Adjusting Wongo's workbench

[Clinton1]

Hey all, I would like to canvass some thoughts on adjusting the desgn of Wongo's workbench
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=14266

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=14048

I am going to fit a 1" thick MDF top, edge laminated with hardwood and covered with a sheet of tempered masonite to my bench.
I'd flat out copy Wongo's design, however I think the MDF sheet will need more support than the two rails at the ends.
Any suggestions.
Oh, please bear in mind that I have a limited set of hand tools, and no electron burners other than a drill.
I can't afford/justify the solid timber top, and would be able to go 2 sheets on top of each other for the top as I got a heap of 6' x 3 ' x 1" sheets for a song as they were "out of spec", but more than suited for my purpose.

Any assistance would be gratefully received.

[echnidna]

A coupla crossmembers would be a big help.

[Blackers]

hey we're not all cross on here, :rolleyes: , but I don't think I could hold the table up for long though.

But what echnidna suggests is the method I used for my first workbench, plenty of support and no sag even when SWMBO put her "must have everything in it, bar the kitchen sink", shoulder bag on it.

[Wongo]

First thanks for choosing my workbench. :)

Just an idea OK, can you build a wooden frame and lay your MDF on top and edge laminated with hardwood? That way you will have a large apron as the rear jaw of the vice.

Also, do you want the measurements of the workbench?

[Clinton1]

Thanks - that was quick!

Would the cross members be able to be checked/morticed into the top rails of Wongo's bench, if I extend the top rails out a bit.
The MDF sheets are 6 x 3, so thats the bench top size, minus the edge laminations.

Wongo, I thought your efforts were pretty damn good, so I thought "why reinvent the wheel?"

I was thinking of putting Wongo's rail and leg arrangements near the end of the bench so the vice would fit to the top rail. I'd pack out the end with a piece of "stair tread" KD H/W as the rear vice jaw.

[zenwood]

Hey all, I would like to canvass some thoughts on adjusting the desgn of Wongo's workbench
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=14266

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=14048

...
Any suggestions.
...
Couple of ideas:
1. Raise the top stretchers of Wongo's bench so they're flush with the top. The basic structure then becomes similar to a conventional table. Two or three extra cross-members going front-to-back could then add extra rigidity.

2. An adaptation of (1) is to actually make a table, with left/right and front/back top stretchers M&T'd into the legs. You'd still need stretchers further down to add rigidity.

3. Look at a torsion box top, (e.g. the one by David Marks (http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/ww_materials_products/article/0,2049,DIY_14442_2278183,00.html)) which is very rigid but doesn't need a lot of material. The idea is to make a grid of thin slats on edge (butted or half-lapped), then glue a sheet on the top and bottom.

[Clinton1]

Raising the stretchers as they are in Wongo's design will interfere with the mortice and tenon of the legs and rails, so I'm thinking I should move the rails over outside the legs?

Is this what you are proposing Zenwood?

[Cliff Rogers]

... do you want the measurements of the workbench?

Just send us the workbench. :D

[zenwood]

Raising the stretchers as they are in Wongo's design will interfere with the mortice and tenon of the legs and rails, so I'm thinking I should move the rails over outside the legs?

Is this what you are proposing Zenwood?
Hmmm...another look at Wongo's bench...I think I'm proposing that you'd basically eliminate the top rails in Wongo's bench, and replace them with front-to-back stretchers (flush with the top of the legs), then raise the left-to-right stretchers to be also flush with the top of the legs, basically getting you to my option (2). You could keep the top rails as per Wongo's bench, but the joinery would then become pretty complicated