Originally Posted by
William Fretwell
I designed my bench starting with the bench dog. My minimum requirement was to be able to make a full size door (because I like doors!). That dictated the length. For the most flexibility the Tage Frid/Scandanavian bench offered the most clamping options. The classic design however had a couple of things I did not like. The tail vise end protrudes past the supporting leg some distance; this is not as supporting as I wanted and leaves the leg in your way for most planing tasks so it has to be recessed.
I doubled the length of the tail vise and moved the leg to the right past it's maximum opening. While the leg is still recessed somewhat I added a front row of vertical dog holes that are flush with the edge of the bench, and a row of recessed hold down holes next to it. I can now work leg free fully supported at the tail vise. I can hold a board on its edge easily or a full size door to plane the sides.
The base of my bench is 4x6 white oak legs, through mortised and tenoned wedged. The legs have a 10" cross brace which removes any chance of wracking for the next 300 years. The stretchers are a full 10" deep and 2" thick, each weighs 43 lbs in ash with through wedged mortise to apply the force fully in the right places.
I have noticed a lot of benches have a spindly look to the legs and I wonder how years of wracking forces will take their toll. Most stretchers are woefully inadequate and in the wrong place, not half way between the bench top and the floor. People do this so they can add drawers and cupboards. I will be able to add two rows of narrow drawers over some distance sitting on the stretchers and keep the floor area open for cleaning. My base is massive, over 200lbs and solid. The wide leg at the shoulder vise provides great stability without getting in the way at all. The third smaller leg is very worthwhile, I tried it without; it eliminates all small vibration.
The large tool tray I added at the back was a learning experience, that back support on the breadboard ends of the bench is ideally placed to stiffen even a massive top, it widens the leg stance and stops chisels rolling on the floor. It is an essential addition if you have room as the bench top is only 20" wide.
The devil is in the details as they say. A real challenge was moving the bench top dog holes so their edge was 2" from the bench edge. This means a board 5" wide is fully supported and held in the middle by the dogs. The classic tail vise design (sliding frame) and the screw just allowed this. The rectangular dogs can be raised a full 2" for clamping and they lean in at 2 degrees to apply force at the top of the board to hold it down. I added 3 dogs at the back of the bench (parallel to the front dogs) to hold panels and allow thin full width planing strips.
You can build a simple bench to see what you like, as a learning step it works but you already know it's not going to last. You can use it to build your 'real' bench. Working with massive timbers in a bench it's easier to hold them on a simple bench top than smaller pieces so don't let that put you off.
You don't need plans or a book, just a concept of what you like to make. The classic designs are classic for a reason. They are SERIOUSLEY more classic than any other bench. Most modern style benches are predicated on some expensive vise hardware that compromises your bench right at the start. Inexpensive screw hardware gives you freedom.
Paul Sellers bench as a quick starter bench is fantastic but the videos of his school in the Welsh castle showed the room littered with Scandinavian benches. Tage Frid's pupils would build their Scandinavian bench in their first week of their course!!!!!!!!
One day when you are ready to build your 'final' bench, that is without peer and will never leave you wanting, look at the Scandinavian bench. Modify it anyway you want, you will find it enormously rewarding to build.
So to answer your question: Yes your base should be massive, and well designed.
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