Contributor
Dan I agree with you that a shoulder vice is a big intrusion into the shop. I would not go that way. I have a big end vice that lets me plane pieces up to about 6 ft in length. My first version was the Veritas Twin Screw but found that wanting and custom built a much sturdier one that has no handle to poke me in the shorts. It opens almost 4 feet so no need for any dog holes.
Contributor
I read your post a couple times. My $.02Originally Posted by Dan McGonigle
1) Yep, just get to building it. Dont stress about whether it will come out 'perfect', because over time what is perfect for you is likely to drift a little. My first bench was 2x4's and plywood top from an article. With a steel vice. It worked great and is still in use by a friend to this day. Then I built a big roubo. Then another 2x4 bench. Then one 100% MDF. Then bought a little harbor freight off CL for the kids and use it often myself. So Im just saying, build one. Use it. Then build another some day. Thats my advice. (although I concede I enjoy building more than I enjoy planning, and others do get immense enjoyment out of planning and executing perfectly).
2) Build the top first (set it up on saw horses). Or even better, build a bench from 2x4's and plywood to build your bench on, then you will have two..... Or if you dont feel like buidling the top first, build the base first. (really... .it doesnt matter but I am of the mind to get a big thick slab made and flat then while upside down, attaching legs).
3) Begin with a plan. You are well on your way for this
4) Things I would do differently.... I would probably use two rows of dog holes and a twin screw vice on the end. Although I use the wagon vice a lot. Also I used the traditional benchcrafted leg vice hardware. I would prefer the scissor version. Mine is a split top and in theory I could slide chisels,etc in the seam when not in use, but in practice they just sit on the benchtop. I did invest in some hold downs and would do that again. Mine was all from a pile of air dried elm that was off the family land. Squirrely stuff... and caused some grief. But I would do it again because it needs a lot of lumber and some of the air dried stuff is cheap off CL. So next step for you might be figuring out the source and type of lumber. I dont think it matters all that much, so go with what you can get your fingers on...
I want to build a moxon to put the work surface higher when cutting dovetails etc. I did build a shooting board to sit on it with 90 and 45 angles. Do both of those.
Most importantly, POST PICTURES of your plan and progress.
Member
I'd agree that the question is the shoulder vise of the Scandinavian/Frid/Klaus style bench. It can either be exactly what you want, or in the way all the time. It is reinforced with a piece of threaded steel rod embedded in the bench. If you want to be able to reconsider its installation, you might want to drill each board during lamination of the top to make a path for the rod, but not put it in permanently at that time.
This could allow you to make the bench with shoulder vise, but to unbolt and remove it if you so desired.
Member
The main advantage of a shoulder vise which is unobstructed clamping of a vertical board.
Shoulder vises are not used for face planing boards. They are neither situated nor suited for use with dogs.
12" or so of extension is only an intrusion in the smallest of workspaces.
Contributor
Benches are a very personal thing. The most difficult decisions for me were the height of the bench and the method of assembling the legs.
I ended up with a 36" high bench even though I'm not excessively tall (5' 8"). It allows me to work on it without bending over very much. I should add that I am primarily a power tool user but I find the height for me allows me to use hand planes and do chiseling work easily also.
I ended up assembling the legs with 1/2" threaded rods. I worried that, over time, they would loosen up but they haven't and, of course, I can always tighten the nuts on one or both ends also. In the end it was an easy solution. I wish I could find the article where I got the idea, but I believe it was in Fine Woodworking at least 10 years ago.
Member
About 4-5 years ago I was at a Lie-Nielsen "event " in Calgary. There was a guy at the show with his bench and a huge tool chest that he had made full of every last Lie-Nielsen tool made. I talked to him for a while about his bench and he told me it was his 13th or 14th bench. I will never have that much time.
Contributor
I figured if the Lie Nielsen bench design was good enough for TLN, then it was good enough for me, so I built a copy of it. I did enhance the base, but I used the LN hardware, and am very happy with it.
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Contributor
Those that have advised you to assess what work you do and how you go about doing it are very wise.
The only vise I have on my bench is an end vise which stretches across the width (or depth depending on how you look at it) the bench. Then I put 2 rows of dog holes in line from the end the vise is on. I find that this setup allows me to clamp down wood for hand work as well as holding wood for power tool work. But that's just me. Your work and use of the bench might be much different. So, go with what you will use it for.
That goes for bench height also. As I said before, I made my bench 36" high because that was the height I found comfortable to work at. Try and find the height that works for you.
While you may want to emulate a particular type of bench or bench design, try to figure out what features on that bench work for you and your work. Then ignore the rest. They won't help you in the end if you don't use them.
As for the base, spending a lot of time chopping out mortise and tenon joints may give you satisfaction. If so, go for it. If not, find something that's less time consuming to do and use that method of joining the base together and spend your time using the finished product.
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