jmaichel Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 The time has finally come for me to build a workbench. I have been putting this off for a few years now and have been getting by just fine with a joinery bench. A couple of my upcoming projects are just going to be a little hard to accomplish with just the joinery bench and an crappy assembly table (3/4" MDF on a centipede saw horse). I am going to build a Classic Workbench modeled after the one Jameel is building on the Benchcrafted Blog. BC is eventually going to release plans for this bench but I did not want wait that long and just to decided to build one without their plans. I did ask him a few questions about the bench and re-watched certain videos from the TWW guild Roubo build to help with some of the details while working on the plan. The bench will feature one vice, BC Classic Vise with Crisscross hardware. I will eventually build a full size Roubo but not until I get back stateside and get settled in a house I know that I will in for a while. The classic workbench will become a nice second workbench but that could be anywhere from 2-5 years. I live in HI and will eventually be moving back stateside so lumber selection, size, and weight are all factors in the design of this bench. Lumber selection out here is not the best. Forget about Soft Maple, Ash, Beech or even Pine in 8/4 material. I Have found Rock Maple but it's more than I want to pay per BF and heavy! Like I said this bench has to be moved back stateside, so a 400 pound bench is just not in the cards for me. Not to mention I have no desire to work Hard Maple with hand tools. My best option is Poplar at $2.85 BF and a final weight that will hopefully be right around 250 pounds. I know I am going to get some flak for using poplar for a workbench but it's what makes the most sense for this build. I am well aware of how soft it is and that the top will probably get beat to hell but I am okay with that. Final dimensions of the bench will be right around 84" x 24" with a 4" thick top and a total height of roughly 35". I am going to use Half Lap Mortise and Tenon Joints that are pegged for all the joinery (suggested by BC). The bench will use right around 150 BF of 8/4 poplar for the top and base, and roughly 15 BF of 4/4 poplar for the shelf. I am going to the lumber yard Saturday to pick out all the lumber. I called them today just to make sure they had enough stock on hand. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they had plenty in stock with several boards in the dimension I was looking for. I will probably use a nice wood for the leg vise but not sure what at this point. It depends on price of other hardwoods. I have been spending the last few days working out some rough sketches of the bench, trying to figure out how much lumber I was going to need. I am sure I will tweak a couple things here or there before the build actually starts. You will have to forgive my drawing, I am not much of an artist and I really don't like sketchup (or whatever it is called now) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RichardA Posted March 4, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 Just recently completed.. Pine base, poplar top 2" thick with oak aprons.. weight about 320# 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 Hey Rick, does a holdfast work ok in that bench, with 2" thickness? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 Yup, it sure works perfectly! I wouldn't go thinner than 2" though! And I backed the apron to make a 2" for them as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 I was actually just thinking about benches and woods they are made out of. Why would poplar be such a bad idea? Weight or durability? If durability is a problem wouldn't some sort of hard finish (lacquer or poly) help reduce the damaging effects? Is too hard and heavy of a wood a problem too? I have probably 150 BF of 3x3 hickory begging for a project. I thought about bench but that sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 18 minutes ago, Chestnut said: I was actually just thinking about benches and woods they are made out of. Why would poplar be such a bad idea? Weight or durability? If durability is a problem wouldn't some sort of hard finish (lacquer or poly) help reduce the damaging effects? Is too hard and heavy of a wood a problem too? I have probably 150 BF of 3x3 hickory begging for a project. I thought about bench but that sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen. I'm fairly sure that you'll spend as much time sharpening your tools as you would building a bench.. Hickory is really tough on sharp tools!. It's a workbench, it's destined to be beat up, unless you're after pretty, any wood will work. How long does it take to destroy a pine workbench? My guess would be close to 20 years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dknapp34 Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 3 hours ago, Chestnut said: I was actually just thinking about benches and woods they are made out of. Why would poplar be such a bad idea? Weight or durability? If durability is a problem wouldn't some sort of hard finish (lacquer or poly) help reduce the damaging effects? Is too hard and heavy of a wood a problem too? I have probably 150 BF of 3x3 hickory begging for a project. I thought about bench but that sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen. Built my roubo out of hickory. It wasn't the most fun experience, mostly because my jointer broke and so I had to hybrid mill most of the lumber. Also, the splinters. So many splinters. But, now that it is done, I have no complaints about the bench at all. I like that it's hard as a rock and heavy as hell. I say go for it. Plus, if your hickory is 3x3, you are going to end up doing a lot less milling and cutting than I had to do with mine, which was made from 4/4 stock, so the tool dulling effect isn't a huge issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 You said you hope to be about 250lbs. Is there a shipping requirement for being under that weight I don't know of? My opinion would be to build a suitable bench for you right now out of what is available and worry about later, later. If it's too heavy to ship, sell it when you leave. Hawaii has a rolling population. Someone will buy it rather than deal with what you are now. RichardA's bench is a bit more compact than the dimensions you said and is well over 250#. I don't know how your going to get under that weight without using a soft wood species. Good luck and keep us up to date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmaichel Posted March 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 38 minutes ago, Brendon_t said: You said you hope to be about 250lbs. Is there a shipping requirement for being under that weight I don't know of? My opinion would be to build a suitable bench for you right now out of what is available and worry about later, later. If it's too heavy to ship, sell it when you leave. Hawaii has a rolling population. Someone will buy it rather than deal with what you are now. RichardA's bench is a bit more compact than the dimensions you said and is well over 250#. I don't know how your going to get under that weight without using a soft wood species. Good luck and keep us up to date. It does not have to under 250# that is just what I am hoping for. I have a max shipping weight limit for my entire household when I go back stateside, so ideally the lighter the better but not a deal breaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chet Posted March 4, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 I don't see anything wrong with using Poplar, I did on this bench. It is all out of 8/4. The top between the legs is doubled up so it is about 3 1/2 inches thick there. It is 72 inches long and 24 inches wide and weighs somewhere in the vicinity of 230 pound. Yea its going to get dinged up - but you know what, its a work bench 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 1 hour ago, Chet K. said: I don't see anything wrong with using Poplar, I did on this bench. It is all out of 8/4. The top between the legs is doubled up so it is about 3 1/2 inches thick there. It is 72 inches long and 24 inches wide and weighs somewhere in the vicinity of 230 pound. Yea its going to get dinged up - but you know what, its a work bench And you're left handed! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 I am indeed. Thats pretty sharp of you Richard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmaichel Posted March 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 3 hours ago, Chet K. said: I don't see anything wrong with using Poplar, I did on this bench. It is all out of 8/4. The top between the legs is doubled up so it is about 3 1/2 inches thick there. It is 72 inches long and 24 inches wide and weighs somewhere in the vicinity of 230 pound. Yea its going to get dinged up - but you know what, its a work bench I really like the Nicholson workbench and did not even think about using poplar. I don't think I can get boards 12" or wider I and don't want to glue up more than 2 boards for the top and sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 The top is two pieces glued up. I was lucky when I picked up the wood, there was a couple of pieces I was able to squeeze the top parts out of. The aprons are 10 inches. I just tried to be careful about the layout getting the biggest parts first and working down from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmaichel Posted March 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 Chet I might have to reconsider building a Nicholson. I will look and see what my wood dealer has in wider boards. If I can find something close to 12" I may go the Nicholson route. If you have time can you take a couple pictures of the sides for me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 Why not just build a plywood bench; easy, cheap & can be as heavy or light as you want. Then just sell it when you leave. I bet even a fairly light bench would cost a fortune to ship. Then when you're back on the main land you can build a more permanent bench. And by then you'll have a better idea of what works for you & what doesn't. FWW has an all ply bench plan that looks pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted March 5, 2016 Report Share Posted March 5, 2016 55 minutes ago, jmaichel said: Chet I might have to reconsider building a Nicholson. I will look and see what my wood dealer has in wider boards. If I can find something close to 12" I may go the Nicholson route. If you have time can you take a couple pictures of the sides for me? This is the project journal I did on this bench. All the photos I took along the way are in here. This could actually be perfect for you when you move back stateside because the design allows it to be dis-assembled. This isn't my intent but it was a design I liked for my first venture into a nice bench so I still built it as a knock down. The article about this design is in the November issue of Popular Woodworking which you can get from their website. It comes apart into 5 pieces, the 2 leg sections, 2 aprons and the top. When you look at my photos and the ones in the magazine you will notice that my hole patterns are opposite the ones in the magazine, I an left handed. So if you are right handed go with the magazine. Look through the project journal and if you have any questions just PM me and I will do my best to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmaichel Posted March 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2016 6 minutes ago, Chet K. said: This is the project journal I did on this bench. All the photos I took along the way are in here. This could actually be perfect for you when you move back stateside because the design allows it to be dis-assembled. This isn't my intent but it was a design I liked for my first venture into a nice bench so I still built it as a knock down. The article about this design is in the November issue of Popular Woodworking which you can get from their website. It comes apart into 5 pieces, the 2 leg sections, 2 aprons and the top. When you look at my photos and the ones in the magazine you will notice that my hole patterns are opposite the ones in the magazine, I an left handed. So if you are right handed go with the magazine. Look through the project journal and if you have any questions just PM me and I will do my best to help. Thanks Chet! I will take a look at your build and the PWW one as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted March 5, 2016 Report Share Posted March 5, 2016 9 hours ago, Chet K. said: I am indeed. Thats pretty sharp of you Richard. Not only can he build stuff but he can spot a tick on a wolf at 50 paces! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmaichel Posted March 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 After some contemplation between the Classic Workbench and the Knockdown Nicholson, I decided to stick with the classic workbench. I made a trip to the lumber store and ended up with 180 BF of poplar. It was a PITA getting it in my van, I had to cut all the boards down a little. I am glad that I brought my drawings with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted March 6, 2016 Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 Looks like you are of to a good start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted March 6, 2016 Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 Good start for sure. So by classic bench, is there a style you week be emulating or just 4 legs, thick top? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmaichel Posted March 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 I rough cut all the parts tonight and now I am going to let them sit for the next couple weeks before I start the actual build. I stacked all the parts on top of a centipede saw horse with an mdf top. I am little nervous that the weight will be too much for it. During this time I am going to plan out my build strategy and where the heck I am going to put this damn thing once its built. I only took a couple pictures, i was cutting it all by hand and it is late. 8 hours ago, Brendon_t said: Good start for sure. So by classic bench, is there a style you week be emulating or just 4 legs, thick top? It's based off a bench that Benchcrafted is currently building and in the process of making plans for. It features their classic leg vise and crisscross solo hardware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted March 6, 2016 Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 I have been looking at the ads for the centipede . I'm considering the larger one. How do you like yours? What size is it ? Is it wobbly under a load? Do the plastic parts seem thin and cheap or are they decent quality ? So when are you going to build something with Hawaiian woods like Koa ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmaichel Posted March 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 4 hours ago, wdwerker said: I have been looking at the ads for the centipede . I'm considering the larger one. How do you like yours? What size is it ? Is it wobbly under a load? Do the plastic parts seem thin and cheap or are they decent quality ? So when are you going to build something with Hawaiian woods like Koa ? It's okay, I mainly use it a an assembly table. The plastic parts do seem a little cheap but they work. I have the 4x2. eventually I will incorporate Koa into something. In all honest Koa is too flashy for my taste and I would not want an huge piece built out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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