Making a workbench that needs to be light

[Croolis]

My first workbench. I want it light as reasonable because I don't want to load up the floor of my shed too much before I even have anything in there. It's not because I want it to be moveable.

I have read that if you're planing stuff on it the bench can move if it's not heavy. What about fastening it down? What about adjustable height feet (my shed floor is pretty level but why not)?

I want to use C16 3x2 stud 'cos it's cheap and light. I want to use 18mm ply for the worktop. I don't know what joint methods I will use yet.

What can I do to get light, sturdy and non-slidy? Any thoughts appreciated .

 

[Blackswanwood]

This may be a good place to start …



Even if you don’t follow his plan he covers the issues.

Fixing your bench to the floor or a wall will stop it moving. As important is that it doesn’t rack or wobble. You can stop this by building bracing into the design.

The Lost Art Press blog is a good source of information also.

 

[Sideways]

Bracing !
Engineers love triangles / diagonal bracing to stiffen things up.
"Borrowed mass" meaning fix it to a wall at the back or up against a wall at the end to make up for the bench itself being light.
If you don't, then a light bench, however stiff can move if you are pushing hard with a plane. You might even lift one end off the ground when pushing hard at the other. I imagine you've done this at some point trying to plane on a workmate.

Personally, I don't like a bench with an apron like in the Sellars video. I want to be able to secure stuff to the bench top with a simple clamp on the front edge. That means the equivalent of an apron somewhere else, or cross braces. You can put a wide board it between the back legs of the bench to stop racking, even part way down so you can still get a clamp on the back edge of the benchtop.

And put a shelf under the bench and use it for storage. That way your bench benefits from weight that is going to be stored in your shed anyway and you don't have to store those toolboxes, whatever, somewhere else in the shed.

 

[Agent_zed]

Personally, I don't like a bench with an apron like in the Sellars video. I want to be able to secure stuff to the bench top with a simple clamp on the front edge. That means the equivalent of an apron somewhere else, or cross braces. You can put a wide board it between the back legs of the bench to stop racking, even part way down so you can still get a clamp on the back edge of the benchtop.

It comes down to what you are likely to be doing with your bench. I built one very similar to the video and the apron I find is fantastic. I built a leg vice and it means I can clamp things like a door on the side and plane the long edge, or just the edge of a long board etc

Not sure if he's done it different the side he is standing but from the pic there are bolt heads protruding which doesn't make any sense as you can't clamp to it but perhaps that is the back (haven't watched the vid)

If you aren't going to be needing to hold large things then probably not as important.

It could be interesting to make a 'caterham' bench (Term I just made up) and weld it together from 1 inch box in the same triangulated method as a spaceframe. The side of the chassis is what I mean with all the triangulation https://www.motortrend.com/uploads/...be-chassis-prototype-1.jpg?fit=around|875:492 could make it fancy with rose jointed legs like big wishbones