After reading these books I started dreaming about the bench I would like to have. And after I spent too much time dreaming..... I set my sites a little lower and here is the result.

I set out to make something real cheap and real quick, and did I mention I wanted it to be real cheap. It also couldn't cost too much.

It isn't much, but it is far better than the piece of 3/4" pine and 2X4 legs I had before. One thing I have to say is I don't know how I ever did anything without a leg vise. That thing just comes in real handy. As I said, I wanted to make it cheap, so I didn't buy any vise hardware. I just bought a big piece of 3/4" all thread at Menards and some nuts and washers. I found a way to keep the nuts captive in the leg of the bench. I wasn't too picky about materials. Mostly whatever straight 2X4s I could find and a couple of 2X10s of southern yellow pine.

I am trying to learn how to use hand tools, and at least this bench doesn't slide around on me like my old one. I'm also hoping to add some kind of end vise thingy to it someday (notice the dog holes which don't do much of anything right now).


77019

77020

77021

77022

[Don Bullock]

Jeff, for a "cheap" it looks great! It looks as good as many "expensive" benches I've seen. Enjoy.:D

[Raymond Stanley]

First of all, welcome! The people here are great, I have learned so much from people here.

That bench looks great! Awesome leg vise - way to save money on that expensive hardware. Nice, solid, simple bench.

I'm a newbie to woodworking (and handtools), and just finished my bench a few months ago. I don't have a shoulder vise either, and I've made ends meet with a Veritas "Wonder dog", which is a bench dog with build in screw mechanism that allows you to crunch something up against a dog - you might want to check it out.

-Ray

[mike thomas01]

Great lookng bench Jeff! I'm relatively new to woodworking and I'm still working on 3/4 inch oak plywood supported by a pine frame and no vise at all. Hope you don't mind if I steal, uhhh...borrow some of your ideas to build mine!

[andy brown]

Beautiful bench. I think the leg vise is brilliant and I intend stealing that idea. In fact I intend stealing all the ideas in it!
Andy.

[Bob Noles]

Jeff,

Great to have you here and thanks for sharing your nice bench with us. You did a really nice job on both design and material selection. That bench should last you a very long time and serve your needs very well.

[Pam Niedermayer]

Great job. How big is it?

Pam

[Michael Pilla]

Great job! It's nice to hear that you like your leg vise. I've been working on my bench for 6 months and keep wondering if I'm doing the right thing by going with a leg vise. I figured that if I don't like it I can easily remove it. Your solution looks great, I'd love to see more pics of it if you get around to it.

Thanks for the inspiration-
Michael

[Steve Wargo]

That is a fine looking bench. Use it well. Congrats on your accomplishment.

[Jim Becker]

That's not a "cheap" bench at all...it may have been economical to make, but certainly is not anything I would consider "cheap"! Excellent!!

[harry strasil]

guessing by the legs that the dog holes are about 6 inches apart and I think its 16 2 bys wide, roughly 24 wide by about 72 long.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Excellent bench Jeff!!!!
Welcome to the creek.

[Tyler Howell]

Welcome and Well done.

[Bob Oehler]

Hey there and Welcome to the Creek.

That is a nice bench you made. I am letting a good amount of 2x4's stabilize in the shop for the same reason. I like the leg vise very much and I may include the same thing on my bench I have only a rough idea for basic size. it's going to be 6' long and about 30ish inches wide.

Real nice and good luck finishing it. Keep up posted.


Take care
Bob Oehler

[Bruce Haugen]

Nice job on the bench! Humble though its origins might be, I'll bet no one could tell what kind of bench you use to make your projects.

Mine is 2X4 construction, very similar to yours. It's held up pretty well for the last 23 years.

Bruce

[Dave Anderson NH]

Welcome Jeff. Your bench, as Jim Becker says, is definately not cheap. It is a very well executed bench and if it passes the test of allowing you to readily clamp everything you need it is then perfect. Folks tend to forget that the primary purpose of a hand tool bench is to clamp or otherwise secure stock so that it can be planed, cut, or fitted with joinery. I really like Chris Schwarz's "kitchen cabinet door test. as a quick test for benches. Essentially it asks if you can plane the face of a cabinet door, the edge, and the end grain with the door secured by your bench and its accessory appliances.

[gary Zimmel]

Jeff,

Welcome to the Creek.

Now thats one heck of a first post. Excellent job on the bench!

[Jim Koepke]

Nice job!
You might like a shelf between the stringers for holding bench furniture or tools.

Jim

Anyone who isn't confused really doesn't understand the situation.
– Edward R. Murrow

[John Guarino]

That bench really turned my head. Probably even more economical than mine (about $75 + vise hardware). Now you can buy more tools.

If you are still considering a substitute for the end vise, think about a set of wedges that you would push in between the bench dogs to hold your work steady. It gives you a lot of flexibility in securing a board for planing. No real need for the end vise.

I make wedges maybe 1/4 inch thinner than the board's final thickness. Low tech, zero expense, reusable, make them from scrap, you pick the angle so they hold the work, and they don't have to be precise triangles. I don't even bother measuring the angles unless I need a matched pair.

A question: Do you know how much the bench weighs?

[Jay Kilpatrick]

Nice Bench! As mentioned, wedges work well in conjunction with bench dogs. You can also buy items like the "wonderdog" or whatever. You can clamp a board to the top (perpendicular to the workpiece) and make a planing stop. Just get creative and come back to tell us why, "we don't need no stinking vices!"

Cheers! ~Jay

[Robert Goodwin]

I hope my "expensive" bench comes out half as good as your "cheap" bench.

Nice work!

[Jeff Wittrock]

Thanks to all for the generous feedback and suggestions.

Harry "guessing by the legs that the dog holes are about 6 inches apart and I think its 16 2 bys wide, roughly 24 wide by about 72 long"
Thats right on. I was originally going to make it a little wider and put a tool till on the back, but I figured if I made it any wider, when I pushed the bench against my garage wall, I wouldn't be able to fit my vehicle in. I would probably just let the tool till fill up with shavings anyways.

Jim "You might like a shelf between the stringers for holding bench furniture or tools"
Good idea. In fact I have some 60lbs. bags of sand laying around and I was thinking about putting them on a shelf between the stretchers to keep the thing from moving, but using the space for tools is better yet.

John "If you are still considering a substitute for the end vise, think about a set of wedges... Do you know how much the bench weighs?"Another good idea. I guess now I need to make some bench dogs for the wedges to go up against.
The bench didn't come out as heavy as I thought it would. Its right at 100lbs. I wish it were a bit heavier to help hold it in place, but since I usually push it up against the wall at the end of the day, its probably a good thing it isn't too heavy.

One thing about the 3/4" screw that I used for the leg vise... it works, and it was kind of fun to come up with a way to keep the threaded nuts captive, but Its no acme screw. I have noticed some black "sludge" coming from the captive nut, so I know the steal is wearing. I try to keep the screw packed with wax to provide some lubrication, but..... oh well. I guess if it starts to jam up some day, I can replace it easy enough.

I love this forum. I have spent a lot of time going back through old entries especially to see pictures of some of the projects you all have done. I have to say its humbling.

Thanks again.

-Jeff Wittrock

[Jack Vines]

Hi,

A bench in use is better than a whole shelf of picture books. Glad you subscribe to the "git 'er done" school of wood butchery. Once knew a guy who died with a whole shop full of near-new tools and beautiful wood. Had great plans, but ended up watching golf on TV.

thnx, jv.

[Jim Mims]

I really like the "little" bench in the background too. <g>

- Jim

[Jeff Wittrock]

I really like the "little" bench in the background too. <g>

- Jim

Ha... You know I forgot about that thing being back there until after I posted the pictures. It started out as an adjustable desk for my 6 year old son. He never used it much as a desk so we put a little vise on it and moved it to the garage for his work bench.

-Jeff

[Marcus Ward]

I like it, it looks really clean. Nice round edges, good lines. I would hardly call it cheap! Excellent job on that bench.

[Charles Wiggins]

Jeff,

I think it's a GREAT bench. So when can I pick it up?