New Project - workbench

Unless you have a press hard to glue two large sheets together. Suggest screws up from under to compress the glue line.

Good idea ... I was going to use a load of clamps ... and some 4X2" on edge ... to get clamping force along centre line. Maybe a line of screws along length at 1/3rd in may be better than just clamps.

I would screw up from bottom into the top sheet. Why?

Mostly, it's good to regard the top sheet as sacrificial - it will get scored, hacked, drilled and damaged. At some point, you may want to replace it with a fresh one.

Personally, I would use ply for the top layer too - easier to screw things like a vice down to. MDF is not so good for taking screws.

On an aside, if you want some inspiration, this is worth watching:

(that's the end product - you have to watch the preceding 4 vids to see the whole process as this guy videos real work and publishes every couple of days - so a single project tends to take a mini-series of videos)

It's not meant to be a "this is the ultimate" - even he wonders if there are problems, such as hanging entirely off the wall leading to a less solid bench - but he talks through some interesting things, such as majore tool placement and other things he's trying to achieve.

It happens that Tim Watts formulated :

Why use screws? Nuts and bolts all the way through, with a spreader plate under will be completely firm.

Because the correct screw won't poke up through the top and get in the way.

Andy

Well - you may not want not want large metal heads on top that you might catch with your well honed tools, like your plane.

It's of course very usage dependent - but woodworking benches ideally have a soft top with minimal hard things.

Mine is made from 4x2 on end held together with threaded rod and glue or it was until I did the kitchen out and now its 40 mm thick worktop with a laminate finish and is now stood up while I decide what to do with it.

Needs to be plain shank to pull the gap tight.

I acquired a home built work bench from a carpenter. He had taken some trouble to recess the rear jaw of a normal woodworking vice into the front of the bench.

Nice job but... any trailing cables over the bench front are trapped by a straight work piece clamped in the jaws!

In message , Tim Lamb writes

I would go for nuts and bolts, with the bolt heads countersunk into the top of the bench.

I've never seen so much false information in all my life

Clearance hole in lower board so it WILL pull up tight without needing a 'plain shank' .

Screws so that upper surface is not marked with holes.

Have any of the people above actually ever done any woodwork?

I know it's a tool support, but if you envisage sitting at it, go for 5" (or more) overhang.

Much more comfortable to sit at and allows ye to get closer to what's on the table without badly arching ya back. My shed workbench was initially built from an old kitchen worktop without that, I had to repeatedly stand and lean over to investigate things.

That sounds silly to me. Wouldn't be able to use the jigsaw for a quick cross cut.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Yes. It is also very adept at pinching an incautious finger.

I will have to think about this fixing of top sheet .... the idea of being replaceable is good -

I want to edge the top in 10mm hardwood to protect the edge ... if that is glued on .. may make changing top sheet an issue anyway - need to think it through. Suppose I could glue to top sheet only, run a strip of pvc tape on edge of lower board to act as a bond breaker for the future Going for MDF as I wanted flat & smooth ..... I have a separate solid hardwood work bench with vice, pillar drill etc ... that one gets all the grunt work. It will be fully sealed.

Didn't want anything 'thru' the sheets as the surface will then be less than flat.

Agree on this .. probably -round head be good, maybe flange head if I can find them.

Understand you point but - this is not a 'sit at bench' for sawing ... and the odd power tool ....bandsaw, belt/disc sander.

Yup. OK :)