Thread: My workbench -WIP

Hmm love the progress shots, cannot wait to see the results! A good heavy bench, perfect for so many other projects! Keep up the good work, and let us see the finished product!

martin.

The legs are made of 105 x 105mm dressed Canadian Oregon. The frame is 150 x 50mm Tasmanian Oregon. I cut all the tenons by hand with a tenon saw and chisel. I cleaned up the cuts with the WC 2000 mounted saw by feeding the tenons across the 60T TCT blade. I made the the tenons half the thickness of the frame, ie 25mm. This was to maintain the rigidity of the legs to minimise racking. Because the Oregon is green (ish) - only been cut for about 12 months - i've decided to use long bolts to hold it all together. The reason is so that I can tighten all the joints up as and if it shrinks over the next 12 months or more. (Not sure if thats how Oregon travels).
To accomodate the long bolts and nuts I bored 35mm deep holes in each of the stretchers so I can get a spanner in when it comes time to tighten up. See the pic.
To be continued.

Well done Shed Bout time you do something constructive apart from raving on about planes looking foward to seing more progress shots

Each of the stretchers have two 35mm deep holes in each end bored with a standard cupboard hinge drilling tool thingy. Works a treat in softwoods.
I then drilled a hole right through the bench top front timber until the bit exited in the 35mm hole in the stretchers. In the previous post you can see that I chiseled a square finish to the 35mm hole to accomodate a 10 gauge steel washer. I used 150x10mm ZP Hex Head bolts and nuts with a 10 gauge 25mmx10mm ZP washer under both the head and nut. I repeated this process on each of the ends of the bench. The strength was such that I could lift one corner of the frame with very minimal flexing and no noticable movement in the bolted joints.

The next step will be to attach the legs and other stretchers.
The legs will be attached with 150mmx12mm bolts for added strength.
The bench won't be fixed to the shed portals because it will only amplify the racket I make when I eventually start making things. I don't won't to annoy any more neighbours than I have to. I'll bolt the bench to the slab with 100x12mm concrete screws.

I plan to incorporate - into the bench at one end - the larger of my two float glasses for sharpening. Its 1/2 in x 600mm x 200mm. It will have a masonite lid.
The bench top itself will be made of two layers of 16mm MDF overlain with tempered masonite. I'll edge the whole top with replaceable Dressed Tassie oak.
No damn tool well. They fill with crap and I only ever get splinters under my damn fingernails feeling around for lost bits and pieces.
It'll have 2 big cupboards under one half a 3 big drawers under the other half.
It'll have its own power board and working lights.

Cost to date:
150 x 50 Oregon RS - 14m @ 10.20 p/m = 142.80 (Recycled from my slab)
105 x 105 Oregon DAR - 6m @ 13.75 p/m = 82.50
Assorted ZP Hex Hd Bolts, nuts, washers = 97.50 (incl 20% loyalty Discount)
Total = $322.80

Any other ideas would be welcome.
More later.
Cheers (I'm excited but I hope this doesn't bore all you old hands.)

Looking real good. I'd love to have the space for a bench that long, . . . next lifetime maybe?

RE: Bolts. I was surprised how much my new bench needed it's bolts tightened after just a month or so after being constructed. I think that's maybe because it's a mix of old and new timber.

Anyway, looking forward to seeing the finished product.

The bench top itself will be made of two layers of 16mm MDF overlain with tempered masonite. I'll edge the whole top with replaceable Dressed Tassie oak.

Hi Shedhand,

Bench looks good! I'm interested in why you are going for 2 x 16mm mdf + masonite instead of 1 x 32mm mdf + masonite?

I'm planning to replace my benchtop with a 2400 x 800 of the same materials, but had noticed the availabilty of the 32mm mdf and wondered if there is a reason it doesn't get used.

Also, how do you decide bench height? Mine is currently a bit over 800 and I'm thinking it should be about 1050 to avoid stooping over it when working.

Last question (promise) How much overhang is safe for a mdf top? Mine looks like it will be in the 150-200mm range at the front.

woodbe.

Originally Posted by BobL

Looking real good. I'd love to have the space for a bench that long, .

Bob, at the moment i have eight 3mt hexagonal benches about to be finished. Boy are they big:eek: Oh that = 48 vices to be fitted

Originally Posted by Lignum

Bob, at the moment i have eight 3mt hexagonal benches about to be finished. Boy are they big:eek: Oh that = 48 vices to be fitted

Bastard!!

I think I have already posted that my computer desk 2.3 + 3.3 +1.8 m long is 5.6 m longer than my workbench. Stupid really because I spend much more time at the workbench than I do at the computer desk. I mainly use my PC (laptop with wireless connection) at the dining room table or in front of tv.

Originally Posted by woodbe

Hi Shedhand,

Bench looks good! I'm interested in why you are going for 2 x 16mm mdf + masonite instead of 1 x 32mm mdf + masonite?

I could use 32mm MDF but when the top gets to scarred for use its cheaper to replace just one sheet of 16mm than 1 of 32mm. If I'm working on something too awkward for any of my dogs or clamps to hold I just wack a bit of scrap MDF fixed with a type 7 screw straight into the top. After a while it gets hard to find a place to do this. Like I said a the start for me its function over form.

Originally Posted by woodbe

I'm planning to replace my benchtop with a 2400 x 800 of the same materials, but had noticed the availabilty of the 32mm mdf and wondered if there is a reason it doesn't get used.

Also, how do you decide bench height? Mine is currently a bit over 800 and I'm thinking it should be about 1050 to avoid stooping over it when working.

In my old (soon to be demolished) shed I inherited a bench which must have been designed by and for a short-ars e. It was about 790mm high and my back used to kill me after about 10 minutes bent over it. So, I built another one out of some old guideposts and MDF. It was 1090mm high. It was too high to be able to use my weight properly when planing. The new bench height is based on the height of the Router table I made which is 905mm high. Its very comfortable and I've spent quite a few hours learning how to cut dovetail joints without backpain. I reckon if you go to 1050 you'll have problems getting the right balance needed to push your tools around particularly sanding and planing (unless you're about 185cms tall or there-abouts)

Originally Posted by woodbe

Last question (promise) How much overhang is safe for a mdf top? Mine looks like it will be in the 150-200mm range at the front.

woodbe.

I welcome questions mate. It gives me the chance to expand and share my knowledge - such that it is. It depends what sort of work you do I guess. Waldo's bench specifies a 50mm overhang. Some have no overhang. I have one of those (very excellent and very handy) Z-vises which you can attach anywhere there is an overhang. From experience I think I'll go with a 50mm overhang to accomodate the Z-Vise. Then again it will also depend on what sort of vise you fit to the bench and whether you want to do as I'll be doing and put dog holes your bench's front legs to hold long or unwieldy work. If you go for 32mm MDF for your top i'd say you could safely have an overhang without flex of around 150 - 200mm. Just a guess though. There's sure to be an expert here who could tell you for sure.
Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by Lignum

Bob, at the moment i have eight 3mt hexagonal benches about to be finished. Boy are they big:eek: Oh that = 48 vices to be fitted

48 vices :eek::eek:
Is that a contract job for a trade school or something? If so how did you swing that. Sort of thing I'd be interested in.

Originally Posted by woodbe

.
.
Also, how do you decide bench height? Mine is currently a bit over 800 and I'm thinking it should be about 1050 to avoid stooping over it when working.

I like work over the top of what I'm doing so I can easily put downwards pressure on my work so I made my new bench the same height as my old one - 800. However, recently I find myself turning more often to the old vice on my ancient "metal working bench" which is 1050 high to do some close up work, thus I am seriously considering raising the woodworking bench to around 900.

Originally Posted by woodbe

Last question (promise) How much overhang is safe for a mdf top? Mine looks like it will be in the 150-200mm range at the front.

Although overhangs allow you to using smaller clamps, Personally I prefer an apron that you can dog hole rather than an overhang. I guess you can always strengthen the overhang by gluing a extra thickness or 2 of MDF to the overhang.

Thanks for the responses. Yes, I'm 185cm. The bench at my ww classes is 1000 high, and I find it dramatically more comfortable for all the manual stuff at the bench than the short one at home.

So, Shedhand, if you are going to clamp to your bench by running a screw or two into the mdf, does that mean you will be running it through the tempered masonite as well? I didn't think masonite was quite so forgiving for that, and it seems to defeat the disposable top layer approach, as you might land up having to replace the masonite and the mdf when things get shabby?

woodbe.

G'day Shedland,

Strueth you're fast!

You must have started working on the bench as soon as I flicked my plans over to you. Can't blame you though as it's an exciting project to build a bench, the bugger is having to juggle saw horses and work off the floor.

Bolts by my way of thinking are the easiest means of securing the whole thing up. One thing you can be guaranteed - it won't go anywhere fast.

Keep the shots coming, it's always great to see progress shots of stuff.

Originally Posted by woodbe

Thanks for the responses. Yes, I'm 185cm. The bench at my ww classes is 1000 high, and I find it dramatically more comfortable for all the manual stuff at the bench than the short one at home.

So, Shedhand, if you are going to clamp to your bench by running a screw or two into the mdf, does that mean you will be running it through the tempered masonite as well? I didn't think masonite was quite so forgiving for that, and it seems to defeat the disposable top layer approach, as you might land up having to replace the masonite and the mdf when things get shabby?

woodbe.

Good point. Maybe I dump the Masonite. When I've used the bench a bit I may modify it. Maybe even put a 65mm Tas Oak top on it. Just have to see how it goes.
Cheers