Thread: Attaching the bench top to the frame

Hi Norm,

i am a noob and haven't built my own work bench yet however I just watched the Paul Sellers youtube videos on how to build a work bench using pine. Check it out they are a good watch

How to build a workbench - (Part 10) (assembly part 2) - with Paul Sellers - YouTube

Norm,

When I built my bench I drilled through the top rail of the ends towards the outer limits (make sure you have enough room for the spanner) I used a 19mm forstner bit.

Then I used coachscrews with an oversided washers (i mean oversized) and then tightend them up.

This allows for the top to move but not rack. Should the top move greatly then the coachscrews will only bend otherwise they just slide.

It really depends on how heavy and sturdy your bench is. For mine the base and top are so heavy that all I am going to do is drill into the to rail and top and the top will sit on top of a bullet dowl. No need for fastners at all!

Good luck!

Expansion/contraction should always be allowed for if possible. How easy it is to do that depends on your construction. I used the rule of thumb I found on these forums that movement should be about 1% of cross grain width. But it will depend on how the timber is milled, type of timber etc. In my bench I had the front legs tight-ish morticed into the benchtop (I wanted to get the top off again), and in the back I allowed for 5mm expansion by cutting a wider (loose) mortice. It was winter when I made the bench and given that in my part of the country that means low temps and low humidity I allowed for expansion rather than shrinkage. If your not morticing the legs into the top then just build the frame with more bracing to prevent wracking or cut slotted holes for bolts/coach screws at the back for movement.

Thanks for the responses folks.
I think i will start with either some keys/guides (a couple of 25mm dowels or a couple of 10mm ply x 300 x200mm long keys)

If i get too much movement from that - at least i can go the next step and put a great coach screw or two into it.

Cheers

Apart from expansion/contraction considerations, how the bench top is attached depends on the undercarriage. If the legs & stretchers form a pretty solid, braced unit on their own, and the top is solid & heavy, then a bullet dowel or a single coach screw at each end should be all you need to stop it moving under extreme provocation. I use a single coach screw each end on mine because I need to drag it out from the wall, occasionally, & if I only had a locating dowel, that would make it even more difficult than it is already. In Milo's case, it doesn't matter what he uses, 'cos his bench is going to stay wherever he finally assembles it - I wouldn't be able to move his leg assembly without a tractor, let alone the whole bench!

Originally Posted by IanW

Apart from expansion/contraction considerations, how the bench top is attached depends on the undercarriage. If the legs & stretchers form a pretty solid, braced unit on their own, and the top is solid & heavy, then a bullet dowel or a single coach screw at each end should be all you need to stop it moving under extreme provocation. I use a single coach screw each end on mine because I need to drag it out from the wall, occasionally, & if I only had a locating dowel, that would make it even more difficult than it is already. In Milo's case, it doesn't matter what he uses, 'cos his bench is going to stay wherever he finally assembles it - I wouldn't be able to move his leg assembly without a tractor, let alone the whole bench!

BWAHAHAH! iAN YOUR A FUNNY GUY! Wonna remind the good folk what the wood of my bench did to your Delta chiesel mortiser????

But your bloody correct....I have asked SWOMBO brother whos is in the army to bring home a sherman tank so that we can hitch this baby up and move it into place. I am also seriously considering reinforcing the concrete floor!

Yep - Milo's certainly looks heavy - must be why it took him 18mths to build.

Must have been all of the tool sharpening he needed to do.

Mine is just pine - so while the top is *ahem* heavy, it will move with some aggressive planing. So it maybe best to start with the coach screws after all?
I will give it some more thought. Here are the basic plans with dims.

bench idea.jpg