What do you pound on your bench?

[Ron Dunn]

We often read that a bench must be designed to support a lot of heavy pounding.

Really?

Unless you're doing something industrial, just what needs to be "pounded" on a bench?

Apart from mortices, I can't think of any joint which would require that degree of abuse. I know that some people align panels for glue-up with brute force, but the use of floating tenons, dowels or biscuits gets rid of that need.

Any others?

[Brian Penning]

Well....uh....ummm......frustrations?

[Ron Dunn]

Can't argue with that

[Doug Shepard]

I'm often told to go pound sand. Aint that sumthin yer spozed to do on yer workbench?

[Art Mulder]

1. Nails.

2. Chisels. (whacking, or tapping the back of a chisel with a mallet does require a solid bench under it.)

3. hand planing. While not pounding, per se, it does put a fair bit of stress on the bench when you lean into some edge jointing, or even just a lot of repetitive smoothing.

[Tom Clark FL]

My head, usually. Especially when I find that I just built the part backwards!

In my shop the bench serves everything, not just woodworking. There are always things to fix, machinery to maintain, new aluminum parts to bend, lids to put back on stain and paint cans, and building fixtures. Even the nail guns like a solid bench under the parts you are working on. I added a center let to my old bench to take some fo the vibration out of it, and to keep the bench flatter. This bench is over 25 years old and it has been pounded on more than it has done fine woodwork.

[Michael Gibbons]

I'm often told to go pound sand. Aint that sumthin yer spozed to do on yer workbench?

It might interfere with your freshly planed surface or dull your plane blade.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

If you saw my bench you'd understand.

I build ugly (but serviceable) benches into which I drive nails screws chisels etc.. I spill paint glue varnish etc on 'em. I'll drill holes where ever if I need to or just because I over shot the mark.
When they are too ugly and beat I just lay a new sheet of ply wood over 'em.

[Peter Quinn]

Aside from the above mentioned items and its general ability to provide and equal but opposite force to my abuse, I occasionally need a solid substrate on which to pound veal cutlets for weiner snitzle. Most people use the kitchen cutting board, but I like to pound my snitzles VERY thin!

[J. Z. Guest]

I'm with you Ron. As a mostly power tool woodworker, I rarely do anything more than tapping on my bench that would require a thick top & frame.

I think ultra-sturdy benches are much more necessary for hand tool users. Planing, scraping, chiseling, sawing, drilling. For those types of things, the bench shouldn't move with the work.

My bench is more sturdy than the stamped steel ones that can be bought, but not as sturdy as the ones that folks here aspire too. I've got a frame made of laminated 2x4s and 2x6s and a top of laminated plywood and hardboard.

To be honest, the only time I miss the hard, thick top is when I'm using the vise with bench dogs and they get pushed diagonal by the vise due to the softer, thinner plywood top.

[Randal Stevenson]

In my shop the bench serves everything, not just woodworking. There are always things to fix, machinery to maintain, new aluminum parts to bend, lids to put back on stain and paint cans, and building fixtures.

I think the multibench verses the single bench is the single biggest issue. This is mostly due to space restrictions.
I am fortunate to have, currently, multiple benchs. My hand planning bench is one the list, but not there yet. (I have the top from an old school, need to make legs)

[Greg Cole]

If you saw my bench you'd understand.
I drive nails screws chisels etc.. I spill paint glue varnish etc on 'em. I'll drill holes where ever if I need to or just because I over shot the mark.

Sounds alot like mine, screw holes, nail holes, paint, glue & more glue. 2" thick top made of 2 pieces of 1" ply laminated.... all on 2x6 frame & its got that nice patina after 5+ years of all sorts of "stuff". Was made in a hurry and it's served me well for all things other than a flat reference surface.
I've stumbled down the Neander path a ways since building the existing bench and am getting closer to building a more useful dedicated WW'ing bench.

Greg

[Gary Herrmann]

Um, chisel handles into chisel sockets?

[John Thompson]

As Art Mulder stated... if you do any heavy hand-planing the bench has to with-stand heavy racking force. But the top only needs to be flat as the base takes the abuse.

So.. what do I pound that needs to have a thick and sturdy top?.. Anything that needs to be pounded.....

I just finished chopping out 96 tails for DT's that requires pounding. I used to chop out mortises by hand, but relinquished to a mortice machine. But I have straightened out metal using the top as an anvil. And one engine got re-built on top along with two transmissions.

So.. "my needs" evolve back to Anything I want or need to pound!

Sarge..