"Traditional" Workbench Design

[LarryG]

I'm in the (very) early stages of designing a woodworker's workbench, and would like to draw on the experience of others.

The reason I put "traditional" in quotes is to indicate that the bench will not be the kind of rough-and-ready tool-holder-upper that all of us need and have, but rather one intended specifically for doing woodworking with handtools (chisels, planes, backsaws, etc). However, as you will see, it will not necessarily be traditional in construction.

At this point, I have questions in two areas: how to build the top, and what kinds of vises to include.

1) Top Construction: I'm considering two alternatives. One is the usual thick slab of laminated hardwood. The other is a more modern torsion box, beefed up with hardwood where necessary (like where the vises and bench dog holes will go), and perhaps topped with a sacrifical sheet of tempered hardboard that can be renewed from time to time. I like the traditional laminated slab top because, well, because it's traditional. But a torsion box appeals because it should be cheaper to build, easier to keep flat, and the sacrifical top means I won't have to be nearly so careful while I'm working. (I should mention that the space under the benchtop will be fully loaded with cabinets for tool storage, and these will give the bench much of its necessary mass and rigidity.)

2) Vises: I virtuallly certain I want a twin-screw end vise. For a second vise, I'm torn between a simple front vise or a shoulder vise. I'm leaning toward the shoulder vise, but wonder if the twin-screw end vise would not serve almost the same function.

All comments and suggestions will be most welcome. And since I anticipate this design process going on for a while, I'm sure I'll have plenty of follow-up questions ...

[JR]

Larry,

My workbench uses the tempered hardboard method. I have mixed results to report.

It definitely achieves the benefit of providing a sacrificial surface you won't be afraid to harm. I don't think you can harm it, really. It's great for a general-purpose homemoaners bench.

It has a tendency to curl, though. I've screwed mine down, and I suppose carpet tape would be a better alternative.

I think, though, that the whole built-up construction technique would leave a lot to be desired in a wordworker's bench. The hardwood trim provides a less than perfect foundation for clamping and mounting of vises and tools. I don't have bench dogs, but I'd think the layered buildup would provide an iffy place to put them.

I'd recommend using some version of the "traditional" method. You'd get a superior foundation for whichever vises you chose. Your work surface would still be very durable, probably lasting 20 years. All clamping operations would be very reliable with little jacking around on difficult setups. You've got a torsion box already for those assembly operations requiring a flat surface, so that is is small concern, IMV.

Just my 2c.

JR

[Jim-Iowa]

I think everybody wants to build a traditional workbench.
I still do, but had to chose a workable alternative in the meantime.
I took a 30" solid core door and cut it down to 60".
I fitted a 10" vise that had belonged to my wife`s Great Grandfater to the end with 18" 2X4 jaws. and a 8" Jet vise to the face.
The face vise works fine, but I would like to make a deadman(probably not right term?) support for larger boards.
Installed a hardboard surface with carpet tape. So when it get damaged or unusable I can change it.
Thats kind of funny, since I`m so proud of it(after waiting 20 yrs to build this version of a real bench) I use a scrap of hardboard as a coaster and won`t set my coffe cup or soda glass on my work surface.
(I probalby should have put tape right up to the dogholes to prevent lifting when I drilled.)
Then drilled double rows of dogholes in line with the dogholes in the 2X4 in the endvise.
This top is at this time on an old folding Lab table from the highschool sale( The base has limitations and I need to build a new base.
Some day I hope to build a real Workbench

[Tom Miller]

Concerning a sacrificial hardboard top: I made one for my miter saw bench, and decided against it for my main workbench. Since it's not bonded to the main top, it tends to absorb some of the shock when you're using a mallet, giving kind of a slapping sound rather than a dull thud. Worse, instead of a dead-flat surface, you may have ripples that move at the whim of summer's humidity.

I decided that I really shouldn't need to replace the top so often as to need a disposable top. But I didn't want an irreplaceable type of top that I'd be scared to use, either. I wanted something dead-flat, strong, and easy to make and maintain, that's at least reasonably replaceable.

For me, the compromise appeared to be the venerable 3 layer lamination of MDF. I had considered a torsion box design, because I wasn't sure if the lamination would stay dead-flat. But, I was also concerned that a torsion design would not be as solid under a mallet blow. So, I decided to try the lamination first, especially since it's much easier to make.

I've been very pleased with it, so far (over a year). It has maintained its flatness, looks good, is solid, and although I am more careful working on it than on the 2x12 planks that I was using before, I don't feel I'm kittycat*-footing around it. ("Careful" means I keep a small piece of hardboard around to cut on, or a chunk of 2x4 to drill through.)

That's all I got...

Regards,
Tom
*Edited for what this forum software saw as profanity and turned into a string of *'s! [:0]

[boblon]

I too am close to building a bench. Thanks for the input on the hardboard for the top. I WAS thinking of using this. That is until a friend gave me a pile of scraps from a pergo type wood floor he laid down. Now I'm planning on using this for the top layer, over 2 or 3 layers of MDF.

Any comments on this approach?

Thanks,
BobL>

[monte]

I guess I bypassed the torsion box when I built mine because my floor was almost level to start with? (how level is level?) I used some 4X4 posts from fir with a 2X4 framework and added double layer of melamine to the top and was able to add some shelving and drawers underneath. Overall size of the table is 60X40.

[crokett]

A mistake I made on the bench in my old shop was to use 2x6s for the frame of the top. This was not the ideal surface to clamp things to since I had only had the thickness of the 2x6 to put a clamp on.

[Tom Miller]

quote:Originally posted by crokett

A mistake I made on the bench in my old shop was to use 2x6s for the frame of the top. This was not the ideal surface to clamp things to since I had only had the thickness of the 2x6 to put a clamp on.

Good point about clamping -- consider leaving enough overhang on the table edges for clamping stuff down on the table top. Additionally, I find that I always need to get into the drawer that my clamp is blocking. But the only solution I can think of is not to have drawers within ~6" of the table top.

Regards,
Tom

[LarryG]

quote:Originally posted by Tom Miller

I find that I always need to get into the drawer that my clamp is blocking. But the only solution I can think of is not to have drawers within ~6" of the table top.

I recently saw a picture of a bench in which the owner/builder had a stack of wide, shallow drawers (maybe 2" deep) for his backsaws, rasps, card scrapers, etc. The neat thing was that the drawers were "double-ended," meaning they could be pulled out from either side of the workbench (the bench was out in the middle of the shop floor, rather than sitting against a wall). That would solve your problem in some cases, although it obviously wouldn't help if you had clamps hanging down and blocking the drawers on both sides.

Another, equally obvious solution is to turn the "excess" part of the clamp's bar up, but that's not always possible or convenient.

I have thought about leaving 4" to 6" of clear space between the underside of the benchtop and the top panel of the storage units below, and then having essentially zero overhang for the top. This free space would provide room for the clamps fixed head while maximizing the amount of storage below, and clamps could be "staged" close at hand by placing them within this space, where they'd be easy to grab during a glue-up. The downside is the same as the above: the bar would have to point up, rather than down.

[crokett]

I solved the problem of the clamps blocking the drawers by only putting the stuff I never used in the drawers. If I ever build a workbench/assembly table I probably won't put drawers in it. I may add a shelf on the bottom to act as a stretcher for some of the heaver tools but no drawers.

[LarryG]

quote:Originally posted by crokett

I solved the problem of the clamps blocking the drawers by only putting the stuff I never used in the drawers.

I realize you said that half-jokingly, but I've thought about that, too. While it makes sense to use the space under the bench to store stuff that will be used at the bench, storage is so very dear in most shops that we need to make use of every available space. Even if a guy just put his offcut bin there, it'd still be better than letting all that room go to waste.

[Jim-Iowa]

That is an interesting thought. Since I have to build a base anyway,
What would be wrong with building a shelf(open area)(or the top of the cabinet 6-8" below the bottom of the top to allow clamping area.
Then the cabinet with drawers would still be useable.
One could still store the most used items like C Clamps, Planes etc where very hady to grab.

[Mainemarc]

quote:Originally posted by Jim-Iowa

That is an interesting thought. Since I have to build a base anyway,
What would be wrong with building a shelf(open area)(or the top of the cabinet 6-8" below the bottom of the top to allow clamping area.
Then the cabinet with drawers would still be useable.
One could still store the most used items like C Clamps, Planes etc where very hady to grab.

There's even more merit to that idea; you don't want bench dog holes funneling wood chips and dust into drawers and cabinets underneath (DAMHIKT). Just leave enough room to get a bench brush in there, and engineer the top of the shelf so there aren't any lips along the edges.

[LarryG]

Do bench dog holes typically go all the way through? I guess I just assumed they'd only be a couple inches deep. Of course if you want to be a card-carrying galoot and use holdfasts, they'd HAVE to go all the way through.

Another thought on what to store under the bench: I like to have the stuff I use a lot, particularly small stuff, up around waist or chest level, rather than having it in some down-low drawer or cabinet where I have to bend down and rummage around to find what I need. So maybe David's "stuff I never use" approach has more merit than I realized.

[Jim-Iowa]

I drilled the benchdog holes all the way through with the thought that they would be self cleaning.

However when I mounted the top to my temporary base, I negated that since I put a double 2X6 flat under the top to both raise it to a level that fit me(35") and for clearance of the face vise(one row of dogholes is over the 2X6`s.
.
Keeping them open will be a consideration when I build the new base.