new workbench - big or small?

[Lee J]

I'm currently working in my integral garage. Works well for me but I'm getting more machinery and I need a good solid work bench. So, in January I'm going for a complete workshop refit. Everything out - clean up/paint etc then everything back in, in a proper order.

My question is, I currently have a workspace for siting at and doing sit down jobs its a 5' worksurface, at the side of it is a 5' space where my power saw sits. I have recently been up to my friends timber yard for a family visit (took the long wheelbase transit van though just in case!!) and returned with 12 x 10' scaffold planks and a load of 10' peices of 4"x4". So I had an idea. I shall build me a 5' woodwork bench in the space...

...or should I leave the planks whole and rip out the exsisting work surface and just build a 10' work bench?

I figure I could open a 10' space up, butt join the planks and make me a 10' x 2' work area which I could stand my saw on one end, pillar drill in the middle and fit a wood bench vice too. Using the 4"x4" posts, I could make 6 legs and the relevant strengthening struts.

any thoughts?? I'll try post a plan real soon.

PS: When I start this I will thoroughly document. (with pictures).

 

[MikeG.]

So, in January I'm going for a complete workshop refit. Everything out - .

Get a few layers on, won't you?!! ..............and theres not many hours in the day to get everything out and back in.......

 

[martlewis]

If it was me I'd go for a 10ft workbench and have one nice large flat work surface. Of course I would need a new workshop wide enough to fit a 10ft work bench in along with all the tools!

 

[Lee J]

hey Mike, thats where a long wheel base transit van comes in handy , oh and I could also use the kitchen! (Mrs.J doesnt see this as an option though)

hey Mart, the integral garage is about 18' long in total so it'll work well. Big bench sound real good. didnt know if it would cause a problem sagging but the scaffold boards are really thick.

 

[Paul Chapman]

If you are planning on doing much hand-tool work, then a separate bench for that would be essential in my view. However, if most of your work is going to be done using machines and power tools, the 10' option might be OK. All depends how you plan to work.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Chris Knight]

Adding to Paul's comment; a scaffold plank is not very thick for a bench to be used for hand tools. Planing and hammering will be a bit of a trial. I would regard 2 inches as an absolute minimum thickness unless you make a base with lots of bracing under the top.

 

[Lee J]

well I plan to do a bit of joinery work all next year so I guess I really need a solid workbench I can work on. I dunno really. Cant see no bad points to this though, I suppose it's a matter of personal preference.

 

[Chris Knight]

Chris Schwarz, editor of Popalar Woodworking has written an excellent book on workbenches and if building one, it is a very worthwhile purchase. You can get a lot of info from his blog and I recommend studying that to see what he has to say. You can see the workbench related content here

You will find that he has plans and has built a bench for wood of about scaffold plank thickness. It has a few features you'd need to incorporate into yours to make scaffold planks into a good bench.

Here is a picture of it

 

[Lee J]

decided to go with a 5'3" bench as the 10' planks look like they're dring out and may warp if left 10' long.

 

[cambournepete]

If you are planning on doing much hand-tool work, then a separate bench for that would be essential in my view

Having just built one 16 foot bench (80mm thick top), I have to ask "why?".
My bench has 3 vice and holes for dogs so I think I can do anything I'm capable of on it...
Not saying you're wrong obviously, I'm just curious

 

[Paul Chapman]

If you are planning on doing much hand-tool work, then a separate bench for that would be essential in my view

Having just built one 16 foot bench (80mm thick top), I have to ask "why?".
My bench has 3 vice and holes for dogs so I think I can do anything I'm capable of on it...
Not saying you're wrong obviously, I'm just curious

In the original post, Lee said he was planning to mount a power saw, pillar drill and woodworking vice on the bench. Rather too much clutter for hand-tool woodworking, in my view. I would keep the hand-tool work and power tool work separate.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[joiner_sim]

Just to add to the discussion on worktop thickness, I'm thinking of building a small bench soon using a 45mm think solid fire door offcut. it seems string enough to take a good bashing.

 

[Lee J]

I get your point about keeping the power tools seperate. think I'll do just that. but I think a 5'3" bench for hand work is prefered over a 10' bench for hand work and power tools.

I'll have pictures tmrw all been well.

 

[Benchwayze]

LJ,

Your garage sounds about like mine! No fungi-- not mushroom inside!

The good thing about scaffold planks is their quality.
By their nature, they have to be made from premium grade timber, albeit softwood, so they are generally straight and pretty clear.

There is nothing stopping you ripping them into 3 x 2's, or 4x2's and gluing them together so your top is 3" or 4" thick. (4 would be better.)

If you make the 5 foot-odd bench it wouldn't cost you all that much extra. I have room only for a 6' bench and considered reducing this to 5'.

The bench shown is nice, but I favour straight heavy legs, so I am going for Schwartz's 'French' design.

I'd have the total clear out in the summer too. With one useful helper, you'd have it all out, the space painted and everything back in place within a whole day.

Besterluck!


PS An afterthought LJ.

My shop is a single-garage, so a separate workbench for hand-tools is best. All my machines have castored benches or have castors on them. So I can move things around easily. For that reason separate stands are a boon. Having your flat surfaces the same height helps with 'outfeed' too. My garage floor slopes towards the doors, so I had to factor that in when I built my lathe-bench!

 

[Lee J]

hey John, thanks for that. My garage is an integral one so it's dry and damp free all year around. My saw, pillar drill and bench grainder are all on the bench at the moment, my lathe is mounted on its own unit and my router table is on the other bench, other side of workshop. I think I'll fit a 5'3" bench into a gap I have, just for hand work. I'll have a diagram on here soon.

 

[Benchwayze]

Cheers LJ and you're welcome.

Now I know how big your bench is going to be, I will make mine 5'6" just to go one better! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I just went in to take some pics, but it was messier than I thought, so I will wait until Number One Son comes over tomorrow, to move some heavy junk for me!

 

[Lee J]

Now I know how big your bench is going to be, I will make mine 5'6" just to go one better! :lol: :lol: :lol:

OK. I'll just go back to plan A and make the 10' one instead.

 

[Benchwayze]

Well just don't ask me over to help you move it then !

Cheers

 

[Lee J]

here's a rough mock up of how my shop is at the moment...

the red lines are measurements of the space. I intend to put the new build bench in the space inbetween the Workbench and the Bin. It's about 5' 2" approx. The tool chest will relocate underneath the bench (it's a red 'snap on' chest, on wheels) and the saw will be put next to the bin but on the new bench

 

[Benchwayze]

Lee,

I would be tempted to put the bin in a 'chest', made to the right height, and put the saw on that (Chop-saw I presume?) Put the chest on castors, so you can move the saw about.

HTH