Neander workbench construction blog/thread

[Wilbur Pan]

How can I tell the grade of my lags

Grade 8 lag screws will have this mark on the top.

The ones at the blue borg that I saw also have this yellow color to them, but I don't know if this is true across the board.

[Brian Kent]

I went with the Frank Klausz style bench with the top set onto 2 large dowels. I have seen no limits in stability. When I have to move it, I can either lift off the top or slide them together with no problems.

[David Keller NC]

Zahid - Reading through the posts, it looks like you've recondsidered and are going to build a leg vise and either sell the face vise hardware or use it in the tail vise position. This is a good call. While no bench is perfect, and many of us have built several benches over our woodworking history, it's a mistake to try to save just a few bucks and go with something you don't want on a big project (and this is a big project - you'll know that when you get it completed). Besides, unless you got your wood for free, the face vise hardware is a very, very small fraction of the total cost of the bench.

Regarding the leg vise, the hardware required is really cheap - you only need a metal vise screw, which is about $25 (imported). The rest is wood.

Finally, regarding attaching the top and making the bench portable - I think you've already decided on this, but if you want to avoid a front top stretcher so that you can clamp things down to the top, you simply build the side assemblies into an "H", with a stretcher across the top, flush with the top of the legs. In my case, I made this joint a giant dovetail (when viewed from the top of the leg), draw-bored into the leg.

You may need to plane this assembly across the top to make sure that you've no bumps that will not allow the bottom of the bench to be fully supported across the entire width of the "H" side stretchers.

Once you do, you simply bore a couple of holes through each side top stretcher and lag-bolt it to the underneath of the bench. And as others have mentioned, make sure that you don't break one of these off. Best way to do that is to closely match the internal thread diameter of the bolt to the drill bit size, make absolutely certain you drill for the full depth of the bolt, including any counter sinking, and use wax when you thread the bolt in.

Regarding bench-knockdown, I highly recommend the Veritas bench bolt system. While a bit pricey at $25 for 4, they're very high quality, and a breeze to install versus the standard bolt and nut. Done properly with a ship-auger bit for the bolt shaft and a forstner bit for the nut hole, there's no way on this green earth that you'll ever strip the hole out. And there's a very clever jig that Chris Schwarz describes in the "extra" knock-down chapter of his Workbenches book (this is a free download - check his WoodWorking magazine blog) that gives you perfect alignment between the bolt shaft and the nut hole.

[Jerome Hanby]

Regarding bench-knockdown, I highly recommend the Veritas bench bolt system. While a bit pricey at $25 for 4, they're very high quality, and a breeze to install versus the standard bolt and nut.

I bought a chunk of brass rod from Fastenal and drilled, tapped, sliced off segments to make my own. It probably works out to about the same price for a set of four if you have to buy a tap, but you get about a dozen for that same money (assuming you by one foot of brass rod). Plus you get to make them . Of course that may not be a good thing, next step on that slippery slope is working out how to make massive wooden screws for your vises.

[Robert Rozaieski]

How can I tell the grade of my lags? I had been worried about lifting the bench and it's cabinet full of tools by it's top with 3/8" lag bolts carrying the connection, so I did a test joint. I bolted together two boards then tried to break it apart. The only way I could put force on it which had any effect was with a wedge. The bolt didn't break and the hole didn't strip. After a huge amount of force, the wood started bending and cracking.

So, after determining that the 3/8" bolts were plenty strong, I put three of them on each side. Build it stout. Or Stouter. That's the bench builder's motto.

The short answer is I don't know. I'm not sure if you can tell just by looking at them. I believe that grade 8 bolts have a different marking on the head, but this may just be some manufacturers who do this. I'm not sure if the practice is universal. ***Edit: I just saw Wilbur's diagram and that is what I'm referring to but again I'm not sure if this marking is universal among all manufacturers.***

The force of lifting the bench and putting tension stress on the bolt isn't the problem. The problem is installing them and removing them. With an inferior grade bolt, when you install or remove it, the shearing forces may cause the bolt to twist off. You are driving it into a good thickness of wood. If you are building a bench to be able to be disassembled, it is important that your bolts hold up through repeated installation and removal. Twisting one off can certainly ruin your day .

[David Keller NC]

"I'm not sure if the practice is universal."

It is, at least if they conform to SAE and ASTM standards, and so far as I'm aware, that's the entireity of the supply in the US.

One other comment in this regard is that grade 8 bolts are far stronger in shear resistance than grade 2 bolts, but they are not as resistant to vibration and impact failures, as they're more brittle.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Ok time for question number 2. I did an inventory of the hardware sitting in a box and I discovered that what I had assumed to be a tail vice was actually a shoulder vice screw, length about 14". I am assuming this is too short for use as a leg vice screw. so
2. What should I use as a screw for the leg vice
2a. What to do with this screw

[Alan DuBoff]

Ok time for question number 2. I did an inventory of the hardware sitting in a box and I discovered that what I had assumed to be a tail vice was actually a shoulder vice screw, length about 14". I am assuming this is too short for use as a leg vice screw. so
2. What should I use as a screw for the leg vice
2a. What to do with this screw

I think you could use it Zahid, you will just get a bit less clamping space between the jaw and bench, but you should be able to get 6"-7" pretty easy. If you use a 3" thick leg jaw and had a couple extra inches between the washer for the screw on the bench side, you should still have about 8" or so of movable jaw. Sure, longer is better, but that will work for you, IMO.

[David Keller NC]

Zahid - I'm with Alan on this one. 6" vise opening is plenty - there are remarkably few applications that I can think of that would require you to clamp something wider than 6" in a leg vise (a drawer, for example, is something I would clamp in the tail vise if I had that arrangement).

Besides, how many times to you want to bash yourself in the cahones with an extra long leg vise screw when you're walking by the bench?

[Jim Becker]

I'll up the bar a little for you Zahid (and Dennis)...how about making it adjustable height, too?

[Steve LeLaurin]

Zahid ... I'm a newby, but have my workbench design spinning in my head. I too want it to be knockdown, and the top was the challenge.

What I am planning is to build the base in 4 parts: two pairs of end leg assemblies (two 4x4s connected by 2x4 or 2x6 top and bottom rails), top stretcher assembly and bottom stretcher assembly (will put a shelf on the bottom). The top stretcher assembly will have an "H" design with two long sides and a cross member (maybe more if I get fanatical), probably with corner cleats for rigidity. I plan on gluing and screwing some oak 2x3s or so cleats to the underside of the top, positioned just inside of and flush to the upper stretcher frame members (and just inside the inside of the top rails of the leg assemblies). One advantage of this cleat design is that it gives me a perfect way to positively position the top exactly centered on the base each and every time. Then, I'll use nuts and bolts to attach these cleats to the frame. I'm expecting it to be solid, and easy to knock down. Another reason for doing it this way is that I don't want any screws or bolts showing through the top at all ... no holes except dog holes.

Steve

[Zahid Naqvi]

As is typical with most of my projects it is coming along sloooowly. Thanks to Jameel I now have a bench screw to use in a leg vice. I decided to keep my front vice and use it as a tail vice for now. I have also found a source for Ash. So it looks like the top will be Oak and the legs and aprons Ash.

But a new development has popped up a new question/requirement. My 11 yr old trusty Corolla finally broke down after 140K miles. So I had to replace it with a slightly nicer Camry. The problem is I don't want to permanently park the Camry in the drive way. There was considerable UV damage done to the inside of the Corolla due to being parked outdoors all the time. Which brings us to the dilemma, if the car has to be parked in the garage everything has to be on mobile bases to be moved around.

I have finally sold all my machines, except a bandsaw and the router. So there are fewer things to move. But if you look at the pictures below you will see how cramped the garage is. These are pictures of my half of the garage. All the WWing things have to be stacked under the shelving. This will also include the new workbench. The bandsaw is already on a mobile base.

So here's question #3, what to do about mobility. Is it practical to use casters on a hand tools work bench. I know Chris S. thinks we can just drag the workbench around if needed, but I tried to drag my 24"X48" bench this weekend and it was a chore. Can't imagine doing that every time I have to work on anything. Would casters be stable enough for uses such as planing boards etc. Are there any other options.

garage 001.jpg

garage 002.jpg

[Dave Gallaher]

OK I'm hooked. I'm getting ready to build a good bench. Does someone have a good plan or do I have to re-invent the wheel? Help please.

[Justin Green]

I followed the recommendation of the folks here and bought Chris Schwarz's book. It's very practical and covers most everything and has two bench plans. Scott Landis' book also has a wide variety of benches in it and a few plans. Both are full of ideas.

[Joe Meazle]

Defy the Schwarz at your own peril. His evil flying monkeys will come and steal you planes and he will smash then on an anvil.