new bench

[pobo]

hi i'm a newbi woodworker, just nearly finished my new work shop, it now feels time to start saving again so i can fill it

i have a jet bandsaw .... and not much else to fill it .

the main things i'm planning to get in the next 6-12 months are table saw planner/ thickernisser and work bench. the first will be the workbench

so i need a bench. I've been looking a axminster and rutlands, but need some advise of what to look for in a bench.

1. what wood top is made of

2. what is a good thickness

3. what type of clamps to look for

4. what to keep AWAY from

5. is their anywhere else you recommend looking

6. what else should i be looking for


plus a have a couple of limitations

i have a budget of about 500

my workshop isn't massive, 2.3m X 4.4m (about 8'X15' in old money)

would really like your advise, save me making a stupid and expensive mistake

pete

 

[Mike.C]

Hi Pete, welcome to the forum.

I have this bench from Axminster which is excellent and well worth the money. Mind you I got it a good bit cheaper.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axmi ... -21594.htm

IMHO a good bench should have two vices and one of them should be a tail. It should also have a number of dog holes, and the top should be at least 50mm think (although the Axminster is only 40mm).
Finally it should be made of beech and have storage cabinets underneath.

Have you thought of building your own? It would be a lot cheaper and as your workshop is not that big you could make it to the size and specs you want?

Cheers

Mike

 

[pobo]

thanks mike.c that bench looks like the kind i'm going for.

i thought about making my own but dont have p/t that i'd need, the time(just taken time off to build workshop), and sure i don't want to balls up something so important.

i heard 50mm bandied about several times before about benches but only found that on one of the top end Hofmann & Hammer range

is 40mm acceptable for a non pro?

 

[ByronBlack]

Pobo - with all the bought benches at this price range you'll find the frame to be relatively thin (under 2" usually) and the top about the same, but aslong as you anchor the bench against a wall or put a lot of weight in the bottom to add some mass it should be fine.

I looked a lot into this and decided to build my own. I'm glad I did although it took quite a while to do and I did have a p/t which made buying the timber cheaper as PAR would have cost a fortune. You could compromise and use 2x4 for the framework and buy a slab of beech kitchen worktop, and then add your own vices. This would be quite quick and easy to do and certainly cheaper than buying it - and you get to make it to your spec.

 

[pobo]

thanks ByronBlack for the suggestions about the screws/weighting down, will take on board and use.

you other idea about beach work top is a possibility, leaving the door open to upgreade top and legs later

will look into it and see how it could be done

 

[Nick W]

Before making any decisions I would recommend that you get hold of Scatt Landis' The Workbench Book

 

[Harbo]

There's an interesting bench covered in Fine Woodworking (Nov/99) which I downloaded from their site - it's called "New-Fangled Workbench".
Fairly simple construction, made from Douglas Fir and uses Pony Clamps for the vice mechanisms.

I keep meaning to incorporate its "Planing Beam" on my existing bench, using some cheapo aluminium sash cramps instead of the more expensive Pony ones - especially as only the sliding ends are required.

Rod

 

[RogerM]

There's an interesting bench covered in Fine Woodworking (Nov/99) which I downloaded from their site - it's called "New-Fangled Workbench".
Fairly simple construction, made from Douglas Fir and uses Pony Clamps for the vice mechanisms.

I keep meaning to incorporate its "Planing Beam" on my existing bench, using some cheapo aluminium sash cramps instead of the more expensive Pony ones - especially as only the sliding ends are required.

Rod

Pobo - Here is the link to the New Fangled workbench. I am nearing finishing making one and it's really simple. You can just use standard 4 x 2 plus some 18mm mdf and you won't need a p/t.

This video is well worth watching.

I'll post my WIP pics within the next day or two. Cost is about £50 for wood, £120 for pony clamps and pipes, and about £20 for bolts/screws etc. You could save a fair bit of this if you just used the full length top clamps, dispense with the planing beam and just put a simple vice on the front.

This design has been covered here before so you might want to do a search on "new fangled work bench" on this forum.

 

[ecp]

This design has been covered here before so you might want to do a search on "new fangled work bench" on this forum.

I tried this - and no joy.

I am nearing finishing making one

Did you get the plans? - Seems the only way to get them is to sign up for a subscription - no one off purchase fee available.

 

[engineer one]

as i have mentioned before i got given a lump of kitchen worktop, in my case, an ikea beech one. it's about 7feet long, and i have mounted on a couple of mdf pedestals which are narrower than the worktop width.

unless you build the david charlesworth recommended type with a removeable tool well, then i think no more than 600/24inches wide
otherwise it is difficult to reach over. mine is in the centre of the shop, but many recommend against a wall. at least tied against a wall, you can
really make it solid. assuming that is your walls are that solid :?

so my thought is why not make your own from readily obtained bits.
for instance you can buy offcuts of kitchen worktops from many sheds at less than half price per foot, and the important thing is that you get a better idea of what you want without spending bundles of money.

the most important things are decent vices, and dog holes. the veritas wonder dogs, and pups are certainly worthwhile.
depending on the height of the worktop, it might be worth looking at one of the wolfcraft portable working table or a mini workmate to lift the height, and also increase practicality.

better i think to make a frame from 4x2 construction timber, and then add a top, even if you only screw it together. otherwise many here use mdf tops double thickness, with another piece of scrap on top which is sacrificial and changeable at any time in the future.

good luck

paul :wink:

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hi Pete,

If you want to save some money, but still have a good bench, you could build it from MDF and soft wood. Here's mine, built about 10 years ago

The top is three layers of 18mm MDF, lipped with soft wood and glued together. Two Record 52D vices and the top drilled for Veritas bench dogs and wonder pups. The bench has had 10 years of hard use and is still solid as a rock and dead flat. It cost very little to build. I originally intended it as a temporary bench but it's been so good I've stuck with it

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[RogerM]

This design has been covered here before so you might want to do a search on "new fangled work bench" on this forum.

I tried this - and no joy.

Here it is. Worth a read.

I am nearing finishing making one

Did you get the plans? - Seems the only way to get them is to sign up for a subscription - no one off purchase fee available.

There are no plans, but anyone can print off a pdf of the article with a description of it. All the main dimensions are on the diagram, and the rest you can adapt to suit yourself. I shall put up a WIP thread for mine with piccies, if it would help, at the weekend - no time now. Also worthwhile viewing the video of it in use from the above thread started by Byron.

Don't dismiss Paul's solution illustrated above. Sometimes the "quick and dirty" approach works wonders, and you will almost certainly find that you will develope some ideas of your own. And it would be quick and cheap leaving more over for some quality tools, or machinery, or some tasty wood!

HTH

 

[pobo]

thank you all for you comments, seams most of you thing make it my self is best option.

thanks to Harbo and RogerM for info and links to "New-Fangled Workbench" it looks amazing, planning clamp seams a really flexible idea. think it may be a bit out of my league for first attempt, but loads of ideas worth incorporating. looking forward to see your WIP roger

chapmen, the bench looks great. how did you seal the mdf and do dogs work alright in it.

and thanks engineer one all valuable information taken on board.

i think building my own is starting to become a real possibility, don't tell the wife-shes hoping for a coffee table :wink:

 

[engineer one]

oh.it's easy, claim it is gonna be a new kind of coffee table :lol: :twisted:

"look love, to make the coffee table i need to make this other table(bench)"

good luck
paul :wink:

 

[ecp]

There are no plans, but anyone can print off a pdf of the article

The link to the PDF requires log-in (says 'membership required' under the link)

 

[Paul Chapman]

how did you seal the mdf and do dogs work alright in it.

Hi Pete,

I just keep the top regularly waxed with Liberon Black Bison wax polish. Keeps it looking smart and makes it very easy to get any glue off.

The bench dogs work fine. I was rather worried that the holes might become elongated as MDF is relatively soft compared with a hardwood, but they've been fine. I do most of my planing between dogs on the top of the bench like this

I also use the Veritas wonder pups to grip work by its sides when I need to keep it steady, like this

My bench in nearly 7' long so if you were to make one you would need plenty of G cramps to glue together the top which is three layers of 18mm MDF. To get even pressure I used curved cauls so that as the cauls were cramped around the edges of the top, they also put pressure in the centre.

Hope this helps.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[RogerM]

There are no plans, but anyone can print off a pdf of the article

The link to the PDF requires log-in (says 'membership required' under the link)

Hmmm. You're right - looks like they've made this one members only - never used to be the case.