Ideas for Shelf Under Workbench

[TomInNC]

I am moving along in the guild workbench build, and the bench is finally starting to look more like a bench and less like a pile of lumber. I will soon be at the point where I need to add the bottom shelf. The plans call for using plywood, but because of how my offcuts worked out, I have more than enough lumber left to make the bottom solid wood. The offcuts that I have are from 2x12 SYP boards, so after dimensioning I am guessing they will be maybe 1.25X11 or so. 

I guess the easiest thing to do would be to just mount slats to a support rail under the bench. The picture with the cat here is effectively what I was thinking. These are wide boards, the bench will be in a garage in NC, so wood movement will not be trivial. I assume that if I go the slat route, I should leave spaces between the slats. In the picture at the link, however, there appears to be virtually no gap between the slats at all. Is this ok?

Any other ideas for using solid wood for a bench shelf? I was thinking that another option might be to make a tongue and groove shelf that fits in the space, but then the question comes up regarding how much room to leave for the panel after it is inset.

 

 

[gee-dub]

I will just observe that I like things to slide on and off the shelf without dodging or banging into the proud rails.  For others, the lip created as shown in the pic may keep things from being inadvertently pushed off the shelf.  Either way is right.  I just mention it because this was a problem I solved on one of my benches when the lip didn't work out for me.  Give a thought as to how you will use the shelf and you will do the right thing for your use ;-)

[h3nry]

The shelf under my bench accumulates quite a lot of dust and small shavings that fall through the dog holes ... the bench in the picture seems to have no easy way of sweeping the dust off (unless the cat licks it clean).

[Isaac]

I agree with Henry and gee-dub. My bench is crude and on the smaller side, but I like having a flat surface without a lip. I keep my hand planes on it.  Gives me easy access and the combined weight of all the metal of the hand planes gives the bench weight so it never moves around. 

[Ronn W]

I put a sedger strip along the long sides and then placed boards from to back (no lip).   I trimed the boards on each end so that the boards sit in lace and cannot slide - no fasteners.

[TomInNC]

Regarding the alignment, my plan was to keep the shelf flush (unlike the picture). I already have enough stuff to bump into.

If I go the slat route, how much space should I leave between them to accommodate movement. In the pictures I've seen, many folks just have the slats edge to edge. Wouldn't this potentially put a lot of stress on the outside of the frame? In my case, if you viewed the shelf as a solid panel, that's about 50 inches wide, which i believe could move a lot.

[justaguy]

can you shiplap the slats.  Worked for me, YMMV

[TomInNC]

On 3/22/2022 at 8:51 PM, justaguy said:

can you shiplap the slats.  Worked for me, YMMV

I've never tried shiplap. Of the videos I'm seeing online, it seems like after you cut the rabbets, you shim out a gap to accommodate movement. Then, you attach the planks with screws or nails. Is that right?

[Chestnut]

leave enough gaps for 1/16" per foot of width and you should be fine. I thought about ship lap but you'll just get dust trapped in there. Might be easier to just let it fall through. I don't secure my lower shelf down, makes access easier if ever needed.

I also just attached a cleat all the way around. I have a lip and compressed air or the dust collector make quick work of cleaning off the shelf.

[pkinneb]

Mine are shiplap with 1/16" gap and I have never had any issues. Although truth be told there is so much sitting on it I haven't actually seen the boards in a while 

[justaguy]

On 3/23/2022 at 5:57 AM, TomInNC said:

I've never tried shiplap. Of the videos I'm seeing online, it seems like after you cut the rabbets, you shim out a gap to accommodate movement. Then, you attach the planks with screws or nails. Is that right?

That is correct.  One pin/screw in the center on each end.  I built a small cabinet to sit on the shelf.  like pkinneb, I haven't seen the shelf for quite a while

[Woodworking_Hobby]

The picture you linked is how I built the bottom for my guild roubo bench I just finished.  I do not remember the exact dimensions but I put a rabbit on the top and bottom of adjoining boards to let them slide back and forth and it seemed to provide enough play. They just sit on a strip that is on the inside of the bottom frame.  

[Jonathan McCully]

1 hour ago, Woodworking_Hobby said:

The picture you linked is how I built the bottom for my guild roubo bench I just finished.  I do not remember the exact dimensions but I put a rabbit on the top and bottom of adjoining boards to let them slide back and forth and it seemed to provide enough play. They just sit on a strip that is on the inside of the bottom frame.  

Beautiful bench. What species did you use for your accents?

[Woodworking_Hobby]

15 hours ago, Jonathan McCully said:

Beautiful bench. What species did you use for your accents?

Thanks!!! The bench is hard maple and the tail vise end cap and leg chop are just out of cherry!

[TomInNC]

On 3/23/2022 at 10:37 PM, Woodworking_Hobby said:

The picture you linked is how I built the bottom for my guild roubo bench I just finished.  I do not remember the exact dimensions but I put a rabbit on the top and bottom of adjoining boards to let them slide back and forth and it seemed to provide enough play. They just sit on a strip that is on the inside of the bottom frame.  

So for the shiplap, did you screw the boards down at all to the strips, or are they just floating? I was thinking that screwing them in would add some rigidity to the bench, which could be useful as it will move around a fair bit. I wasn't sure, however, where to place the screws to allow for wood movement.

[pkinneb]

Mine are floating but the bench is rigid without the shelf. If you decide to screw them down just leave room for movement.

 

[justaguy]

mine are also floating, but tacking them down with one pin or screw in the center of each end is typical.  My table does not need help with ridgidity

[Woodworking_Hobby]

11 hours ago, TomInNC said:

So for the shiplap, did you screw the boards down at all to the strips, or are they just floating? I was thinking that screwing them in would add some rigidity to the bench, which could be useful as it will move around a fair bit. I wasn't sure, however, where to place the screws to allow for wood movement.

Same as most other folks said; mine just float in the shelf to give them play and also makes it easy to remove if need to clean or get under the bench. I used the tennons and draw boar pegs in my legs and rails and rigidity has not been an issue.