Workbench Advice

[nanscombe]

I was lucky enough to do woodwork, and metalwork at school.

Unfortunately I stopped doing it after I left school and worked with computers instead.

It was around thirty years until I started doing some woodwork again.

It's a lot more satisfying to be able to see a physical result for your hours of work, and it doesn't disappear if there is a power glitch.

 

[marcros]

Having spent ages years ago thinking what I wanted /needed (not the same thing) I would be temped to build a good old British bench and use clamps, etc. Then you will learn what you truely need. Legs, rail etc. Simple and after all it is about making things and not benches. I would use bolts and screwed rod instead of wedged tenons....plenty of info around on that or I will expand what is involved. If the top is heavy it can sit loose so no need to fix down. If you are on your own then you have to lift everything so worth a thought. Made my first bench when I was about 14 from old fireplace mantels and fence posts. All 4" nail 'joints' with some dry half joints. I will not tell you how may decades it was successfully used before being replaced. Jacob is on the ball here. I am sure I saw a very old advert for continental style benches advertised as a gentlemans bench.... after all a gentleman could not be expected to use a bench which looked as as if it came from the local craftsmans shed. All benches would be made for the job or inherited, and a gentleman wouldn't know where to start so hence the growth of proper benches for carving and picture framing. People were there to make a living or earn money...not to spend time on fancy benches as protrayed by the american market via. books. Or am I wrong? When needs must..... keep it simple in redwood. Best wishes.

Hi Twothumbs,
Yeah... I'll be honest... I'm only 14 now... So I guess it's a good age to start building stuff with wood. :wink:
Sam

in which case, build the cheapest bench that you can- you will probably outgrow it physically reasonably quickly and there are only so many times you can raise the height.

 

[Benchwayze]

I started to think about when I drilled dog holes in mine - all I did was get a piece of gash 4" x 2" and put a couple of perfectly vertical holes in it on my bench drill, then I clamped it down for a guide. Saved moving the bench drill, and I haven't got a drill with a 43mm collar at the moment.

That 'template' idea might be very useful Phil. Thanks. I was wondering about how to make an MDF, MFT similar to the Festool model. That might work.

(Incidentally, I haven't heard the word 'gash', used for 'rubbish' in a long, long while.
Now, I'll stop swinging the lamps immediately, before I get carried away! :wink:

I also have a Bosch Drill stand (The one with the 'star' wheel for pressing the drill down. I also have an old Arcoy stand, and I just can't bring myself to scrap either of them!

 

[bugbear]

I started to think about when I drilled dog holes in mine - all I did was get a piece of gash 4" x 2" and put a couple of perfectly vertical holes in it on my bench drill, then I clamped it down for a guide. Saved moving the bench drill, and I haven't got a drill with a 43mm collar at the moment.

That 'template' idea might be very useful Phil. Thanks.

I used a template (jig? Guide?) like that to make a precisely angled hole. I drilled a vertical hole, checked it's actual angle and then marked/sawed/planed the base so that the resulting hole was at the angle I needed.

BugBear

 

[GazPal]

Having spent ages years ago thinking what I wanted /needed (not the same thing) I would be temped to build a good old British bench and use clamps, etc. Then you will learn what you truely need. Legs, rail etc. Simple and after all it is about making things and not benches. I would use bolts and screwed rod instead of wedged tenons....plenty of info around on that or I will expand what is involved. If the top is heavy it can sit loose so no need to fix down. If you are on your own then you have to lift everything so worth a thought. Made my first bench when I was about 14 from old fireplace mantels and fence posts. All 4" nail 'joints' with some dry half joints. I will not tell you how may decades it was successfully used before being replaced. Jacob is on the ball here. I am sure I saw a very old advert for continental style benches advertised as a gentlemans bench.... after all a gentleman could not be expected to use a bench which looked as as if it came from the local craftsmans shed. All benches would be made for the job or inherited, and a gentleman wouldn't know where to start so hence the growth of proper benches for carving and picture framing. People were there to make a living or earn money...not to spend time on fancy benches as protrayed by the american market via. books. Or am I wrong? When needs must..... keep it simple in redwood. Best wishes.

Hi Twothumbs,
Yeah... I'll be honest... I'm only 14 now... So I guess it's a good age to start building stuff with wood. :wink:
Sam

Hi Sam,

14 is possibly the best age the begin building a toolkit and getting into woodworking when all is said and done. Especially if you've a creative disposition.

Timber choice would be Douglas Fir if that option is available, but most softwoods are fine for bench builds. In the sense of durability I'd err on the side of investing in construction grade timber and - if lacking the facility to surface the normally rough timbers - have the supplier dress the timber for you. This type of timber tends to be pre-treated with preservative and in sizes more suited to bench builds, with a typical working lifespan of 20-30 years. I built my first workbench using such timbers when I was aged 13 and a couple of years before beginning my apprenticeship. The joints I used were trenailed (Dowelled) mortise and tenon joints and the bench was surprisingly similar in design to the one Paul uses. I'm now in my late 50's and the bench - unaltered - is still going strong.

 

[AndyT]

I built my bench when we moved house - 24 years ago. It has a frame partly of softwood studding and partly chipboard/blockboard on edge. It is bolted to the floor, which has a convenient step in it across the room. (It's a basement under a bay window.)
The old top was a sheet of chipboard with a slab of worktop over it.

Because it was all fixed to the floor and screwed together, it was completely stable and rigid but I've finally got fed up with the scruffy worktop so I have rebuilt the top. I looked at the Paul Sellers videos, bought some softwood from the local builder's merchant and glued up a thick solid slab for the top. This has some thick ply behind it to make a tool well, with another length of softwood behind, so larger work can bridge the well and still be level.

I've just drilled the holes for holdfasts and for the Veritas surface vice / bench dogs.

I didn't use a template or a jig. I used a 3/4" auger bit in a brace, checked for vertical against a try square. To get a good vertical, you can stop turning when the leadscrew has bitten, check, adjust and carry on. The long drill bit shows up any inaccuracies. It's really not difficult!

 

[J_SAMa]

Hi Sam,

14 is possibly the best age the begin building a toolkit and getting into woodworking when all is said and done. Especially if you've a creative disposition.

Timber choice would be Douglas Fir if that option is available, but most softwoods are fine for bench builds. In the sense of durability I'd err on the side of investing in construction grade timber and - if lacking the facility to surface the normally rough timbers - have the supplier dress the timber for you. This type of timber tends to be pre-treated with preservative and in sizes more suited to bench builds, with a typical working lifespan of 20-30 years. I built my first workbench using such timbers when I was aged 13 and a couple of years before beginning my apprenticeship. The joints I used were trenailed (Dowelled) mortise and tenon joints and the bench was surprisingly similar in design to the one Paul uses. I'm now in my late 50's and the bench - unaltered - is still going strong.

Hi Gary,
Hand planing alone is enough to surface/prepare rough material right :?.
I don't think I really need it to be that durable. 5 years is plenty for me to train my skills to a certain level and use the bench, spot its flaws, redesign, and build a new one out of beech.
That said, using a 18 mm plank of beech to cover the top is probably a good idea.

Sam

 

[Jelly]

Hand-planed should be fine, there's no need to take it to perfect smoothness either; i find it helps to have a little texture to the surface for grip on the workpieces.


If you take a little inspiration from the "english style" benches that jacob was on about and mix it with your idea about the 18mm beech facing on the top...
You could have a beech work surface at the front, an unfaced section to form the tool well, then another narrow beech surface at the back to keep bigger workpieces level on the bench.

 

[GazPal]

Hi Gary,
Hand planing alone is enough to surface/prepare rough material right :?.
I don't think I really need it to be that durable. 5 years is plenty for me to train my skills to a certain level and use the bench, spot its flaws, redesign, and build a new one out of beech.
That said, using a 18 mm plank of beech to cover the top is probably a good idea.

Sam

Hi Sam,

Hand planing is certainly more than enough when surface prepping your materials. You'll learn a lot while working on your bench and it all stands you in very good stead for future work and projects. Practise mortising on a couple of scrap pieces before you commit to creating your joints and you'll be able to resolve any potential technique issues before working on the real deal. Always try to work using square and measurements accurately laid out and marked, plus don't be afraid to double check before making your first cut. It soon becomes second nature and your confidence will grow while the tools you're using become extensions of yourself as you work.

I agree regarding timber choice and experimentation whilst you finalise future plans for a solid Beech bench. Everything evolves. I used pressure treated timber for my first bench because I had it on hand at the time. Plain softwoods are certainly more than adequate for such a project and - apart from expected maintenance - just as durable and capable of lasting several lifetimes of work before failing. Optional additional elements would be to face the upper surface using 12mm - 18mm ply, but not necessarily as a fixture. Simply keep this option as an element you can lay in place if e.g. working metal, painting, etc. and even 3.2mm hardboard serves well for this purpose. Unfinished ply, depending on the quality used, is often open grained and grabs dirt, dust and small debris - as do toothed surfaces - which can be inadvertently transferred onto workpieces. For this reason it often pays to use the integral solid timber top as your primary work surface. It can be more easily cleaned - as well as protected - via various means.

 

[Jacob]

This my bench. Cleaned up a bit since, with another vice on the other side.

This is Joseph's bench. It probably isn't early Palestinian, more likely English late 19C as spotted by Millais. I bet it had a well - covered by a ledged and battened door in the picture. A bit thin, maybe a bit of panelling.

Both of them have a bottom shelf which isn't part of the structure - just an add on.

 

[morfa]

I'm doing the same thing at the moment and trying to make pretty much the same type of workbench. You might find the WIP thread useful:

wip-my-first-workbench-t68280.html

Jacob - Why is there a big notch out of the middle of the apron?

Jacob & the other pros on the thread, I'd be quite interested to see a few photos of your workshops, or if you've posted them in the past a link to the thread?

 

[ColeyS1]

Jacob - Why is there a big notch out of the middle of the apron?

Hes got a hidden drawer with all his honing guides in :lol:

 

[carlb40]

Jacob - Why is there a big notch out of the middle of the apron?

Hes got a hidden drawer with all his honing guides in :lol:

And waterstones :mrgreen:

 

[GazPal]

I'd assume the cut-out is knee space for when Jacob's sitting at his bench, whilst his secret stash compartment is somewhere near the ejector seat control switch.

I would post pic's of my great grandfather's workbench, but having one by Jacob, Joseph and Joshua in one thread might be a bit too much.

 

[Andrewf]

Mine has a well. Which is a nuisance at times but great when building big stuff, can just push all the tools into it's, without having to put them away. As can be seen its nothing special. No motice and tenons just halving joints glue and large nails. Built from old fence posts for legs and a secondhand vice from my grandfather's shed. But has put in stering service over last 10 years. My bench is very organic as it gets changed as required. Hence the numerous holes in top, apron and legs.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I made this point somewhere once before - I think the usefulness of a well much depends whether the bench is against a wall or not, as if it is you're within arms reach of racks, shelves etc., a well's not so important then. If it's like mine - in the middle of the room - it's difficult to work without a well, as you either drop tools on the floor or walk across the room every time you put something down.

 

[GazPal]

I made this point somewhere once before - I think the usefulness of a well much depends whether the bench is against a wall or not, as if it is you're within arms reach of racks, shelves etc., a well's not so important then. If it's like mine - in the middle of the room - it's difficult to work without a well, as you either drop tools on the floor or walk across the room every time you put something down.

Yes, to a certain extent, but much depends on whether a bench is used primarily as a tooling or assembly bench. If used as a tooling bench, I don't feel it necessary to have all round access, as vise are mounted at the front, but four sided access tends to be more practical if using it as an assembly bench.

------------

Regardless of location, I find welled benches especially handy in the work I do. Tools in use can be stored within a well and kept clear of your work without any need to reach for things beyond or above your work space. Well inserts such as trays/shallow totes can be made to fit and hold various items such as hardware, finishing wares, etc., while additional bridging pieces can be used as elements of temporary work top section capable of supporting project elements laid across the bench width. This allows the welled bench to have a broader assembly area, whilst retaining the desired heft in the top that's necessary for heavier work on the front section of the bench. A work top needn't be full thickness across it's entire depth.

I think the main point is the fact a work bench should fit your requirements and be capable of being adjusted should your needs vary. Many seem to forget further work top surfaces can be added to the main framework via a few simple adjustments and a bench can be adapted to suit any desired configuration.

One point to note is the fact it's far simpler to build a welled bench, than build one with a full depth work top. You can always make and add another work top section if or whenever necessary.

 

[Jacob]

It helps to realise that the Brit style bench is fundamentally different from the continental style (which is more of a work table). The Brit bench has more in common with the Japanese planing beam (well worth googling) which in turn is unlikely to be an exclusively Japanese as it's such an obvious idea.
One planing beam on trestles makes a bench. Two beams makes a double sided bench. Why would anyone want to fill in the gap between the two beams, as it is so obviously useful?

 

[David C]

My removable, sliding well gives the best of both worlds.

David

 

[Phil Pascoe]

+1 so does mine.