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Thread: very simple workbench?

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
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    Virginia
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    1,209
    I built a Nicholson over the summer, and I like it a lot. No vise, which saves you a fair amount of money.

    Nicholson is pretty simple as it is. What is there is there for a reason.

    Watch Mike Siemsen’s free video on YouTube before you buy the plans. If you build from the plans, pay particular attention to the leg assemblies. They really are the heart of the bench.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Longview WA
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    4. If you want to use a hand plane on stuff you are going to need a heavy bench. Or a big pile of concrete on the low shelf of a light bench. Just build what you can and then pile your anvil collection on the lower shelf.
    The only quibble is the heavy bench part. A bench with a well designed base can be fairly light and not move.
    A bench can be easily counterweighted at the base, or fixed to the floor (or wall).
    The ability of a bench to remain rigid and not move is a recurring topic. In my case the difficulty was trying to join the edge of 8' boards on a 5' bench. This is a light weight bench. It has been very useful on many projects. The design is rather simple. It has served my needs well enough that my plans for building a bench are going to pretty much follow the basics provided by this bench.

    A simple solution to correct the problems with my light bench was to add a 5 gallon bucket and a bag of cement to the tail end:

    Bench Bucket Cement.jpg

    The bench would often tip from the weight of planing to the end of the board.

    Other folks used other methods to correct the same issues:

    https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?119667

    Before doing this my bench would walk or tip often in use. Since adding the bucket of cement it has been quite stable.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Edmond, Oklahoma
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    Brian,

    If cost is a factor, I have a suggestion that is cheap and is what I used years ago. It was a better bench than I have now, because my current bench is planks on sawhorses in the back yard, and the planks aren't very long. It was stable and solid and I emphasize again it was CHEAP.

    We were remodeling our first house, and replacing the cheap cabinets. I took some of the old base cabinets down into the basement, put screws through one face frame into the next face frame to secure them together then used shims between the cabinets at the top and back to square them up. I think they totalled to about 7' long. Once they were soundly together, I cut a 3/4" piece of particle board in half lenthwise to make two pieces that were 2'X8'. I then glued them together to form a top 2'X8' by about 1.5" thick. I think I used nails maybe to act as clamps, and then nailed that to the old cabinets for a bench top. I worked on that "bench" for about 7 years if I recall. It had plenty of shortcomings, but was strong and a lot better than planks on sawhorses.

    It was quite stable, strong, and REALLY CHEAP.

    If I had it to do over I would have bought the particle board and maybe 2 sheets of 1/4"of masonite, and perhaps some plywood. I would have laminated a foot of plywood on the outside edges that overlapped the bench by about 4." Thus, I would have to cut one of the pieces of plywood about 8" narrower than the other piece to allow an 8" overlap of the plywood with on layer of the particle board.

    It would take some shiming material of some sort to get the doubled plywood to the same thickness as the doubled particle board. I would not butt the plywood up against the particle board, rather I would overlap one piece of the ply over a few inches of the particle board to add strength to the top along the edge. I would also laminate the 1/4" masonite in the center of the plywood/particle board and then glue masonite to the top and bottom faces. I would then cut a 2X4 and mill a slot in it and would mill the plywood to form a tenon to fit into the 2X4 section as a tennen running lengthwise in the mortise of the 2X4. This would be sandwiched between the top and bottom pieces of the masonite. This would be the side of the top facing out and over the top of the cabinets to form a nice, non-splintering face to the top.

    Thus, the top in the center of the bench top would be laminated as: masonite (bottom face), particle board, masonite, particle board, masonite. The transition between the center of the top and the edge would be laminated as: masonite, particle board, masonite, shim for correct thickness, plywood, and masonite. The outside laminated part of the top would be masonite, plywood/ shimming, plywood, masonite, plywood shimming, plywood, and masonite. The edge of the top would be: masonite/2X4 section cut to the correct thickness to fit, and masonite.

    The overlap of the top past the old cabinets gives you something to clamp to, and if you choose to use 1X4 or 1X6 pine instead of the plywood, you could drill dog holes in that.

    For edge planing clamp a couple 1' long sections of 4X4 to the ends of the bench top with the lumber to be edged standing up between then two 4X4s. You can clamp the outside ends of the 4X4s together around the upright board you are edge planing, so it won't move.

    This is a very stable and solid set up, as I recall. It would not move. I should not move during planing. The old cabinets had 3/4" frames.

    How to do this CHEAP: Check around by asking at lumber yards, who does kitchen remodelling. Ask them to let you know when they have to do a job replacing base cabinets, where the existing cabinets are fairly strongly made but look pretty sad, and the owner just wants to replace them with much nicer cabinets. You should be able to get the old ones for free just to haul them off, or for dirt cheap if they want some money from them.

    Of course an alternative to the laminated top would be 2X8s laminated together or something similar.

    This type of top can be pretty darn flat if you are careful. One way to get it pretty flat is to level the cabinets carefully as you screw them together, then do the lamination right on the cabinets. I nailed the laminated particle board to the cabinets if I remember correctly, and that worked fine, as the particle board will not hold a screw, so if you use screws you will want to counter sink a bit and go through the top, and down into the frames of the old cabinets.

    If you have room, I would put the drawers facing to the back of the cabinets so you don't have to fight opening them to get tools underneath the overhanging top in the front and on the ends.

    Just my 2 bits. At the time I did the bench that way because we had very little money at the time. Also, with a more servisable top, such as laminated 2X4 stock, it would be a cheap and yet serviable bench for several years.

    egards,

    Stew
    Last edited by Stew Denton; 10-08-2019 at 11:55 PM.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    Gloucester, MA
    Posts
    12
    20190416_160935.jpg

    I'm also new to woodworking but this is what I built just out of scrap lumber I had around

  5. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by David E. Hutchins View Post
    20190416_160935.jpg

    I'm also new to woodworking but this is what I built just out of scrap lumber I had around
    David,

    Looks functional. My first woodworking workbench IIRC was built back in the '70's and was still in use in my shop uptil a couple of years ago. I replaced it with a small Moravian bench and moved it to the back garden where it now functions as a shabby chic grill work table. Long way around to, in twenty or more years that sucker may still be useable.

    ken

  6. Quote Originally Posted by David E. Hutchins View Post
    20190416_160935.jpg

    I'm also new to woodworking but this is what I built just out of scrap lumber I had around
    Very nice start. Worth keeping around, maybe as a sharpening station or some such, when you decide you need/want a bigger bench. Should work well in the meantime.

    Well done!
    Fair winds and following seas,
    Jim Waldron

  7. #22
    There are quite a few easy workbench builds on YouTube. Paul Sellers has a couple of good ones. Jay Bates has a pretty simple one that gets the job done. Rex Krueger has a low one that's sort of a modern, cheap imitation of a Roman Bench, but it's very cheap and easy to build.
    This is only a small sampling of YouTube benches. You could spend a week or so just viewing bench making videos.

    Like others have said, this may be your first bench, but likely not your last. Just build something simple and easy, then make notes for what you want for your next bench build.

    Allen

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
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    12,120
    IF you have ever seen my build alongs, you will have seen my bench...
    Ash Project Start, inventory.JPG
    Main part was made in a Sunday afternoon, from Dumpster dive items....then a "pipe clamp" leg vise was added, then a end vise...and a crochet. Now has a shelf and cabinet underneath the top..

    Been in use a LONG time......got tired of a 1 x 12 screwed to a pair of sawhorses...what is left of that mess, is a shelf to store tools and boxes on...

    Computer desk top, cleaned bench.JPG
    This is a WORK BENCH, not a piece of furniture....every mark on it tells a story.

  9. #24
    I'd recommend starting with the Woodgears simple workbench.
    https://woodgears.ca/workbench/build.html
    Enjoy it a bit, and later make a better bench.

    For workholding, you can drill dog holes and use a holdfast.
    I really like the Lee Valley screwdown holdfast--secure, precise, and quiet.
    You can also use the holdfast instead of a light-duty vise if you have dog holes for the front surface.

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
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    There are many ways to hold work without a vise:

    https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?223428

    A couple are mentioned there.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  11. #26
    I've not mentioned building a Moravian bench as an easy first bench mostly because I would expect an eye roll and a "there he goes again" response. Problem is I've looked at and followed the links and with the exception of using Workmates and Matt Lau's link the Moravian bench is easier to build and an order of magnitude better in use than most. At the end of the day with a Moravian if your joints are not "perfect" it makes no never mind because the design will compensate. In fact the major joint, the long stretcher/base M/T must be loose.

    Here is a link to a PDF of Will building his first Moravian bench https://eclecticmechanicals.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/themoravianworkbenchbywillmyers.pdf .







  12. #27
    I had to split the post because the link function was messing up.

    Here is a link to the Will Myers video:

    https://store.woodandshop.com/product/dvd-building-the-moravian-workbench-will-myers/



  13. #28
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Millersburg (Holmes County - Amish Country) Ohio
    Posts
    214
    I do have a bench that I've been using for my jewelry making (no this isn't your standard curved jeweler's bench) and it's something I bought off of Amazon.
    It's steel adjustable frame with a 1-1/8" thick PARTICLE wood top.

    My question is could I just use this? I'm concerned over a very short time that will shred on me, being particle board.

    I did think of gluing a nice 3/4" birch plywood top on it and hang a 2x12 off the front and call it a day.

    Would the particle board be ok or am I just asking for trouble?

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
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    12,120
    Next trip into Columbus, OH along Rt 23 (High street), just north of Worthington, OH...there is a large Menard's store. They sell thick (1-1/2" or 2") hardwood benchtop planks....usually several types of wood styles...you may need help, carrying one out to the car/van/truck....might be worth the trip?

    They are solid in that they are made up of 2 x 2 square "sticks", all glued up into a single panel...
    They also sell 3-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 8' non-treated Pine posts...that one can cobble into a decent set of legs, add a 2 x6 for the stretchers....and maybe add a shelf, too...
    day trip to Columbus....day or two to build the bench...by Monday, or Tuesday...be working away on a new bench.

  15. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Sommers View Post
    I do have a bench that I've been using for my jewelry making (no this isn't your standard curved jeweler's bench) and it's something I bought off of Amazon.
    It's steel adjustable frame with a 1-1/8" thick PARTICLE wood top.

    My question is could I just use this? I'm concerned over a very short time that will shred on me, being particle board.

    I did think of gluing a nice 3/4" birch plywood top on it and hang a 2x12 off the front and call it a day.

    Would the particle board be ok or am I just asking for trouble?
    Brian,

    I went back and re-read your original post to make sure you want a woodworking bench. If I can read, sometimes a question, you do. If that is the case the short answer is yes you are asking for trouble. Any sheet goods for a top will not work as well as solid wood.

    With a little thought and planning a very inexpensive bench can be built using construction grade wood, a bench that will work with you, not against and will last for years. Because I've built a few and worked on many benches it is easy to spot the weakness of many of the plans. The two that I think are the best for a first time builder are those from Mike Siemsen (The Naked Woodworker) and Will Myers (https://store.woodandshop.com/produc...ch-will-myers/).

    ken

    ken

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