Workbench questions

Ray, hello, I am a professional cabinetmaker in Germany and I come from the United States originally but so you know am also new to this web page.

I have been classically trained here in Germany and probably more familiar with German tools and such but I believe the best all around workbench already exists and probably alot less effort and more efficient when you would buy one to start off with, because it will make it easier on you, who are starting out with woodworking as a hobby and to build a really stable, well thought out workbench is not always as easy as it sounds, especially for a self described novice.

Ulmia makes the best workbenches in my opinion, they come in different sizes and options and are probably not cheap, but before you put your time (and yes your time is also money) money and material (wood (usually hard wood like beech), clamps (benchhooks etc), machines to build a proper bench, and on & on, it might be a good thing to consider checking into. I believe 95 percent of the Pros here use Ulmia benches and there are other brands, but they have been around for over 100 or more years and are just the standard in the “German quality” expectations.

-- Nicholas, Journeyman Cabinetmaker, Partenkirchen, Germany

Neither of your links appears to work, do you have any pics of the current workbench?

You can make a nice bench with storage underneath, look nicer than you apparently are thinking. Search workbenches here, you’ll find plenty of nice ones.

-- Respect your shop tools and they will respect you - Ric

Hello, oldskool.

The links didn’t work for me, either, but if you cut and paste the links into your web browser, they work. Maybe it has to do with the parens. I will list them here without them:

http://www.bobsplans.com/BobsPlans/GarageWorkbench/GarageWorkbenchPlans.php
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/Workshop/WorkshopArticle.aspx?id=28530

I know benchs with storage can look good but there is something about the old, traditional ones that really get me. Maybe there is part of me that really thinks the old hand tools are pretty neat and I would like to really learn how to use them. And those traditioanl benchs just remind me of that. :o)

ray

Thanks for the reply, Waldschrat.

I understand where you are coming from and I agree with you to a point. The thing is that I want to learn how to do all this stuff and I figure the best place to start is probably making things like work benches and other shop accessories where I can hack up things like MDF and junkie old white pine 2×4’s before I attempt to do anything that really means anything.

That said, I can see where getting a ready-made bench will make life a lot easier and I can start out making other shop projects but….there is part of me that really believes I can do this. Still, I will chew on what you said.

Thanks!
ray

another thought is to search for “workbench” on this site and then when you get to the results, click on “blogs”. I know there is a blog going on right now that has been interesting to follow and there are also some older ones talking about making more traditional benches. All the ones I’ve seen have been great reads. Just a place to get more ideas and learn from other’s experiences. Good luck.

Hokie,

Thanks for telling me to look some more. I did and I have oodles of more thoughts that just crossed my mind. I accidentily hit on the Festool site even though I know I cannot afford anything there. It crossed my mind that I was sort of building one of their work tables with all the holes in the benchtop with T-Track along all four sides and along the top edges. Holy cow! I am simply building one of these except in a larger scale. If I fill the benchtop with a bunch of holes and use the clamping suggestions they show, I may have what I am looking for. Maybe I am all wet, who knows? All I know is that I want a flat, strong surface on a heavy bench that is also versatile. I was, in all practicality, sort of making an old WorkMate on steroids but I was doing it the hard way.

Am I off my rocker thinking to build a workbench with a top like that Festool?

It sounds like you have a design in mind, so I will only offer one thing you may want to consider:

If you are adding vises (ie face vise, tail vise, end vise, etc), buy your vise hardware before you finalize any dimensioned drawings/plans. Sizes and dimensions vary, can can greatly impact the location of support structures, holes, etc.

As for looks, some build beautiful pieces of furniture that really showcase their talents, but in reality, a good work bench is a tool to hold your work securely in the position best suited for you to do the operation you want to do. (Holding the tools you need in a convenient location is a plus, also). If it doesn’t do that, it is just another table.

Go

-- Go http://ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=730

Ray,
I just posted some photos to my blog of a Nicholson workbench I just built. I think it is a great first bench and you would enjoy it very much. Take a look at http://schoolofwood.com/blog/4
This style of bench isn’t for everybody but it worked very well for the things I was doing on it. you can see in one of the photos that I just lifted the end up and shoved a cart under it with my foot. Portable!
Mike

-- mike, www.schoolofwood.com

I really liked the newfangled workbench and the thought regarding the amount of flexibility it offered design-wise pertaining to it’s use and space available.

-- Ciao, gth.

The only thing I can offer is to not get so caught up in making the perfect bench that you don’t make anything. A “bad” first attempt at a bench is better than no attempt. When I was starting my sawdust hobby I agonized over what type to build or whether to buy one and in the end months and even a few years went by as I used a few planks across some saw horses.
Eventually I just made a simple one of my own design and figured that after using one for a years I’d know what I liked and didn’t like and what changes to make. So far it’s still good enough for my uses but I do plan on making a new one and I now know how high to make it and what changes (vises, bench dogs, etc.) to make.
Again, this is just my two cents but build something! As my dad still says to me “How about a little less thinking and a little more buliding?” :D

Workbenches: From Design And Theory To Construction And Use – Christopher Schwarz; Hardcover; $19.79
at Amazon.. used cheaper!
woodworking.. So after reading many of the exact SAME question (what do I do? bench).. that was the MOST frequent answer.. that book. is not a “build my Work bench” book .. I examines the history of a lot of great ones and points out the weaknesses and strengths. It covers some designs but lets you pick and choose the hows and why’s.. Then It shows you how to pick the parts you want and build your bench. Its been recommended
on a lot of other Boards..

I am in the Same boat but I have built a lot of stuff.. I want get into more Hand tool oriented

My Two cents.

-- Duct Tape is the Force! It has a light side and a dark side and it Binds the Universe together!

The original links work . . . they just had an extra )

A good bench is one of the most important tools in the shop and can make a huge impact on your work. There is some great advice posted above!

Try the following:

http://www.bobsplans.com/BobsPlans/GarageWorkbench/GarageWorkbenchPlans.php

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/Workshop/WorkshopArticle.aspx?id=28530

Best Regards,
David

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

What I have found and I did not do, was to make the legs adjustable, for the height of the bench. Ssince some times you want it low and some times you need it higher, like planeing as compaired to sanding. It saves your back.

what ever you do with the top is up to you – configuration wise, t tracks, dog holes, etc.

just make sure you make the legs STOUT and SOLID- a good workbench doesnt move around when you plane/saw on it … you want it to be firmly in place.

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

A workbench is the last thing a person like you (“I am more-or-less a novice”) should do.

If you don’t know yet 0 if you have not discover yet what type of things are you going to do, what kind of work, how is suppose you are going to build a bench??

-- Francisco Luna, San Francisco Bay Area.