Workbench reference

[Never Enough Money]

A recent post caused me to collect my workbench references...I thought/ think it would be good to have them listed on this newsgroup just for reference.......Hope you agree:

Benches you can build: The Workbench: A Complete Guide to Creating Your Perfect Bench by Lon Schleining A slick English bench at

"Building the Essential Workbench" in FWW Tools & Shops Isse Winter

2003/2004 "Build a $250 Bench" in FWW Tools & Shops Issue Winter 2005/2006 "Classic Cabinet Base Workbench" in Shop Notes vol 14, Issue 84.

Benches you can buy: Review artilcle in Fine Woodworking (FWW) Winter 2006/2007 Tools & Shops Issue reviews: Lie-Nielsen (semi-custom to your specs) Hoffman & Hammer Diefenbach Garrett Wade Grizzly Laguna Sjoberg Veritas (you cab buy top only or whole kit from Lee Valley)

A short history of workbenches is in the FWW Tools & Shops Issue Winter 2002/2003 Issue.

I'm sure there are others. I saw a Japanese style beam "bench" in one of my magazines somewhere.

Please add to my list.

[Never Enough Money]

Dang, left one out already:

Another you can build is > A recent post caused me to collect my workbench references...I thought/

[Dave Jackson]

I'll add "The Workbench Book" by Scott Landis. Found it a great resource when designing my bench. --dave

[Robert Haar]

I would add "The Workbench Book" by Scott Landis.

[Andy Dingley]

Tage Frid's 3rd volume has a chapter on building his bench (I think FWW once ran the same piece) I built my own more or less according to those plans

Frank Klausz' design is the best though. I think it's in the Scott Landis Workbench book.

[bent]

I had those then I just worked with what I had. Could have started at Goodwill and finished for $50. Well, not including everything, and I had the welded pipe-on-studs (bolts w/o heads). Old hardwood desk w/ drawer and

4 legs. I had 4 main screws (9" long ANSI/ASME studs with a loop welded on ends) , 2 permanent and 2 removable (for bottom support), and 4 full width (50") plywood, steel T-bar re-inforced independant jaw faces. Jam nuts. I have carriage bolts at std. spacing for std. spaced plywood pop-up stops all around outside edges. Doubles as support for extension table support. (paddle) Drilled 3/4" holes through the top (w/1/4" hardboard slid in place w/ edge all around all but front -$1.01 for two.). Mechanics vice w/ anvil on 4-pce hinge-articulated plywood screw/clamp down anywhere on flat bench. Spare plywood and 2x4, 3/4" hardwood dowels, wire clamps, 1/4"-20 36" long threaded steel rod, bolts, washers, nuts, and furniture nuts. Levelling feet on the bottom. I made everything I wanted. 2-1/2' long slotted stops (plywood, dowel, F-nuts,bolts, nuts, washers), dogs(dowel), wonder dogs (dowel, F-nuts, steel rod, dowel, steel wire clamp), holdfasts (plywood, dowel) w/ angle sawn and glued w/ dowel 1/2" through for hammering.

[bent]

maybe that was 3/16" rod, and little wood pads w/ holes drilled in them

[bent]

or start by building a bench w/ 4 legs, 2" thick sides, ~1" thick surface for hardboard, and a drawer

[bent]

[Patriarch]

"Never Enough Money" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Chris Schwartz, Popular Woodworking editor, seems to build a new bench, of a different old style, about every 18-24 months. It usually gets a writeup in their magazine.

I built a version of one of his, about 5 years back. $175 bench with layered cabinet ply top, and construction lumber framework. It's not an heirloom, but it works quite well until I decide I need a fancy one. I used it again today.

Patriarch

[charlie b]

snip

Sure is - and notably absent from Schleining's book.

Sam Allen's workbench book, though only black and white photos, has a lot of useful info. given that benches haven't changed much in the last hundred years - ok so the Twin Screw - but long before Veritas came up with the commercial version and old woodworker came up with using bicycle sprockets and a bike chain idea.

site with a ton of links to workbenches

charlie b

[russellseaton1]

I definitely agree with the Sam Allen and Scott Landis books. I combined a couple different benches in the Allen book to come up with mine. Landis book was more for pictures, dreams, ideas. Allen book was more on the practical mechanics. I enjoy reading the Landis book most. But for actually building a bench the Allen book was best. I think every beginner woodworking book sold today has one of the first chapters on building a workbench. And a bench can be as simple as a heavy table with a vise on one end or side. Like the Ian Kirby bench in Landis' book. Nothing fancy or difficult to make.