Choosing workbench construction

[Alexander Zagubny]

Alexander/William - With the limited work space available, would a splayed leg design like the Moravian design create more issues for standing and working from the left side of the bench? Agreed that the Moravian bench seems to provide lots of design flexibility for this particular situation, but I am wondering about a splayed leg intruding into that left side where you would stand. I almost think a straight legged Ruobo style with the vise mounted on the left side would work as well or better. Alexander - I have a 4" thick split top Ruobo bench top and the Tools For Working Wood brand holdfasts work well without any back boring of the holdfast holes. My split top pieces are M&T onto the top of the legs and the opposite ends of the split top pieces are secured with large screws through slotted holes in the upper stretchers and into the bottom of the bench top. The Ruobo style can be built in a take down fashion by connecting the long lower stretchers to the legs with bolts rather than permanent glueing. The short end stretchers would be glued. Your call whether a split top or one piece would be best. Split top is definitely lighter to move around and provides a place for material clamping if required, but maybe with a smaller bench only, a single piece top would be more useful.

I'm leaning towards angled legs because leg vise and structural stability will benefit of it. I was sold once I thought about vise block requirement for straight one.

About holdfasts, I'm not sure that mine will work. Will Veritas holddowns work?

David, thanks for sharing the way of building mobile Ruobo style bench! Really useful for me to understand how different types of benches are built.
For clamping I would prefer holdfasts to clamps through the split.


While writing the answer, I calculated that 4" (100 mm) thick bench top from oak will weight about 70 kg (154 lb). I won't be able to assemble it on my own. And I'll have to move the board several times during the build process. That makes me think twice before choosing that way.

[Alexander Zagubny]

Sjobergs

For the top, I'd keep the plywood top for now...flat, stable, don't over think it.
Use your bench to make a better bench down the road.

Well, not exactly. It's not flat despite my attempts to flatten it (I don't want to go through glue layer). And not sturdy enough, it flexes while planing. And I can't properly attach front vise. Eh, I'm talking like I want to have solid thick bench top...

Ack! Sorry. Coffee kicking in.

Alex, I like your setup and may copy it.
As for a vise, I guess that you know your needs better than I.

You may want to consider getting a patternmaker's vise if you do small things.
I'm saving up for the Stewmac one after I build my workbench (which won't be as nice as yours).
https://woodgears.ca/workbench/build.html

For my top, I have a maple laminated slab that's 40"x1.75x 18.5".
My workbench will be 34" high and optimized for guitar building and small stuff (speaker boxes, knife handles, etc).
Aside from a patternmaker's vise, I'm not sure what vise I'd need for guitars....maybe a moxon thing?

The only thing constructive that I can add is that you are sorely lacking a good holdfast.
Try the Lee Valley screwdown one (if you value silence) or the Grammercy one (if you like whacking things).
They will make your clamping life much easier.

I figure that I can build a full sized Nicholson hybrid down the road.

For now I mainly do small furniture, I have several projects I want to make for our apartment. Some spoon carving on occasion. Have no idea what I might do next

For small things I usually use end vise and now discovering wooden two screw clamp capabilities. Patternmakers vise looks like overkill for me and not sturdy enough. I've recently started "a resaw a day" morning exercise and I think my bench should be more solid.

I do have holddowns (Sjobergs) but would like to get Veritas eventually. Sjobergs always have handle in the way. I don't like noise partially because of working in apartment, partially because of me.

Nicholson style looks good especially if you can have right side available.

[Jim Koepke]

While writing the answer, I calculated that 4" (100 mm) thick bench top from oak will weight about 70 kg (154 lb). I won't be able to assemble it on my own. And I'll have to move the board several times during the build process. That makes me think twice before choosing that way.

You would be surprised what a person can move by themselves using care, body leverage and a fulcrum.

jtk

[Alexander Zagubny]

You would be surprised what a person can move by themselves using care, body leverage and a fulcrum.

jtk

Do you know some good fulcrum manufacturer? I need spare ones

I imagine it might be hard to get it from the floor to 40" height... Looks like I should add some saw horses to my build list.

[Matt Lau]

Sjobergs

Well, not exactly. It's not flat despite my attempts to flatten it (I don't want to go through glue layer). And not sturdy enough, it flexes while planing. And I can't properly attach front vise. Eh, I'm talking like I want to have solid thick bench top...



For now I mainly do small furniture, I have several projects I want to make for our apartment. Some spoon carving on occasion. Have no idea what I might do next

For small things I usually use end vise and now discovering wooden two screw clamp capabilities. Patternmakers vise looks like overkill for me and not sturdy enough. I've recently started "a resaw a day" morning exercise and I think my bench should be more solid.

I do have holddowns (Sjobergs) but would like to get Veritas eventually. Sjobergs always have handle in the way. I don't like noise partially because of working in apartment, partially because of me.

Nicholson style looks good especially if you can have right side available.

You're in Russia, right?
The Russian plywood I get is particularly great stuff, and only surpassed by Finish marine grade baltic ply or Appleply (American).
I'm surprised your plywood top isn't flat...but can understand the allure of a nice solid top.
1.5" should be thick enough.

As for getting a top high enough, Stan's technique was to build a trestle/leg base first.
He'd have the top in parts on top, and glue them up on top of the base.

But yeah, the Lee Valley screw down holdfasts are quick, unobtrusive, and silent.



If you get frustrated, you can resort to screwing the base together.

[Alexander Zagubny]

IMG_20181028_221420.jpg
I started putting it all together. Scale ruler played a bad trick on me and length of the bench first was drawn in wrong scale. Damn, I was about to make 2.4 meters long bench! And it looks much better than 1.5 m
I will probably will get lumber for the base first...

[Matt Lau]

Looks nice. Btw, you can get the layout and dimensions for the bench for free. https://woodandshop.com/moravianworkbench/

FWIW, I bought the DVD.
It's not a bad thing, but I found it frustratingly slow (since I don't have a ton of time).

Then again, I've been slowly moving to the dark side (power tools).

[Alexander Zagubny]

Thanks for pointing out to layout / dimensions!
Mine will have slight changes compared to that one including height, bolt-tightened stretchers, angled vise and shelf for shavings. If all goes good I will continue making drawing and plans for it and sharing plans with others will help me to keep them simple, organized and understandable.

I went nuts and bought all the lumber for the bench. I was curious about comparing prices, especially since I bought some American white oak but got difficulties understanding board foot. I first thought it measure of area
Overall I've spent about $500 for 0.28 cubic meter of oak, half European, half American. All in 2" thickness.

Now I need to rough cut boards to size and store them under my current bench. That including ripping white oak into halves, that was the only option to get bench top :-/

[David Eisenhauer]

Now that you have started, the hardest part of building a bench is over with . You are on the way to a new bench!

[Richard McComas]

Not sure if this is what your looking for but for an apartment something like this.....maybe.

https://youtu.be/fpQprRclcss

[Alexander Zagubny]

Thanks Richard, interesting video.
Although I'm certain about bench type, it will be Moravian-like. However I need to decide on some details like exact height and back side.

As for height, I currently have 40" table with vises and lift that affected my back in very positive way. However planing became different. I get used to it, but want to try 1-2" lower top. Going to cut leg of existing one and see how it will work out.
With back side, if I make legs flush, they will interfere with the molding and possibly with non-flat walls. Current solution I think about is detachable section 1-2" width that can also serve as tool slot.

And of course small details like criss-cross paired with mortise and bolt.

[Pat Barry]

You would be surprised what a person can move by themselves using care, body leverage and a fulcrum.

jtk

Einstein said, "give me a long enough lever and a fulcrum and I'll break it".

[Tom Bender]

When you go to a freestanding bench you are going to miss the stability the walls provided. Planing will make it move around unless it is pretty heavy. You might want to keep it clamped to the walls most of the time.

An apron will not be needed to strengthen a 4" top. You could just attach the legs like a big chair. Expansion problems solved.

[Matt Lau]

Having it braced to the wall will be greatly helpful, unless you're using Japanese/Chinese planes which can work on the pull.

Personally, I salute your commitment!
Especially considering that wood cost in Moscow is probably way higher than here.

[Alexander Zagubny]

Thanks Matt!

I was surprised to calculate approximate value for oak as under $5 per board foot (2 inches thickness). However salary might vary

I think optional attachment to the wall should not be a problem and can be easily added later.


Wood is stored under the current bench, I now have to rip oak (6 boards 5 feet long). For that saw bench would be useful, so I'm building one.

IMG_20181103_230558.jpg