First Workbench - Feedback Welcome!

[Matt Wong]

Happy new year folks!

Here is a workbench that I built over the last week. Its not too pretty (esp. the legs) but Im just happy I have somewhere to do projects now. About me: Im 27 and Ive been working as an apprentice carpenter for 3 years now. I dont have much in terms of woodworking tools, but I saved up and bought a planer for this project so that I at least only have to joint my rough boards by hand, and the rest of the dimensioning will be on the planer and table saw.

Materials used for my workbench:

Bench top- 24x72 pre-built maple bench top from Lee Valley (1.75” thick, cut down to 60”)
Apron- two pieces 5/4 cherry 2 pcs laminated (2” finished)
Jaw- 8/4 cherry (1.75” finished)
Vise- Veritas quick release front vise
Legs- 2x4 SPF straight ones, posts are 3-1/8” by 4-1/4” finished size

Some questions about my workbench:

1. Dog holes- Less is more at the beginning right? Im planning on just putting two holes at one end for a planing stop, and I was planning on putting a few in line with my front vise- but havent figured out spacing yet. Will I be okay drilling 3/4” dog holes into my 1-3/4” jaw?
2. Attaching apron to bench top- Sooo I attached the apron to the bench top with glue and dowels. I attached a pic. With wood movement over the seasons, I am worried now that I shouldnt have used dowels. Is the apron going to split on me because of temp./humidity changes?
3. Currently the top is not fastened to the legs. I've just clamped it for the time being until I figure out the appropriate method. After doing some research here, I've heard lots of people recommend mortise/tenon (with / and without glue), dowels, and z-clips/figure-8. I think the easiest route for me would be the z-clips. I'm open to any and all suggestions! How is your workbench secured?

If you read all that, thank you! I appreciate any feedback/tips etc.

-Matt

[Andrew Hughes]

Looks like a great first bench Matt.
My current bench has dowels that hold the top to the base I think they are 3/8.

[Ron Citerone]

Very nice! I have made 3 benches roughly 24W X 60L. My stingers/top rails are 2 3/4 wide and I ran 1/2" bolts through the stringers with the heads counterbored on the bench top. While it is a little unsightly, it allows for top removal in case I want to transport them.

[Ron Citerone]

If you look at the walnut server pic I just posted, you can look closely under the foot of the cabinet and see one of the counterbored bolt that holds the bench top to the bench rail.

[William Fretwell]

Matt, not sure why you cut the top down as you seem to have space for it. The front apron will benefit from deeper support behind it, you can add some wood. Again the front apron is cut down more than the bench, also odd.
As for fixing the top, turn the bench upside down and drill 3/4” holes through the stretchers into but not through the top. Use dowels, two at the front and one at the back. Elongate the back hole in the top for wood movement.
No rush to add dogs, just do it as you go based on need.
It should be a great first bench.

[Lee Schierer]

Matt, I like your bench. I'm working toward building a moveable bench for my shop once my RAS goes away. Did you have plans or drawings you worked from? I am very interested in the locking casters you show in the photos. What material did you use for the base pieces?

[Matt Wong]

Andrew- thank you for your kind words sir!

Ron - for the 1/2" bolts, what did you pre-drill with? I'd be worried about splitting my top rails which are only 1-3/8"

William- I will add some wood for supporting the front apron, nice catch! As for the top and apron being short? I cut the top down to 60" because I live in a shared space and didn't want to take an excessive amount of space. I used a 48" cherry apron because well- that's all I had and it was Xmas Eve and everywhere was closed and I wanted to get started haha. I knew I only had a week off until work started again, so I chose to opt for a shorter apron so that I could get the workbench done in time. Kind of dumb I know but oh well. As for drilling 3/4" holes through my stretchers into the bottom of the top- I like that idea but if my stretchers are only 1-3/8" thick, would that be strong enough? Drilling makes me nervous, I always think Im going to split the wood. Drilling into my beautiful cherry pieces for the vise was a very stressful process at first, I delayed it as long as I could because I was afraid of messing up these pieces I had been working on for two days hah. Anyways thanks for the advice!

Lee- Thank you! I will be working in the carpeted basement and shared space so being able to move my bench is key. I knew it was going to be heavy so wheels were a must. I didn't want those cheaper wheels that we are accustomed to seeing, where the wheel always touches the ground and theres a button to make them seize up and stop moving. The caster wheels I invested in were really pricey ($100 CAD for a set!), but what they do is lift the bench up off the ground by 3/4" when it's rolling, and when you want to drop it back down, it's as simple as releasing the 4 levers at each wheel. Here is the link for it on Amazon (Canadian) https://www.amazon.ca/POWERTEC-17000...c+caster+wheel The first time I saw that type of caster wheel was a product by Rockler, if I'm not mistaken. But I couldn't get it here in Canada so I opted for the Canadian version :P

As for plans- I didn't really work from any plans per se. But I did copy and adapt the design of the legs from this youtube video, but I changed a few things to fit with my vise and my materials. I think I tripled up the posts whereas he only uses two. And for the top, I didn't want a SPF top, so I opted for a hard maple top for more stability over time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM3oCXcyxoA&t=760s

[Robert Engel]

I think the dog holes will be ok. I'm using the same vise as an end vise with a 2" chop & haven't had an issue. You could offset the dog holes to leave 1" material behind the dog.

You probably won't have an issue with the apron. Looks like a climate controlled environment. A better way to attach would have been a dowel at top combined with lag bolts through elongated holes.

My bench is secured with lag bolts through the trestle cross braces into the bottom of the top.

Nice job!!

PS you might want to consider adding a board to the legs flush with apron with series of dog holes. Combined with the clamp, this gives you edge clamping capability.

[William Fretwell]

Matt just double up the 2x4 at the top stretchers, glued and screwed to give you some width. You can then drill your 3/4 inch holes. I would use a Forster bit for control.

[Ron Citerone]

[QUOTE=Matt Wong;2882768]Andrew- thank you for your kind words sir!

Ron - for the 1/2" bolts, what did you pre-drill with? I'd be worried about splitting my top rails which are only 1-3/8"

Matt, I put a spade bit in a drill press and drilled the bench top just deep enough so the head of the bolt would be slightly below the top of the workbench. Then, used a smaller spade bit, the diameter of the bolt to drill through. Large spade bit first/ followed by the smaller one.

If splitting is your worry, I believe a 3/8 Dia bolt would be plenty.

[Tom Bender]

Hi Matt
That's much better than my first bench, but then you are a carpenter, I was a hack car mechanic.

After you trip over those wheels a few times you will probably take the front ones off, or maybe move them to the inside, under the bench.

You will find so many uses for that notch where you ran short of cherry that it will probably turn into the next hot tip in bench design.

End overhang is really handy for clamping things. A top that is 1.75" thick can be left unsupported 6" without worry, and it is really handy.

[David Utterback]

Hi Matt,
Someone has holdfasts for sale on the Classifieds forum. They have 5/8" shafts but it sounds like you have not drilled holes yet. Holdfasts are about the simplest bench clamp. I have a pair and love them. You can bore holes in your apron to extend support of materials in your vice. You are off to a great start.