Robby W Posted January 31, 2022 Report Share Posted January 31, 2022 I am going to put this in hand tools because almost nothing is happening here for awhile and it is something you use hand tools on, so here goes. I was reading a workbench article in the latest Pop Woodworking email summary and they had an article on making a workbench. The overall design is similar to the way I am planning on making my next bench: A thick top on a trestle bottom. There will be variations - my top will be 4" thick, traditional tail vise, maybe a leg vise - but basically the same. I have had something similar now for 35 years and it works great. The article shows the top held on with four lag bolts, spread about a foot apart, which makes me wonder if it could have issues with movement. My current bench just has tow 1/4" screws through the top trestle stretcher into the top and seems to work fine. How did you fasten your workbench top onto your base? Also, I am debating between making my new bench now or waiting until after I move in about nine months. It is going to be heavy (400-500 lbs), but will come apart to flatpack. Any opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted January 31, 2022 Report Share Posted January 31, 2022 If you are using professional movers I would wait to build the bench rather than pay to move it. If I were going to move it myself I'd wait to build it, too. The moving job is going to be big enough. Also depends on how certain the move is. The more certain, the more I'd wait. Do you know exactly what the new shop looks like and how you will configure it? Maybe another reason to build later. Do you need the bench now? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 31, 2022 Report Share Posted January 31, 2022 I've seen a couple designs that simply use a couple of locating 'pins' (dowels) in each trestle top to match holes in the benchtop. Gravity does the rest. If you want some real 'street-cred' with the hand tool crowd, set the trestle tops into sliding dovetails across the underside of the top. I have also seen knock-down styles that use sliding DT battens under the top, wide enough to hang down alongside the trestle tops, and dowels driven through both to clench the top in place. Punch out the dowels and to top lifts right off. If you are doing a split top, the pieces should be light enough to make moving less of a headache. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted January 31, 2022 Report Share Posted January 31, 2022 Yea, I would probably wait for all the reasons Mark mentions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Dave H Posted January 31, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 31, 2022 I attached my bench with a dovetail through tennon, the inlays around the tennons are just decorative also hides my less than perfect mortices. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted February 1, 2022 Report Share Posted February 1, 2022 Widen out the holes on the base so the screw can wiggle back and forth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby W Posted February 1, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2022 Thank you all for your input. The move is definitely on. I am retiring at the end of July and will be moving as soon as I can sell my house and pack up. California has gotten to be a bit much, so we are joining the flood out of here. If it works out right, I will be building my new shop from scratch with it being about 25' x 35'. 10 foot ceiling. I know many have used the dovetail mortises, but I am thinking in terms of what it will take to move the bench in the future and permanent legs makes that harder. Not worried about street cred, I can cut the joint if I decide to. Thanks for reminding me about the pins. I was planning on using that to line the front edge up if I decide on a leg vise. It will give a firm foundation to press against. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted February 1, 2022 Report Share Posted February 1, 2022 4 hours ago, Robby W said: The move is definitely on. Where to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post treeslayer Posted February 2, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 Congratulations on your retirement, it’s pretty good on this side of the fence, I retired in 2004, where did the time go ? Doing whatever I want of course ! Good luck with the move 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chet Posted February 2, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 On 2/1/2022 at 4:01 PM, treeslayer said: I retired in 2004, where did the time go ? Doing whatever I want of course ! 2005 here and I tell my wife all the time that with the way time goes now, I don't know how I had time for a full time job. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlyoak Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 My work bench is not made with fine joinery. 2 x 6 construction grade spruce. But it works just fine for me. I save the joinery for client projects. my bench top is 1.5" particle board. 4' x 6'. It is not attached. It floats. I can slide it to one direction or another if it yields me an advantage. I never worry about dripping glue or varnish. I scrape it off. Any left over varnish is applied to the bench top if needed. I like visiting shop man caves. A pleasant environment. And I admire those that maintain the man cave as well as a productive shop. And I might build one for a client if ever asked. But for me, the work I do is not for furniture like benches. I save that for work that has life outside of my shop. Full respect and appreciation for those with fantastic man cave/shops. I enjoy visiting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gee-dub Posted February 2, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 Large dowels driven from below as locator pins here. They extend into the top about 1-1/2". This is the previous bench; same method. I did all four corners but my top is a laminate of plywood and MDF. Two on one long edge should be fine. Tops weigh a couple hundred pounds and are not prone to going anywhere. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Robby W Posted February 3, 2022 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted February 3, 2022 It looks like we are going to join my daughter's family in North Carolina, somewhere between Yadkinville and Winston-Salem. I want rural, my wife wants city. I hope to find something that isn't too far out, but far enough that I don't bump elbows with my neighbor. One of my sons is going to Tennessee, one to West Virginia. Brother and family also to Tennessee. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnG Posted February 3, 2022 Report Share Posted February 3, 2022 You should be able to find a good balance. We are a bit south of Yadkinville. We have plenty of space and privacy, but it’s not too bad of a drive to get to the major shopping in W-S. 10-15min to grocery stores (several options), 20-30min to shopping (costco, target, etc). We are on 20 acres and the other lots on our road are similarly sized. Nice to know that nobody is in our business but our young kids can walk to the neighbor’s house if they ever needed to. Housing market in the area is still tricky, like everywhere else. Things go quickly and it’s strongly a seller’s market. PM me if you want any more specifics of my area, but if your daughter has been in Yadkinville a while she’s probably a better resource. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted February 6, 2022 Report Share Posted February 6, 2022 On 2/2/2022 at 8:29 PM, Robby W said: It looks like we are going to join my daughter's family in North Carolina, Robby, when you get to that point I'd be interested in hearing your thinking on whether and how to move your shop: move vs. sell; professional movers vs. DIY, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby W Posted February 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2022 @Mark J I will be happy to share, even discuss, the move. Right now, I am thinking about selling my tablesaw, even though we are old friends. I want a Sawstop, and this might be my chance to get it. My current saw is an old Rockwell Delta contractors saw that has been tune to a fair thee well. I added a Biesemyer 52" fence, an Accumiter miter guage, the predecessor to the Jessem Mite-R-Gauge, replaced the trunnion bolts with grade 5 fasteners, added a folding outfeed table and a router table in the left wing. The rest of my power tools are going to go. Most everything else is in cabinets or in wheels. Most of the wood will be disposed of. I am debating between renting a truck and hiring someone. I have my firearms collection and movers won't won't handle those, so I may have to move them myself. Doing it through an FFL for this many guns would be very expensive. Plus we have at least one cat to move. I'll update you as I make my decisions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted February 6, 2022 Report Share Posted February 6, 2022 That would be great. (Probably best we start a new thread). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby W Posted February 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2022 Will do when I have more to share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post noviceneil Posted April 13, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted April 13, 2022 I made my 1st bench about 17 years ago. The top is two inch thick maple, purchased from Grizzly as I had neither the equipment nor the hand skills to flatten then. Attached with dowels sticking up thru the legs into matching holes. Solid, doesn't move. Made one for my granddaughter 3 years ago. Top is 4 inch thick ash with some 3/4 " walnut in between every 3 boards of ash for visual appeal. Tried flattening it with my jointer plane after glue up. after several hours and not alot of progress I decided I had better things to do with my time. Have a friend in my woodworking club who has a 37" drum sander. took about 2 hours, dead flat. Also attached that with dowels. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botch Posted November 3, 2022 Report Share Posted November 3, 2022 I too just glued dowels into the leg trestles, fitting into holes drilled into the bottom of the bench top. I only used one dowel on each end so I didn't have to worry about wood movement. Top w/vises weighs about 130 lbs, and it's never moved on me. And you're probably just moved, or mid-moving? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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