Workbench top design questions

[Phil Stone]

The design has evolved a little bit:

MongrelWorkbench.jpgMongrelWorkbench_lowIso.jpgMongrelWorkbench_topHidden.jpgSub-top Torsion Box.jpg



The lighter wood is maple, and the darker is douglas fir. On the far right is a sub-top torsion box-ish structure. The Bally-Block top is screwed directly to the sub-top at the front of the bench, and through oversized holes at the rear of the bench, so that it can move independently. The tenons on the top of the legs go completely through the sub-top (which is bolted to the legs through the leg tenons), and partially into the top; they will fit snugly into the mortises at the front, and into slightly oversize ones in the back.

It would have been simpler to make a solid, thicker top, but this is allowing me to use the Bally-Block top I already have, and I think it's a good, sturdy design.

Any comments or criticism? I think this will handle seasonal movement all right, but corrections will be gratefully received.

[Rich Riddle]

I agree with the commenter who said most benches are too narrow and like a wider bench. With the vise on the right side, are you a left-handed person?

[Phil Stone]

I agree with the commenter who said most benches are too narrow and like a wider bench. With the vise on the right side, are you a left-handed person?

Yes, I'm a lefty.

[John Sanford]

A 24" bench will likely be good for you. My first benchtop was a 36" wide solid core door. While it was nice to have all that space, I didn't need it, and had I placed the bench against a wall it would have rendered use of the wall for tool storage essentially moot. Reaching over a 3' wide bench to grab a chisel would have gotten old real fast. My second bench, which is actually the first bench with a different top, uses a Jorgenson 25" x 72" x 1/75" maple lamination, very much like what you have. The width is better for me than the door. My next bench (under construction now) will have a top in the 26-28" range, and be 8-9' long.

[Phil Stone]

Progress of the "hurry up and wait" kind: I have my green doug fir for the base and sub-top rough-cut, stacked, stickered, and the ends are coated with a 50/50 blend of paraffin and mineral spirits.

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We're getting an early heat wave this week, and the garage will go over 100 degrees for sure. Daytime humidity will be down below 20%, recovering to above 80% at night.

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I've taken to covering the pile at lunch time with a plastic drop cloth, to slow things down a little during the extremely dry part of the day. Before bed, I take the plastic off. I don't have a moisture meter, so I don't know how wet the wood was to begin with (I'm weighing samples everyday to determine when it's reached equilibrium), but I bought it at the Blue Borg a week ago tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how it "weathers" the heat wave.


Phil