You can't have the ultimate workshop with out a solid workbench. The workbench is typically the focal point of any workshop. It should be stable and sturdy, and it should have a large enough surface area for the type of work you're likely to be doing. According to Chris Schwarz, of Popular Woodworking magazine, there are three major considerations when designing a workbench. It should be all of the following: - Heavy. The workbench must be heavy enough that it won't move or slide around on the floor during rigorous work.
- Sturdy. The workbench will take a lot of abuse, so it should be the sturdiest piece of furniture in your workshop. For the one built in our demonstration, the elements are fastened with bolts for extra stability.
- Able to hold your work. The workbench should incorporate vises, clamps, pins or other devices to hold items stationary while you work.
Building the Workbench You can spend thousands of dollars on a workbench, but in this episode of The Ultimate Workshop, a rock-solid workbench is built from simple materials for about $175. Though more expensive workbenches are typically made from hardwoods such as beech, maple or birch, Southern yellow pine is dense enough to make a perfectly suitable workbench, and it is much less expensive. Materials: Yellow pine lumber
Table saw with dado blades
Drill press
Doweling jig
Cordless drill
Brace and bit
Hand chisels
Hand plane
Clamps (bar clamps, pipe clamps, quick-grip clamps)
Wood glue
Wood screws
Lag bolts
Socket wrench To build the workbench, major tools you'll need include a table saw for ripping lumber to size and cutting tenons. A circular saw can do in a pinch, but a table saw is preferred. If you use a table saw, you'll need to use one that accepts a dado stack -- a series of blades used to make a wide cut in wood in a single pass. An arbor nut secures the dado blades to the saw's spindle. You'll also need a drill press for drilling mortises and nut-holes. You'll need plenty of clamps for gluing the work surface together. Steps: - Rip the 2x8 boards down the middle using the table saw. Then to square up the boards, rip off the rounded edges (figure A).
- Using plenty of regular wood glue and an ample number of clamps, glue and clamp the boards together face-to-face to create the workbench top (figure B). Place the clamps about 10" apart for ample clamping pressure.
- Cut mortises in the table legs using the drill press, then square the rounded ends of the mortises using a sharp chisel.
- With the stack-dado blades installed on the table saw, cut the tenons on the ends of the rails (figure C).
- Using the doweling jig and cordless drill, cut the clearance holes for the bolts that will hold the legs together (figure D).
- Using the drill press and a hole-saw bit, cut out the slots that allow the nuts to attach to the bolts.
- With all of the pieces cut, assembly of the workbench can begin.
- Using wood glue to secure the mortise-and-tenon joints, assemble the two end assemblies (figure E).
- With the end assemblies complete, place the base rails in position (figure F).
- Set lag bolts through the table legs and into the slots in the base rails.
- Tighten the bolts down using a socket wrench (figure G).
- Once the glue has dried on the workbench top, drill out holes for "bench dog" posts in the work surface. Because the holes are so large and the wood is so dense, a brace and bit works better than an electric drill for this job.
- Use wood screws to attach the boards that make up the bottom shelf to cleats on the base rail.
- With the base assembly complete, set the top in place (figure H) and secure it to the base using wooden cleats (figure I).
- Finally, use sandpaper or a hand plane to create a smooth surface on the workbench top.
The finished workbench (figure J) is solid and sturdy and will form the mainstay of the workshop. A vise is an essential element for a workbench; this one is outfitted with an integrated vise fashioned out of cut pieces of 2x8 boards secured to the vise hardware mounted underneath the workbench top (figure K). This bench also incorporates "bench dog" pins (figure L) and adjustable "wonder dogs" that fasten into the predrilled holes in the top to help hold your work in place.
RESOURCES :
The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561580619
Popular Woodworking
F & W Publications, Inc.
Website: www.popularwoodworking.com
Special thanks for DIY's The Ultimate Workshop
Popular Woodworking magazine
Web site: www.popularwoodworking.com
American Tool
Web site: www.americantool.com
Black and Decker
Web site: www.blackanddecker.com
Ryobi Technologies Inc.
Web site: www.ryobitools.com
Stanley Tools
Web site: www.stanleyworks.com
Vermont American
Web site: www.vermontamerican.com
Setting Up Shop: The Practical Guide to Designing and Building Your Dream Shop
Model: 156158360X
Author: Sandor Nagyszalanczy
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
The Workshop Book
Model: 1561582719
Author: Scott Landis
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
How to Design and Build Your Ideal Woodshop
Model: 1558704817
Author: Bill Stankus
Popular Woodworking Books
Setting Up Your Own Woodworking Shop
Model: 0806983140
Author: Bill Stankus
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.sterlingpub.com
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