11' hand tool workbench top.

[Patrick Walsh]

I want to make a 11' hand tool workbench to fit into a existing space in my shop.

The space currently has a bench in this exact space but is is probably 50 plus years old and not even close to flat anymore.

This existing bench is built into the wall via lag bolts. The legs are notched into a small raised cement slab. Point is the base is rock solid and does not move even a 64th of and inch regardless of how one might try.

My concern is with regard to how hard it is going to make a slab for the bench flat over 11' and second how much of a chance i have that it will stay flat for very long?

The plan would be to source some very long hardwood in the rough then mill and laminate it all together in traditional bench making fashion.

I would imagine the top end up being very very heavy, 300lbs plus or so?

The good news is i can construct the top only a couple feet from the base.

Thoughts?

[Jamie Buxton]

Yes, you can make an eleven foot bench top. If you make it with dry lumber, it is quite likely to stay flat. It is not clear from the title whether the bench is for hand tool work, or whether you intend to make the top with hand tools. Using hand tools to flatten something that big will be a big job, but it can be done.

[Gene Davis]

On YouTube, the series of vids Paul Sellars did showing a workbench build using softwood framing lumber. Might inspire you.

[Prashun Patel]

Can you make two 5-foot benches? Each can serve as auxiliary support for the other. As long as each is flat to itself, I am not sure they need to be perfectly coplanar.

[Patrick Walsh]

Sorry for the confusion.

The intended use is hand tool work.

As for the construction of it i will use a 16" combo jointer planer and a cabinet saw to dimension up the rough lumber. I will probably do the final flattening of the top with hand planes vrs. a sled.

Yes, you can make an eleven foot bench top. If you make it with dry lumber, it is quite likely to stay flat. It is not clear from the title whether the bench is for hand tool work, or whether you intend to make the top with hand tools. Using hand tools to flatten something that big will be a big job, but it can be done.

[Patrick Walsh]

If i did make it in two pieces i would probably want to attempt to join the two pieces using a joint much like or exactly like the one in the video i linked bellow.

Really i much prefer it to be one solid 11' long piece.

Can you make two 5-foot benches? Each can serve as auxiliary support for the other. As long as each is flat to itself, I am not sure they need to be perfectly coplanar.

[Brian Holcombe]

Seems like it would be fairly straightforward. I would use clear lumber and glue up with the 1/4 grain on the top edges. Align the grain so that everything planes in the same direction.

I use an 8 ft straight edge for really long stuff, but you can use a shorter one. Prep your stock well to remove any twist before you glue up. A little twist over 11' is a lot.

[Patrick Walsh]

Perfect finally a excuse to buy that 96" Stabila R beam level i have been wanting lol...

Im not exactly sure what i will use for a wood species yet. I have access to some pretty special lumber fairly local to me. I guess ill just go take a peek at what they have that suits my build best.

I'm thinking finished i want the top to be no less than 4" thick and up to 5". I think 5" is what i will shoot for.

Seems like it would be fairly straightforward. I would use clear lumber and glue up with the 1/4 grain on the top edges. Align the grain so that everything planes in the same direction.

I use an 8 ft straight edge for really long stuff, but you can use a shorter one. Prep your stock well to remove any twist before you glue up. A little twist over 11' is a lot.

[lowell holmes]

I would build the base with wood from the borg and buy a laminated counter top from a local supplier, or if that fails, Ikea.

[Allan Speers]

If I had 11' available for a bench, I definitely make two of them, because then they could be at different heights. This has obvious advantages.

Maybe the lower one could even be adjustable, with some kind of stop-mechanism to make it easy to match the high section, when desired.

[Patrick Walsh]

Thats a good thought that i actually only thought of myself in the last week or two.

I have been wanting to replace this bench top for quite some time but just never seem to get around to it. I actually kinda thought i might rip it out build a proper Roubu bench and use this space for another tool. Problem with that option is the space is limited by a wall on two sides and another bench on the other. Think wall behind bench wall on right side of bench and another bench abutting the left side.

As much as i would like a proper Roubu this existing bench has good bones with regard to a crazy strong sturdy base. It is also situated in my shop in a place that would be hard to really use for anything else. The Roubu i would want to put in the middle of my shop so i could access it from all sides. I have a spot like this now with a two MFT tables and a CMS VL. My intention is to get rid of the MFT set up and replace it with a a Format spindle shaper or a Felder oscilating edge sander. My probably the later as i a, really considering purchasing a Felder KF700S next year or slider shaper combo machine.

Anyway back to the bench. I would prefer it be one piece. It will butt directly up against the bench that is my miter station on the left. That bench is about 6" higher than this bench will be. The edge of this bench will extend by 2" beyond that of my miter station bench. I am considering installing a pattern makers vise in the bench along with one of those top mount vise clamp things that will allow me to use dogs.



This bench actually abuts about another 20' of bench give or take. The 20' of bench give or take is a built in miter saw station

If I had 11' available for a bench, I definitely make two of them, because then they could be at different heights. This has obvious advantages.

Maybe the lower one could even be adjustable, with some kind of stop-mechanism to make it easy to match the high section, when desired.

[Gene Davis]

I'd like to have 31 feet of bench space along a single wall in my shop.

[Patrick Walsh]

It's hard, real hard.....

My shop is the entire basement of my house. Its 1000sqft minus a washer dryer and furnace and stair case. So all said and done maybe 850 usable sqft give or take?

Hard to believe but I'm running out of space.

Mostly wood storage for long lengths is my problem. I also have a number of lally columns that force my layout a bit more than i would like. I also have a bunch of HVAC duct that screws with my dust collection layout.


All in all i consider myself very lucky!

My living area square footage is mirrored above as i live in a small mostly one floor bungalow.

I'd like to have 31 feet of bench space along a single wall in my shop.