Split-Top workbench - 0$ cost

I love it!
Free, recycle and beautiful, what more could one ask for.
This is one of my LJ favorite workbences of all time.
Best thoughts,
Mads

-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.

I agree. Who knew an old crate could look so good and be so functional.

-- Everywhere is walking distance...if you have the time.

Love the dovetails.

In the 4th picture, those support cross-pieces have those extra widths attached to them but short of either end. I’m confused. What purpose does that serve? It seems like it would add weight to the supports, but not add any additional stability.

Or perhaps it’s a trick of the picture and I’m not quite seeing what I think i’m seeing.

Sure is a pretty bench.

Great job. Nothing better than free wood.

Record vise is so easy to work with. It is a pity that Irwin let the high quality that Record had, go down the tubes.
I like the cost of your bench and I see several FWW trestles in the background, they are great.

-- Love thy neighbour as thyself

nice build, and considering it’s recycled makes it even better

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

Fantastic. I’m in the process of building a bench that also has an open bottom front. How is the bench with racking? i have been concerned that the lack of a stretcher on the bottom front would allow the bench to rack when plaining boards.

-- Mike, New York, http://sites.google.com/site/bigdaddyoprojects ~Everyone has the strength, few possess the will~

Agreed BigDaddyO. If I could solve the ‘open front racking’ problem with a workbench build I’d very quickly adapt it to make a computer desk that would survive the apocalypse.

Thank you all for your encouraging feedbacks.

madwilliamflint, the extra width you are asking about in the 4th picture are cleats attached to the cross stretchers. The top is attached to the base with leg screws going through the cleats into the bottom of the bench-top. In order to allow wood movement, the screw holes in the cleats are about 50% larger as the screw diameter.
I”m attaching two pictures to visualize it.

BigDaddyO and madwilliamflint
About the open front bottom. When I designed the workbench I wasn’t sure about how stable it will be without a front bottom stretcher. I was prepared to add such a stretcher in case I will indeed find out it isn’t solid enough.

Luckily, it is not the case. I can assure you the workbench is stable as a rock. I run several tough planing cycles, it doesn’t move at all. This will definitely help me to add some storage solutions beneath the workbench.

Very nice and cheap to boot.

I like the Maguire flip over planing stop, been considering that option on my bench.

Nice work! Why is the vise mounted low enough so the dog won’t be of any use?

-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence

TopamaxSurvivor, in the Record vise (probably also in other vises with similar design) the dog height is adjustable. In the pictures here the dog is in it’s lowest position, it can be moved up to grip work-pieces. Yet, I haven’t drilled dog holes in my bench as I haven’t yet decided about the best holes location. IMHO it is one of the toughest decision in a workbench, where to drill the dog holes :-)

Yeah… Im really liking this one! Very well done!

-- Dan ~ Texarkana, Tx.

Thx,learn something new everyday ;-)

-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence