Workbench books

[Dave Lehnert]

Going to build a workbench this spring and I have a couple books I am going to order but first wanted to ask what books or web sites you found useful in designing your new bench.

[Victor Stearns]

I would suggest the "The Workbench Book" by Scott Landis. It really has alot of good benches and ideas.
http://books.google.com/books?id=dDbKtdJAZU4C&dq=the+workbench+book&pg=PP1&ots=6eTernTDdF&sig=wV2P_BC7kUfLVTDZwWNPFOJeXHA&hl=en&prev=http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=the+workbench+book&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail

http://woodstore.net/workbenches.html

Secondly, I would suggest that you review as many bench designs as you can, and then possibly come up with the best combination. This is how I approached by bench design. I already have two 30"x84" solid maple tops and am building the base structure.
Good Luck
Victor

[Charles Wiggins]

Going to build a workbench this spring and I have a couple books I am going to order but first wanted to ask what books or web sites you found useful in designing your new bench.

You might find this thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=70063) helpful.

[Dave Lehnert]

You might find this thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=70063) helpful.

Charles!

Thanks for the link. A lot of good info.

[Dennis Hatchett]

Going to build a workbench this spring and I have a couple books I am going to order but first wanted to ask what books or web sites you found useful in designing your new bench.

Hello Dave, I have some great links below but a couple of questions first:

Are you just starting out in woodworking or do you have a lot of experience? The reason I ask is because it might be worth your time to build a simple bench that will serve you well for a while and learn what you really want in a bench. Do you use a lot of handtools? Do you know what kind of wood will best suit your needs and what vices are most appropriate for your type of work.

I went through the same process several years ago and decided to build a bench that would serve me well while I developed my skills. That was the advice that several guys gave me. They said to use whatever wood I had available rather than spend six or seven hundred dollars on hard rock maple or beech and build a good solid bench that will one day serve as a secondary bench. It was great advice.

Now I have a bench that is my beater. Don't get me wrong. It's still a great workbench. But I went to the lumber yard and picked through the 2 by 4 pile to find the clearest doug fir studs I could find. It made a great top that will serve me well for many years to come. I know it sounds crazy but it was a great decision. Now I've got almost all the wood I need to build my dream bench and it will be suited to the kind of work I do rather than what I thought I wanted before I really knew what I needed.
That bench cost less than 200 dollars to build but will last my children's lifetime.

There was no way I could have guessed what my dream bench would be until I used that simple workbench for a number of years. Now I know what kind of vices I need, holdfasts, and slaves, and what kind of base I want. What kind of storage I can use under the bench, types of woods, etc...

1. Bob Key is the guy who gave me that advice and you can read all his stuff at an archived link to his old site. Unfortunately, He no longer operates his site but here is an archived link. He gave me that advice because he made the mistake of trying to build a dream bench before he was ready and it almost never got finished.
http://web.archive.org/web/20041119015232/www.terraclavis.com/bws/benches.htm

2. Here is a link where you can find over 20 other links to craftsmen and hobbyists who have documented their design and build process. There are some really good examples here and you can find something in almost every style.
http://www.workbenchdesign.net/rothers.html

3. Here is a link to Mark A. Blum's site where he does a great job documenting his build process. The most helpful part of his work is the clear way he describes and photographs the construction of a tail vise.
http://home.mindspring.com/~hobbesct/Workbench%201.htm

4. Scott Landis book has already been mentioned but here is a link to the amazon listing.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0918804760/ref=lpr_g_1/104-4710092-6689563?v=glance&s=books

Good luck building your workbench.