# workbenches: new fangled, 21st century, or...?



## AaronK (Nov 30, 2008)

I've been thinking about how to go about a new workbench. Been reading "the workbench book" by Landis and also Chris Schwartz's book, and looking around the net. I work partly by hand, partly with power tools, and I'm a hobby woodworker - so I need some versatility. I definitely see the need for a workbench to function as Schwartz describes it: the bench needs to be able to hold the wood so you can work all sides of it (although I disagree that a bench can not/should not be used for storage!). I'm not a purist, I don't worship the Schwartz, and I don't feel the need to build a Ruobo.

I like both the 21st century and New Fangled designs - particularly the split top with removable panels. Something about being able to apply clamps through the middle of the bench really appeals to me. I am a little concerned about the cost of hardware with the 21st cent. design. Likewise, I'm a little concerned about structural rigidity in the New Fangled… although I'm totally fine with using pipe clamps as vices.

Right now I'm leaning towards a modified New Fangled - but I would use a beafier top (at least on the near side of the bench), possibly another stretcher, and a couple other smaller mods. But I'd like to hear from people who have built these or other designs - about strengths or weaknesses.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I'm right there with you, Aaron. I've read all the books and I don't take the Swartz as gospel. That being said, I'm a handplane guy, so the Roubo makes a lot of sense to me. I don't want storage in my bench but I certainly understand why you would disagree. You're looking at $800 for the Benchcrafted vise kit. That's big money for hardware. I'll probably end up with a combination of woodscrews and modern hardware because I'm caught up in the lore of the old craftsmen. I like, respect, and admire what you're saying, though. It's your bench; you'll build it the way you'll use it.


----------



## buffalosean (Feb 15, 2009)

I'm looking to build a new fangled bench in the near future like this one from fine wood working, but i what to put some more mass on the table top and the legs. I'm debating wether to use hard maple for the top or LVL, just so i don't have to worry about the top move and not staying truly flat. I'll most likely use ash for the base; its cheap, easy to work, and can take a beating.

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


----------



## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

" I'm not a purist, I don't worship the Schwartz" I got a good chuckle after reading that line.

Not to long ago I built my 3rd workbench and I went with the 21st century design. I have been using it for a few months and the split top design was def a good choice for me. Not only for clamping but I have found it comes in handy with other task as well. I built a couple of tool trays that sit in the middle split of the bench and its great having my most used bench tools that close in reach. The trays just sit in there so I can pull them right out if needed.

I didn't want to buy a new expensive vise for my bench so I made my own sliding tail vise out of an old cast iron bar clamp. It works just fine for the work I do and it didn't cost me anything. If you can build a bench with pipe clamps fitted in then I suggest going that route. I am very happy with my shop made vise.

I didn't read The Schwartz's book but I am surprised he said a bench should not be used for storage. I cant see how adding storage to your bench hurts it in anyway. I store a lot of my jigs and tools at my bench.


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

@Dan - that is a GREAT looking bench!


----------



## AaronK (Nov 30, 2008)

$800?? more than I thought! ;-)

BTW, in terms of storage i don't mean an array of cabinets - just a rack and/or shelf for holding small tools, planes, and clamps.

Sean - I had to look up LVL. While on one hand I have no qualms about using manufactured stuff for tops (my bench now has a 2x thick MDF top, which I like), the problem with that is that when I comes time to joint the top. A removable top layer, like say, an inset hardboard top covering a lumber sublayer, would do really well though.

the New Fangled looks really flexible in terms of adding mass to the top. White's design has the top as a single "2x" thick layer. No reason you can't laminate those together like a more traditional top to build thickness.


----------



## MedicKen (Dec 2, 2008)

I picked up about 500bf of maple a year or so ago with all intentions of building a bench, and still will. I have read most of the books as well and I dont care for Schwartz at all. I have taken some ideas from various benches and will incorporate a few of them in a "hybrid" of my own design. It will fit the type of woodworking I do and I cant wait to get after it. Now that I have a saw again I will be able to build it.


----------



## AaronK (Nov 30, 2008)

Dan - well, some Schwartzes are bigger than others. Your bench looks good - If I do go the NF way, I'll be adding those 21st century tool boxes to the center 

What Schwartz really means, I think, is that too often a bench ends up being a cabinet with a hard top. If the top doesn't stick out far enough over the cabinet (or apron), then you don't have anything to clamp to - and his basic thesis is that the bench is a thing that you clamp wood to in all directions. So I think his point is just to jolt us out of thinking of a bench as necessarily having storage underneath. You can always add it back in, but only as a complement to the main purpose and in a way that doesn't interfere with that purpose.


----------



## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

Aaron, that makes sense about the storage. I still say do what you want though.

Some Schwartzes are bigger then others… Darn things must be broken


----------



## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

I built the 21st Century Workbench and have NO regrets. Out of the $800-$1,000 I spent, half of that was hardware (Veritas twin screw vise, 7" end vise, LV dogs and hold-downs). I built mine out of White Ash at ~$2.5/BF at the time. Right now, I just throw scrap on the lower shelf since it makes it more accessible and leaves room for clamping when trays are removed. I also use the trays to "span" my hand planes over without having to turn them sideways.

BTW, I like Dan's modifications to the design as well.


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

The Schwarz message re: under-bench storage is a tough pill to swallow. I went for two years keeping the whole area under the bench clear of major obstructions. I did add a small side drawer, and used it ALL THE TIME to store and retrieve bench hammers, rulers, gauges and knives. It was a great addition, but the bottom stayed clear. As time passed I learned a few things about the way I work:

- I didn't keep commonly used tools below the bench during a project because it's a pain. They get covered in shavings and it's no fun reaching up and down. There are wall-mounted cabinets for my tools nearby (very nearby) and I prefer reaching over stooping low.
- When I kept less-used tools there, like a Langdon mitre saw, everything just got filthy. I had to clean dust and debris from under the bench every week or so, and off of things that didn't move.
- I really never used the reserved space for clamp clearance. I don't have deep reach clamps that require pipes or bars to extend more than a foot into / underneath the bench. And I haven't built anything that needs clamping like that where I'd want to use the bench over, say, a sawbench or assy table instead.

So I made a low-profile cabinet that allows for hold down clearance (use them all the time) AND can be a during-use place for some things that isn't so stinking low to the ground. There's clearance in front for the bench's sliding deadman as well. Drawers open when it's in place, too, just not all five at once… Hope it works in practice, just completed it (we'll see).


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

It doesn't get much better than Dan's, Mike's, and Smitty's benches. Each one says a lot about the way they use them. Take Smit's as the closest example. Look how Smit made his leg vise a little thinner and toned down the hook. Also notice his massive leg dogs and the fact that the leg vise is a gorgeous secondary. Look at the width and waist of his deadman. It's so personal and it tells me a lot about the builder. Smit's plough gives it away but even without it, I can tell that he works long boards using long strokes. He liked the idea of the hook but didn't want a massive one obstructing his work. It's all so telling. Build it for YOU.


----------



## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

Smitty, very nice bench. I like the old look and the antique wood barrel adds a lot of character. I think I have the same saw vise as you. I have a Disston one that clamps on the bench just like yours.

I am thinking of adding a few small drawers under the top of my bench but I will keep that hidden from the Schwartz.


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Dan and Al - thanks for the fine comments. And Al's point is TRUE- build for YOU.

That barrel was hanging around the shop for the better part of a year while I kept water in it, trying to swell the staves so it wouldn't leak should I want to make wine. Finally said the heck with it, busted out the top and now it's a scrap barrel. Doesn't hold much, but it is more useful now than before. And it must have always leaked; it has melted wax residue everywhere inside.

The saw vise only has a "5" on it, nothing else. It does everything I need it to, and it holds rags on occasion. Great vise!

And, re: drawers on your bench… I won't squeal if you don't squeal. ;-)


----------



## AaronK (Nov 30, 2008)

yeah, smitty that's a great looking bench. i also like the small hook, but i think i'd prefer a wider leg vice. And the small cabinet underneath seems perfectly appropriate!

interesting thing about the sliding deadman - the new fangled basically gets you to the same place, just with different hardware.

anyway, thanks for chiming in folks. I'm still waiting to hear from someone who's build the New Fangled though!


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Aaron - Here's a LJ that built what you're looking for, and several of the comments are from folks who have done the same: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/2653


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

^Thanks Smit for the link. It's a very clever design but it lacks that certain something that I look for in a bench that's way beyond function. Dan's, Smit's, and Mike's all give it to me in different ways. It's that subtle nod to classic techniques, I suppose. Smitty's is the one that makes me smile every time I look at it. It's a combination of the wood selection, the lighting, the outstretched slab, the bucket, the sawvise, the dogs…it's just a visually rewarding thing. Maybe more art than function; but a lot of function. Mike's screams longevity and accuracy. Dan's just looks like a busy workhorse. All so fine for different reasons.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Check out this animal with an Emmert
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/46273

I'm looking for that bench with the cantilevered casters, made of all kinds of material. I can't seem to find it!

Here's another one I really admire
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/25340


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

25340 - that cantilievered carving vise extension cracks me up! I mean, really, it's a great look and awesome bench, but what could that vise possibly hold that wouldn't be fully supported by that massive top? Very, very cool.

46273 - OMG! Cast iron table saw extensions buillt into the base and TWO emmerts? Unbelievable! That is suitable for dropping an engine block or jacking up a house, as Crank would say. Wow, wow, wow!


----------



## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

I opted for the newfangled and beefed it up. especially in the leg reagion










a link to my build posting


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I almost forgot COL's bench. There's a lot of design ingenuity above. Pipe clamps are so inexpensive and versatile; it makes sense to incorporate them. The undercarriage on that bench is definitely beefy.

Yeah Smit, I love those two benches for the same reasons. I always imagine him carving a marble gargoyle or something on that pedestle! Overbuilt, man, no shame in that.


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

"Carving the Marble Gargoyle"

-sounds like a euphamism of somekind-

"Carving the Marble Gargoyle"

-hmmmmm-


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Dang, Smitty, it does sound really dirty when you say it. My mind is sick enough that any "verbing the noun" sounds dirty


----------



## AaronK (Nov 30, 2008)

I definitely like COL's (Daniel) build a lot more than the regular design as linked by Smitty. The one in this sketchup model has a top that has been built up in a way that seems more secure too.

Daniel: I was wondering how you like the orientation of the top on your bench. I keep thinking that having just that 1 small solid wood strip on the close side of the bench is too small an area to work with compared to the 3 strips on the far side. How do you feel about it? I could see using a 2/2 or even a 3/1 configuration (does that make sense?).


----------



## AaronK (Nov 30, 2008)

Daniel, I was also wondering about flattening the top of the bench - have you managed that yet? if so, how do the removable panels work (won't the protrude above the surface if you are thinning the solid wood parts?).


----------

