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Finally got tired to trying to use folding tables, saw horses, etc. to plane lumber and cut dovetails, so I built a workbench.

This bench is 65" long, 22.5" wide, and 35" high (some would say too high, but just about right for my back!). The top is 3.5" thick. The trestles in the base are mortise & tenon (draw-bored and pinned with 3/8" oak dowels). I have a really small shop, so the whole thing rides in a mobile base (Jet 1200 lb). There are two T-tracks … one in the left end (for an adjustable planing stop), the other along the back for a planned tool holder and worklight. The shelf below will eventually house a tool chest with drawers for handtools, planes, measuring & marking, etc.

This bench was designed to be disassembled. The stretchers between the end trestles are bolted in with bench bolts and brass cylinder nuts. The top (and vises) are mounted with carriage bolts. The carriage bolts are mounted in 1-inch deep holes in the top, using torque washers to reduce the chances of the shoulder of the carriage bolts from turning in the wood. I routed patterns (diamonds, squares, and bowties) in the top, and installed Dutchmen that were planed/sanded flush to the top. The Dutchmen and dog holes were created with a hardboard template.

Originally, I had planned on just using lag screws to fasten the top to the trestles and mount the vises, but ruled that out. I have sort of an aversion to using lag screws in soft lumber, and this bench is built entirely of Douglas Fir.

Early on, I made the decision to go with kiln-dried Douglas Fir. The logic was that I was building something to pound on, not a museum piece. The bench top has 35 board feet of lumber in it, and I have less than $70 invested in lumber for this project. Hard maple (my preferred choice) would have been several times that.

The base was stained with Danish Oil that had been sitting around for a couple of years, then coated with two coats of poly.

The top and vise jaws were finished with a turpentine / bee's wax / boiled linseed oil concoction. I am very pleased with the results, and it is a relatively inexpensive 'finish' that is easy to apply and should be easy to maintain. The recipe:
16 oz Gum Turpentine
2 oz shaved/grated Bee's Wax
(dissolve Bee's Wax completely in turpentine)
16 oz Boiled Linseed Oil.
Apply liberally, let sit for two hours, then wipe off excess
Let 'cure' for a few days, then buff.

The front vise is a Groz (9" fast release) from Rockler. I mortised both the front edge of the bench and the jaw to bury the vise … that way, I can clamp larger pieces to the right leg (legs are flush with the edge of the top. The end vise is a 7" Groz (from WoodCraft).

I didn't keep track of the hours I put in on this project, but out-of-pocket costs for lumber, hardware, and finish is about $375.00

Update 20 Sep 12 … FAQ:

There are several questions I get frequently …

Q: How has the douglas fir worked out, has it stayed flat and not warped?
A: Yes it has stayed flat … no sign of any warping or twisting. The top is 3 1/2" thick, comprised of laminated, milled timbers (face grain to face grain). After three+ years of use, I woulld say it ain't going anywhere!

Q: It hasn't splintered or dented bad?
A: Douglas Fir is a conifer, and thus is softer than domestic hardwoods, so it is more susceptible to denting. If you drop something heavy on it, it will dent. On the flipside, repairs are easy … just route out damaged spot, glue in a dutchman, sand, and finish (I have only had to make one repair).

Q: When you built it did you use 2×4's or rip out of larger boards?
A: I bought 12 foot long 2×12's, ripped them to a little over 3 1/2", jointed one edge and one face, then planed them to 1 1/4". I laminated 4 sections (4 or 5 boards to a section), then laminated one 4 board section and one 5 board section. This was done so I could run them through my planer to get a final thickness of 3 1/2". Then I laminated the two big sections, using a set of cauls to keep them aligned. All of the lamination work was done with Titebond III.

Q: How long did you let it dry before gluing it up and planing it?
A: The lumber was kiln-dried from mill … moisture content was around 11%, so it only sat in the garage for a day or two before I started milling/laminating it.

-Gerry

Gallery

Comments

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Very very nice, I really like the t-track additions to the sides. Thanks for posting.
 

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Now that you've taken your pictures and have posted it, when are you going to deliver my work bench?

LOL, very nice.
 

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Very nicely done bench. I agree with you about not feeling that a hardwood top is absolutely necessary. The only proviso I would put on that is; that it is stable enough stay reasonably flat.
 

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I really like what you've done here for a reasonable price.The mobile base is a great addition also.
 

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This is a nice looking bench that you put together at a very reasonable cost. Adding the t-tracks to the bench is an interesting idea. This is a nice addition to your shop that should give you years of service.
 

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Its a really really nice workbench, and looks like you really designed it well.
My workbench is also DF and I am really pleased with it. I don't have to worry that the top is actually worth more than the workpiece i am trying to make…. Its a very stable timber and hard enough to give good feeling when you pound on it. your design is much better than mine (I started with the newfangled FWW design but gave up in the middle as you just can't find pipe clamps for 1/2" pipes here). well done!!!!

what is a dutchmen?
 

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very nicely done…looks quite useful…
 

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super bench looks great
 

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Forgot to mention … the odor from the 'finish' is quite pungent and hangs around for a lllooonnnggg time. I applied it outdoors, then left the garage door open for as long as I could without creating an attractive refuge for the critters in the woods!.

To give credit where credit is due, I found the book "Workbenches: From Design & Theory to Construction & Use" by Christopher Schwarz to be an extremely valuable tool in designing my bench.

kolwdwrkr: You can pick the kit at your local lumber yard!

stefang: I think the thickness (3.5") will help. The raw stock sat in the shop for about 6 weeks, so I think it acclimated fairly well. I did a lot of flattening work with a Stanley No 7 (that's when you find out what kind of shape you are in!).

Scott Bryan: I think the T-track idea actually came from a Fine WoodWorking video.

moshel: Dutchman (in woodworking) is a term I picked up from watching TOH master carpenter Norm Abram. It is just a patch of wood used to repair blemishes and knotholes.
 

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Looks good. I know what you mean aobut cutting dovertails, I cut them with a machinists vice:-(( I need to build one myself. I'm going to cut a bunch of maple that blew down last winter to do it with. Another on the long list of projects, hope I live long enough:))
 

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I really like this overall design, size and look. I plan on putting this one into my collection of examples for when I build my MAIN workbench. Thanks for posting. BTKS
 

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Hey TheDane,
Good strong design and well finished…...but…..I hope you turn the bolts on your end-vice around or modify them so that you dont catch your fingers.
 

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i am switching between 54×60 tables which sit 4 students to 23×60 workbenches at my school shop. Also they are going from 30" tall to 36". I got a couple built this past spring, and the students seemed to like the taller benches. Going back and forth about the thought of giving up the wide width which is nice for setting up clamps. My assembly table at home is 42×54. on the other hand, they can always push 2 together.

all in all, I don't think it is tall. i am going back and forth about whether to use the hydraulic floor jack or a motorcycle lift to create and adjustable height table.
 

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looks great! it's beefy, and should do it's job very well. the height seems to be ok, not really over the top - and it's always personal anyway. and I can only Imagine the smell of that turpentine coming off of it…. :)

Thanks for sharing. I'm in the process of building one myself, so any inspiration is welcomed!
 

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Splinterman: I will be putting plastic safety caps on the bolt ends (same ones they supply with kids' swing sets).

tooldad: I picked up a 600 lb capacity pneumatic table for about a $100 a couple of years ago … my planer is mounted on it. When I'm not using it, it scoots under a mechanic's bench built into the end end of my garage/shop.

PurpLev: The smell is awful but seems to subside after 2 or 3 days. Wish I could park it outside until it cures!
 

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Totally functional and well thought out bench. Nicely done.
 

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Nice Bench! Great Job! What would you estimate the weight to be?
 

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Best guess: about 260 pounds without the vises and mobile base.

I read someplace that kiln-dried Douglas Fir weighs about 4 pounds per board foot. If that is true (and I don't know that it is), the top on this bench is approx 35.6 board feet, which works out to about 142 pounds. Using the same formula, the base would be about 116 pounds.

The weight will increase some more in the next few weeks. I have started construction of a 6 drawer tool cabinet (30" W x 19" H x 20" D) that will occupy part of the space that is now just a shelf. When that is done and loaded with tools, she will weight a lot more.
 

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What type and where did you get that pneumatic lift? Probably used? Thanks for the info.
 

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There isn't any 'pneumatic lift' .... "the whole thing rides in a mobile base (Jet 1200 lb)." It wasn't used. I bought it new from an online retailer.
 
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