Pop Woodworking 21st Century Bench

[Rob Bois]

The October 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking features a brand new 21st century workbench design that seems to really fit the bill for today's hybrid woodworker that uses both hand and power tools regularly. They are even offering a DVD, as well as free sketchup plans (http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/content/binary/WorkbenchModel.zip. Since this seems like something a lot of people might be interested in building (myself included), I thought it might make sense to start a forum thread where people can discuss materials, challenges encountered, and overall experiences. Chime in if you have any interest at taking a stab at this project. I probably won't get started for a month or so (need to pick out lumber and get it acclimated to my shop first).

[Don Bullock]

Rob, that bench caught my attention as well. I like the choice of wood for the bench. Ash is the wood I'm considering using for a bench. First, however, I have to get my shop built.

[Ben Davis]

You could start a group build thread much like the Morris Chair project headed by Walt et al. Makes for some great reading too! Take a look over in the project's sub-forum.

[Don C Peterson]

That bench has some interesting features, but then there are some things that don't make much sense to me.

The most obvious for me is the tool well. I'm not sold on tool wells to begin with and I'm pretty sure that even if I changed my mind, I wouldn't want it right down the middle of the bench like that.

Next, there are holdfast/dog holes on the edge of the top, I'm not sure what the point of that is. The holes are too shallow to use for holdfasts, and they aren't far enough below the top of the vise to be useful for bench dogs to support long pieces being held in the vise... The stringer with the holdfast holes is nice though.

Finally, although I like the knockdown joinery that attaches the bottom shelf to the legs, but I'm not sure what the point is on this bench since the top stringers aren't attached with knockdown joints too...

[Chris Friesen]

The tool well in the middle allows clamping from the middle using standard F clamps rather than holdfasts/holddowns. It also allows bench hooks to be used reversed and hooked into the tool well for japanese saws.

The holes in the edge are to allow for the use of the Veritas panel clamp instead of a long clamp over the whole benchtop.

The bench is all knockdown. There are two end assemblies, the upper long dovetailed stringers, and the lower long shelf support stringers with knock-in wedges.

[Bob Lang]

Chris answered these questions correctly. I'm not sure how people are getting the idea that the lapped dovetail joint that connects the top rail to the leg is permanent. It's a mechanical joint, secured with a single lag bolt. Benches aren't moved every day, but making it knock-down makes the final assembly easy, and if it should ever need to be moved to another location, it takes less than 10 minutes to disassemble or reassemble it.

I have a love/hate relationship with tool wells, and this is a solution that works for me. I stole the idea of putting it down the middle from David Charlesworth and Lee Valley. For me, it's a lot handier than having to reach across the bench to a tool well on the far side, and it's easier to see what's in there. Fabricating the well as 4 separate boxes makes the tool well more manageable and flexible. They can be turned upside down to have a flat surface if desired, and removed to allow clamping down to the middle of the bench with an f-style clamp. Another benefit of removing the tool wells that appeared after the bench was complete is that I can take out the one on the end, next to the quick release vise, and hold small parts in the vise for sawing. The biggest drawback of tool wells to me has always been the issue of cleaning them out. I can take out the boxes one at a time, carry it to my tool box to put stuff away, and them dump out the junk in the trash can.

There is a bunch of additional information about this bench on the Popular Woodworking website, there are links at:

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/bench

I'll be following along on this thread, and if you have a question for me you can reach me through this site, or my e-mail (mailto:robert.lang@fwpubs.com).

This was a fun project for me, and I'm pretty happy with the finished bench. I hope everyone else that builds one also has a good time with it.

Bob Lang

[Rob Bois]

I wasn't a big fan of the tool tray when I first saw the bench (and originally considered just eliminating it from the design). But when I found out they were removable, I reconsidered. Really the big complaint about tool trays is that they fill up with shavings and dust, but if you can just pop them out and dump them, that pretty much solves that problem. The temporary bench I'm using has no tray, and a recent project that required frequent switching between three chisels, also showed me how a tool tray could be useful. My 1/4" chisel rolled off the bench a few times, and cost me about 45 minutes of honing.

[Jim Becker]

I'm the same way...never been enamored with tool wells for much the same reasons as others, but the explanations given here about the design make sense and in this case, the inclusion of the feature in the manner it's designed offers some interesting capabilities that are lacking on basic flat bench designs. The removability for clamping and cleaning specifically are attractive design elements...

Bob, thanks also for chiming in. It's always nice when someone intimate with such a project contributes to the conversation!

[Rob Bois]

Thanks for chiming in Bob. I almost emailed you when I first read the workbench article, as I thought PW might have some kind of forum for folks to post their experiences, but Sawmill Creek seemed like as good a place as any to get things started. I'm definitely going to build this bench, it's just a question of timing (this real job keeps getting in the way of things). I'm really hoping other folks will join in, but it's good to know the designer himself will be monitoring the thread. One question I would like to throw out there for discussion is the choice of materials. I have read "The Schwartz"'s book (been spending too much time on woodwhisperer.com), and was pretty much sold on SWP as the ideal bench material, but I'm wondering if the knockdown joinery on this bench might lend itself better to traditional (but more expensive) hardwoods.

[Mike K Wenzloff]

Hi Rob,

I think the point Schwarz would make (and I think he did in his book) is to use a readily available--and inexpensive--wood for one's bench as long as it meets certain properties.

For me, Ash is less expensive than SYP. As is White Oak, Doug. Fir, etc. While I like the properties of SYP, I would be unwilling to spend the "premium" for it. It's just a bench.

Take care, Mike

[Bob Lang]

You're right on the money, Mike, and I think a lot of people have assumed that the SYP is the ideal wood. The traditional approach is to find a locally available wood that meets the criteria, but doesn't cost too much. In some areas it might be SYP, but in others it might be beech or maple or whatever. This can also vary with time, maple is popular right now as a furniture wood and can be rather pricey. I was leaning toward some ugly soft maple-not selected for color and with worm holes, but ash turned out to be a real bargain. In this neighborhood the emerald ash borer is spreading and a lot of ash trees are being cut down. When I bought the wood for the bench, ash was slightly less than poplar.

Bob Lang

[John Schreiber]

There are a lot of good ideas in that bench. I particularly like the idea of the center tool tray setup. It's there when you need it and gone when you don't. Designing for the use of holdfasts is another great idea in a modern bench. They are an old idea, but they are wonderful in the 21st century too. the Veritas Twin Screw should work well there, but I think it would work even better if it could be adapted to fit a 30" panel between the screws.

The SU model has a small problem with the end vise. The dog will not reach up to contact the workpiece. I would suggest raising the top of the chop, putting dog holes in it and and forgoing the vise's dog.

The top cross members seem to me to be way under spec. With the removable tray, the top has no structural role and all of fore and aft racking forces are dependent on on those cross members. I think they could easily be 4" thick. I would also like to see the bench be generally stouter, but that's just me.

I'm also not sure how you would control for wood movement on the top. The front of the top needs to be right up with the front of the legs, so the back part has to be able to slide. With the loose tool tray and a separate slab for the back of the bench, I'm not sure how everything would hold together. Perhaps that's explained in the article.

I also recognize the end vise LINK (http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=af5aebaa458d65add2e2336bca869602):D. Good to see it being put to use.

[Bob Lang]

Hi John,

I owe you one for the vise, all of your stuff on 3D warehouse is really good, and there is an error (my bad) in the model with the vise and chop. In real life, the vise I used is a bit taller, and the dog in the vise does extend far enough to be usable. The chop is also mounted so that it's top edge is flush with the benchtop. I do have a hole in there for a regular dog anyway, because I think the dog in the vise is kind of rough and a bit difficult to raise and lower.

I have to disagree with your structural assessment, however. It wouldn't hurt to make the top end cross members thicker, but as they are, those are two stout pieces of wood. The top sections are structural elements, each half is bolted in two places on each end, and each acts as a beam across the two ends. Two of the four bolts (in both halves) would have to fail at the same time to dislocate the top from the ends, allowing the racking you're concerned about.

Additionally, the base itself, without the tops attached is very resistant to racking. The top rails, even though they are located below the top add a lot of strength in that direction. I haven't actually tried to rack the assembly, but I doubt that one (or even two) people could generate enough force to move it.

Lastly, I'm not worried about movement in the top. All of the individual boards are on edge, so most of the movement will be up and down, not side to side. Because there are two half sections, lateral movement might pinch the trays, but I don't see any other issues.

We'll see what happens over time. The separate tops concievably could move different amounts making leveling the two tops to each other a bit of a problem. So far, so good.
If you're ever in Cincinnati, you're welcome to drop by the shop and push, pound or jump on the bench to see how it performs. I think it's similar to the Roubo in the way that the sheer mass of the components gives it tremendous strength. We though about putting Chris Schwarz's Karman Ghia on it, and now that I think about it we could do that and remove the trays to get at the plug to change the oil.

Bob Lang

[Don C Peterson]

Chris and Bob,

Thanks for the clarification, I was only looking at the SU model which didn't show lag bolts (or even the holes for them) and I just assumed the dovetailed stringers were glued. However, after looking at the blog, I see the error of my assumption...

[John Schreiber]

This is really a best of the old and best of the new and very practical workbench.

I suspect I have been overbuilding my bench so much that everything else I see looks underbuilt. I can see how the top does have a structural role too. I would still worry some about wood movement, but again I've been thinking in terms of SYP and it moves more than most hardwoods. Most importantly, you've actually built it and pushed at it and the proof is in the stability. Can't argue with that.

I think a pair of Workmates would probably handle a Karman Ghia:p;). I'm thinking an F250 crew cab will be stable on my variation (http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=ecb23fa93ef7ea58fe4e85d9b619cbad)on Chris's Ruobo. SketchUp is a great tool and lots of fun.

I also just watched the video. The trick with removing a tray and sawing on the end vise is very good. Wish I'd thought of that.

[Chris Schumann]

Would someone post a budget for buying parts for this? I know wood can vary by species and time of day, but a rough idea of that and the metal bits would be nice to know to help me decide whether to buy the DVD.

[Bert Johansen]

This is a timely post as earlier today I ordered Robert's DVD that tracks the project. Count me in if you establish a sub-topic as I'm planning to make the bench. And the posts are certainly enhanced by Robert's participation.

[Bob Lang]

Chris,

The prices for the vises and hold-downs are in the magazine article. This was the biggest expense, about half the money went for the twin screw vise. The holdfasts from Tools for Working Wood I consider essential, and one of the best investments a woodworker can make. The Lee Valley surface clamps are very nice, but if your budget is tight, you might want to wait and get them later on.

The lumber cost for me was about $350 +/-. Buying dimension lumber as Chris Schwarz does would have been less expensive, but I didn't want to see yet another southern yellow pine bench in our shop. There is an entry on the Popular Woodworking blog about the lumber for this project here:

buying lumber (http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/Buying+Hardwood+Lumber++Two+Approaches.aspx)

There are also several blog entries on the blog. If you search on "Bob's Bench", and "A Proper Bench for Bob" you'll get right to them.

Bob Lang

[Scott Loven]

I have a pile of ash that is two inches thick ($1/BF) that I want to use for a bench like this, how should I strait line rip it? Circular saw and straight edge? I have the EZ system, but it will not allow me to cut the full depth of the wood. Cut half way, flip and cut the other half and then dress it up on the jointer? I don't have a band saw.
Scott
Scott

[Chris Schumann]

I have an American elm that has to come down (broke in a storm, not diseased), and I think it would make a great workbench. I bought the magazine this weekend, and the BOM notes that the ash was TAP (Thick as Possible), but the text says that it was 8/4 stock.

When I mill my tree (have it milled, really), should I have it sliced to 8/4? Then I have to decide if I can wait for it to dry, or haul it to a kiln.

I think the tree is about 20 to 24" at the base. Will having it flat-sawn be adequate? I know it will be faster. Would there be any benefit to quarter-sawing?

[John Schreiber]

Thickness is a trade off between appearance, stability, convenience and drying time. Two big slabs would look very nice and it would certainly save on gluing and stock preparation time. Wood movement would be less predictable for big pieces like that though. I haven't worked with elm, so I'm not sure how big a concern that would be. Drying time does increase with thickness so that could be a problem. Except for appearance, I don't think there would be any benefit to milling the wood any larger than 3 1/2" square.

Quarter sawn wood is more stable and may present a harder surface for your work surface, but if you have the lumber for the top sawn square, you can pick whatever face you like. Be sure to seal the ends as soon as possible and cut plenty of extra in case of problems.

[Scott Loven]

I just read an article on drying wood in American woodworker (DEC 06) and the guy said that elm needed to be heavily weighted when drying to keep it from warping like crazy. I know I could buy dried elm local so I know that it can be done.
Scott

[Scott Loven]

I have a pile of ash that is two inches thick ($1/BF) that I want to use for a bench like this, how should I strait line rip it? Circular saw and straight edge? I have the EZ system, but it will not allow me to cut the full depth of the wood. Cut half way, flip and cut the other half and then dress it up on the jointer? I don't have a band saw.
Scott
Scott
Any good ideas on how to rip these thick boards?

Scott

[Chris Schumann]

Cutting through a two-inch board is a pretty basic task for a wood worker. A table saw would make quick work of it, and could give a finished edge with a good blade. Every 10" TS I've seen will do 3" at 90 degrees, and many will do a bit more.

If you have a jig saw, that could do it, but it would need planing, and a hand saw and a lot of elbow grease would do the same.

I haven't tried a long straightedge and a circular saw (don't own either), but I'd suspect you might need to work that a bit afterward too. If you have some thick scraps, try the cut-flip-cut method and let us know how it worked for you.

[Rob Bois]

It's been a while since I've chimed in since I've been traveling. But last week I did make it to my lumber store to get the ball rolling on this project. After taking Bob's advice, I did decide to go with ash. Wood in general is really expensive right now in the Northeast (everyone is heating their homes with wood apparently). But both ash and SYP were almost the exact same price at $4.50/BF. I figure the ash will look nicer, and certainly be more stable. But due to the cost, and the limitations to my vehicle's carrying capacity, I just bought the wood for the top (which arguably needs longer to acclimate to my shop anyway). So $220 later, I now have all the wood for the top stickered in my shop. Due to selection, I really couldn't optimize too well on lumber. To make sure I get good 3" thick pieces, I ignored any board that was less than 7 1/2" (so I can get two 3" boards from each). I also had to buy 8' lenghts, while I'm planning on possibly revising my bench to be a bit shorter given my shop size. So there is a bit of waste on the ends too.

I figure I'll buy all the components in 3 phases to spread it over a few credit card statements. Next month I'll buy the lumber for the legs and stretchers, and then I'll buy the vices last (my local Woodcraft has the Veritas twin-screw in stock fortunately).

But I'd be curious what other people have found in terms of their own local lumber pricing. I shopped around, and $4.50/BF was pretty much the going rate for ash in the Boston area.

[Scott Loven]

I paid $1.50 BF for ash earlier this year here in Iowa where I live.
Scott

[Rob Bois]

Thickness is a trade off between appearance, stability, convenience and drying time. Two big slabs would look very nice and it would certainly save on gluing and stock preparation time. Wood movement would be less predictable for big pieces like that though. I haven't worked with elm, so I'm not sure how big a concern that would be. Drying time does increase with thickness so that could be a problem. Except for appearance, I don't think there would be any benefit to milling the wood any larger than 3 1/2" square.

Quarter sawn wood is more stable and may present a harder surface for your work surface, but if you have the lumber for the top sawn square, you can pick whatever face you like. Be sure to seal the ends as soon as possible and cut plenty of extra in case of problems.

Also wanted to comment on the question about QS wood for the top. You have to keep in mind that you are basically milling the 8/4 lumber to 3" or so and turning it on it's side, essentially making the exposed tops quartersawn. If you use QS wood in the first place, the final laminated top is flat sawn, and less stable.

[Jim Becker]

Rob, since you had to buy longer lumber than you prefer, the "waste" could, in fact, be laminated into material you can use to construct your base.

[Rob Bois]

So I finally started this project in earnest yesterday. I had let my lumber acclimate to my shop for a good 3-4 weeks, and started dimensioning down the wood. A good amount of work since the boards are all pretty heavy, and I had to do a lot of manipulating to get all the grain directions lined up. But I have 12 3 1/4" TAP (thick as possible) boards. The article suggests letting them sit for a few days to make sure they remain straight before gluing up. So I will do the finally pass on the jointer at 1/16" probably next weekend and then start the gluing. In the meantime I'm going to build an MDF I-beam to help with the glue-ups. And I also need to buy the rest of the ash for the base to give that time to acclimate before I need it. Stay tuned...

[Chris Schumann]

I couldn't wait for my elm to come down and dry to have a good bench. I thought about building either the "$175 bench" or 24-hour bench, but now that I scored this lumber, I'm going to try to build the bench I want now and use the elm for something(s) else.

I got some 8/4 ash from a gentleman who cut down the tree or trees from his lake home property nine years ago. It's nice lumber, almost entirely clear, but of varying width (most of it a usable 8 inches, some up to 10, and a bit up to 12). The planks are 8'8" long. There's bark on one side, and the wood was cut with a bandsaw, so there are flat, rift and quarter-sawn boards in the mix. The pith is in a couple, and one board is cracked, thankfully right down the middle. There are small animal stains on some boards, but I expect a lot of planing and jointing to go on anyway.

I calculated the needed lumber in the finished bench to be about 110 board feet, but that's after finishing. Since I'm pretty new at this, and different sizes of boards are needed, what's a quick guess on how many bdft you'd buy? I already have 154, but could buy the rest and have about 190, and at just under $2 per bdft, it's not a bad price.

EDIT: To answer myself, I just re-read this thread and Bob Lang's blog posts about buying lumber. He bought about 150 bdft, but estimated only 80 were needed. I'm not sure if his estimate included the 1-by lumber for the boxes and cleats. Since I'm a beginner, and the tree slabs I have available are pretty uneven in width, and a good price, I think I'll buy them. It'll be good for me to resaw the lumber for those boxes. I hope my bandsaw riser arrives soon.

[Rob Bois]

I can answer that question for the top so far (although I haven't started the base yet). I went through about 60 BF for the top. I had 6 fairly straight 7 to 8" wide pieces of 8/4 ash that I think came to just over 60BF. There was a good amount of waste on the ends, but I've found with some minor checking, clipped corners, etc. I really needed 8 footers (although I think I am ultimately modifying the bench to only 72" long, with just three tool trays). Unfortunately, the total milled boards are only 22" wide, so I will need to augment with another piece of ash (which I will pick up Saturday when I get the lumber for the base). I have to calclulate that number tonight, so I'll post the result when I get it.

I'm also starting up a video blog on the process, which I will also post when I finish editing my footage from last weekend.

[Rob Bois]

80 BF sounds very agressive to me. The top alone is a minimum of 64 (you really need 8" wide pieces to get two 3 1/2" boards out of each unless you can find incredibly straight lumber). I picked up the lumber for the base this weekend, and found I needed another 6 lengths of 8/4 (some 7', some 8', most around 7" wide) and then two lenghts of 4/4 (10 footers). I got one more 8/4 plank then you might need, but my top components ended up being right around 11" each, so I want to add another inch or so to each. So all that came to another 65 BF or so. That is all the materials, except the ship lap boards for the bottom shelf which I may be able to do with scrap. So while I did end up with some scrap, I've laid out my components on each plank pretty efficiently. I really think it would be hard to do this project with anything less than 125 BF (not including the wood for the shelf).

BTW, as a side note I spent the weekend laminating my top. The negative is that this is a slow, tedious process especially if you take Bob's advice of leaving each pair in clamps at least 4 hours. The good news is I crossed almost all my "to do" list items in the shop. So this affords a great opportunity to do all those annoying little projects in the shop you never seem to have time to do.

[Chris Schumann]

I wasn't complete in my post. He bought 150 bdft for a project that's NOT this one that required 80.

I picked up all the 8/4 ash my guy had, but perhaps I should have bought some of his 4/4 for the boxes, cleats and planks. Maybe it will still be there when I'm ready, or maybe I'll be eager to get my resawing skills up to snuff.

I made the first cut into the 8/4 last night, and the lumber is beautiful. (I have GOT to finish assembling my jointer!) I have to be very careful to plan my cuts because there's bark and cambium on every piece. I'd also like to avoid sapwood for at least the bench surface just for looks.

Any comments on ash sapwood for suitability in various parts of this project are welcome.

[Rob Bois]

My lumber was really clear. Very straight and no sapwood or bark. Some checks, but I worked around them. But any sapwood should be fine structurally (as far as I know glue sticks just as well to sapwood). Maybe try to limit it to the insides of the leg laminations and the stop stretchers are rails where you won't see it. You're probably smart holding off on the 4/4 stock, since you can probably manage the cleats and some of the drawer sides with cutoffs from the 8/4 stock. You might be able to get away with one 4/4 board if you're efficient.

You should probably get that jointer assembled soon - you're going to need it! And I would emphasize that getting the fence completely square to the table will come in very handy for this project.

[Bob Lang]

Just to clarify-what I said in the blog post was that the finished parts calculate out to about 80 board feet. This is the reason I hate to answer the question "how much lumber do I buy for this project?" There is always a big difference between finished parts and the lumber to make the finished parts. How much of a difference is dependant on several things, few of which any of us have any control over until we start deciding this board is for the top, that board is for legs, etc.

I went through a lot of lumber, but I also had a bunch left over. Most of the boards I had were too narrow to yield two rips in the sizes I wanted. I stuck with my plan beacuse the 3" thick top was important to me. If I had been willing to adapt to a 2 1/2" thick top, I wouldn't have had nearly as much waste.

I would rather but way too much and have to deal with the leftovers than buy almost enough and lose half a day running after another piece of wood.

Bob Lang

[Rob Bois]

At one point during the process, I did consider compromising on the bench thickness just so I could buy narrower stock. But I came back to my senese, and only bought stock at least 7" wide and I'm glad that I did. In 10 years, I'm not going. Plus, it turns out the ash cutoffs make great long-burning firewood.

To Bob's point, you won't know before you get to the lumber yard what they will have for stock. I drew out a cut list before hand, but had to improvise and in some cases buy more stock than I needed to accomodate all my parts. So I think 125-130 BF is a good guideline, but there are many factors (this is why you never see BF cited in any projects)

PS: Anyone in the Boston area looking to build this bench won't find any 7-8" wide 8/4 ash stock anywhere. Sorry.

[Ross Ellis]

I'm very interested in this bench also. Is there a place I can get the past issue of the magazine that featured it? I checked the website but only found a fall issue available for purchase..no mention of the bench...

I am also considering building the legs and tool trays out of Cherry. I think I have enough dry Maple for the top. Is Cherry hard enough for the legs with bench dog holes in them?

[Rob Bois]

If nothing else, I think a cherry base and tool tray would look really cool. I would definitely go with a harder wood for the top (if you're using hard or sugar maple, that's ideal just too pricey for my bench). On the Janka scale (which measures the amount of pressure required to imbed a steel ball up to its equator in a piece of wood), cherry rates about 950 versus 1450 for maple. I think this is one of the reasons you don't see a lot of use of cherry in benches. It just dents a lot more easily. That being said, the base is not going to see nearly as much abuse as the top, and to your point only really needs to support bench dogs. And unlike the top, the dogs only need to support the weight of a piece of wood on the dog, unlike the top that would recieve more extreme vise pressure. So my guess is that as long as you don't care if you get some nicks and dents on the base over time, cherry would likely support the functional requirements of the dog holes. And look really cool (please post pictures when you finish).

Perhaps Bob can supply deatils on how to get back issues of the mag (he is checking in on this thread periodically).

Since I'm here, I'll also post the link to a blog I started to document the process of building this bench. I'm going to add about 5 minutes of video each week as well, highlighting any key tips, mistakes, or learnings. By no means a replacement for Bob's DVD. Week 1 is already up, and I will be posting week 2 this weekend. Top is now done, and starting on the base this weekend.

Rob's Shop Blog (http://theboisshop.blogspot.com/)
http://theboisshop.blogspot.com/

[Bob Lang]

Perhaps you're not going to the right website to look for the issue. It is the October 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking (number 171) and can be had from the magazine's website. If you have any trouble navigating to find it, send me an e-mail and I'll be happy to help out.

I also wanted to mention that the SketchUp model of this bench is available on Google's 3D Warehouse. We've also started to put models of magazine projects from both Popular Woodworking and Woodworking there. Several of Chris Schwarz's benches are also available there for free downloading.

Congrats to Rob for the progress he is making and for sharing. Cherry should be fine for the legs.

Bob Lang (mailto:robert.lang@fwmedia.com)

[Chris Schumann]

I'm very interested in this bench also. Is there a place I can get the past issue of the magazine that featured it? I checked the website but only found a fall issue available for purchase..no mention of the bench...

You can buy the October 2008 (http://www.popularwoodworkingshop.com/product/1294/1) issue for $8. Or you can buy the DVD (http://www.popularwoodworkingshop.com/product/1293/161) for $20. I highly recommend you buy one or both, and in the paper issue, there's a link to a page on their web site that has the entire article, tons of pictures, shop drawings and more.

[Ross Ellis]

I ordered both the Magazine and the DVD a few minutes ago.

I will use Hard Maple for the top. I don't have a lot of 8/4 Maple dried, but do have a good amount of Cherry. I felled 2 Maples this summer, to use for benches and cabinets, for my new shop, but we had some minor flooding, which stopped me from getting my skidder out to the island they are on. I plan on carrying them up to the mill in the beginning of December, if weather allows. I would really like to build the bench this winter, but may wait until the Maple is dried. I know its silly, but with the amount I have invested in land and machines, I refuse to buy wood from a commercial outfit......

Thanks again for the info.

[Rob Bois]

I'm making some progress on the base of the bench now, and am really starting to fully appreciate the design of this bench. Because the joinery between the rails and legs and stretchers and legs are completely independent (one is cut in the backs of the leg halves, and the other with the fronts) it really makes cutting the joinery less complicated. Also, I chopped the mortises in the back halves of the legs today, and for the first time got to actually use the bench top as a bench. The 3" thick lamination is great for chopping big mortises (as a side note, don't even try this project without a good mortise chisel and a corner chisel is a plus too).

I also just ordered my Veritas vises and dogs, which finalizes the materials for me. I shopped around a bit, and even with free shipping at Woodcraft right now, ordering direclty from Lee Valley is much more cost effective. And WC only seems to carry the 16" version of the twin screw vise (at about $40 more than the 24" inch version direct from LV). I also decided I'm also going to hand cut the tenons per Bob's suggestion which gave me a great excuse to go out and buy a Lie-Nielsen carcass saw this morning (can't make the trip to WC and buy nothing!). After all, if I'm building a bench to enable hand tools, I should really use hand tools to construct the joinery, right?

In any case, my experiece with this bench design has been very positive so far. While not cheap (I'm in about $900 in materials right now) this bench will be as good or better than the premium premade benches out there that sell for quite a bit more. And I seem to pay a premium for lumber in the Boston area (I've heard from others that they can get ash for about half the price I do). In the end I'll have the sense of satisfaction of building it by hand, and customizing to my needs.

I'm regularly updating my progress with pictures and video on my blog at http://theboisshop.blogspot.com

[Ross Ellis]

Rob,

Excellent work on the bench. The videos and blog are top notch. Keep up the good work.

Ross

[Chris Schumann]

The bench looks great, Rob. I finally sat down and watched your videos. Nice work.

It's too late now, but I'd recommend you look at the construction drawings. You can get to them from a link in the magazine. It might have helped make things a bit more clear, like the 1/4" shoulder on the upper stretchers. I'm sure it won't make much difference, but I'm no mechanical engineer.

I'm hoping to get through mine without having to buy a planer, or haul the tops somewhere else. Come to think of it, I don't have a drill press either. Challenges are good, right?

[Rob Bois]

The bench looks great, Rob. I finally sat down and watched your videos. Nice work.

It's too late now, but I'd recommend you look at the construction drawings. You can get to them from a link in the magazine. It might have helped make things a bit more clear, like the 1/4" shoulder on the upper stretchers. I'm sure it won't make much difference, but I'm no mechanical engineer.

I'm hoping to get through mine without having to buy a planer, or haul the tops somewhere else. Come to think of it, I don't have a drill press either. Challenges are good, right?

Chris, I did actually get the final demensions for all the joinery by using sketchup. Without that, I would have had to guess. Came in really handy. I actually just dry fit the back stretchers to the sides tonight, and am now gluing up the first leg (will do the second tomorrow). Got to see what the whole thing looks like assembed for the first time - pretty gratifying. I'll have that video up probably Monday or Tuesday (more planes, trains, and automobiles for me this week).

This project would be bit tricky without a planer, although if you can get your lumber shop to dress the lumber for you it would reduce a lot of the need. If you have a decent set of planes, you could probably get away with the rest of the work. You could also get away with no drill press, but would need to build some kind of jig to keep your drill at 90 degrees to the face for the mortises, and the bench dog holes at the end. Let us know how you progress!

[Chris Schumann]

This project would be bit tricky without a planer, although if you can get your lumber shop to dress the lumber for you it would reduce a lot of the need.
If only! My lumber for this project is rough on three sides, and bark on the fourth. I got it from a private seller who took it from his own lake home lot. (Nearly) 8/4 ash should be pretty dry after nine years, yes?

I'm hoping that my jointer will keep the faces parallel, and that my table saw will make the edges parallel.

[Rob Bois]

I'm hoping that my jointer will keep the faces parallel, and that my table saw will make the edges parallel.

Your TS will work fine for keeping the edges parallel, but you jointer won't work well for keeping the faces parallel. Especially if this is really rough stock you're odds aren't good. You could run the oppose face through a band saw if you have one. Otherwise, you'll need to use a jack plane to work the opposite side. But it's absolutely critical to get well dimensioned lumber especially for gluing up the top and for registering the cuts for the joinery on the bottom. This is one project you might want to see if you could borrow, rent, or steal a planer!

[Tom Hargrove]

Chris -

I can echo Rob's comments about the planer. A jointer can't and won't make parallel faces on a board unless those faces are already parallel. And the more material that you remove with a jointer, the more likely it is the faces will move out of parallel. Given the investment in time that you will make in building this bench, you will want it to come out right.

I have almost finished the bench (with some design changes) using recycled rough sawn oak timbers I salvaged from a friend's remodeling project. I had the timbers resawn on a band mill to 16/4 (for the legs) and 8/4 (for the balance). I had obtained the wood and had it resawn before the article was published.

I have generated over 40 gallons of chips and sawdust from my from machining the wood for the bench. At least 30 gallons of this came from the planer. Since you also have rough lumber to start with, you may very well create a similar amount of debris. I cannot imagine doing all of the planing that will be necessary by hand, especially without a good bench to begin with.

[Rob Bois]

Well I'm almost done now. The vises are both on, and the final step is the construction of the tool trays. I did get bitten by a typo in the cut list in the magazine article. The lenght of the tool tray bottom is listed as an inch too short (the delta between the bottom and the sides should be 1 inch, not too). So I cut my first set of bottoms too short. But my glass is half full. Since I was out of 4/4 ash at this point, I used 1 5/8" strips of 8/4 stock edge glued to 6 3/4" for the bottoms. So now when I turn the trays over, the surface will show laminated QS ash matching the rest of the top. That suits my OCD just fine! I will post some pictures when I finish up next weekend. This took a little longer than I expected, but I also paid very close attention to detail since I will be looking at this bench in my shop for a long time to come, and didn't want to be haunted by any gaps in the joinery.

[Chris Schumann]

How's your bench coming, Tom?

[Tom Hargrove]

I have the tops installed and the vises mounted. I applied a couple coats of Watco. I still don't have the space between the tops filled in, and I got sidetracked by a subtle request from SWMBO for a new knife block for X-mas.

Once the knife block gets finished, I will finish the bench. Photos will be shared!

[Rob Bois]

Tom that's funny, that's exactly where I am (minus the watco). I have glued up the trays, but don't have enough ash left to make the cleats, so back to the lumber yard for me. Would love to see the pics when complete, I'll probably be posting mine around the same time.

[Rob Bois]

At long last I have finished my bench. In total it was probably about the equivalent of a dozen or so weekends. I've posted some pics and video on my web blog (you can find it if you look at my profile). I'm also doing a live "reveal" of the project on a live ustream broadcast tomorrow (Tuesday Dec. 23rd) at 1:00 PM EST if anyone want to see the final product. Details, as well as a replay of the video, will also be on my blog. The project has been a lot of work, but also very gratifying to have done. And I've already gotten some great use out of it. Thanks to Bob for a fantastic design - I can't believe I ever doubted the tool trays!

[Chris Schumann]

You can buy the October 2008 (http://www.popularwoodworkingshop.com/product/1294/1) issue for $8. Or you can buy the DVD (http://www.popularwoodworkingshop.com/product/1293/161) for $20. I highly recommend you buy one or both, and in the paper issue, there's a link to a page on their web site that has the entire article, tons of pictures, shop drawings and more.
Resurrecting this thread, I noticed today that this issue is available online at Cloverleaf.com for 99 cents. Cloverleaf Issue (https://store.coverleaf.com/softslate/do/product/200810_popularwoodworking)

[Jerome Hanby]

Resurrecting this thread, I noticed today that this issue is available online at Cloverleaf.com for 99 cents. Cloverleaf Issue (https://store.coverleaf.com/softslate/do/product/200810_popularwoodworking)


WOW! That's pretty neat. Much than spending $8.00 plus shipping!

[Brad Simmons]

I'm just getting started in woodworking and was considering building this as my first bench. For those of you who completed this bench and have had it for a while... what do you think? Any regrets? Any changes you would make?

[Rob Bois]

Brad, looking back at my initial posts, it would seem my bench has been in use for about 2 1/2 years now (it seems like I built this thing just yesterday). In any case, I've put the bench through it's paces in that time, and have no real regrets at all. My one initial regret was going with the 30" twin screws given that I shortened the bench from 8' to 6'. But I do a lot of hand cut dovetails, and having that span has proven quite useful. I tend to keep one of the tool trays open for use, and the two on the right upside down for a flat top (since I shortened my version there is no fourth tray). Honestly, I can't think of anything I would improve on it even after all this time.

[Scott Flamm]

Brad, if you don't already have it you might look into getting a copy of Chris Schwarz's Workbench Design Book. It has details and reviews about many of the workbenches that have been built at Popular Woodworking over the last decade or so. Bob Lang's 21st Century Workbench is included in it and he (Bob Lang) gives a review of what he likes/dislikes about the bench after having used it for a while.