Thread: My outdoor workbench

Last year I commenced a series of projects that would enable me to use the area under the carport as a workshop and allow SWMBO to finally park her car in the garage/shed. All my machines and stands are mounted on wheels so they can be stored in the shed normally and wheeled out to the carport to be used. Now what I needed was a half decent workbench...A few years ago I had constructed a timber storage rack from blue MGP10 with an old kitchen worktop, it didn’t see a lot of use other than timber storage and a convenient horizontal surface to pile stuff on. In the shed reorganisation it needed to be moved outside and I decided to use it as the basis for the new bench.

35EEDCAF-D3E1-43EA-8250-3475AC5DB400.jpg AEBE25AD-3C3E-4E12-983B-2434F3CE6101.jpg

Now; there is a common perception that your current workbench is merely a stepping stone to your next. With that in mind I decided to build this with wishlist features that may or may not make it onto the next bench but within the limitations of what I have to work with. A pair of bench vises from Timbecon are used to replicate the leg and tail vise that can’t be fitted as the top is too thin and it doesn’t have solid legs. In order to fit my Disston saw vise and my Ozzy Vise the top has to overhang the frame by 35mm which means I can’t easily fit a traveller, so for supporting long boards I fitted a row of 1” pegs that pull out like organ stops.

AE7D97BE-6FBC-46F2-8A3E-FCB1216E139A.jpg 95B32DD4-0AF8-498F-A116-64CB73BF7EEF.jpg 99723FC7-DC52-406F-B38B-21E92F29A6A3.jpg

Talking of the Ozzy Vise (and all its permutations and namesakes); many people deride this little tool but I found it a lifesaver when my lathe crapped its belt leaving me with no way to turn the vise handles... until I remembered the centre holding attachments. One block plane, a curved spokeshave and a bit of 40 grit sanding belt later I have a pair of useable handles.

7995CDBC-DBE7-4C7A-9512-12B0AE579142.jpg

The top was made from pine sleepers and because they were slightly too narrow to span the whole top and still give me the required overhang I fitted a reversible strip a third of the way from the back edge. It’s notched to fit over the frame rails and lifting it out and turning it around gives me a 3/4” high backstop. I didn’t actually intend the bench to have this but as I had to fit a bit of a filler piece and I’ve seen similar stops fitted to other benches I thought I’d incorporate one.

F73FA8E8-3F8E-4491-802A-85FCCFA9F75B.jpg

The front vise has provision for a pair of dog holes that I haven’t yet drilled, there is also room behind the backstop for another pair of holes. At this time I don’t know if I will use the backstop but the ability is there; it only takes a few minutes to drill the extra holes if I find the need.

Ok; there was no real planning or design for this bench. Most of it was done on the fly and a critical look will spot a few errors that would have been avoided working from a plan. Additionally there are compromises that were dictated by my choice of material and construction such as the front row of dog holes being 6” from the front edge rather than the normal 2-3. But it will replicate most of the features I think I want on my next one .

Oh, and I managed to keep the sheet goods storage at the back which was its original purpose!