My New Workbench Project

[Charlie Woody]

Shortly after moving into my renovated workshop I knocked up a very rough and ready bench from some offcuts of timber the builders doing our extension left and some MDF. It was just pocket screwed together with 18mm top.

So time has come to make something more sturdy, capable of supporting my Record 52E Vise, and not costing a fortune. Anyway I decided on making http://www.finewoodworking.com/Workshop ... x?id=29507
but decided to change the measurements to metric and amend the size a little. Also I will put a back in behind the bottom shelf. For the moment there will not be a top shelf but in the future I may add some drawers.

So I purchased some Birch Ply 18mm for the framework and 2 pieces of 25mm MDF 1850 mm x 750mm for the top, and some Maple to lip the bench top.

The first thing I needed to do was make a ZCI for my table saw to reduce tear out when cutting the ply. So with apologies to Steve Maskery for stealing his idea (but honest gov I did modify the design!), here is what I did.

This is the original insert with the blade guard off showing the fixing screws loosened.

I decided to try and keep the piece of MDF whole i.e. not rip and glue in fillet when adjusting for the riving knife. See knife just coming through below.

This is the blade and knife coming up.

Next job was to make a featherboard that I could clamp to the rip fence. See cutting process below.

Next I cut off part of the ends so that the feathers would have a little room for movement.

Featherboard attached to rip fence.

First few rips and happily no tearout ...result!

These are the apron & stretcher parts.

And these are the leg parts.

The only disappointment was my inability to keep the sheets parallell with the fence when ripping. I was supporting them with a roller stand at in & out feed. The rollers being smaller that the width of the boards (the supplier had ripped them down the middle for me - allows me to get them in the car and less weight / size for handling) seems to make them "sway" as the roller in effect becomes a pivot point. I would love to know how to avoid this so if you have any suggestions I would appreciate it.

Does anyone know where I can get an aerosol of Record blue paint please?
Hopefully tomorrow I will get a good bit of the glue up done.

 

[Blister]

Nice project

Looks like you have made a good start

Will be watching with interest

 

[MickCheese]

You really need in-feed and out-feed tables to support long boards but that takes up a lot of space that most of us don't have.

Mick

 

[Mark A]

Your bench is very similar to mine, but I used 2 full 8x4s for the base instead. The mistake I made though was to clamp up the plywood without screws or biscuits, so they slid about a bit! Then I had to make a surfacing jig for my router to mill it the legs smooth. Made a lot more work for myself by doing it this way. But once it was put together it's very solid. If only the floor of my shed was as rigid!

I'll take a picture of mine if you want? :lol: :lol:

Mark

 

[LuptonM]

One word of advice; if u use hand tools frequently I would get Chris Schwarz's Workbench book and change the design to the English workbench described in that book if timber costs need to be minimalised . Better is the Roubo style workbench but costs a little more timber

A workbench is a big clamp so u better make sure your design can fulfill this ie. flush top/apron and legs

Fine woodworking like any magazine come up with regular bogus designs/ideas just so they can write about summit

 

[Charlie Woody]

Thanks for the encouragement guys, much appreciated.

Mark - yes I would be interested to see the pictures.

Lupton - unfortunatley I started glueing up today and only saw your post a few mins ago so will have to live with it now!

I left the camera in the workshop so hopefully will get to upload some photos tomorrow with maybe a bit more progress to show. Today I glued up the aprons, stretchers and legs.

 

[condeesteso]

Good basis for a bench I think. Chris Schwarz's English bench is very different and has issues of its own, due to the very deep skirts it needs for stiffness. You have the materials for this one, and it is potentially v good. I would consider (just consider) bringing the front stretchers and legs flush with the front - mainly to be able to face clamp big panels (doors etc) to it.
Then put 3/4" dogs in one row along top, centerd on a tail-vice (just a 7" metal one will be fine, with a hardwood face fitted to it and one 3/4" hole in it. That takes care of a ot of top clamping. For the dog-holes along top, maybe a thin strip of hardwood on the underside (10mm maybe), as the mdf may crush a little under clamping pressure.
Also have a few (not loads) dog-holes along top stretcher, and r/h leg. This plus face vise supports almost any larger flattish shape (in conjunction with face vice).
For dogs just get some 3/4" dowel, and cut a slight bevel into one side at the top. You could turn nice ones from hardwood, or buy the off-the-shelf aluminium ones from Axminster. The 3/4" system is versatile - there are loads of clamping fittings for it.
Very highly recommend Richard T's traditional holdfasts - one pair for under £20 is a rediculous bargain, and they are a dream to use - very fast and very solid.
Generally, one thing Chris Schwarz goes on about is ability to clamp most shapes - can your bench clamp face boards (end-grain planing etc), long, narrow face planing , surface clamp panels, clamp a drawer for final planing... etc
I reckon, if you moved the legs / stretcher flush with top at the front, and added the tail-vice with dogs along top, you would have a real winner - it'll do all the above well.
Can we see the build and finished result please??

 

[Mark A]

Hi Charlie

Here are some pictures of my workbench. It ain't pretty, but it works ok for me. I made it last Christmas when it was around -10 degrees here so I would quickly drill a hole before my hands got too numb to hold the drill then warm them up by holding them over the air vent at the back of my old vacuum cleaner! It was so cramped that I assembled it while stood in the middle of the base, hence why the holes aren't aligned. I glued it with 5 minute polyurethane, but it was so cold that it took over two hours to cure. Each coat of varnish took 2 days to dry as well - that's why it ran a bit. I left a space to fit a vice but I haven't bought one yet! The top is a piece of hardboard which I didn't fix in place because it doesn't really need to be. Makes it easier to remove when I go to renew it.

Excuse the mess - I put a lot of stuff outside the shed out of the way until it started to rain (again :evil: ) and I was in the process of making a replacement router table because the shed roof leaked all over my existing one and it swelled.

 

[Charlie Woody]

Hi Mark
It does not have to look pretty to be functional. Certainly looks solid .... what's it like when hand planing?

 

[Charlie Woody]

Here are some more photos:

Apron / stretcher glue up.

Aprons & stretchers waiting for glue to dry.

Leg glue up preparation.

When it came to glue up of the legs to stretchers & aprons I realised that I did not have any clamps long enough!! So after some head scratching and then discussion with my 12 year old son we decided to try and "extend" the clamps. This was done by putting a piece of oak approx half way between the legs and using 2 clamps pulling in opposite directions. Hopefully you can see this in the pictures above and below.

This was the dry fit of the legs to apron and stretcher.

With the legs, aprons & stretchers glued up this is the dry fit of the bottom shelf and end panels.

Following seeing an MDF benchtop build on a Fine Woodworking video I laid out a grid of screw holes, drilled clearance holes in the bottom half, then countersunk the holes from both sides. This prevents any breakout on the glue side from stopping the two pieces going together nice and flat. With the size of the top - 1850mm x 750mm - once again I enlisted my son's help to spread the glue. I squeezed out the glue and he used a roller to spread it. On a warm day this was essential to ensure we got the two parts together before the glue started to go off. I could not have managed it quickly enough by myself.

This is the glued up top sitting on the dry assembled bench. I need to do a little trimming of the benchtop as both sheets are not exactly the same size.

That will have to wait till after Bank Holiday weekend.

 

[Mark A]

Its coming together nicely, and I must say, much better than mine!

Mine is very solid. It's great for hand planing - doesn't flex at all. The same can't be said about the shed floor though! I often have to stand on top of my bench and it's no problem either.

When I assembled it I didn't have any long clamps so I used rope tourniquets around the top and bottom, and a couple more diagonally across to adjust it for square. Worked alright I think.

 

[No skills]

Looking good, its quite supprising how strong a couple of bits of mdf can be laminated together, I've used a double 18mm thickness a couple of times for aquarium stand tops where the top overhangs the base by 2 inches (sometimes a bit more). Very little deflection at all (if any) even with 2 tons of tank and saltwater on top of it.

Threads like this making me want to get on and build my own bench

 

[No skills]

Sorry one question! did you check the mdf for flatness with some sort of straight edge before/after you glued it up?
Just wondering if I should do this when I make my own bench?? (same mdf/ply style top).

Cheers.

 

[tisdai]

When it came to glue up of the legs to stretchers & aprons I realised that I did not have any clamps long enough!! So after some head scratching and then discussion with my 12 year old son we decided to try and "extend" the clamps. This was done by putting a piece of oak approx half way between the legs and using 2 clamps pulling in opposite directions. Hopefully you can see this in the pictures above and below.

A neat idea that, was it the 12 year old Son's :idea: :lol:

Looking good not long to go now, keep up the good work

Cheers

Dave

 

[Charlie Woody]

Hi Dave
Yes it was my 12 year old son's idea ....... clearly did not get his brains from his Dad!!!!

Hi Noskills

Wooooops - I did n't check the mdf for flatness until I read your post. Unfortunately it is not perfect but hopefully will prove ok in use.

Latest picture attached.

I still have to do the front face of the vise and at some future time may add some drawers underneath.

 

[Cegidfa]

Hello Charlie,

This makes a change. It's usually you commenting on my build
You have made a grand job of the bench; that's something that I could do with right now, as I am struggling to make the first pair of doors.
Try planing, off three trestles :shock: it's fun with a small f. :?
The birch faced ply must have cost a pretty penny, as there seem to be no voids or knots at all.
I have to say that the inside of your workshop looks very nicely finished too. I hope mine turns out as well.
Well done you. =D>

Regards...Dick.

PS. Are you a chiropractor trying to drum up some business?
I say this having just cranked my head round to horizontal to view the pics :shock: :lol: :lol:

 

[Charlie Woody]

Hi Dick

Thank you for the kind words......sorry I have "injured" your head, that'll be the lousy photographery skills!!

The bench total cost was £235, which included 2 sheets of 18mm birch ply, just over half a sheet of 6mm birch ply, 2 pieces of 1850mm x 750mm of 25mm MDF, hard was oil & Titebond extend glue.

With some tools on the shelf it is very rigid so great for planing etc. The build of the bench did not take too long so it might be worth you while to do one, even with cheaper materials, to just get your build finished. I tried cutting the sheet on my table saw and if I had to do it again I would use a plunge saw on a rail, much easier and more accurate.

The poor photography has also hidden the flaws in my workshop fit out, having seen the build of your workshop its like comparing a rolls royce (yours) to a clapped out mini (mine)!!!

Hope you are getting on well with your build.

 

[Cegidfa]

Morning Charlie,

Thanks for the costings; no wonder the ply looked so good
Having chopped out mortices in oak by hand, :shock: your method of construction looks inviting.
As I am lucky enough to have a plunge saw, I wholeheartedly agree with you on the accuracy of a plunge saw with rail, as opposed to a table saw, for cutting large sheets.
Unless one has a Felder, or more skill than I can muster.

There is nothing wrong with your photography skills, just the orientation of the pics.
My w/s may look like a Rolls, but that is in part, due to using a classic design that is not used very often in this country. To an American, it would be the norm. Also, we agonised over the colour combination, and it seems to have worked. This adds to the ‘Rolls” effect. Believe me, there are parts that didn’t fit together as well as I would have liked. I just take photographs from the best angle.
Can we at least agree to upgrade your w/s to a Mondeo? It’s patently not a clapped out Mini. TTFN.

Regards....Dick.