Work Bench ideas/plans

[sbishop]

hi all, wife is giving me an early Christmas present, she's footing the bill for a work bench for my garage...it's been 5 years, it's time!!! 8)

Now i was wondering if i could get some ideas from you guys. i'm looking at building something in the 8-10ft range and with a bottom shelf.

I need something strong for the top, as it will see just about anything.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.
Sbishop

[zopi]

there is a nice plan in the current fine woodworking tools and shops issue...

[Dave Shepard]

I've been thinking about workbenches all day. Even went down to the specialty lumber yard looking for heavy hard maple. I have the Workbench Book. Lots of ideas in there. I'm going to go very simple with mine. I'd like to have a couple of vises, but just having a heavy top to clamp to will be a good start. What do you want to do on your bench? I'm going to be planing and chiseling on mine, so I'm thinking hard maple or beech for the top.

[jim king]

Here is a straight forward simple design.  I made it out of bloodwood.  The only unusual part was casting the vices out of bronze.

[isawlogs]

   Last one I built I used two inches of MDF and toped it with 3/4 plywood , 4X4 for the legs and 2/4 for the shelf support . I went with Plywood because I new I would need to change it after a while but never did .

[sbishop]

what i plan to do with it? Well  ;D

Anything from woodworking, mechanics, welding, ect....

so it will see sparks, oil, greese, banging, trashing...everything i can throw at it 

Jim King....Wow, i could put that in the living room!!! way too fancy for the garage!!!!

SBishop

[WDH]

Shelves are major dust accumulators.  Drawers, like in Jim's fantastic table, keeps stuff clean.

[Engineer]

I've used a bunch of different things over the years for workbenches - some as simple as plywood on sawhorses, a couple have been solid core doors on a 2x4 base, I have an "outdoor" bench which is a 3" thick slab of pine on top of a couple of timber ponies.  Nothing really nice though, and I can't see spending big $$$ on buying a bench when it's not all that hard to make a nice one.

It kinda depends on what you want to do with it.  Someone who works a lot with hand tools will probably want features that are vastly different from a guy who uses mostly power tools, or someone who is somewhat of a barbarian and will wreck nearly any workbench in short order. 

I've seen some beautiful benches (Jim King's example being one) but I'd be afraid to use them.  I think something solid, 4x4 or 4x6 trestle-style legs and stretchers, an end vise, a machinist's vise, some dog holes, and a 3" thick top made of laminated beech, hard maple or some other hard and close-grained wood, would be ideal for me.  I'm just as likely to start welding something on mine as would be to hand-planing some furniture pieces.  Also have to have drawers, not shelves, as dust always collects in open spaces.  Heavy is good too.  The heavier you can make it, the better. 

If you're gonna plan to abuse it though, you might want to consider just gluing up some doug fir or SYP 2x4's face to face, enough to get you the width you want, smooth the top and attach a piece of masonite on top of that.  You can replace the masonite when it gets too beat up.

[timberfaller390]

The last bench I built had 4x4 legs and braces and I laminated enough 2x6's together to make the 3'x10'x6" top. It has held numerous truck transmissions during rebuilds. I have a piece of 1/16" steel that I lay on top for welding and layout work.

[old joe]

Someday I'll build one like Jim Kings( not of bloodwood)  Till then a3' SLAB OF SLP 23" wide & 9' long on beefy sawhorses  .

Joe

[Dodgy Loner]

Here is a straight forward simple design.  I made it out of bloodwood.  The only unusual part was casting the vices out of bronze.

Looks like you're a southpaw, jim.

sbishop, I would buy "Workbenches: From Design and Theory to Construction and Use" by Chris Schwarz before I cut the first stick of wood if I were you. It will open your eyes to the nuances of workbenches in ways you could never have imagined. I'm still kicking myself for not doing a better job of planning my workbench.

[SPIKER]

The last few "Work benches" I built were very simple and made more as storage benches than WORK benches.   I don't have any plans I just built them, materials were 1 sheet of 3/4" solid core plywood, split 26" and 22" by full 8' then I picked up (I think it was14ea) 2x4s, half 8' & half studs (93")s, the 2x4s were used to form frames top and bottom, and legs with inverted V diagonal brace across the back.   one tube of PL adhesive to stiffen it all up when assembling.   I prefer Deck Screws, but nailing also will work if you have a nail gun, attempting to POUND nails in will not work very well as this is a LIGHT duty bench. (though I have some 10 years old and know of some I built 20 yrs ago still being used. as I simply leave them in-place when I move..)

very fast to build only cut some of the 2xs left the frames the full 93" stud length on the 4 stringers so that the top sticks out over the edges.    (front edge and back edge enough to seal up the back side to the wall (1.5").)    I like my benches a little higher so I split 4 each studs for the legs.   Attach the legs on the ends so the bottom board/shelf 22" wide will slide in between the front legs and back legs.  move the legs flush to the edges of the bottom frame which keeps them back slightly and leaves room for the top to extend out a few inches for clamping to.   You can make the top frame full width (26") if you want no over hang.   The Base and Top frames also have some stringers, cut same length as the end stringer/rails.   I keep them on 16" or 24" to form a ladder for top & bottom frames.  you may need 1 or 2 more 2x4s if you keep them on 16" and make the top frame the 26" width.

I brace both end legs with one diagonal brace from top front down to back, near bottom. and brace the back with the inverted V also flush to top and down to the bottom legs off the floor.   This lets you cut the legs if needed for a un-level floor or garage...

you will have storage under the bottom of the 2nd shelf on the floor, storage on the middle/shelf and the top working surface.    I dont think I have any pics but can take some close up next time out at the farm where I have some built & painted & piled full... ;)

sorry no plans for these 50 buck shelfs but they are pretty straight forward.

Mark M

[Traditional Toolworks]

sbishop, I would buy "Workbenches: From Design and Theory to Construction and Use" by Chris Schwarz before I cut the first stick of wood if I were you. It will open your eyes to the nuances of workbenches in ways you could never have imagined. I'm still kicking myself for not doing a better job of planning my workbench.

I have Chris' book, it is good. I based my bench on the Holtzappfel he built, which post-dated that book but was featured in the Autumn 2008 issue of Woodworking Magazine. I have tried to upload using the Java uploader here on FF, but to no avail, it hangs my browser. I would be most curious how others here that don't have screens to view larger than a 500 pixel image are running that Java uploader...it's like giving birth to a redwood on my computer and I have 4 gigs of memory.

I have a twin-screw on the face, and an Emmert clone on the end. I call it the 'appfelMaker...built entirely out of hard maple that I got for $0.50/bf.

[Dodgy Loner]

The Holtzappfel looks like a great bench. I will probably use some of the workholding methods from that bench on the massive skeleton of the Roubo bench when I finally build a new one.

[Traditional Toolworks]

The Holtzappfel looks like a great bench. I will probably use some of the workholding methods from that bench on the massive skeleton of the Roubo bench when I finally build a new one.

It really is a great bench, but even Chris' version was modified to add the quick release as the tail vise.

I had exchanged a bunch of email with Chris when I built it, and he has always frowned on the use of the Pattern Maker's vise, due to the complication of the install, no argument from me there...however, I use the pattern maker's vise as much or more than the twin-screw.

I adapted a hand wheel to my Emmert clone.

And interesting to note, that if you look at how Sam Maloof used his Emmert, it was in the tail vise position, on the right hand front corner of his bench (R.I.P. Sam!). For any non-flat work, using spokeshaves, drawknives, rasps, etc...there is no substitute. I am always marveled by the simplicity of the pattern maker's vise and the fact that it was created in the late 1800s.

The Roubo, OTOH, is also a great bench. I have some similar points as the Roubo, such as the large hefty legs, I used 4.5"x4.5" on them. I also added an extra stretcher, as I had it cut already. Both stretchers are flush with the front, as the Holtzappfel, as well as the stretchers on the rear. While that is the side that floats (I left an extra inch or so of space in the mortise for the legs on the rear), they are flush for the most part.

I have used a lot of make-shift workbenches also, doors on sawhorses, plywood on outfeed stands, even have a dimensional bench built into the wall of my garage...none have come close to working on a real bench, especially with hand tools. I hope I never have to use those make-shift benches again, but I know I will do that when a real bench is not available. There is no substitute for a real workbench, IMO, and if your working with hand tools it is almost impossible to create a good substitute.

[woodsteach]

After reading this I had to do a search for Holtzappfel and found this site:  http://www.workbenchdesign.net/

woodsteach

[ksu_chainsaw]

If you are going to do everything on this bench, from woodworking to small engine repair to welding, I would make the bench as strong as possible.  In my last house, the prior owner had built some HEAVY benches along the back side of the garage that you could park a tank on.  He took 6x6 posts spaced every 8 ft, but they could go further than that.  He then put a 2x6 nailer on both sides of the posts and another 2x6 ledger on the wall of the garage.  Then he laid 2x6's flat running out from the wall to the posts and nailed them down with DanGed RING SHANK nails from the air gun- I found this out when I had to remove 4' of the bench to get the truck into the garage and shut the door  >:(  He then laid 3/4" particle board over that and just put drywall screws on the corners and front edge and then covered the front edge with pine 1x stock that stood up 1/4" proud so the particle board didnt chip.

Another good idea for a garage bench is make sure that the front and sides of the bench are covered with either doors or drawers- flat areas attract stuff, and having the areas covered makes sure that it doesnt get as dusty or when you walk by the bench stuff doesnt jump onto the floor ;D

100 lb ball bearing drawer slides would be a good investment, then you know which drawer has what stuff in it- they also seem to hold up better than the Craftsman tool boxes that I have worn out- 1/2" socket sets wear out those drawers quick- I used 2 pairs of drawer slides to make a single drawer for the 1/2" sockets and ratchets now- has lasted over 5 years now and still slides easy.

Charles

[fiddle1]

a number of companies have started to produce wood screws in the 2 1/2" diameter
along with all the fitting peices. The woodscrews are great cause they include notches for the garters
in brass and wood to hold them tight--- easy to install.

Wood screws can be used on other stuff also like bookbinding presses, berrypresses etc.

More than enough clamping power-----
but best of all you dont get rust or grease marks on the wood!

by wood screw i mean an "all wood" threaded screw--specifically made for vices.

[SPIKER]

Wood screws can be used on other stuff also like bookbinding presses, berrypresses etc.

More than enough clamping power-----
but best of all you dont get rust or grease marks on the wood!

by wood screw i mean an "all wood" threaded screw--specifically made for vices.

I think you are talking about "WOODEN" screws or straight cut wooden shafting material used to make vices?
Mark

[fiddle1]

http://www.lakeerietoolworks.com/
http://www.bigwoodvise.com/

these were two i was looking into...there may be others

there's also the BEALL kits, which ar great for smaller.

but i haven't seen one made to accomodate threads
past 1" diameter.

you can set a router jig to make threadings up to 2 1/2" but then you need a tap
and it gets messy.