Workbench - Douglas Fir

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

-- Grant...."GO BUCKEYES"

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

LOL, very nice.

-- ~ Inspiring those who inspire me ~

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.

-- Mike, American in Norway

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

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

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.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

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?

-- The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep...

very nicely done…looks quite useful…

-- /\/\/\ BarryW /\/\/\ Stay so busy you don't have time to die.

super bench looks great

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

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.

-- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. -- Vincent T. Lombardi

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:-))

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

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

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.

-- I will just keep doing it till I get it right.

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.

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!

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

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!

-- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. -- Vincent T. Lombardi

Totally functional and well thought out bench. Nicely done.

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

-- Hey, It will always make good firewood!!

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.

-- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. -- Vincent T. Lombardi

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

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.

-- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. -- Vincent T. Lombardi

I am interested in the details of how the top was made. Did you take 2 by stock and turn them on edge and face glue a bunch of boards together or did you edge glue the boards together? I probably should pick up the book to find the details out but I was wondering what size boards you started with and how you put the top together.

Tomas – The boards for the top were cut/milled from 2×12 – 12ft Doug Fir. I used a thin kerf blade to reduce waste and get the board size I wanted. After milling, each board was 3 5/8” wide and 1 1/4” thick. I glued the laminations 4 or 5 boards at a time to keep it manageable. Each section was jointed (light passes) and planed to consistent thickness. After the final glue-up, I used a Stanley No 7 Jointer plane to flatten the top (it was too big for my planer to handle).

-- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. -- Vincent T. Lombardi

Nice bench.

-- ...it's rennovation time!!!

nice bench. I think there is too much emphasis put on hardwood few hundred dollar tops. all of my benches are 2×4. they have sat in the heat and cold and have not moved a bit. it still gets the piece where you need it which is up off of the floor. and they can look as nice as you make them look for a fraction of the cost.

My sentiments … EXACTLY! Thanks for the feedback.

-- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. -- Vincent T. Lombardi

nice work

-- Ike, Big Daddies Woodshop,www.icombadaniels@yahoo.com