Bench design / Plans

[NOTTNICK]

I have just moved house and have a great workshop space I am sorting out.
I need a workbench.
Looking online I have found some excellent plans but they all seem to be in imperial rather than metric.
I would find it nearly impossible to work in imperial and it will take a long time and be inconvenient to convert all measurements.
I could design my own, but if there are good plans to follow.....
I don't mind forking out a few quid.
Any suggestions as to where to look.
My internet searches all seem to end up in the USA.
This is the sort of design I fancy constructing.
http://www.plansnow.com/dn3094c.html
Thanks
Nick

 

[Brentingby]

If you find a plan you like, you could draw it in SketchUp with metric dimensions. You can enter them in imperial units and let SketchUp do the conversion. After it is drawn, you could make small adjustments to get to whole number dimensions.

 

[NOTTNICK]

Thanks
I like the idea, it certainly makes sense, but I have not quite got the hang of Sketchup (I've tried and I'm fairly savvy).
I'd rather spend time making bench than learning Sketchup.
Nick

 

[Brentingby]

Perhaps you could hire the plans done.

 

[LewisM]

Do you think that vice is home made? I'm also going to be building my first bench in Jan/Feb and am currently trying to find a vice for it (which by the way, I would definitely recommend doing before you draw up your plans).
The largest I can find is an old 10 1/2" Record on eBay, but I'm pretty sure it's going to go for around £80. Even then, that's got nothing on the monster that's on the bench you posted!

Edit - oops, I didn't notice this was a 2 month old thread...

 

[NOTTNICK]

I downloaded the plans.
It looks like the vice is home-made using kit parts.
Here's what Axminster have http://www.axminster.co.uk/veritas-front-vices-ax788046
I also attach a snip of the plans showing the vice section.

Hope that helps.
Nick

PS. I decided that to make a good workbench, I first needed a workbench! (Catch 22)
As I am really busy at the moment I bought a Sjoberg bench to keep me going. I got a good deal and it is really good. It'll last me until I have more time and will mean I can make the proper, larger bench to a high standard.

 

[LewisM]

Ahh ok, I didn't realise you could get kits like that!
How much did you pay for the bench out of interest? I'm quite lucky in that the college I'm studying at are letting me build one as my final project, so all I've got to pay for is the cost of the wood

 

[NOTTNICK]

It was about £400 with a storage unit + extras. Well made and more robust than it looks. It'll do me for now.
http://www.axminster.co.uk/sjobergs-hob ... h-ax932336
Please post a picture of yours when it's finished (use this thread so I get notification please).
Enjoy the project.
Nick

 

[Bm101]

PM Nick

 

[LewisM]

Fair enough, for £400 I think I probably would have just bodged something together until I could make one, although the 2 smart vices alone would have set you back pushing £200.

I'll definitely be posting pictures when mine is done!

PM Nick

Who do you mean?

 

[NOTTNICK]

I just moved house and have months of jobs to do so decided that as I am delaying the bench project, I'll just bite the bullet and buy one so I can get started. Fixed workbench left behind at last place, so had nothing. SWMBO wanted things done quickly! Needs must.

 

[condeesteso]

Nick, I don't think you need a bench to build a bench But a couple of saw horses or other supports will be needed mainly for top glue up. Re those plans I also don't think you need them. It's a solid stiff top and 4 legs, stretchers for stiffness, vices as preferred.
One thing I strongly dislike about that plan is the legs set back - never heard a single argument in favour of that yet I see it done very often. If the front legs are flush to top you create a whole clamping plane with the front face of the bench. This is massively useful with longer boards, doors, any bigger stuff. By the way I feel just the same about square dogs... why?? 3/4 round (19mm) gives you all the options: holdfasts, dogs, clamp-downs etc etc. Last thing, we are lucky in the UK to have an abundance of older Record vices (52, 52 1/2 etc) and just as an option tom consider, they are on eBay for around £30-40 all the time - very well made, near bomb-proof and a lot of very effective vice for very little cash.

 

[Bm101]

Lewis, PM = personal message. :wink:

Talking of benches... (Reconise an old friend Douglas? )

Posh B/W pic.... :|

Trestles from Aldi! No idea who's smoking and drinking around sharp tools. Don't tell the HSE.

 

[condeesteso]

Now i know why you needed hefty clamps Bm !! And a thing that HSE don't understand is that to build a proper bench you need baccy.
Pics when it's done please.

 

[BearTricks]

Mines 18mm mdf on top of Wickes PAR pine that was on offer. The pine was 34mm square so I just screwed four together to make 78mm square legs. Stretchers are all 34x74mm. It does the job and probably cost about 60 quid.

I needed something to put stuff on and didn't want to spend a ridiculous amount on something that may get damaged or left behind in frustration when we finally escape this terrible house.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

 

[LewisM]

Lewis, PM = personal message. :wink:

I know, I didn't realize the OP was called Nick
Although I'll admit you all seem to use acronyms I've never seen before though - SWMBO and HSE?

I'm going to hijack the thread a bit to discuss vices, I've got my eye on a couple of old 10 1/2" Record vices on eBay, I'm expecting them to go for around £40-50.
For £55 I could get a 10 1/2" Veritas Front Vice with the off center bit to stop skewing, which seems like a much better deal to me. Considering I would have to put a wooden face onto whatever vice I buy anyway, it just seems like the way to go.
Saying that, while looking into this I've stumbled onto some vices I haven't used before (namely tail and wagon), are these worth looking into?

 

[NOTTNICK]

I'm glad I started this dialogue. Really useful info here. Initially I just needed a good bench as I'd left my previous (fitted) one behind at my last house. A plethora of projects to do here and nothing to work on. Wanted a good bench, so thought I'd make one, I have completed many projects in the past 'making do', I managed with a workmate and bits of MDF for many years and my workshop was very small.
Now I've moved, I've got 6m X 6m and it is a bit of a blank canvas (when I eventually unpack the remaining bits which seem to fill it up). I now want to do things properly, hence a good bench for starters. It quickly occurred to me that there is just too much to do on the house at the moment (SWMBO 'She who must be obeyed') is keen that I prioritise. I could have knocked up something quickly, but splashing out on the Sweedish thingy kept things sweet. It's good too and means that I can knock up quality stuff easily without too much compromise.
When things have settled down. I'll be able to look back at this and make something really good. All the posts have been very helpful.
I agree, it is perfectly possible to make a bench without a bench, but I've been there before too often.
I look forward to learning more about vices now.
Cheers
Nick

 

[Bm101]

If you can do the boot fairs it's quite likely you can pick up a record 52 variety for a few quid. Got mine for 15, I know some people have found them much cheaper. Better to buy an old one than the new ones which by all accounts are a bit shoddy. There's loads of threads on here about to quick release or not, to fit flush or not, restoration, fitting and so on so take a browse. People much more knowledgeable than me...not that hard! Somewhere there's a guide to making a wagon vice with just a screw and some clever thinking.
Putting a leg vice and end vice on mine. Seems to cover most eventualities from what I can gather.
Hse: health n safety executive.
Cheers
Chris

 

[Droogs]

Welcome Lewis, I'm guessing you're a single laddie otherwise you'd know it's She Who Must Be Obeyed

With regard to whether you fit a tail or wagon vise, it depends entirely on the type of woodworking you intend to do. If you plan to dimension a lot of wood to size by hand (ie Boards) then they can be a big help IF they fit in with the way you work. A wagon vice by its nature is basically used for securing boards to the top of the bench so you can plane them flat, A tail vice offers a bit more flexibility in thay it can do this if fitted with a bench dog in the front jaw but also can be used to clamp pieces verticaly in order to do long rip cuts etc. Or you could eschew them entirely and just use holdfasts instead. I have also seen other clamping systems used as well such as wedging etc.
As I said it all depends on how your particular work process as to which works for you

 

[BearTricks]

Lewis, PM = personal message. :wink:

I know, I didn't realize the OP was called Nick
Although I'll admit you all seem to use acronyms I've never seen before though - SWMBO and HSE?

I'm going to hijack the thread a bit to discuss vices, I've got my eye on a couple of old 10 1/2" Record vices on eBay, I'm expecting them to go for around £40-50.
For £55 I could get a 10 1/2" Veritas Front Vice with the off center bit to stop skewing, which seems like a much better deal to me. Considering I would have to put a wooden face onto whatever vice I buy anyway, it just seems like the way to go.
Saying that, while looking into this I've stumbled onto some vices I haven't used before (namely tail and wagon), are these worth looking into?

I think the veritas vices look really nice in terms of aesthetic. No idea how they perform though.

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