Old Workbench Tops and New Workbench: First Step to my Workbench!

[Jim Newman]

Alan, I have the large tail vise hardware I bought from Woodcraft several years ago and have since learned it is from Gebruder-Busch of Germany. I bought quartersawn pasauk to build the spacer block between the upper and lower guide plates. It will end up being about 24" long, 6" wide and about 7"+ deep. The Tail vise hardware installation seems to start from the bottom of the bench to allow the lower guide plate to move freely. I was planning on making the dog hole/apron as wide as the tail vise or about 6" and the apron lumber will finish about 7" wide (being 2"x 8"), so the apron will be about 7" deep.

I planned on using square dogs for the front set of dog holes. I have 9"+ long steel dogs I bought from Highland Hardware (Hoffman and Hammer Steel Bench Dogs) years ago as well. I was planning on using round dogs for the rest of the bench. I originally bought the twin screw vise for the right end of the bench years ago, then after reading and learning about benches, feel a tail vise on the right side has merit. However, I wanted to be able to clamp large items on the bench such as doors I would make and large pieces of finish trim for my home) and a twin screw across an end does well with this. I also felt for hand dovetailing larger pieces a twin screw would be ideal, but felt using the front set of dog holes close to the front of the bench would hurt the twin screw vise over time, so a tail vise would be more useful in everday use on the right side. Since I already have the vise though, felt putting it on the left SIDE (not left front) of the bench would be good, then using my Record 52 1/2D in the regular left front position (yes, I am right handed) would be good. I felt having the legs even with the front of the apron would be best for clamping for the front vise as well large objects like doors (thanks Chris Schwartz!) so have gone with that design decision. Then next design choice is to situate the left legs about 16" from the left end of the bench with the right side of the front left (front Record) vise over the legs. The 16 inches is the clearance needed for the Twin Screws of the Veritas vise so they don't hit the top end stretcher on the left side of the bench. I will also have to have them just a little higher than the Record vise screw and guide plates so they don't hit (each other). I was planning on mounting the Record at the bottom of the 6" wide apron/ dog hole block, which is twice as deep as the 3 1/2" depth of the vise jaws of the Record. The legs on the right side (of the bench) would be in about 25" or so to allow a dog hole next to the tail vise (and before the leg on that side), in about 2 inches or so from the end of the dog hole block before the tail vise.

For the tail vise constuction I planned on followng the directions John Leppo detailed in his excellent article in the Fine Woodworking, April 2003 issue, "Rock Solid Workbench". However, I was not sure I could do the Houndstooth dovetails for the workbench, as I have only done a few dovetails many years ago. However, in that spirit, I have gotten my dovetail and tenon saws in good shape in case I want to tackle it. After an aquisition spree to get a few vintage Disston dovetail and tenon saws and a visit to Steve Cooke of Cooke's Sharpening 40 minutes up the road (from my home) took care of that (Thanks Steve, what a great guy and highly recommended!) I feel I am ready to go. Alan I remember you have some studio nights on ocassion, so maybe this is a project I can come up for as I live about 2 1/2 hours away from you.

I hope this details my intentions a little more. As far as the tops, neither is flat. I have 2 choices. If I rip the tops in half (to 18" in width) to double them in thickness, I can pass them through a 20" planer, whch a friend has (my planer and jointer are only 15" and 8" Bridgewoods, respectively). If not, I will have to do it by hand, I guess with hand planes in which I am well equipped. Another preparation project for me to get to this point was to learn to sharpen and get hand planes working well. I have a LN No.7 a Union No. 8 along with a LN low angle jack, Stanley No. 5's, 6, 7, 5 1/2, 4's and more smoothers than you can shake a stick at, including a stable of 3 Primus woodies (Smoother, English Pattern Jack and Jointer). So I just need to finish the design and get some encouragement from my "soldiers in arms" to get the bench and my home done!

So going back to the design, should I keep the tool tray in the middle or put it on the back or not at all as it will make the bench 6 inches wider at 36" or so? Right now what is in stone is a 6" wide dog/apron block to be made of 2 x 8" maple, padauk and red oak on hand and at least 12" of workbench from the tops I have on hand now that are both 36" wide by 8' long, one top 2 1/2" thick and the other 1 3/4" thick. If I put in a tool tray of 6", that would make the bench 24" wide already, so a 12" wide back part of the bench would bring it to 36 inches in width. I have never had a bench, so am not married to a tool tray, but after years of thinking about it, thought maybe it had some merit and can help clamping at times, especially with it close to the middle. This also gives me a regular 24" wide bench with the flexibility of a larger jointer's bench as well or at least that is what I was thinking! However, a straight, flat, very heavy, solid bench top that will not move and supports clamping in all 3 dimensions and allows me to do hand joint making such as dovetails, mortise and tenon, carving, along with clamping larger pieces of furniture to do work on is the most basic fundamental I will not budge from. Guess, I just need your help to finish this design with all the materials on hand and get the project from design to making it.

I should mention, I intend to do all the finish trim in my home (I built) with this bench, making cabinet heads for above all my doors and windows, stools and aprons, wall paneling, etc. I also have all the oak and cherry base and casing I need to hand plane machine marks out of to get them ready to finish and install as well as the extension jambs, so holding long pieces of trim at least 8' long to plane and finish is an important role the bench needs to fulfill and has been incorporated into the design. I also am considering making raised panel oak and cherry doors for my home as well, which is another reason for the Twin Screw vise at the end of the bench and my original thought of a 36" wide bench years ago. Only after reading so much about workbenches in books and here, have I considered cutting down the width, but you guys have far more experience than I. So to summarize, I need a jointer's and hand tool bench I guess...something to build doors and all the fine finish work for my home at the largest, but something I can do fine hand tool joints on as well for the rest of my life without the bench being too large and cumbersome to use. Guess this was why I considered putting the tool tray just past the middle of the bench...so I can have a regular size bench of about 24" width most of the time, but a larger bench of 36" to construct large objects like solid raised panel doors I would make. Hope this explains some more behind my design process and why I have "evolved" the design the way I have and am now ready to open it to all of you more experienced woodworkers for your scrutiny so I don't miss something important. This is why I have had a hard time designing my bench, vise selection, location, etc. and why I need everyone's help to get me "over the hump" and get this thing going, so thanks everyone!!! I assure you I will follow through on my end!!!