Workbench

Travis Porter

Member
Messages
292
Location
Wake Forest, NC
I am biting the bullet based on Rob's other posting on sharing/showing a design that I am getting ready to start on. It is a workbench modified from an issue of shopnotes. It will have a cabinet beneath it, a tail vise, and a quick release front vise. As of yesterday, I now have all the materials to make it. The base and cabinets will be a mix of solid WO and QSWO plywood (got it as shop grade for $39 a sheet). I will use heavy duty levelers in the corners to adjust for my floor. I am thinking I will drill holes in the bench top and the front vise to use round bench dogs and some round holes for hold fasts. I plan to use square bench dogs in the tail vise and dog assembly as I have some steel ones I got for cheap and will make wood ones to go in all of the holes. Lastly, the plans in shop notes called for 1 3/4" thick wood for the base, but my stock of 8/4 which isn't really 8/4 won't let me do that so all of the main components in the base will be 1 1/2 inches with the exceptions of the legs/stiles which will be 3 inches square.

Actually bench top slab will be around 2 1/2" thick.

Drawers in the base I haven't sized yet, but I got a good deal on full extension 16" ball bearing slides and have enough to use throughout. Drawer boxes will be 1/2" baltic birch with solid WO false fronts.

So, comments, suggestions, et all are appreciated.

Here is a sketchup pic.

bench 2a.jpg
 
Couple of things to consider adding. A sliding dead man. Great for support long objects like panels and doors when you need to work on a edge. I can cpamp a door (on edge) in the leg vice and support the far on the dead man.

For long narrow boards add holes on the face of the bench and insert dowels for supporting them.

You can see both on my this my first bench. They were add ons but I don't want to be without them.

Bench2.JPG


If you go with drawers. Make them as deeper than I did. Mine are not deep enough for my longest chisels. But I started with a shelf and found that cluttered to fast. So the drawers were an add on and there wasn't enough depth for deeper drawers.
 
Pretty good model there, Travis. I took care of some little things and got the file size down. Whatcha planning for the corner detail on the face vise?

Jeff has some good thoughts.
 

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Actually, I am going to try and take Jeff's advice as it makes a lot of sense. I can see how I can do a deadman, and I like the holes he mentions. Since I build the dog assembly separate they will be easy to drill on the drill press before mounting.

Jeff, how does your deadman slide? You have grooves cut at the top and bottom?

As for the end vise/corner, I am still working out how to make that. The way shop notes shows it, it is has glue ups on the top and ends to make it look like a solid block to hide the vise hardware. I am not real thrilled with that and still trying to work it out. I have two workbench books and may make a solid dovetail joint where the boards come together. Fortunately, I have a bit of time before I get to that point as all I have done so far is glue up 2 legs.
 
Made some changes to add the dead man and the holes in the bench dog. I like the deadman, but I am not sure I like how I did it. I made it 6" wide and extended the track 3" beyond the bench base so it wouldn't interfere with drawers, but it just doesn't seem right.

Comments, suggestions?

bench_2a_travis1.jpg
 
Last edited:
Latest drawing

I have made a few modifications. I had to resize the base so I could get the front vise to work out, and I have drawn the end vise. For the actual vises, I am thinking I will make them out of purpleheart since I have recently gotten some for a good price. I am putting a deadman on it, but I have it out of the picture at the moment as I had to resize the base a couple of times to get the front vise to work out.

Next up I will have to post pictures of the work in progress. I have the base assembly complete (without drawer unit) and am starting on the top.

bench_3.jpg
 
Your deadman wouldn't have to be more than 4" wide. Actually it could probably be narrower if you just went with one row of holes. I have found the height of the support to be a minor issue. I just put the support in and rarely every adjust it. Unless I just totally misjudged the height.
 
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