Why you need a full length well in your work bench.

[Jacob]

Temporarily without my combi machine, had to saw up some big bits of ply. Still have my little hand held Makita circular saw.
Drop ply on bench and make cuts over the length of the well!
Either roughing out freehand or precisely with a traditional straightedge (length of B&Q 6" MFC shelf).
Helps to clamp to the bench - G clamp at bench ends, sash clamp to apron, bench holdfast etc, depending on what you have.
Sort of obvious really but never occurred to me before, never needed to.
Who needs a panel saw, not me!

 

[paulrbarnard]

Temporarily without my combi machine, had to saw up some big bits of ply. Still have my little hand held Makita circular saw.
Drop ply on bench and make cuts over the length of the well!
Either roughing out freehand or precisely with a traditional straightedge (length of B&Q 6" MFC shelf).
Helps to clamp to the bench - G clamp at bench ends, sash clamp to apron, bench holdfast etc, depending on what you have.
Sort of obvious really but never occurred to me before, never needed to.
Who needs a panel saw, not me!

You don’t need a well. If you do it often enough the saw creates its own well.

 

[Cabinetman]

For full length cuts I always just use a hardpoint handsaw, I just rest the ply on two sawhorses. Not tall ones, About 18” High and hold it down with my knee, the jobs done in less time than you have cleared off your bench and set it up.

 

[Blackswanwood]

I prefer to not have a well at all as they tend to just accumulate clutter.

 

[Jacob]

I prefer to not have a well at all as they tend to just accumulate clutter.

That's the whole idea. Better in the well rather than on the worktop. And they are where you need them e.g. tape measure, pencils, chisels etc.

 

[Lons]

I filled in the well on mine as I found it a nuisance, each to his own.

I use my track saw to cut up sheet material on sawhorses. Quick easy, accurate and a good finish both sides.

 

[Jacob]

I filled in the well on mine as I found it a nuisance, each to his own.

I use my track saw to cut up sheet material on sawhorses.

Smaller workshop may not have room to work around 8x4' sheets on sawhorses, as well as the bench. Mine's the garage at the moment, pending developments.
Anyway its much easier to clear a bench top rather than a large floor area.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Best thing I did was get rid of the well.

 

[John Brown]

I poisoned mine.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

That's the whole idea. Better in the well rather than on the worktop. And they are where you need them e.g. tape measure, pencils, chisels etc.

Then run a circular saw along the full length neatly cutting a sheet of ply or MDF, and destroying assorted taps, pencils, chisels etc!

 

[Jacob]

Then run a circular saw along the full length neatly cutting a sheet of ply or MDF, and destroying assorted taps, pencils, chisels etc!

Oh yes thanks, so that's why all my pencils and a sausage roll were slashed to bits!

 

[Blackswanwood]

That's the whole idea. Better in the well rather than on the worktop. And they are where you need them e.g. tape measure, pencils, chisels etc.

We all probably have different ways of working, likes and dislikes etc which determine if a well is something we prefer or not. I've no need to cut plywood on my bench (I'd do it on a couple of saw horses and if space is tight I'd do it outside) but even if I did I'm happy without one thanks. If it suits you with your way of working all the best with it.

 

[John Brown]

I get the impression that Jacob improvised, while not have his usual space/facilities. I have to say that it wouldn't have occurred to me, but I can see how it would be useful in a pinch.
I could never do it myself, as my bench, although it has a well, is usually three layers deep in carp.

 

[Tortion-Stephen]

That's the whole idea. Better in the well rather than on the worktop. And they are where you need them e.g. tape measure, pencils, chisels etc.

My workshop gremlins always see to that, I always have N-1 pencils/tapes/rulers/squares, where N= number I needed... Autism/ADHD is always an adventure.

 

[Chubber]

For the 'no wellers' amongst you, sheet of 25mm rigid insulation the size of your bench top will allow a saw set slightly below the ply to work right across. When not wanted it can live behind the bench, against the wall, or as I do, on the garage floor under the car.

 

[HamsterJam]

I filled mine with a removable section but never used it because like @John Brown my bench is usually cluttered at one end.
Subsequently, I have added a sacrificial MFT top over the whole thing so can’t access the well anyway.

 

[Lons]

Smaller workshop may not have room to work around 8x4' sheets on sawhorses, as well as the bench. Mine's the garage at the moment, pending developments.
Anyway its much easier to clear a bench top rather than a large floor area.

If you have room on your bench to lay an 8x4 sheet then imo it's even easier to shove some insulation or other sacrificial material underneath then you can cut in any direction you like with a track saw without positioning over a well. Works for me if I can't use sawhorses outside because of weather but as I said, each to his own, I don't think there's a right or wrong way. I have several pieces of scrap Celotex I keep for the job and as the cuts only penetrate a few mm it lasts a long time.

 

[Lons]

My workshop gremlins always see to that, I always have N-1 pencils/tapes/rulers/squares, where N= number I needed... Autism/ADHD is always an adventure.

You don't have to be Autistic or have ADHD to require pencils to be stashed in every corner of the workshop anlong with the ones on your pocket or behind your ear. Sensible practice imo.

 

[throbscottle]

Straw poll for the well-users: how deep is it?

 

[imageel]

When I recently sold my bench it was a tad over 1mm - i.e. no well but the top had moved in the intervening 13y since it was built....