Workbench based on Popular Woodworking design

[Paul Bombardt]

I finally found the time to complete a good workbench for my shop. I used a design published in Popular Woodworking about 18 months ago.

The workbench is 30" wide by 84" long and is crafted of ash, walnut and cherry all harvested and milled on my farm. The bench top consists of two 12" wide solid pieces about 3" thick created by laminating the wood on edge. The center of the bench consists of 5 tool trays that can be inverted to provide a flat bench surface across the entire width of the bench. The trays have two with walnut bottoms and ash butterfly inlays, and three trays have end to end decorative joints between ash and cherry. A 24" LV twin screw vise rounds out the bench. The rails are dovetail and knockdown wedged dovetails of walnut and cherry, and are flush to the face of the bench to allow support from floor to bench top with dogs and the vise. The bench weighs over 200 pounds but by removing about 10 bolts, it can be knocked down flat into multiple pieces.

I've decided I like working on this bench more than the 2' x 8' piece of mdf that I had on 3 sawhorses!

[Adam Cormier]

Wow, great job on the workbench! It will look even nicer with some dings in it!

[Lex Boegen]

That's not a workbench--that's furniture. That looks better than any table in my living room (or any other room). Kudos!

[Andrew Schlosser]

that is a rocking cool workbench. I think the flip over idea for the middle boxes is cool (wonder how much use they will get in reality), but love the glueup colors!

incidentally, I almost put some "factory-made" scratches into the similar looking end grain cutting board I just gave to my father in law, to encourage him to use it and not hang it on the wall.

[Trever Williams]

That is one handsome workbench! I really like the contrasting colors. I would love to build a nice workbench like that some day, but I don't think I would build it that nice. I just don't think I could bring myself to use it for woodworking!

[Jeff Hamilton Jr.]

That is a REALLY nice interpretation of Bob Lang's 21st Century Bench! Good job on the build.

Are you going to put planks on the bottom for the shelf btwn the stretchers or just leave it open?

[Van Huskey]

That is one of the prettiest bench I have seen, to pretty for me to work on though, I am sloppy and mega tough on a bench, but I would love to have it in my shop!

[Dave MacArthur]

Really nice workbench, beautiful.

What's your theory on putting the twin-screw "end vise" on the face? I ask because I'm in the process of working out my design for first real bench, and I'm left handed... I've always gotten the feeling while planing on other folk's benches that they're set up wrong, but couldn't really say for sure what the optimal vise setup for me would be. I've got "The Workbench Book" etc., but didn't find my answer in there, it looks like you may have given vise placement some good thoughts?
Thanks, and super nice!

[Gary Lange]

That is almost a dining room table. Very nice work.

[Paul Bombardt]

All,
Thanks for the positive responses. As to it being too nice to work on- my position is why not work on a thing of beauty? We raised draft horses for working on the farm, and everyone in the horse business agrees that it is better to have a beautiful one rather than an ugly one if you are going to sit behind them all day long! One other thing I forgot to mention in the description was that I just used boiled linseed oil as the finish, that way I can easily sand or replane any mega scratches and dents out should the need arise, and wipe on some more oil to refinish it.

[Paul Bombardt]

Jeff,
I had planned to put the planks on the bottom but once I put it together, it seemed like the distance between the top and bottom rails was kind of narrow to be reaching in and out for items. Also, since I seem to spend inordinate amounts of time sweeping and vacuuming my shop, despite a Clear-Vue cyclone and two shop vacs, it seemed like it would be easier to sweep the floor, rather than another shelf. I found the back top rail nicely holds my parallel jaw and F-clamps, and since I don't use them daily, squeezing them out from under the bench doesn't seem too onerous just yet.

[Paul Bombardt]

Dave,
I have no theory. I'm a complete novice about workbenches, and simply followed Bob Lang's plan and advice. I also have the workbench book, and noted the discrepancy, but in the video I purchased, he talked about having the whole front of the bench to act as a backstop for work that could be held by the vise. By adding dog holes to the top of the outside vise chop, and using dog holes on the bench, one can also hold work on the flat top, somewhat similar to the use of an end vise. I am right handed and have found that holding the work on the left end of the bench works well for me, especially when handplaning. You might consider swapping it to the right end of the bench.

Oh, the other reason I liked it on the front of the bench was my original plan was to have the bench with the back against a wall, between my cyclone on the left, and my sliding miter saw on the right, using the bench as an extension for the miter saw. After rearranging that end of my shop, I decided to put the right end of the bench against the wall so I can work on both sides. The vise location still seems to work well in this configuration.

[Jeff Hamilton Jr.]

Really nice workbench, beautiful.

What's your theory on putting the twin-screw "end vise" on the face? I ask because I'm in the process of working out my design for first real bench, and I'm left handed... I've always gotten the feeling while planing on other folk's benches that they're set up wrong, but couldn't really say for sure what the optimal vise setup for me would be. I've got "The Workbench Book" etc., but didn't find my answer in there, it looks like you may have given vise placement some good thoughts?
Thanks, and super nice!

What Paul just said . . . Lang makes it very clear in his video of the bench why that big twin-screw is better on the face rather than the end.

Here is an in-progress set of pics of my "left-hand" version:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...59403#poststop

**I just noticed that the pic's don't show the vises on yet, but my twin screw is on the RIGHT and the Groz 9" quick release is in the end vise position, same plank, to the left.

So far it's been GREAT to work with.

[Troy Turner]

Great looking bench and I like your theory of it might as well look good if you're going to look at it all day

So when's the first piece supposed to hit the bench and break it in?

[Paul Bombardt]

Already broken in. Working on some kitchen knives as well as making some additional parallel jaw wood clamps. Next project is a tool cabinet for my hand planes and other hand tools. Still thinking about the design.