Someday I hope to build a bench like the one Louis is working on. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=12980
But for now I just need a bench that I can complete quickly and without spending too much money.
My in-progress "Hacker" bench, (a term I'm borrowing from Louis), has three main influences.
The first influence is Bob and Dave’s Good, Fast, and Cheap Bench -- http://www.terraclavis.com/bws/beginners.htm -- which convinced me that it's okay to use Big Box lumber to build a bench, and that it's better to build a bench to use now and wait to build an ultimate bench until such time as I have the experience to know exactly what I need from such a bench.
The second & third influences are both found in the recent Woodworker's Journal pullout section. I have borrowed little bits from the benches described in that mag -- Ian Kirby's "Arts and Crafts Workbench," and Frank Klausz's "European Workbench."
The pics below show the top, the feet, the legs, the top rails, and the two Record knock-off vises. Not shown are the twin 2x6 stringers, which are on an assembly table waiting for the glue to dry.
I'm planning to use MT joints to hold the frame together, possibly with wooden pegs through the joint itself or through the protruding end of the tenon -- depending on the individual configuration in question.
Why use this method?
Heck, I don't know. I think I saw this on a show about timber framing once, but I'm really not sure where I came up with the idea. Something about driving a big square peg through a hole in a joint just strikes my fancy.
I realized two things after I had the top all glued up:
[1] While it's okay to use Big Box lumber to build a bench, it's probably not a good idea to use the cheapest sticks in the store. The lowest-price level 2x4s from Lowes twist like pretzels -- even though they are stamped as having been kiln dried!
[2] Use some kind of check list, so you don't forget very basic things, like slanting the dog holes 2 degrees away from the end vise.Oops. Not sure how I'll deal with that one.
Anyhow, here are the pics...
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