A workbench for my daughter

[Matt Radtke]

I'm not sure how, but I managed to not post this back when I finished the build in August. Hope you guys enjoy it.

External link because they're too large. http://imgur.com/a/uVbbD

[Pat Zabrocki]

That is too cool, love the pink safety goggles!
enjoy the time with your daughter, they grow up fast
pat

[Sam Takeuchi]

Very nice indeed. She has better workbench than me. I guess one day I'll build a bench for my little guy, but he's still 3 months old, so not for a while.

[Jim Koepke]

She is a lucky young girl. Hope she finds enjoyment in working wood.

jtk

[Matt Radtke]

Very nice indeed. She has better workbench than me.

The trick is to score a couple of solid core doors for $1 each and a Columbian vise for $10. Then you too can gloat about your child's bench.

[Jim Foster]

How thick is the door? It also looks like you doubled the door. Nice simple build! I think she'll be able to do lots of good work on that bench if she has the inclination.

[Matt Radtke]

How thick is the door? It also looks like you doubled the door. Nice simple build! I think she'll be able to do lots of good work on that bench if she has the inclination.

It is indeed doubled. All finished, the top is over 3" inches thick.

I got the doors from UW-SWAP, the local surplus shop for the University system. They're from a couple of bathroom doors, vents included. The 49"x22" top was all that I could use after I cut around the extra stuff. I did save a couple chunks to turn into a leg vise, should she be interested enough.

And she already has a little inclination. She's been practicing with a little 8 oz hammer since she was 20 months and a 6" hack saw since she was two. Here's hoping I keep her interested. My hope was the bench would last her more or less until she's full grown. I made the legs 24" long originally, cut them down to ~19", and saved the offcuts to make bench slippers in a few years. With a projected adult height of 5'7", a 27" bench would last her until middle school. If she's still interested past then, we'll make replacement legs together.

[george wilson]

You will have to make the bench taller as she grows.

[Matt Radtke]

I've accounted for growth a little bit. As is, it's a touch too tall, so she stands on a platform. Next move is to remove the platform.

I've saved the offcuts from the legs to make some bench slippers: http://www.closegrain.com/2011/04/roubos-slippers.html Carefully marked so that slipper 1 matches leg 1. Hopefully it works out.

Both tricks give me about 9" of adjustment.