Trying to complete my first bench

[Mathew Olson]

Last fall I started work on a simple "power tool" bench as a first step to a career in woodworking. I am still working on it. I take a class one night a week from a guy (Tom) with all the power tool toys. In the meantime I scored a huge haul of hand tools, including a great set of ECE wooden planes. I started hanging out with a local hand tool enthusiast who posts often on this site (Jonathan Snyder). He has opened my eyes to the workbench needs of a hand tool guy.

So here is my dilemma. How can I make this bench the best it can be?

I have constructed the base, which is quite stout. The frame is constructed with laminated 2x4s. Two end frames, four rails running the span between the ends. Held together with 3/8 bolts. Time will tell just how stable it really is, I suppose. The frame is 52" long x 23" wide. I have plenty of options on height.

Now I am preparing to build the top. The plans call for a solid core door. I have since decided to glued up my own out of ash. I bought the ash, 1x S3S. It has been sitting in Tom the Power Tool Guy's garage for a couple weeks now. The plans call for a 30" x 80". I bought enough lumber to make 2.5" thickness at those dimensions. But I am not married to those specs; that is just what a standard door measures.

My tool haul included a couple veritas wonder dogs, so I have pretty much ruled out a tail vice. My biggest quandaries revolve around the face vice and the overhang. Should I make the top narrower? Will a face vice be stable enough hanging off the left side beyond the base? Should I reinforce the top with steel rods? How should I attach the top to the base? What is a good face vice? I like the veritas double screw model, but is this a good fit?

I think I am going to run a row of round dog holes on either side of the top rail. I think I might try attaching a piece of 3/4 plywood over the right-side end frame flush with the top. I figure if I put some dog holes in it then I could clamp stock vertically to the side of bench.

Maybe I have read Christopher Schwarz's book too much. But I don't see plans for a new bench coming anytime soon. Any advice out there?

[Mike Steinhilper]

I've got the bench you are talking about, and I want to replace my door. How much Ash did you need? What did you spend on it? I'll be watching this thread because I need all this info as well.

[Mathew Olson]

Mike, did you get your plans from plansnow.com or someplace like that?

I needed about 50 board feet plus more for waste. I live in Alaska, so the price of the wood was likely more than what you will have to pay. Christopher Schwarz recommends Southern Yellow Pine, which is cheap. It is not available up here. Had I done more research I might have found a substitute. He recommends buying 2x12s from your local home center. They tend to be the clearest and straightest. If you haven't, I recommend reading his book on workbenches. I ended getting the ash because I just needed to make a decision. It is a popular choice for bench tops.

[jonathan snyder]

Hi Mathew,

Glad to see that you joined. Welcome to the creek. We have not talked much about vises. My first question is why have you ruled out a tail vise? If you don't want a tail vise, you can always put a face vise on the end. Seems like lots of folks do that. I'm not really familiar with the wonder dogs, but I don't think they will replace a tail or end vise. For the front vise, you might consider an apron on the front which will allow you to mortise the rear jaw of the vise into the apron. I guess the other option is to make the top thicker up at the front.

What ever you do, I suggest you purchase the vises before you build the top.

Read some of the old threads here on workbenches and vises, you may get some ideas.

You have worked on my poor excuse for a bench, so I suggest you strive to do better that what I have. The glue up for my new bench is coming along, so hopefully the old bench will be recycled real quick!!

Jonathan

[James Mittlefehldt]

Ash is fine for the top, I used it. It is a fairly stable wood, heavy and hard.

If you are leaning towards hand tools and your bench is going against the wall you might want to consider cutting donw a bit on the width as it would nake it harder to reach any tools in a wall cabinet, should you build one.

[dan grant]

went with tucker vise from LV, it is incredibly handy, there are some clones out there that are a lot cheaper, also LV twin screw on the end, have about 25 dog holes so far probably add a few more, dont use the wonder dogs too much but use the hold downs quite a bit, 32x72 with 2 3/4 thick top 1"lamination (hackberry) no reinforcing, bench is against the wall top just sits on top of the base, if you space your dog holes to the outside of the base just slip a dog in on all four sides and the top wont slide off the base but you can lift it off hope this helps. dan

[Chris Friesen]

Warning...I've read Chris Schwarz's workbench book and articles as well, and am currently making one of his benches. You might want to read the Woodworking magazine article on the Holtzapffel workbench...if you got the version of the book with the CD, it's on there, otherwise it's in the current issue of the magazine. Here's a blog entry:

http://www.woodworking-magazine.com/...Workbench.aspx

He's also got a extra chapter to the Workbench book on knockdown benches that also addresses fastening the top to the base:

http://blog.lostartpress.com/2007/12...Book+Free.aspx


I suspect you may find that 30" wide is a bit much to reach across, 24-27 might be better. Definately make it the full 80" long, and full thickness, steel rods not necessary but use lots of clamps when gluing up. Align the front of it with the front of the legs, that way you can clamp across the whole front of the bench. The overhang is fine...it will actually be flatter with some overhang on the ends. If you're considering a twin-screw front vise (great if you intend to do dovetailing, but more expensive than a leg vise), it will actually straddle the leg.

For handtool work a good starting point for height is where your pinky joins your hand when you're standing with your arms hanging down, but this is likely lower than ideal for power tool work so it's a bit of a tradeoff.

Wonder dogs can be useful, but they're 5/8" tall and have fine thread so they can be inconvenient to use and you risk hitting them when planing thinner stock.

[Mathew Olson]

One of my major concerns involves the installation of the vices. If I put in a twin screw vice that straddles the leg, then one of the screws will have to go through the rail running the length of the bench. You see, the rail is flush with the top of the frame. I don't know if I can cut a hole in the rail without compromising the integrity of the support. I have the same issue with a tail vice. Or maybe I am wrong. Maybe I just have to find a vice whose screw is low enough to clear the rail. Or should I lower the front rail?