Workbench Advice

[Tim Cooper Louisiana]

I was in the same position and just finished a Morovian bench. It is great for what I wanted. I don't have a lot of miles on it yet, but I find the leg vise fantastic. I used a Veritas inset vise instead of a wagon or tail vise. It holds surprisingly well and was easy to install. If I had to do it again, I'd go with a more traditional wagon or tail vise. I still don't understand why people would want a bench top in hardwood. I want my bench to dent before my project. I learned a lot in making the bench and it isn't as pretty....but it is solid and functional. I think it is a great way to learn hand tool woodworking, but I wouldn't want to use expensive wood if this is a learning project. The three designs I looked at were the Morovian, Roubo and English. I think they would all work great for my purposes, but the Roubo is a beast that I could never move out of my basement if I ever need to move. The Morovian knocks down easily, the benchtop can be replaced if desired and fit my reasonably small space. The English would have been fine too, but I wanted vises. Anyway, have fun with whatever you decide and don't be in a hurry.

I looked hard at the Morovian. I actually want to make one for one of my guest bedrooms, so that I can do some hand tool stuff inside in the summer. My shop is the garage, and I don't think I'll be able to afford to get AC in it this year.

[Curt Putnam]

Have you considered a split top Roubo?

[Malcolm Schweizer]

The Moravian sure seems to fit your needs as well as your wood. It can easily break down during the hot summer or cool winter. I am personally not a fan of tills, which I call "clutter catchers," but if you like the style then it seems like a nice fit.

http://www.woodwrightschool.com/clas...7mh5ffizdgin9g

[Mark Fisher]

The Moravian sure seems to fit your needs as well as your wood. It can easily break down during the hot summer or cool winter. I am personally not a fan of tills, which I call "clutter catchers," but if you like the style then it seems like a nice fit.

http://www.woodwrightschool.com/clas...7mh5ffizdgin9g

There is absolutely no reason it couldn't be built with a larger top and no tool tray. I made mine with a larger benchtop and smaller tray. I don't have enough experience to know whether I like a tool tray or not, but with this design, I could easily convert it to a split top similar to the split Roubo. I know that I've chipped a chisel or two from dropping off the bench so I started with a tool tray.

[David Eisenhauer]

I have a concrete floor in my shop and dread sweeping tools off of the bench when I swing or shove something around. FOR ME, a 4" wide tool tray in the middle of the split top was the way to go. My trays hold marking knives, gauges, a 6" ruler, a small square and a couple-three chisels when I am working with chisels. My Wood Is Good mallet can stand up in one if required to keep it from rolling off the table also. Yes the trays catch lots of plane shavings when I am working with planes but it is easy to either grab a handful of shavings or dump an entire tray out on to the floor with the rest of the shavings for eventual sweep up.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

What I have chosen in lieu of a till is a shelf just below the worktop with a very small lip to prevent rolling tools from hittin the floor. I have a terra cotta tile floor and I share your fears of tool landing sharp-down. I also often woodwork barefoot, so I also dread tools hitting my foot sharp-down. The shelf goes end to end and front to back, so no matter where I am working I have a place to rest tools. I also have a cabinet with wood top right behind the bench where I lay out tools as I work. This is especially handy when carving or doing work where multiple tools come in to play often.

I have considered a very small till in the center of the bench, perhaps two feet by 6 inches, with a cover so you could still have a full top when wanted.

Not arguing the case for or against tills- just a personal preference. They do have virtues.

[Tim Cooper Louisiana]

I also often woodwork barefoot.

Must be tough to put on shoes where you live. I'm not jealous at all 😀.

[Chris Hachet]

Or use the 16/4 for the front and add a piece of 12/4 to the back. It doesn't have to be same thickness. You just need to make the rear legs a little longer.

This is an excellent idea.

[Chris Hachet]

I really liked Kees idea. However, the frustrating part is that I am new, so I have no idea what my preferences are. I've only tinkered around on a Roubo, so it's all I know. I liked what Ken said about the English bench. I had intended to go that route, but then my friend offered to help me build the bench, and I am torn. So far the only vises I've ever used are the benchcrafted leg and wagon. It's hard for my feeble woodworking brain to imagine any better vises.

I have the Benchcrafted leg vise, it is wonderful. Takes a bit of finesse to install, but is not overly complicated. I love the criss cross for keeping the chop aligned. That being said, if you really are a newbie, build a quickie bench out of construction grade lumber first and use it for a year or so. You will know much more about wood working and also about what you want in a bench.

Would probably build several projects involving mortice and tenon joinery and get good at hand mortice and tenon work...you will cut most of your joinery by hand in lumber that big.

I also would follow the previous advice and take the milling slowly. I still am waiting for my bench top to settle down a bit before a final flattening, and I finished the bench top a year and a half ago.

[Chris Hachet]

There is already so many good ideas on this thread. Thank you so much! The slabs are pretty much dead flat, no discernible twisting or bowing. I have a friend who is going to help me build the bench, I'll include a picture of his Roubo bench. He thinks I should just buy some SYP and build the bench with it. Down here it's hard to find Ash this length and thickness, and he says he wouldn't use it for a bench. His is the only workbench I've used and so that's why I'm preferential toward the Roubo, and benchcrafted vises. As a newbie, I wouldn't tackle this project without his help or use of his shop and tools. He may own the entire Veritas catalog.

I like benches that use a mix of dark/light woods. I love the idea of black locust for the legs and end cap, but don't want to abuse the friend that is giving me the free wood. So many decisions...

SYP is much easier to work and has one more advantage I never thought of....it is quieter. My work shop is in my garage, and my sons bedroom is over the garage at my house. A hardwood bench seems to transmit more noise than an SYP bench when I use mortice chisels or do heavy chiseling.

[Wade Holloway]

Your have some great ideas here. You mentioned that you are new to wood working so I will say this i would not use your good Wood on a bench just yet, because what ever style bench you go with it will not be the bench you will want in a few years. Save that really good Wood for when you really know what you want and like and what works best for your style of woodworking. I would suggest get a copy of Chris Schwarz book on bench or a set of plans and build one out of SYP for now. He even has plans on how to build one for 250 dollars, it used to be 175 I think Either way it gets you started out there building stuff only then will you learn what you like and what works best for you, then make one of the really good wood you have.

[Brian Holcombe]

I think that you owe it to yourself to hang onto that wood for a few years until you find yourself at a level where you are comfortable utilizing that quality of material.

I used some good stuff early on that I now kick myself for using when I should have been using something inexpensive. Ash is not exotic, but big flat slabs in 12 and 16/4 thickness are worth hanging onto.

I think you should grab up the remaining slabs and ear mark it for a dining table or similar project. Those slabs have some nice character.

[Tim Cooper Louisiana]

I think that you owe it to yourself to hang onto that wood for a few years until you find yourself at a level where you are comfortable utilizing that quality of material.

I used some good stuff early on that I now kick myself for using when I should have been using something inexpensive. Ash is not exotic, but big flat slabs in 12 and 16/4 thickness are worth hanging onto.

I think you should grab up the remaining slabs and ear mark it for a dining table or similar project. Those slabs have some nice character.

I think I will leave these slabs for a later date. I would never have attempted to do a roubo build with them on my own. With my friends help, I think it would turn out fine. However, since he and some others think SYP is the way to go...I'm inclined to go that route at this time. At this moment, I'm hoping my house doesn't flood. It's not looking very good here in NW Louisiana.

[Brian Holcombe]

Keep those boards up and out of harms way. Hope that you do alright! I helped my parents through flooding, it's not easy.

An SYP workbench can be a work of art as well, softwoods can spoil you with how enjoyable they can be to work with handtools (so long as you keep your blades very sharp).

[David Eisenhauer]

Hoping for nothing but the best outcome on the possible flooding for you Tim. I have been involved with lots of the aftermath of flooding for friends in S Louisiana and can only advise to not wait until the last minute to prepare and/or do not blow off the warnings. If you guess wrong, it is an effing mess and heartache. Oh yeah, another vote to hold on to the slabs and go with SYP.