LN Improved Workbench

[Mike Holbrook]

So I was doing a search on Adjust-A-Bench trying to find some info I was curious about in regard to bench builds using an AAB as the base and found this thread, again. I thought I would toss in another possible compromise for those who want a bench in a hurry or want features that may not be available on commercially made benches. I am not taking the position that people should buy instead of build their bench. It just occurred to me that the following option might provide some of the benefits of both the build your own and buy something you can get to the "real" work on sooner philosophies.

Two items, both available through Highland Woodworking, provide a solution with a great many of the currently popular features in bench design without eliminating too many other features. I will leave it to each individual to decide what features may actually benefit them in the work they have planed.

The two items are the Adjust-A-Bench bench base and the Roubo Workbench Top. Certainly buying these two items is a significant investment but also certainly within the financial reach of anyone considering buying and paying the shipping for a "full size" commercial workbench. These two items provide a reasonably sturdy adjustable height base and a 24" wide 4" thick, either 6 or 8' long hard maple bench top. The bench top comes in two 12" wide pieces that can either be joined as a split top or glued together to make a classic 24" wide top. The two halves "come pre-bored for the included Domino tenons to ensure perfect alignment". Simply mounting the top on the base provides a basic bench that the individual can then mount whatever vises... they desire on. There is also a locking caster system available from Noden that can make the bench mobile as well as adjustable in height.

I don't have a dog in the which is the proper way to obtain a bench fight. I built my first bench out of 2x4's, plywood and an old Record QR vise. I am now putting together an Adjust-A-Bench work surface that I will use as work support and a place to build a heavy duty planing bench. Clearly I am firmly entrenched in both camps.

[Jim Matthews]

Time is the one thing you'll never replace.

This is a reasonable choice.
Had I not lucked into a second hand bench, this was on my short list to purchase.

May you have many happy years together.

[Jim Matthews]

And my rear wouldn't pucker nearly so much the first time I drove a chisel into a shop made bench or accidentally had an overcut that marked it up.

My first day with my BMW R100/s, my riding buddies bought me a small ball pein hammer to "Get it over with".
I'm on the flip side with benches - I know too many that have spent their woodworking mojo on building a showpiece bench with fancy inlays and expensive tack
only to lose interest in the craft shortly thereafter.

I think the OP knows enough about bench building to exchange money for time.

[Jim Matthews]

If you're running a furniture production shop and you want to be building now, then it makes sense to buy workbench that you know is going to work.

I couldn't have said it better, myself. If the buyer has pending orders, any time spent working this is a debit on his ledger.
If the materials cost approach half the price of the item, this is a genuine bargain.

I'm with the OP, I hate spending time making shop tools and a bench is a HUGE time commitment.

[Paul McGaha]

I think the price went up on that bench, to $2,500:

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=1-B-LNA

PHM

[Lloyd Robins]

David congratulations. I am certain the bench will serve you well. I have never seen anything LN that was not well built. as to the thread this is a bit of a Mac vs PC arguement again except for the learning and skills involved in building a bench. I just checked Benchcrafted and tail and leg vises (with crisscross) are about $800 dollars. In my area getting 12/4 maple costs about $12.99/bf plus shipping. We are starting to get close in price considering the hours to build. I am quite happy with my Noden and when the top goes I will just replace the top. I may consider using battens, holdfasts, and my Moxon instead of traditional vises. Anyway, I am also very limited in shop time, so I certainly understand your choice. I would not be able to build the bench in the time that you will wait for yours. Enjoy it when it arrives.

[Jim Matthews]

What do the prefabricated Roubo tops weigh?

Hoisting that up and down on the Nowden Adjust-A-Bench legs would be daunting, at full height.
(240 pounds, for two of the larger ones - plus all the stuff I keep stacked on top...)

I would go with a lighter adjustable top, and load up the legs with sandbags for ballast.

[Mike Holbrook]

Noden has a video on their site, showing 1600 lbs of cinder block stacked on top of one of their benches with a 1 3/4" top, al least it didn't break. Some of the threads from posters here, who have the bench, provide instructions on adding spring systems to help raise and lower heavy bench tops with lots of other things attached. I think these guys were using benches with much heavier loads attached than a 4" top with a vise or two on it. I think someone posted that they did not have a problem lifting each end with a heavy top and a couple of vises too.

One of our posters added large adjustable feet beside his casters. I think he lowers these to steady the bench for planing and other work that might cause the bench to want to move with just locking casters. I am surmising a good deal from pictures though.

[Lloyd Robins]

Jim, I absolutely agree. A Roubo top on an Adjust-A-Bench would put a person in the hospital unless they were in better shape than I am. I currently have a composite top of Oak plywood and MDF that I made many years ago. It is heavy, but not that heavy. I drilled 7/8 dog holes and added 3/4" id copper tubing. I intended for it to be more temporary, but it works great with all the accessories including the TFWW holdfasts, so I just haven't changed it out yet. I really don't seem to have much movement when planing, as the legs add a lot of weight, but I probably will have to do something to add some weight when I exchange wood for MDF.

[Jay Radke]

with that price you should consider signing up for Jeff Millers next bench build classes. i know your not in the Chicago area but you would get great hands on skills, just that you would need to be in Chicago for two consecutive weekends. it was well worth it for me.

[Mike Holbrook]

My idea actually has been to build two benches. A low planing bench with a Benchcrafted leg vise....and a Adjusta-A-Bench targeted more for dovetailing, working at higher levels, with a Moxxon, Twin Screw or Veeritas QR Tail vise. The AAB will also be an infeed /outfeed for a bandsaw and a planer. What I am trying to get a handle on at the moment is whether or not I can make the AAB such that it will allow me to use it for the planing jobs until I get the "low" bench made? I would use the AAB for instance to plane the pieces I need for the low bench.

The old you need a bench to make a bench thing. Plus I am excited about having a mobile AAB infeed for large pieces.

[Tom Vanzant]

Mike, your mailbox if full. Left two (duplicate) PMs.

[Jack Curtis]

My idea actually has been to build two benches. A low planing bench with a Benchcrafted leg vise...

If you want a separate planing bench, why not try a Japanese style planing beam? Maximum flexibility and gravity help and minimum space required.

[Jim Matthews]

I drilled 7/8 dog holes and added 3/4" id copper tubing.

Okay, that's clever.

[Mike Holbrook]

Well it seems we are wandering off the OP's topic or skirting the border of it. I am trying to do a built from scratch bench and a bench with prebuilt parts too, though which I hope is relevant. I see Highland Woodworking has their Hammer benches on sale at the moment. The prices I saw are much lower than those I have seen in this thread. Highland seems to run bench specials regularly.

I don't know what a Japanese style planing beam is? I have wood in my shop for the bench build though. I'm sure there are many other things the wood could be used for.