Irony for Newbies

[IBBugsy]

Not a question here, but I've been "enjoying" the irony of how to build a workbench without a workbench. I have a good set of sawhorses and a workbench against a wall and between the two I'll be fine but it's just humorous.

I've looked at some router jigs, fences, templates, etc. and they all seem to need their own jigs to make them. Guess I have to figure out which one to create first, then use it to make the next and so on.

I actually enjoy the "thinking" part of the project. That's the curse of being an engineer. I just hope I enjoy the making part of the project also. This workbench will be my first "real" project so I'll soon find out. I find I have patience for thinking a project out ahead of time but tend to lose that patience once I start working...

[Roger on the Rock]

Everything is a stage. I have a general use workbench cobbled together with bits of 2 x 4, plywood & kit legs from HD. I have a plan that came in a WW magazine for a plywood woodworking bench that I will make this winter and maybe one day I'll make a good bench like I've seen some do on this forum. That way one gets experience and to know what you want & need. All in time and having fun getting there.

[Anna]

Oh, boy, can I relate to this post. Although "enjoying" will probably be replaced by some other asterisked-laden word when it comes to building my first workbench. A few times I've thought about just buying a whole one, pre-built, but then I come back to my senses and think, "Where's the fun in that?"

I do tend to overthink everything, though. I haven't quite finished the workbench, but I'm starting to think through the router table and the mobile saw base. My problem is that I start out by following a plan in the books or magazines, then midway, as I start to understand more about the project, I decide to modify things. So I have all these pieces of wood that were cut to certain dimensions based on my original plans, and now I'm trying to figure out a way to re-use them for my modified plans. Not too smart.

So, I think the way to go is just do it. We probably learn more from doing a wrong cut anyway. What this experience reminds me of, though, is one of my favorite sayings as an engineering student: "In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is."

[Tom Hintz]

My first workbench was sort of flat but not real sable. It did hold up enough for me to build a better table on which I built the segments for a better bench on which I built better and better cabinets and fixtures.
In the end, it all worked out but there were some trying moments along the way. For the most part, I learned a lot from those "problem times" that improved my technique considerably.
It turns out that you never stop learning - or improving the shop.

[just4funsies]

If you need a chicken, FIRST you go get an egg, and... wait a minute... never mind...

[LCHIEN]

...

"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is."

I like that

Have to pull it out in one of those design review meetings.

[LinuxRandal]

What do you all use for legs for your benchs?

My current status is having two benchs, and one (censored). One of the two was made by my grandfather (cheap legs with a free top, lid from a coffin shipping crate) and the other one is another top he had (unfinished project when he died), that I made legs out of 2x's with. Then I have the (censored) which looks like a potters bench, covered in paint (any guess what gramps did with it?).
I got a decent top from a friend, who got it (and several others, this was the only one he'd part with) from a school auction. Didn't get the vices . I also got some free angle iron and was debating what to make the legs from (see Rockler part# 60749). Do you use wood for the weight or should I be fine with this, as I intend to close it in?

TIA

[Tom Hintz]

I think that the most practical legs for a bench I have ever made were laminated pieces of common 2X4 stud. Find some straight lengths (a chore all its own), glue them face-to-face and then clean them up and cut to length. Very solid, cheap and easy to work with.
Later, when I developed more "style" I turned some legs from solid 4-by oak stock and wound up with nice-looking legs that probably were no stronger than the stud-based ones but did cost roughly ten times as much. But, I looked more like a woodworker, to me anyway. Now, my neighbor looks more like a woodworker because I gave him that bench so I could build and install my current panel-based one. Nice and square with lots of storage, very strong, stable but lacking the flair of my earlier ones.

[cabinetman]

I've never had one of those fancy shmancy woodworkers bench with the dogs, vices, and drawers. If I did, I wouldn't think of working on it. It's like a conversation piece, a piece of furniture, not something that is ultimately going to have glue, stain and blood on it. I like the many functions that can be performed on some of those, and their convenience.

For home shops it's a great workbench. I've never done this craft as a hobby and my workbenches have been designed with a "right now" mentality. My first workbench was a copy of my first TS setup - plywood with something underneath (circular saw). With space available, my TS setup became my work bench because I didn't know any better. I've always made the largest area around the TS as I could.

Ya-all are gonna cringe at this, but we make do with what we got, or what little we know. Legs were made with plywood like 6" wide for each pair of pieces that made up a leg @ 90 deg. It was an angle. The frame for the top was a grid pattern (like eggcrate) with plywood pieces 8 or 10 inches high (assembled on edge). and the tops were usually melamine, for smoothness, and wipeability. I had to have a surround for the saw that was suitable to walk on.

When it came to pass (sounds biblical) that I had enough space for a separate worktable, they were made the same way and were usually 4'x8', and always the height of the TS table, in case it had to be set up along side for large or long work.

Other work areas were the table left and right of the RAS and CMS that were setup in line.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[Roger on the Rock]

This is the plywood bench I mentioned. I think it's a good design for starting out because it can be made easily and without a lot of tools or expense.

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworki....aspx?id=25186

[jarhead]

I have built my workbench using 2x4's and a solid core door (can be replaced by 2 layers of MDF). I got the plans from plansnow.