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I eyeballed a lot of the dimensions from this video.

This was the second project I built.

The joints are rabbets and dados with just screws holding them in except for the bottom shelf which is not attached at all - it just rests in the groove cut in the leg. Wood is construction 2×4s for the frame, plywood and hardboard for the work surface, pine for the vise, and oak for the surround.

It's two years later and I'm not happy with it. It racks an awful lot and I'd like better storage underneath than just one open shelf. Building a work surface over a chest of drawers should solve both of these issues.

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Looks good.
Should make your woodworking more enjoyable.
Well done.
 

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You can add some 5mm ply to the back legs to tie them together. Maybe a piece 16" tall by the width. That will help with the racking.
 

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Screws means it can come apart for the next iteration! Experience is a great teacher, now you know what doesn't work And what you need in a bench.
 

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It looks like you did a good job with the build. Do you miss not having a front vise?

I built the same bench as my first real bench and if you glue the joints it works ok for a mostly machine workshop but the bench has some flaws for hand tool work. The half lap joints and single 2X4 legs are to flimsy to ever be a stable bench. I think if you double upped on the legs and created bridle joints at the top and mortise and tenon joints at the lower stretchers it would be a lot more stable bench especially if you pegged the joints. Even so I found the top a little light for heavy chisel work.

I am not knocking the bench however. It's a lot better design than 90% of the commercial benches out there and for machine based shops it's a good bench. It just was never designed with heavy hand tool woodworking in mind.
 

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It looks like you did a good job with the build. Do you miss not having a front vise?

I built the same bench as my first real bench and if you glue the joints it works ok for a mostly machine workshop but the bench has some flaws for hand tool work. The half lap joints and single 2X4 legs are to flimsy to ever be a stable bench. I think if you double upped on the legs and created bridle joints at the top and mortise and tenon joints at the lower stretchers it would be a lot more stable bench especially if you pegged the joints. Even so I found the top a little light for heavy chisel work.

I am not knocking the bench however. It s a lot better design than 90% of the commercial benches out there and for machine based shops it s a good bench. It just was never designed with heavy hand tool woodworking in mind.

- Richard H
You pretty much nailed everything I don't like about how I made this bench.
 

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You pretty much nailed everything I don t like about how I made this bench.

- joph
The one other thing I learned from this bench is I hate tool trays. Mine ended up being full of sharp tools covered in sawdust and shavings all the time that always seemed to have the tool I needed buried under the assembly I was trying to work on. I will never build another bench with open tool trays on the top. I'm also not a huge fan of lower cabinets but that's me. I use holdfasts a lot so would need a opening between the top and the cabinet and anytime I had a piece clamped to the face of the bench I know there would be something in the drawers I needed. If I did build them I would make the drawers open from both sides so I could get to things from either side of the bench and leave a 12" or so space open between the cabinet and the top of the bench.

However I don't regret making this bench even though it's long gone. It was a good starter project that taught me a lot about what I do and do not like. I'm on my 3rd bench now which I consider a temporary bench and i"m hoping my 4th one will be my last.
 

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Any project including the name of "His Royal Highness" Norm Abram gets a look.
Very nice job.
That should serve you well.
 

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Once my cabinet work station is complete my next project was to build a new workbench and I was planing on using Norm's design, I'm glad I found this project and the comments were helpful, looks like I'll be using mortise and Tenon with extra cross bracing, I'll also have a front vice instead of the vise he used.
 

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You can add support and drawers to solve you racing issue. Nice bench
 

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I eyeballed a lot of the dimensions from this video.

This was the second project I built.

The joints are rabbets and dados with just screws holding them in except for the bottom shelf which is not attached at all - it just rests in the groove cut in the leg. Wood is construction 2×4s for the frame, plywood and hardboard for the work surface, pine for the vise, and oak for the surround.

It s two years later and I m not happy with it. It racks an awful lot and I d like better storage underneath than just one open shelf. Building a work surface over a chest of drawers should solve both of these issues.

- joph
I recognize this post is 5 years old but, in case someone has the answer…
I am thinking about incorporating the end vise to my bench. How did that work for you and what screw did you buy?
Thank you
 

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I eyeballed a lot of the dimensions from this video.

This was the second project I built.

The joints are rabbets and dados with just screws holding them in except for the bottom shelf which is not attached at all - it just rests in the groove cut in the leg. Wood is construction 2×4s for the frame, plywood and hardboard for the work surface, pine for the vise, and oak for the surround.

It s two years later and I m not happy with it. It racks an awful lot and I d like better storage underneath than just one open shelf. Building a work surface over a chest of drawers should solve both of these issues.

- joph

I recognize this post is 5 years old but, in case someone has the answer…
I am thinking about incorporating the end vise to my bench. How did that work for you and what screw did you buy?
Thank you

- Ed_
Whoa it's been a while.

I got the shoulder screw or tail screw from Lee valley. I'm pretty sure it was the shoulder screw. The vise the best part of this bench.
 

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Thanks a lot for the reply. I checked both screws and I think it makes sense that you used the shoulder screw. It's the type of screw Norm used in his.
 
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