My Workbench Project

[Pat Barry]

Here is the concept that I settled on for a workbench. Plan was to use some Ash for the benchtop - material I had salvaged and stored for years waiting for a project. Plan was to use on hand 2x4's and 2x6's and keep the cost outlay to a minimum. Wanted to capitalize on lots of great discussions here at Sawmill Creek and ideas that I stumbled across. I like the bench to be multi purpose including for assembly and to help with outfeed of large pieces from the table saw. Dimensions planned were 24 x 60 for the top, as thick as I could make it using the material I had so that would be about 2 1/8". The base would be 24 x 48. I liked the concepts from the Roubo but wasn't trying to make a roubo bench.
Workbench.jpg

[Pat Barry]

Here are a couple pics of the finished project. Laminating and flattening the bench top took a long time. The strips were added one row at a time. Two or three pieces per strip. Ended up buying the hardware (nuts and bolts and the vise), lots of glue, the BLO finish, 1 piece of Ash so I could make the outside edges in one piece, and the 2x6 stringers. I did the BLO and a finishing wax to the top and underside of the benchtop. Still need to pin the top to the posts and get to work on a project.
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[alex grams]

very nice, must have been a busy 13 hours from start post last night to finish post this morning!

Too clean though! Take a hammer and put a couple of deep dents in that top and get it over with!! A new workbench is like a new truck, it is made to be used, so just put that first scratch/dent in and get busy using it!

['Jacques Malan']

Looks a bit too good to belong in a workshop. Would make a lovely kitchen table though, you can use the vice to squeeze orange juice in the mornings.

Anyway, I'm jealous.

[Pat Barry]

Alex, and Jacques, I am sure that it will get dinged up a bit in relatively short order - thanks for the compliments!

[Hans Braul]

Looks great Pat. I am just thinking my next project needs to be a proper bench. You've given me some impetus.
Regards
Hans

[Pat Barry]

Couple of in-process pics. Lamination was one row at a time. Each row was either 2 pcs at 30", or 1 at 40" and 2 at 10", or 1 at 40" and 1 at 20". The rows were repeated multiple times to make the 24" width. Due to the temperature in Dec and Jan and the clamping process I ended up doing 1 row at a time. Lots of work but my material was only 42" long and I could get two 2 1/4 pcs from each length. Very happy with how it turned out.
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[Jim Kirkpatrick]

Couple of in-process pics. Lamination was one row at a time. Each row was either 2 pcs at 30", or 1 at 40" and 2 at 10", or 1 at 40" and 1 at 20". The rows were repeated multiple times to make the 24" width. Due to the temperature in Dec and Jan and the clamping process I ended up doing 1 row at a time. Lots of work but my material was only 42" long and I could get two 2 1/4 pcs from each length. Very happy with how it turned out.
IMG_7179.jpgIMG_7188.jpgIMG_7182.jpgIMG_7167.jpg

Very nice bench, Pat! You'll enjoy it years to come and so will generations thereafter!