Workbench Advice For First Time Builder

This will be a repeat of my usual posts on building workbenches with reinforcement from Chris Schwarz. A short quote: "For the many-hundredth time last week, I explained the virtues of simple workbenches to a skeptical audience of 10 workbench builders. They weren’t having it. Their benches were sketched out with complex tail vises, multiple rows of dogs, twin-screw vises, quick-release vises and other assorted bench appliances..." Go read the whole post.

With each bench build my benches get paired down to simpler forms. There is no better advice than keep it cheep, simple and strong with good joinery. What wood to use makes no never mind. I currently have four functioning work benches in my shop. One is 100% HD SYP, another is 100% Beech, the sharpening bench base is HD DF with a White Pine tool tray and Beech slab. The last build has a Poplar base and secondary slab, the main slab is Beech. All work well.

ken

I concur. I'm a newby, so take it in that light, but my bench is a very simple one, with a good face vise and a rather simple planing stop on one end. It serves me very well, and unless I'm planning to build very large pieces I really don't think I'll need much more than it can provide.

I kind of learned that lesson at the very beginning. I bought a cheap workbench from Lowes(?) or somewhere; can't remember. It was all I could afford and it has two cheap vices, one on the left front and one on the right end of the bench. The vices are made with a huge block of wood and are what came with the table but I don't use them a whole lot. My only complaint is that the dog holes are not a standard size (they are smaller) so I can't use most accessories with it.

I may build another bench as I would really like to use holdfasts for holding and do away with vices. If I do it will probably be 2x4 construction and plywood or MDF top.

I don't want or need a beautiful piece of furniture for a bench. They usually end up covered in stuff anyway.

Thanks for the article link Ken.

I built mine out of 2x4s laminated the top with the boards edge up. I would not trade that kind of solid, stable platform for anything. But all I need is a solid surface to work with, and a solid vise to hold things.
Mine is outside, treated with Thompson's Water Seal. It is already patina-ing quite well.

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Ken,

It can be whatever works for you but you need to build based on the type of ww'ing you do. And keep in mind you're style of ww'ing may change. If you do hand plane, then there are certain design features you will want like bench dogs.

Some people consider the bench I sort of "rite of passage" like the first tool chest or tool cabinet.

Just keep to some basic principles: top at least 2 1/2" thick, a stout base assembled with timber frame type joinery.

That being said, for some of us, maybe after using our first bench for a while, we have an "ultimate" workbench in mind.

For me, after many years of working on the simplest of benches and rudimentary vices, I decided a Scandinavian (Frank Klausz) bench was ideal for me because I do lots of hand joinery and hand planing.

My first "step up" was a bench made of a section of bowling alley with just a face and end vice.
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I finally got around to building the Scand bench and it did not disappoint!



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It is perfectly possible to build a simple bench that will do 90% of what you ever want it to do. You will be happy if you get the fundamentals right:
It MUST have mass to resist movement due to forces applied.
The leg structure should resist movement.
It should be large enough for your projects.

After that the wood holding options are just icing on the cake. The icing can be very nice and save you considerable work time over the years as well has giving you holding options unobtainable in a simple bench.

The full Scandinavian tail vise with it's massive 5" square jaws opening 13" or so is like a front vise turned sideways with no impediment all the way to the floor. Todays fashion has thrown this away in favor of a small captured dog which was just an add on for the traditional vise. It is very easy to throw this modern creation away for a simplified bench.

Yet even a simple bench needs a front vise, after all it's supposed to be a bench, not a work table. You can build a traditional shoulder, which is actually very easy or go for the pegged pull out version or a bench vise. Only the shoulder or an angled pull out gives clearance to the floor.

The planing stop is most used and works best with a flat massive surface at a good height. Most benches are too low for todays man.
A simple dog will resist a lot of force. A parallel dog at the back of the bench gives you panel holding options and options to build low stop strips.

The leg frame pictured in the article won't be as stable as trestles equidistant to the floor but the mass of the legs helps to compensate and you can have a shelf. However it's a work bench, not a shelf bench.

So yes you can get 90% of the way easily following a few rules. That last 10% is a killer! A massive traditional tail vise is a lot of work, mine was; not least because I made it twice as long. The shoulder vise however is simple if you want full floor length usage. Yes it sticks out, so what!

Both methods of building work, you just have to decide if you want that last 10%!

WARNING: Your percentage may vary!

The main piece of wisdom that I would pass on to the first time bench builder is to make peace with the fact that this is not the last bench you will build. Once you have a few years on your first bench you will learn what you like and what you dislike about it. By the time you are ready for your next bench you will have developed a knowledge of what you want and tuned your skill to a point where you can build it.

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Originally Posted by glenn bradley

The main piece of wisdom that I would pass on to the first time bench builder is to make peace with the fact that this is not the last bench you will build. Once you have a few years on your first bench you will learn what you like and what you dislike about it. By the time you are ready for your next bench you will have developed a knowledge of what you want and tuned your skill to a point where you can build it.

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Glenn,

That was going to be my next point of advice, perfectly said. It ties into build it cheep, simple, and quickly then go to work making things.

BTW vises are over rated, while I enjoy using the face vises on a couple of my benches, one bench has no vises and works very well with just stops, battens and holdfasts.

ken

Bench? What bench?

Real woodworkers don't need a bench! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U7e...utu.be&t=1m19s

:D:D:D

Simon

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Originally Posted by ken hatch

This will be a repeat of my usual posts on building workbenches with reinforcement from Chris Schwarz. A short quote: "For the many-hundredth time last week, I explained the virtues of simple workbenches to a skeptical audience of 10 workbench builders. They weren’t having it. Their benches were sketched out with complex tail vises, multiple rows of dogs, twin-screw vises, quick-release vises and other assorted bench appliances..."

ken

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Can't the same be said in the context of simplicity of the sharpening set-ups people have? Or the huge number of handsaws or chisels or planes or (fill in the blank) some people hoard?

I see nothing wrong with people having very complex benches or set-ups or ways of doing things as long as they (have the money and) enjoy them. The wide spectrum of woodworking means there is no one right solution including what makes a good workbench. Traditional Japanese woodworkers in general don't use a workbench at all.

Simon

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Originally Posted by Simon MacGowen

Can't the same be said in the context of simplicity of the sharpening set-ups people have? Or the huge number of handsaws or chisels or planes or (fill in the blank) some people hoard?

I see nothing wrong with people having very complex benches or set-ups or ways of doing things as long as they (have the money and) enjoy them. The wide spectrum of woodworking means there is no one right solution including what makes a good workbench. Traditional Japanese woodworkers in general don't use a workbench at all.

Simon

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Simon,

The original thread is about first time builders. I hope this post isn't taken as advocating everyone wearing woodworking Mao jackets. It's in response to both the CS post and posts I've read over the years from first time builders concerns over vises, wood, design, and so on. BTW, I've been down the road a few times, I once drove 2400 miles round trip because that was the closest SYP and I "knew" that was the best wood for my bench build. My benches have had metal face vises, leg vises, wood screw vises, tail vises, wagon vises, no vises and so on. I've done solid slabs, glue up slabs, and split slabs, Bases have been too heavy to move to lighter portable bases, both work. I've built sliding deadmen into the bench and made bench jacks as well as English style aprons. The one thing I've learned from all the builds is simple works better and for the most part type of wood makes no never mind. Of course as with all things wood, YMMV.

Glenn posted the bottom line: The only way to find what you like is to build and work on the bench. I've seen too many posts of folks taking months or even years to build a bench. Unless your woodworking goal is building a bench to impress, what a waste of time for several reasons. The first is more than likely many of the bells and whistles will at best be in the way or more likely drive you barking at the moon crazy after a while. Another is all require time that could be spent making something other than a bench.

ken

My advise is simple, BUILD IT. My biggest regret on building my newer bench 8 years ago was spending 2+ years agonizing on what the design should be. It's called paralysis by analysis and is seriously detrimental to woodworking progress. If you are not happy with whatever you build either modify the result or build a new one. All along you have to realize that nothing you make will be perfect for every situation and every project or operation. I have 3 benches in my bench room, a 24" x 48" sharpening bench with drawers underneath, 32" x 74" assembly and finishing bench with a shelf for clamps underneath, and my main 24" x 90" workbench. Each is useful and totally unlike the other.

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Originally Posted by Dave Anderson NH

My advise is simple, BUILD IT. My biggest regret on building my newer bench 8 years ago was spending 2+ years agonizing on what the design should be.

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Nothing I have built, furniture or shop aids, using machines or hand tools has gone through a design phase that is longer than a month, including the completion of prototypes! If a design needs a client's input or approval in the case of someone who builds for a living, then it is a different story.

In fact, I have built nothing that took me a month long of work (240 hours) to complete, not counting stock preparation and waiting or idle time (glue up to dry and finishing to cure). If i work 8 to 10 hours straight in a row, I can complete most projects within a week. Of course, I seldom do and with breaks for day time work and time away from home, most are done in a month or two.

2 years on a design sounds more like indecision than analysis to me.

Simon

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dave Anderson NH

My advise is simple, BUILD IT. My biggest regret on building my newer bench 8 years ago was spending 2+ years agonizing on what the design should be. It's called paralysis by analysis and is seriously detrimental to woodworking progress. If you are not happy with whatever you build either modify the result or build a new one. All along you have to realize that nothing you make will be perfect for every situation and every project or operation. I have 3 benches in my bench room, a 24" x 48" sharpening bench with drawers underneath, 32" x 74" assembly and finishing bench with a shelf for clamps underneath, and my main 24" x 90" workbench. Each is useful and totally unlike the other.

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I suffer from that. As well as too much research before taking action.