WIP - My First Workbench

[marcros]

there is a good thread on the forum about fitting one of these vices- well worth a search. I cant remember the author unfortunately.

 

[morfa]

there is a good thread on the forum about fitting one of these vices- well worth a search. I cant remember the author unfortunately.

Yeah, found that. Hopefully clamping a piece of wood the right height in the clamp so that I can rest most of the weight on the floor should do it. It's a lot heavier than I had expected.

 

[Jacob]

Easiest if you tip the bench on to it's back.

 

[Roughcut]

there is a good thread on the forum about fitting one of these vices- well worth a search. I cant remember the author unfortunately.

Yeah, found that. Hopefully clamping a piece of wood the right height in the clamp so that I can rest most of the weight on the floor should do it. It's a lot heavier than I had expected.

That's how I fitted my 9" vice (18kg).
I dropped the coach bolts into the holes in the bench and kept the 4 nuts close to hand.
Then clamped a piece of 4" x 2" into the vice jaws at the correct height and located the base of the vice up into the bolts.
It's actually quite a straightforward method and as you are not bearing the full weight of the vice is not too strenuous.

 

[Benchwayze]

Morph...!


Wot Jacob sedd....

8)

 

[morfa]

Slow progress on this. Finally got all the wood. Cut the 4x4s to size for the uprights. Cut all the 2x4s to length. Just started glueing up the first apron.

I'm holding off cutting the horizontal bits for the leg frames as I don't know how wide I want it. Now it's going into a larger shed, I'm thinking it might be better off being more like 3ft wide and not 2ft wide.

 

[carlb40]

A wider bench is useful if in the middle with access all the way round? If it's against a wall, you will struggle to reach the rear of the bench.

 

[marcros]

A wider bench is useful if in the middle with access all the way round? If it's against a wall, you will struggle to reach the rear of the bench.

Be brave. if it is going against a wall, go for 18"-20" inches instead of 2ft!

We all work differently, but next time you are cooking, look at how much of your 2ft work surface you are using for activity, and how rubbish gets stored at the back 6". Certainly the case in my kitchen...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, the back 6" is the bit you need to put the stuff you're not using.

 

[marcros]

but not another 12" behind that!

 

[rich.h]

Having just done my first bench I can say I'm glad I cut down the width. The original plans called for a bench 26" deep yet I find even with just 21" I have more than enough space. The channel in the back for holding tools happily doubles up as extra support for wider pieces of work.

 

[morfa]

Having just done my first bench I can say I'm glad I cut down the width. The original plans called for a bench 26" deep yet I find even with just 21" I have more than enough space. The channel in the back for holding tools happily doubles up as extra support for wider pieces of work.

Rich, what are the dimensions of your bench then?

Currently I've got:

14" for the solid front of the bench
8" for the well
2" at the back - that's the apron

Which is 26" in total. I really don't want to loose anything of the front and the well fits a plane on it's side nicely. So not sure I want to take anything off that either. I suppose I could make the well a lot deeper and a lot narrower as at the moment it's quite shallow.

 

[Dangermouse]

I have been meaning to build a new bench to replace my old one that is literally falling to pieces and a couple of weeks ago bit the bullet and started. This is more a stop gap bench until I get to make my ultimate bench when my new workshop is finished at the end of the year. But it will be very solid and fit for purpose. measurements are
77" long
24" wide including rear well
Top is 16.5" wide x 2.5" thick
Legs 4" square
35.5" tall

Construction is fairly simple, no aprons, (not a fan). But good thick and wide main beams to combat rocking. The front of top is flush with the legs and front beams. I will be having a Record 52 as an end vice and a big old Parkinson for the front vice. The top is beech with reclaimed redwood / pine frame. Joints are pegged mortise and tennon. The photo's show the bench in a trail run to see how it fits. there are a few things to adjust but other wise all looking good.

 

[morfa]

DM - thanks for the photos. Looks really nice for a 'stopgap' bench.

I think I've settled on a 20" width. But I've got enough wood to go up to 22".

Got both aprons done. They went together fairly well. Also done the main benchtop. Which went less well. I'm basically gluing 2x4s together to make a 4" thick worktop. But one or two of them seem to have 'splayed' out slightly, so while it's ok at one side, the other side has a small gap. Also cut all the pieces for the legs now. I'll post some photos later on. Hoping to finish it all over the weekend.

 

[MickCheese]

Having just done my first bench I can say I'm glad I cut down the width. The original plans called for a bench 26" deep yet I find even with just 21" I have more than enough space. The channel in the back for holding tools happily doubles up as extra support for wider pieces of work.

Rich, what are the dimensions of your bench then?

Currently I've got:

14" for the solid front of the bench
8" for the well
2" at the back - that's the apron

Which is 26" in total. I really don't want to loose anything of the front and the well fits a plane on it's side nicely. So not sure I want to take anything off that either. I suppose I could make the well a lot deeper and a lot narrower as at the moment it's quite shallow.

14+8+2 is not 26 unless I have read that wrongly?

Mick

 

[Dangermouse]

DM - thanks for the photos. Looks really nice for a 'stopgap' bench.

I think I've settled on a 20" width. But I've got enough wood to go up to 22".

Got both aprons done. They went together fairly well. Also done the main benchtop. Which went less well. I'm basically gluing 2x4s together to make a 4" thick worktop. But one or two of them seem to have 'splayed' out slightly, so while it's ok at one side, the other side has a small gap. Also cut all the pieces for the legs now. I'll post some photos later on. Hoping to finish it all over the weekend.

Thanks Morfa, As to gaps if they are really small it wont matter to the use of the bench, just fill them and sand down. I'm sure over the years they will just blend in.

 

[morfa]

14+8+2 is not 26 unless I have read that wrongly?

Mick

Mick

I've change the dimensions since then anyway. But yeah, your maths is better than mine, that was 24".

Currently got:

14" for the front
4" for the well
2" for the apron at the back

At the moment, I'm seriously considering not bothering with the well at all. As I think a small well will be useless.

 

[marcros]

you could always look at having a well at the back, the far side of the apron, if it is going against a wall. I am about to do that on mine, because i need to have the back edge of my bench 6 inches from the wall (for a router planing sled I am making)- i may as well use that gap. Or, you could fashion something that fits into dog holes at the front, so that you can move it to where you are working on the bench (or even just held down with a holdfast). It would be more of a tool box that a well, but would serve the purpose, and you could just move it as needed.

If you wanted to be super fancy, you could make some dogs and thread one end. then make a nut to fit them, and hold the box between apron and not.

 

[morfa]

you could always look at having a well at the back, the far side of the apron, if it is going against a wall. I am about to do that on mine, because i need to have the back edge of my bench 6 inches from the wall (for a router planing sled I am making)- i may as well use that gap. Or, you could fashion something that fits into dog holes at the front, so that you can move it to where you are working on the bench (or even just held down with a holdfast). It would be more of a tool box that a well, but would serve the purpose, and you could just move it as needed.

If you wanted to be super fancy, you could make some dogs and thread one end. then make a nut to fit them, and hold the box between apron and not.

I like that idea. I'm planning on putting a tool rack & shelves directly behind the bench and I'm normally fairly tidy, so the plan is to put stuff that I'm not using away in that.

 

[MickCheese]

I don't like a well as unlike you I am not too tidy and my tools seem to disappear under heaps of shavings. I tend to use a small trolley next to the bench to place tools on.

As I have said before a new bench is high on my list so following this with interest.

Mick