JimB1 Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Currently I'm using a laminated beech (I think) worktop that's about 1 3/4" thick and is actually pretty nice if plain. No dog holes, no clamps. Just a flat top. It has steel legs which aren't the most stable in the world so I am building a new base for the top now out of laminated douglas fir. The next step will be to determine what I want to do with the top. I definitely need to think about clamping capability and features like bench dog holes, bench dog storage, tool holders, etc. Anyone have pics of your workbenches or ideas that you have found useful when customizing an existing workbench? My shop is broken in two with my power tool shop being in part of a one car garage and my hand tool shop (with a few exceptions due to space) being in a 9 x 9 area in my basement. This bench will be in the hand tool shop so it needs to be geared towards that. Also to note, the bench is in a corner area with the back and left side against a wall. I have been a power tool guy for a while now but I am just getting started with hand tool woodworking which has it's own set of requirements in a bench. With all that in mind, have at it. What do you think are the most useful things I should be thinking about? Thanks -Jim Per request, images added... The bench top is 60" x 28" and as you can see, not a lot of room to put anything bigger in I am working on clamp racks though and need to figure out where to put my scroll saw to free up some space... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMarshall Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Jim, this is a topic with no correct answers so you are sure to get a bunch of opinions. It's more fun to talk about workbenches than politics too, so that always helps! I'm sure we'd all love to see some pictures of your bench as it is now. There is a lot that can be done to make most benches useable. Here are some of the tips I found when I was making my bench. 1. Think about the height, especially as you are rebuilding the base. For hand tool work the unofficial rule seems to be: measure from the floor to the spot where your pinky meets your hand. For me, about 34". 2. For workholding, try to get the front legs of your bench flush with the front edge of the top. A top that overhangs the legs is for dining tables, not workbenches. 3. Add weight whenever possible. The bench shouldn't move around when you are pounding on it or planing. 4. I'd think about adding some stiffening braces to the underside of the top if it's only 1" thick. Just to keep it from flexing. In my shop I get away with a unique bench setup that can be broken down every day. It doesn't have any vises, and I rely on dogs and other accessories for all my work. Here are a couple pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyNoName Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 With all that in mind, have at it. What do you think are the most useful things I should be thinking about? Thanks -Jim Jim - I agree with all of what Aaron said. My immediate thoughts are: - Overbuild. It can't be stout enough - Add mass where possible - Keep all of the faces flush Instead of adding stretchers like Aaron suggested, I would glue more layers onto the top until its thickness gets to the 3 1/2" - 4". This will allow you to have a self-supporting top, and clears the way for clamps and holes where ever you want. You can easily do this by gluing on pre-fab counter material (IKEA and Lumber Liquidators has some pretty inexpensive stuff) or sheets of plywood. I can't recommend the books and blogs by Chris Schwarz on the subject. They are incredible. I went the Roubo bench style and I love it. You can check out pics of my bench here. Scroll down to the December workbench. Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck! Jonathan =================================== Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jab73180 Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 aaron, how does your planer stand work? does it rotate up into place? that is interesting. on the subject of bench overhang, i was thinking you want some overhang to clamp what ever you need to the bench. or is that why you have all those holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMarshall Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 aaron, how does your planer stand work? does it rotate up into place? that is interesting. on the subject of bench overhang, i was thinking you want some overhang to clamp what ever you need to the bench. or is that why you have all those holes. Yep, one of the base cabinets for the workbench is also a planer stand. There's a couple locking pins that I pull out, and then the planer will flip up to the top. I actually use a bench slab as an outfeed for the planer too. As far as overhang, you generally don't ever want the top sticking out past the legs. You might want to be able to get a clamp under the top though. it depends on whether you want to clamp something on face or on edge. If you want to clamp something so you can work on the edge - like to fit a cabinet door - you typically put it flat across the apron of the bench. This is when you want the top and the legs exactly flush so you have full support. Take a look at the next pic - this is when I was flattening the edge of the top slab, but you can imagine a cabinet door held the same way. If the top stuck out further you'd only have 3-4 inches of material supporting the workpiece, whatever the top thickness is. With the top and legs (cabinets for me) flush, you get full support of the workpiece all the way to the ground if you want it. This is why you see a lot of benches these days with a "sliding deadman", which is a moveable board with a bunch of holes in a vertical line. They are always flush to the front edge of the bench top. Now, to hold something flat on the top like when you work the face of a board you might want to get a clamp under the top. My bench is a little challenged with that since the cabinets are so wide. Most benches would only have about 6 inches obstructed where the legs are. But I can still get a clamp at each end, or in the 24 inches between the cabinets in the middle of the bench. Typically though, I don't use clamps much for this since they obstruct the surface you are trying to work on. I would use a planing stop, or my el-cheapo tail vise which is just a Veritas Wonder Pup and a bench dog, shown below. If anybody cares to see more, there are a few posts about the construction over at my blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Fogarty Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Jim here are a few i have made. Probably not what your after, but might give you some ideas. I love making workbenches. Aaron, i love your use of the wonder pup, and great blog. Excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMarshall Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Aaron, i love your use of the wonder pup, and great blog. Excellent. Thank you sir! Those are some lovely benches you have made also. You must support a school or something similar to have all of those. I especially like the hexagonal version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Is there anything else that you use the T-track for? Or is it dedicated to only the planer stop? I currently am using a bench that was listed as a Tool stand, from plans listed in Wood Magazine. The magazine came with the option of an online plan for a support stand on the bench (primarily for planer support), but I opted against it. I planned on it being a side bench, primarily for the lathe, and haven't built the other bench yet to dedicate it to that cause. There was a plan I ran across, and I wish I remembered where I saw it, that uses a handscrew clamp (like the 8" version from Rockler) as the end of the vise. It's made from laminated strips of plywood, if I remember correctly, where the dog holes are basically voids in the laminate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMarshall Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Is there anything else that you use the T-track for? Or is it dedicated to only the planer stop? So far, it's just for the planing stop. I saw this design over at Pop Woodworking's site a while back, and blatantly copied it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMarshall Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Jim, thanks for adding the pics. It may just be the angle, but that top looks decently thick to me. Not what I was imagining where you said 4/4. You could probably drill some dog holes and be just fine as far as the top thickness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB1 Posted February 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Jim, thanks for adding the pics. It may just be the angle, but that top looks decently thick to me. Not what I was imagining where you said 4/4. You could probably drill some dog holes and be just fine as far as the top thickness. It's actually 1 3/4" for some reason I thought it was only 1" geez, I really need to slow down and check these things. Sorry about that. I'm thinking about putting maybe a 3" x 2" hardwood edge on with maybe a tongue and groove and a few bolts to at least the sides to provide a little more width and more face area for a side mount vice. That'll give me a little extra room. Maybe all the way around to give me a little more depth too or at least on the front for a front mount vice. I can "grow" the top by a few inches around but I just don't have the room for an 8' workbench. Keep the ideas coming, even if I don't use them for this bench, I have to work on a combo outfeed/assembly table too and some of the ideas so far are great! Thanks -Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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