Woodworking bench

[Ernie]

I purchased these plans some time back and I decided to go ahead and try to make a good woodworking bench. I have been wanting one for a couple of decades and have not found a decent used one for sale and can't justify the cost of a new one that I like so I figured I need to do it now while I am still able.

IMG_0366.jpeg (3.47 MiB) Viewed 8643 times

So I need some hardwood. The plans suggest a hardwood top and vises then use Douglas fir for the rest of the bench however I want to use all hardwood. I have been looking for a local sawmill for the last couple months. The internet was not productive so asking around I finally found someone who knew someone still in business. He invited me out to his shop, we opened bundles of seasoned wood and I decided on ash which is disappearing fast due to the emerald ash borer. Picked out some air dried 2" planks and some kiln dried 1-1/2" planks and got about 180 board feet home.

IMG_0365.jpeg (4.55 MiB) Viewed 8643 times

Now comes the hard part. I have to make space in the shop to set up the tools beginning with moving the truck out. I am now shopping for a temporary carport or something to keep it out of the weather. This is not going to be a quick project but I hope the end product will satisfy my need for a traditional style bench.

[markiver54]

Good for you Ernie. I wish I had room for a good wood working bench. I make do with what my small shop allows though. Just today I built a router table for my old Craftsman 315 router. I get a lot of joy out of basic woodworking projects. Hope your bench turns out to your satisfaction.

[BrokenolMarine]

We have kept the Titan in a Carport since we bought it new, it's a 2010. It still looks good, not faded or weather beaten. The one concession we made to Oklahoma weather was to buy breathable sunscreen sides for the carport here. So far so good.

carport shade cloth.jpg (427.36 KiB) Viewed 8641 times

The advantage to the permanent carport is you can set up folding tables outside in the covered area when you need a larger work space or doing major cutting with the chop saw and wished the sawdust would just blow away, and cut outside under the carport out of the sun/rain in the spring, summer, fall... I have often set up a pair of 8' folding tables to give me an 8' x 8' assembly area there. just back the Titan out and get at it. With the concrete pad I have rolled the table saw out there and done major cutting out there as well.

[Sir Henry]

Ernie that is way above my pay grade. Keep us posted on the build.

[daytime dave]

That is a great looking project. Isn't it funny how one thing leads to another. You now need the carport to finish the bench.

[GunnyGene]

Making your own bench is one of the most satisfying and useful projects you can tackle. I built one (much simpler than yours) about 20years ago, and basically for the same reason. Even back then a good Sjoberg was well over $1000 and over $2000 with under bench cabinet. Looking forward to following your build.

[Ernie]

Making your own bench is one of the most satisfying and useful projects you can tackle. I built one (much simpler than yours) about 20years ago, and basically for the same reason. Even back then a good Sjoberg was well over $1000 and over $2000 with under bench cabinet. Looking forward to following your build.

Looked hard at the Sjoberg benches now $3000 + for a comparable bench made of Beech. I probably won't make the cabinet but final decision will be made at that stage. I truly love cherry and think it would make a fantastic looking bench but it is softer so I walked away from some beautiful planks ( left a little drool behind) and chose the ash knowing it will work out better in the long run. Ironically this bench would be easier to make if I had this bench.

[Ernie]

That is a great looking project. Isn't it funny how one thing leads to another. You now need the carport to finish the bench.

Always seems to work out like that doesn't it.

[Ernie]

We have kept the Titan in a Carport since we bought it new, it's a 2010. It still looks good, not faded or weather beaten. The one concession we made to Oklahoma weather was to buy breathable sunscreen sides for the carport here. So far so good.

Don't want to get too crazy but I need to do something that won't end up at the county seat in the next storm.

[GunnyGene]

Making your own bench is one of the most satisfying and useful projects you can tackle. I built one (much simpler than yours) about 20years ago, and basically for the same reason. Even back then a good Sjoberg was well over $1000 and over $2000 with under bench cabinet. Looking forward to following your build.

Looked hard at the Sjoberg benches now $3000 + for a comparable bench made of Beech. I probably won't make the cabinet but final decision will be made at that stage. I truly love cherry and think it would make a fantastic looking bench but it is softer so I walked away from some beautiful planks ( left a little drool behind) and chose the ash knowing it will work out better in the long run. Ironically this bench would be easier to make if I had this bench.

I think you done good. A little drool is good for you.

Btw, I don't know how good the plans you've got are, and I don't want to school you about the build. But are you planning on an edge grain top for it? That's really the best way, but it takes a lot of glue, clamps, and cauls to keep it flat during assembly. You should also alternate grain direction on the boards to help avoid trouble down the road with seasonal changes.

I have an antique (early 20thcentury) Students bench that I picked up at a local estate auction a few years back, that I thought you might like to see. The great thing about these small benches is they easily breakdown flat for transport. Made a drawer cabinet for it for extra storage. It was in pretty rough shape, but it had this great old Abernathy 80D vise hanging off it. Brought it home and started to clean it up and was surprised that it was entirely made of birdseye maple, including the vise faces. I did have to make new feet for it tho since the originals had pretty much rotted away. I ended up moving the vise to my main bench.

[clovishound]

I cheated on my WW bench. I bought a 12' piece of 4x12 SWP. I cut it in half and hand jointed the two pieces together. That was a real learning experience, but the joint was nearly invisible, and has held up well over many years. It's a little narrow, but has served me well. I mounted a vintage Wilton vise on one end.

[Hatchdog]

Couple of humorous comments made here…

Need to build a carport in order to build the bench and it would be easier to build the bench if I had the bench!

Great stuff indeed

[Ernie]

Gene, that is a cool bench and a great vise. I got a maple bench someone was using for a welding bench.

IMG_1161.jpeg (2.59 MiB) Viewed 8616 times

I took the top off and refinished, welded a base

IMG_1218.jpeg (2.52 MiB) Viewed 8616 times

and made it a reloading bench.

IMG_0036.jpeg (523.68 KiB) Viewed 8616 times

Seemed like a good idea at the time.
I appreciate all the helpful advice I can get. Yes I am going to assemble the top as you recommend. The bonus is I get to buy more clamps, and probably a biscuit joiner. This bench could end up costing me a ton.

[Mr. Neutron]

Any updates on the workbench, Ernie??

It's funny. I store my little travel trailer in my pole barn. I'm scheming on one of those carport thingies to store it outside, so I can free up a bay for my kinda new woodworking addiction.

I'm building a smallish 6&1/2 ft. long Nicholson style bench out of some fir I inherited when I bought my place. Plan to try going "viseless" with the exception of a removable Moxon style vise. I'm a total newbie hack at this bizness, but do love a good curl coming off my Stanley #5 handplane.....

[Ernie]

Got the truck parked outside and have an elevated raised bed planter I am finishing now to sell. Then the bench and getting quotes on a slab to build on. I had considered a carport however by the time I get one that is rated for the local snow load it is more economical to build a shed roof enclosure. Would like to see what you are doing.
Enjoy

[Mr. Neutron]

Ernie, I totally get the the "Priorities" thing..... Get one thing accomplished to accomodate the the next step needed to get to something else. I'm right there with you, and it sounds like other folks on this message board. I've stated before that it would be easier to build another pole barn/shop than it would be to clean and organize the one I have.......

I might get some pics of my bench as it gets closer to being done. My woodworking skill isn't quite yet ready to be exposed for what it is (lousy). Trust me, there's been somewhat of a learning curve for me with this "what should be a somewhat simple project". I will say it's loosely patterned after a Nicholson bench, similar to what Rex Krueger builds in one of his videos, and has elements of a bench made by a guy with a video called "The Mighty Nicholson". Mine is made of fir I already had or bought at Home Depot, and my fir wood I had has been kinda problematic in a few ways. Ate up the planer kinives on my planer very quickly, probably from all the dirt on that lumber. That wood has a lot of cracks to work around or deal with in some fashion in it as well. I'm just glad it doesn't need to be perfect to be useful. It ain't. It will be used for my electric guitar building projects, as well as repair to some of the "treasures" my wife buys at estate sales and garage sales, which she re-sells at a local antique/vintage shop. This has actually taken priority over my guitar stuff lately, as she seems to go through her stock of stuff to sell kinda quickly. I recently made a door for a Hoosier cabinet she got for $50; given my skillset, it turned out well.......

I really love the engineering of the Shaker style bench you've got plans to build. The angled legs, the leg vise, the sliding deal for the side bench dogs are all really great features. Be cool to see it as you go, and when finished.

[Ernie]

Got a space in the shop now and I am going to start on the bench this week end. Will be a long process.
Got to nail down the quote for the slab to park the truck on for the winter. Hope to get that done by early August then get a shed roof over it.
I found a highly rated instructional book on building a teardrop trailer. I have to hit the bookstore tomorrow morning, its a one off, used, so I need to get it in hand. The Elkhart trailer industry is 30 minutes away so parts are available and a friend gave me a heavy trailer axle with new bearings and tires so that may be the project after the bench. I seem to gather projects. It keeps me thinking.

[Ernie]

Still waiting for the quote on my slab. Seems I can't get it done until maybe September so I decided that I needed to extend the quote to get the roof built as well. With my poor performance on ladders I needed to have the roof included or it probably would not be done before the snow falls.
I have gone over the bench plans multiple times and have sorted out the lumber. I have a plan to get the best use of the rough sawn planks avoiding the obvious knots and cracks. I will be cutting this morning to get the pieces for the legs and some of the top. Have a biscuit joiner being delivered sometime today to help align the glue up of the legs. Will start the glue up tomorrow. Taking my time to avoid wasting time and material.

[Ernie]

Took longer than I thought. Have some of the top planks and the legs cut will have to joint legs parts tomorrow to glue. Have two more large slabs to cut for some more of the top, that should finish the hardest part on the table saw. The remaining lumber has already been through the planer and is not as huge.

IMG_0459.jpeg (5 MiB) Viewed 7554 times

IMG_0458.jpeg (4.17 MiB) Viewed 7554 times

[Ernie]

Got held up on the bench building a garage for the truck. 15 X 24

IMG_0882.jpeg (2.94 MiB) Viewed 1327 times

Got the base parts jointed, planed, mortise and tenons cut and assembled into both ends. That is the vise on the left. I have to trim it down a bit.

IMG_0881.jpeg (3.6 MiB) Viewed 1327 times

Have the stretchers to join the ends jointed, planed with tenons and pockets routed out for the nuts and washers and I am ready to drill the holes for the carriage bolts.

IMG_0878.jpeg (3.14 MiB) Viewed 1327 times

IMG_0880.jpeg (4.17 MiB) Viewed 1327 times

Once the base is assembled then I begin to true up and size the boards for the butcher block top.