How do I put this thing together?

[wiley198]

Hi all.

I have put this workbench 'together'...but yet to actually put it together. I.e...this is not bolted or screwed in any way yet because I don't want to mess it up.

How would you screw/bolt/glue this up? Particularly attaching an apron to the end grain...nobody likes screwing into end grain...unless you do...in which case, any tips would be great.


T.i.a

 

[TRITON]

The lower half should be a complete unit, and the usual way is to M&T the sections together, then the top sits on that.
To attach, drill up through the frame top rail, and counter bore deep holes so you dont need too long a screw.
Alternatively you could use some angle brackets of the type of 3-5mm thick type steel for rigidity

 

[wiley198]

Thanks.
My problem is keeping drill bits perfectly perpendicular to the parts while drilling deep holes without a drill press...but I can make Tey making a jig I guess.

 

[Cabinetman]

Not sure what you are meaning - an apron onto the end grain?
If the front and back long rails aren’t long enough to cut tenons onto, you could use long bolts through the end frames you’ve glued, up into holes drilled into the end grain of the rails and then chop through the rails the right size to trap a nut, then obviously tighten up the bolts, this way you can dismantle the bench too.
But use largeish washers under both the nut and the bolt to prevent them pulling into the wood.
Next bench ( and eventually there will be another) you need the wider part of the legs facing the other way, this helps prevent the bench wracking when planing.
Ian

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

I would not glue, just in case you ever need to move/dismantle it

 

[jetsetwilly]

Welcome!

I see sleepers - always fancied making a workbench out of sleepers. But why does only one side have an apron?

Paul Sellers would say, on no account use any machines! And then he'd say, attach deep aprons front and back to your leg frames with a sort of wedged housing joint and a coachbolt -



Rex Kreuger would say, he's the Indiana Jones of woodworking and has 'discovered' a workbench forgotten by history... and then he'd build a frame as suggested above.

Either way it looks like you're off to a good start.

(I know what you mean about messing it up btw. That's probably why after 20yrs of hobby woodworking I'm still using a bit of worktop screwed to the garage wall...

 

[wiley198]

It's a big chunk of redwood rather than a sleeper...but I quite fancy that myself now...I'm thinking of building a bigger bench outside my shed for larger work. Sleeper may just be the ticket.

There will be an apron around the entire bench (all four sides). Just not in the picture as not yet attached to the front (I'm sinking the back of the vice into that one) or the side (needs to go together before I do that.

 

[wiley198]

I would not glue, just in case you ever need to move/dismantle it

Ye. I don't want to glue any more of it if it can be helped so I can potentially replace anything that may get damaged over time.

 

[Orraloon]

This is how I attached the long stretchers so it comes apart for moving. Used regular bolts
Regards
John

 

[wiley198]

I'm going to put a shelf between the legs that I can then screw into the cross bars (fingers crossed this will be enough).

But I like what you've done.

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Looks good

 

[Orraloon]

A shelf on its own will do little to prevent the structure wracking. You really need stretchers running longways or side aprons like on the Rex Kruger bench. I did put a shelf on top of those stretchers but the shelf is not structural just handy to have.
Regards
John

 

[wiley198]

A shelf on its own will do little to prevent the structure wracking. You really need stretchers running longways or side aprons like on the Rex Kruger bench. I did put a shelf on top of those stretchers but the shelf is not structural just handy to have.
Regards
John

I have just jointed 4 x (5.5×1.5inch) boards together, making a pretty hefty shelf. I am going cut shoulders into it and then bolt this down into the gap between the legs (this should stop any twisting left or right of either set of legs ?).

I have the aprons (6×2) cut and ready to go around the top of the bench (I have 100mm screws for that. I will countersink all the screws).

Going to put it together next weekend I think...depending how busy this week gets in work.