Family Handyman "Rock Solid Workbench"

[ssmith1627]

Hey guys, I know there are at least a few of us here working on this same bench. Quick question if you don't mind for one of you has gotten this far.

I'm ready to cut and places the oak plywood pieces around the outside of the bench. Cut an "H" panel first -- 24 1/2 by 23 3/4 according to the cut list. It's an end panel. The pictures show it fitting right up beside a D panel, over the A piece at the bottom and under the C piece at the top to give you a flush end of oak plywood.

But the "D" that it's supposed to fit up against is 23 3/8 X 23 3/4. So I'm off on the height of the panel by more than an inch ? The instructions say cut to fit but the cut list has specific measurements. What am I missing ? I'm afraid to cut it to fit only to figure out that I'm doing something wrong. The drawing looks pretty cut and dry but why so far off ?

Someone knock some sense in my head...haha

Thanks,
Steve

[ssmith1627]

I went ahead and cut the oak plywood to fit. I still don't know the reason for the discrepancy in the cut list. It's more than an inch off. But I don't see any reason not to have done it now that I have made the cuts and attached those pieces to the rest of the base.

http://ssmith1627.myphotoalbum.com/v...album01&page=3

I'm working on the trim now and the face frame and then I get to start making all these cuts for 2 doors and 9 drawers ! Fun fun !

Steve

[venkatbo]

Hi Steve,

I've been following your project with keen interest... Looks great so far...

I was able to get a copy of the plan for our local library and intend to build the same. After I get a few more 'wood chips under my belt' at my woodshop class, I think I can muster enuff courage to start the journey...

One thing tho, in our class, the teach mentioned that it is always good to start building the face frame first, and then the shell and the boxes last.. will ensure that every subsequent step, can correct for mistakes of the previous step... Not that you need this info, you are way ahead in the right path looks like...

Thanks for sharing the photos - sure helps a lot...
/venkat

[LarryG]

I still don't know the reason for the discrepancy in the cut list.

Human error, most likely ... either when making the calculations, or when the article was proofread.

I rarely build projects from magazines, and when I do I usually alter the design heavily, but I have observed that errors of this sort are hardly unusual. It would probably be good policy to wait until the next one or two issues of the magazine have come out before starting a published project, just in case there are any errors or corrections forthcoming. Alternatively, check the mag's website; corrections are sometimes posted online.

[ssmith1627]

This is certainly the biggest thing I've taken on so I can't say what others think is the right path to be on. I'm really just following those steps from the magazine article except that I did 80% of the work on the top before going back and starting with step # 1.

The trim seems pretty straight forward. A 5" oak band at the bottom all the way around, mitered at the corners. Then it's a 1.5" trim piece at the top, also mitered at the corners. From there, I'm just cutting the vertical pieces to fit. Four of them for the front to complete the face frame. Two for each end. And four for the back side to cover the rest of the seams.

I'm really only worried about the fit of the 5" band at the bottom on the two ends. You have the 2x4's from the base frame, a horizontal piece of 3/4" plywood on top of that and then the oak plywood side above that. It's not horribly aligned but it's not perfect either. I want that trim to fit flush with the oak plywood but I don't know how perfectly that's going to come out.

Part of me says.....it's a workbench ! And the rest of me says "get it right" ! lol All goes back to show just how precise you have to be in every step for it all to come out just right.

Steve