Workbench options

[Jeff Zens]

A good workbench is without a doubt the most important tool in any woodworker's shop. A poorly designed bench will provide endless hours of frustration (as the OP expressed in his post) while a good design is more useful than a third hand or an apprentice. There are so many bench designs to choose from, and the debate will go on forever as to which one is "best". The two design styles that have the most longevity are the Roubo-style, and the classic European cabinetmaker's bench. That's the style Frank Klaus (and many others) advocate. It's the style I have worked on for over thirty years, and it's hard to find fault with the design. Tage Frid's third book (Furnituremaking) has a detailed set of plans for this style bench included as one of the projects. Building a bench like this is educational, it's rewarding, and at the end you'll have an essential tool for your shop.

My advice: get a set of plans for whatever style you choose, and get one built for your shop.

[Brian Holcombe]

I finally added two rows of holes for holdfasts for my bench and got lie Nielsen holdfasts, works great and nice for so many operations that are otherwise hard to hold.

[Mike Holbrook]

Adam in reply to a question you asked earlier about materials for or a ready to go bench top. Highland Woodworking sells very heavy duty maple tops, 4" thick & various lengths I think, that come glued up and ready to go. There was even a special on TV about the company not too long ago. Also Peach State Lumber in Kennesaw has an excellent selection of wood suitable for bench tops. They have a reasonable price for planing the boards when you buy from them too. I bought a supply of excellent German kiln dried beech from them for my bench. I got the tip from another SMC member who bought the same lumber for his bench. I bought mine with one good edge and two planed sides.

[Prashun Patel]

Adam-
Looks really great. The big thing with a face vise is overcoming the racking issue. This can also be an issue when using it with dog holes. It takes a little more work, but my advice is to drill two parallel holes on either side of the screw - not just one in line with the screw (and yes, in the vice chop top as well).

The other problem I have with the benches I have that feature a single dog hole in the chop is that you can't go all the way through the vice because of the screw. This means (for me) it's a debris/screw/dust collector that impedes the the insertion of the dog. Holes on either side of the screw can go all the way through the chop.

The other nice thing about 2 parallel rows of holes is that it provides more options for using bench stops/battens and hold downs; the Swissier the cheese the better, imho.

[Brian Holcombe]

Just don't use round dog roles for holdfasts because they make the hole into an oval straight away.

[John Sanford]

Just don't use round dog roles for holdfasts because they make the hole into an oval straight away.

This makes no sense at all. Does anybody make a holdfast with a shaft shape other than round?

[Jim Koepke]

Just don't use round dog roles for holdfasts because they make the hole into an oval straight away.

I have not experienced this. What wood was used to make your bench?

I have experienced the under side of my bench chipping from driving holdfasts too hard.

jtk

[Brian Holcombe]

Hard maple. It's not an 'oval' per say, but it has pushed the outside top of the holes out a bit. Enough that I would not want to overlap the two in use.

[Judson Green]

Guess I thought the dog hole row should be set close to the edge and holdfast holes further back, meaning the two wouldn't/shouldn't share the same holes. Not true?

[Adam Stevens2]

Just don't use round dog roles for holdfasts because they make the hole into an oval straight away.

If it makes any difference, my bench top is a solid core door at the moment. I have read that dog holes will work OK, though perhaps not ideally. I do have a stack of SYP for a top but it's been a real trial getting started on it. My rip cutting skills are rubbish...

I've also had a bit of a hard time determining what I can do with holdfasts that I can't accomplish with the face vise. I am tempted by the ease of holdfasts, but will I get much use from them?

[Brian Holcombe]

Guess I thought the dog hole row should be set close to the edge and holdfast holes further back, meaning the two wouldn't/shouldn't share the same holes. Not true?

Thats how I have mine setup.

[Adam Stevens2]

Now I have another question. I finally splurged on Monday and got an LV bench plane. I stuck some red oak in the vise after getting the plane set up, and lo and behold my bench bucks like a bronco when I try and take a reasonable swipe at it. I have read about adding sandbags to the base to add weight - any other methods I can use to keep the thing still? I'd like to be able to use it!

[Brian Holcombe]

did you build a bench from the SYP? You really need a heavy bench for hand tools, as you do not want to have to fight with it while your attempting to work.

If you haven't yet, I would shelve your current projects and start on a heavy bench, I like the Klausz style, so does Winton, but Klausz, Roubo, American, Sellers, Shaker or Japanese you need something to work with in order to really use your tools effectively.

[Christopher Charles]

Can you screw it to a wall? I had serviceable bench for years that was good enough to plane on because I'd attached it to a couple of wall studs. That way you'll have a solid bench to start a solid bench as Brian says

C

[Jim Koepke]

Adam,

Here is how my bench has been held steady for a few years now:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ch-Hold-Steady

As in so many of life's challenges there are many ways to do the same thing.

There is a small rope tied to the legs and going around the bucket of cement to hold it in place.

jtk