# Work Bench Build



## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

*The Plan*

I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.

I did some research online, and bought Chris Schwarz's new workbench book "The Workbench Design Book, The Art & Philosophy of Building Better Benches" Popular Wood Working Books 2010 (maroon colored cover). It's a newer book where Schwarz presents a bunch of designs, gives build details, and presents a critique of each. I think many, if not all, are reprints of articles from the magazine, with the critique added. It is nice to get an assessment after the bench has been used for some time.

One problem I identified early is that I don't have great access to any thick pieces of wood for the top. My local hardwood dealer only carries a few species in 8/4, nothing thicker, and I couldn't swing a hard maple top, too pricy. Schwarz really likes Southern Yellow Pine, but I can't get that around here, so that wasn't an option. I looked at just using 2x material, but the inexpensive stuff was really not very good, and the good clear stuff was as much as hardwood. So, I decided to use LVL.

PWW did a LVL bench http://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/lvl-workbench in 2009. In his critique Schwarz really had good things to say about the top, but not so much about the LVL for the base. LVL, if you are not aware of it, is layers of Southern Yellow Pine about 1/8" thick laminated into beams of stock sizes. It mostly used for long spans in buildings.

The pro's for the LVL is that it has held up very well to use, stays flat, is very dimensionally stable, easy to machine, readily available, and I can get 1 ¾"x14" LVL for $6.20/lin ft (or $2.65/bf), so the price is right. My plan is to rip each 2×14 into 4 strips, should yield about 3 3/8", flip them on edge and glue up 12 pieces. I should get 21" minus some planning losses, and a top just over 3" thick. I'm going to edge band the front and back with 8/4 maple for extra support and to protect the LVL edges. It will also look nicer. I should end up with about a 24" wide top, and I'm going for 7' length, not including end vise hardware. I was thinking 8', but that just seems too huge; maybe I'll regret that later. My little Sjobergs only 4 1/2', so this will be much larger.

I'm going with red oak for the base; cheapest hardwood I could get. The PWW design had a completely knockdown base, with all stretchers half-lapped into the legs and bolted together. I'm planning to mortise & tennon and drawbore the short stretchers into the legs, and half-lap and bolt the long stretchers. It will still come apart if I need to move it.

I looked at and drooled over the Benchcrafted, Hovarter, Lie-Nielsen, and Lee Valley hardware, but I couldn't justify the cost, something else I may regret later. I decided to try to keep costs down.

I liked the leg vise in the PWW design. I haven't used one before, but I'm taking the leap. I bought a wooden screw from Lake Erie Tools; a bit pricey, but very nice. It's my one real splurge on this project.

I decided to try a twinscrew vise for my end vise. I bought two face vise screws from Lee Valley. Linked screws would be nice, but I don't plan on running the vise all the way in and out too often, so I should be able to get away with independent screws. They were a whole lot cheaper.

I'm also using the sliding deadman in the PWW design, as well as keeping the legs flush to the front and back edges. No skirt. Round dog holes. I'm going to make the height a bit low on Schwarz's advice, as I'm starting to fall down the slippery hand plane slope. The finish will just be BLO; I have an assembly table so I don't plan on gluing up on my bench.

I've got the hardware and the lumber is ordered. It should be delivered in the next few days. I'll start on the LVL while the hardwood is acclimating to the shop. I'll try to post pictures as I build, but it will be slow as I don't get a lot of shop time watching two small kids.

If anyone has any questions or comments, let me know.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

jmos said:


> *The Plan*
> 
> I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.
> 
> ...


sounds like a great plan. 7' sounds mightly long, but that really depends on your needs.

looking forward to seeing some progress. and remember - no pictures = it never happened


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

jmos said:


> *The Plan*
> 
> I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.
> 
> ...


A much more ambitious bench build than the one I have instore for myself. I look forward to following your progress.

Ditto on the pictures!!!


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

jmos said:


> *The Plan*
> 
> I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.
> 
> ...


Great post. I'm looking forward to seeing how your bench goes. I would really recommend also getting Schwarz's blue volume if you're building a Roubo. I just started a similar blog thread for my workbench.


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## Sarit (Oct 21, 2009)

jmos said:


> *The Plan*
> 
> I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.
> 
> ...


I think you can get LVL's in thicker dimensions so you won't need to glue as many pieces together.


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *The Plan*
> 
> I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.
> 
> ...


I will definitely have pictures; I love seeing them, so it's only fair to post some. Nothing to show so far but a pile of parts.

7' does seem a bit long to me too, I was thinking 6'. But, most of Schwarz's benches are 8', so I thought I'd split the difference.

They do make thicker LVL, but the price jumped up, at least from my supplier. The 2x was the best value. Since I only need 14 pieces (12 LVL and 2 Maple) for the top, I'm hoping it won't be too bad. I am a bit nervous about jointing 7' boards, never done it before. I'm hoping the LVL, being a manufactured product, will be easier to work in that regard.

Thanks for the replies!


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

jmos said:


> *The Plan*
> 
> I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.
> 
> ...


I'd be curious how the LVL works with hand planing. I've never worked with the stuff, so I'm definitely interested in following the posts.


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *The Plan*
> 
> I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.
> 
> ...


According the Schwarz, it machines well. No excess wear and tear on the cutters/knives. They warn about the dust from routing as being nasty, so I'll watch out for that. He says it cuts very nicely on the TS, like plywood. No stresses or movement. Time will tell.

I forgot to mention the big reason I didn't go with thicker LVL as Sarit mentions; no good way to cut it. A 7' piece of 4×14 would be about 100lbs, and the only thing I have to make a 4" cut in one pass is the bandsaw. Not happening. I could cut, flip, and recut on the TS, but I don't have any ready help in the shop, so I decided to stick with something I could handle myself.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

jmos said:


> *The Plan*
> 
> I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.
> 
> ...


A strong, stout workbench is a necessity and a "must have" for any wood shop…it's the one place that gets the most activity in the shop..everything you do at one time or another, involves the work bench….no getting around it….so having a bench with "some beef" is a good plan. My main work bench weighs in at about 500 lbs., is 3" thick, 42" wide, and 101" long….it will handle anything I throw at it, as a good stout bench is supposed to do…...sounds like you're on the right track for your bench. Keep on keeping on, and post a few snaps…..you'll thank yourself for building a beast of a bench in the long run….


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## john2005 (Jun 8, 2012)

jmos said:


> *The Plan*
> 
> I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.
> 
> ...


Hey John, I am getting ready to do the same. Just wondering what your thoughts are now that you have had some time to use the bench. Would you do it the same if you had to do it over again? What do the dog holes look like? Advice?


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *The Plan*
> 
> I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.
> 
> ...


john2005, I'm really happy with the bench. At this point the only thing I would consider changing if I did it again would be to go to a regular end vise rather than the twin screw, and then make a removable Moxon vise for the front of the bench. I love the sliding board jack, it's fantastic.

I assume your asking about how the dog holes are holding up? If so, they are fine; no appreciable wear at all. As I mentioned, I did get some tear out of the LVL when I initially drilled them, but they are holding up fine.

I think I pretty much covered most of my helpful revelations in the blog posts. But, if I can offer any specific advise, feel free to ask. Good luck!


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## Cherrybark (May 8, 2015)

jmos said:


> *The Plan*
> 
> I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.
> 
> ...


John, just a quick note to let you know your series on the LVL Workbench continues to be very helpful 3 1/2 years after you posted. Thank you very much for the documentation and photos.


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## JohnPM (Feb 17, 2017)

jmos said:


> *The Plan*
> 
> I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.
> 
> ...


Thanks for blogging this. I plan on starting on my bench next week. I read the same book and have similar objectives for my bench. I believe I have found reasonably priced untreated Douglas Fir nominal 4×4's (by 8 ft) that I will use for my top. If mine ends up looking anywhere near as good as yours I will be happy.


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *The Plan*
> 
> I thought I'd try blogging for my workbench build. I currently have a Sjobergs Duo 1500 workbench. It's not a terrible bench, but as I get more into hand tools it just doesn't cut it. At under 100lb, I end up having to keep one foot on the front stretcher while I plane to keep it from moving around. I decided I needed a new bench with some heft.
> 
> ...


I'm glad it's been helpful. Good luck with the build!


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

*Milling the Top*

Well, I got some time to spend in the shop. The first thing I did was build some saw horses per the design in Schwarz's book. I figure I needed some additional space for this build, I also figured I could use the saw horse later, so I got that done.

Next I milled up the lumber for the top. The LVL worked fairly easily. I had three pieces, (2) 7' and (1) 8'. These thick long cuts are where I start wishing I had a full cabinet saw instead of my 1.75hp hybrid. Anyway, the two 7' boards ripped down easily as long as I took it easy on the feed rate. My combination blade made a nice smooth cut. I was somewhat surprised to find stresses in the 8' board. The kerf closed up on me and tripped the breaker (even with the splitter installed.) After that I kept the wedges handy.

The jointing went better than I hoped; I was concerned about handling boards that long and getting good results. Again, no problems at all with the knives cutting this stuff. Planing was also easy. I set up roller stands on the infeed and outfeed sides for both jointing and planing, that really helped a lot.

Unfortunately the LVL was not as flat as I had hoped, all the boards had some cup, and I had to waste more than I expected getting the boards flat. The material was sold as 1 3/4" thick, but was mostly only 1.7". By the time I was done jointing and planing, some pieces were down to almost 1.5". In order for me to hit my target width I needed to add some boards.

So, I milled up an extra 8/4 maple board. I am using 8/4 stock for the front and back edges, so I milled up another board and got two more strips for the top, which left me a bit fat. My original plan was to get 24", and I ended up with 26 1/2" milled stock. I could just use one extra maple board and get down under 25", but I figured why not leave it in.

The top is currently 3 1/4" thick. I planning on passing it through the planner at least one more time before final glue, but I'll easily end up over 3" thick. This new top must weigh 50% than my old bench did. 

I've turned my old bench into an outfeed table for my TS; the height was perfect once I added a sheet of 1/2" MDF. That was something else I would not have wanted to try this project without.

Next step is to start gluing everything up. Here are some pictures of the top laid out on the saw horses.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

jmos said:


> *Milling the Top*
> 
> Well, I got some time to spend in the shop. The first thing I did was build some saw horses per the design in Schwarz's book. I figure I needed some additional space for this build, I also figured I could use the saw horse later, so I got that done.
> 
> ...


Fascinating post! Keep up the good work and keep the blog posts going. It's coming along nicely.

*"The kerf closed up on me and tripped the breaker (even with the splitter installed.) After that I kept the wedges handy."* I know that story very well!


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

jmos said:


> *Milling the Top*
> 
> Well, I got some time to spend in the shop. The first thing I did was build some saw horses per the design in Schwarz's book. I figure I needed some additional space for this build, I also figured I could use the saw horse later, so I got that done.
> 
> ...


Oh and my bench is just over 26" wide and I did that intentionally.  I think you'll like it.


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Milling the Top*
> 
> Well, I got some time to spend in the shop. The first thing I did was build some saw horses per the design in Schwarz's book. I figure I needed some additional space for this build, I also figured I could use the saw horse later, so I got that done.
> 
> ...


Looks like good progress.
I wish you continued good luck with your build & keep them pictures coming!


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## cwdance1 (Jun 23, 2009)

jmos said:


> *Milling the Top*
> 
> Well, I got some time to spend in the shop. The first thing I did was build some saw horses per the design in Schwarz's book. I figure I needed some additional space for this build, I also figured I could use the saw horse later, so I got that done.
> 
> ...


Keep up the great work. It will pay off in the end.


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## jcwalleye (Dec 26, 2009)

jmos said:


> *Milling the Top*
> 
> Well, I got some time to spend in the shop. The first thing I did was build some saw horses per the design in Schwarz's book. I figure I needed some additional space for this build, I also figured I could use the saw horse later, so I got that done.
> 
> ...


Great pictures and story. If you've got the time, gluing up one lam at a time is a lot more leisurly than trying to do it all at once. You can concentrate on getting the top aligned. I tried glueing up sub-assemblies, but when it came time to glue them together, the clamps couldn't pull everything together like I wanted. Ended up gluing one board at a time. Good luck. We'll be watching.


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Milling the Top*
> 
> Well, I got some time to spend in the shop. The first thing I did was build some saw horses per the design in Schwarz's book. I figure I needed some additional space for this build, I also figured I could use the saw horse later, so I got that done.
> 
> ...


Thanks everyone for the encouragement!

Joe - I do plan on gluing up smaller groups of boards; probably try 3 or 4 at a time so I can get them well aligned. When I get half glued up I'll put it through the planer one last time to minimize hand flattening.


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## Duffmeister (Nov 18, 2014)

jmos said:


> *Milling the Top*
> 
> Well, I got some time to spend in the shop. The first thing I did was build some saw horses per the design in Schwarz's book. I figure I needed some additional space for this build, I also figured I could use the saw horse later, so I got that done.
> 
> ...


new to all of this, am enjoying learning from your experiences. is your saw wired for 120 or 220? Just curious, since my saw (also 1.75 hp) is still wired 120 and bogs down a bit on 8/4 stock.


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

*Gluing Up the Top and Milling the Base*

I've actually been able to get a fair amount of time in the shop lately (thanks Dear). I got the top all glued up.

I started with groups of three or four boards. My intention was to joint each group, and then glue two up to make a section about 12" and do a final pass through the planner. While I was laying out the clamps, I had a rather obvious idea that turned out to work really well.



















I used some scraps I had that had been jointed so they were flat and clamped a set on each end and in the middle of the glue up. I did this before applying the clamps for the glue up. This kept the boards very well aligned while I tightened the rest of the clamps. The end result was so flat I decided to skip the planing/jointing. I'd just be careful of this method if you like to apply a lot of glue; I had them stick a little, but knocked them of and used a chisel plane to clean off the glue for the next run.

I took it slow, gluing one segment at a time. Schwartz warned that the LVL seems a bit resistant to absorbing the glue and recommends leaving it in the clamps for at least 5 hours. I can only imagine how he discovered that. I took his advice and left each glue up clamped for at least 6 hours. I was also limited by space for gluing up and the number of clamps I have, so I got 2, maybe three sections glued each day. It took some time, but ended up a pretty darn flat top. The bottom is flat enough I probably won't do anything to it (maybe a little hand planing just where the stretchers will sit) and the top should be good to go with some final hand plane work.

Squaring up the edges on the top was a bit of a chore. Just as Schwarz commented on in his book, using a circular saw and a cutting guide didn't yield great results. The blade tended to deflect some so the cut wasn't really square to the top and bottom faces. I ended up using a top guided flush trim router bit to true up the top, but it wouldn't cut all 3 1/4" of the top at once. I did one pass from the top, then lowered the bit as much as I safely could an took a second pass. Then I flipped the top and did a third pass with a bottom guided flush trim bit where the guide was riding on the area I had already trimmed. The final result wasn't too bad. I'll need to do some hand plane clean up to get the end vise chop and edge banding to be really flush, but over all not too bad.

As I mentioned in part 1, I built the saw benches in the pictures for this project, and I can't recommend them strongly enough. They are sized so the top is just below my knee, and have been terrific for working on the top. I still need to weight it, but it about 130#. Using the saw benches I can flip the top myself with no problems. Just slide the top forward so the back edge is between the legs, lift the top on its edge, slide it to the front of the benches, and lay it down. No sweat.

I was also able to mill and glue up all my 4/4 red oak stock for the legs, short and long stretchers. So I now have my components and can start in on the joinery for the base.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Gluing Up the Top and Milling the Base*
> 
> I've actually been able to get a fair amount of time in the shop lately (thanks Dear). I got the top all glued up.
> 
> ...


Great narrative, and a fine start to the build. Looking very good, and yes, sawbenches are terrific. Never knew how much one would come in handy before I build one, now I've built two more as presents.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

jmos said:


> *Gluing Up the Top and Milling the Base*
> 
> I've actually been able to get a fair amount of time in the shop lately (thanks Dear). I got the top all glued up.
> 
> ...


Great job, can't wait to see the complete bench


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## SASmith (Mar 22, 2010)

jmos said:


> *Gluing Up the Top and Milling the Base*
> 
> I've actually been able to get a fair amount of time in the shop lately (thanks Dear). I got the top all glued up.
> 
> ...


That will be one big glueup.
Packing tape applied to the cauls will keep them from sticking.


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## hhhopks (Nov 22, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Gluing Up the Top and Milling the Base*
> 
> I've actually been able to get a fair amount of time in the shop lately (thanks Dear). I got the top all glued up.
> 
> ...


Great start.
How wide is your bench going to be?
Is it two 12" slabs?


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Gluing Up the Top and Milling the Base*
> 
> I've actually been able to get a fair amount of time in the shop lately (thanks Dear). I got the top all glued up.
> 
> ...


Thanks hhhopks - I talk about that some in part 2. My target width was 24". I was always planning on adding 1-3/4" maple bands front and back. I ended up with less width of LVL than I expected after flattening and was shy of 24", so I milled up 2 more 1-3/4" strips and added them to the top. It ended up at 26 1/2". Decided to go with that since I had it all milled up.

SASmith - it WAS a big glue up; all done now


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## crashn (Aug 26, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Gluing Up the Top and Milling the Base*
> 
> I've actually been able to get a fair amount of time in the shop lately (thanks Dear). I got the top all glued up.
> 
> ...


I have always heard, that if its man made, it does not belong in a jointer / planer. Would not LVL apply?


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Gluing Up the Top and Milling the Base*
> 
> I've actually been able to get a fair amount of time in the shop lately (thanks Dear). I got the top all glued up.
> 
> ...


Crashn - Appears not. Schwarz talks about that in the article on the LVL bench, and he saw no unusual wear and tear on his knives, HSS and carbide. I also had no issues, or unusual wear on my knives. The LVL is laminated with the grain running in the same direction, so you don't have issues with the jointer hitting end grain and splitting.

Overall, it machined up very nicely. As I mentioned previously, I did find some stress in one of the three pieces when I was ripping it. The kerf actually closed up and stopped the TS blade and kicked the breaker. Not something I was expecting from comments in the article.


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## crashn (Aug 26, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Gluing Up the Top and Milling the Base*
> 
> I've actually been able to get a fair amount of time in the shop lately (thanks Dear). I got the top all glued up.
> 
> ...


Interesting to know. I am considering materials for my first bench, I was considering milled construction lumber to keep costs down and build my skills, before attempting something in an expensive hardwood. I will have to cost and source out some LVL and consider that also. Thanks for the info.


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Gluing Up the Top and Milling the Base*
> 
> I've actually been able to get a fair amount of time in the shop lately (thanks Dear). I got the top all glued up.
> 
> ...


crashn - I hear you. I looked at construction lumber as well, but wasn't happy with my choices in my area, it was all very knotty and poor quality (for a bench anyway.) My hardwood dealer also deals in the LVL; it cost me $6.20/linear foot for a 1-3/4"x14" beam and could be delivered within a few days. I had to buy in even 2' increments. I was aiming for a 7' top, so I bought one 14' piece and one 8' piece, and had them cut the 14' in half for me. I ended up with 1' of waste.

So far I'm happy with the choice. Solid maple would have been nicer, but too pricey for me. As I mentioned in an earlier post Schwarz had very good things to say about LVL for the top, not so much for the base. He speaks well of southern yellow pine, saying as the resins set up over time it gets really heard. He says the LVL seems even harder then regular SYP.

The only down side to the LVL is the edges tend to splinter. You will need to add some edging to the top to keep the splintering under control; I used maple. It wasn't too much of an issue working it, just have to be a little more careful than with solid lumber.


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

*The Base*

Since last time I've been working on the base. I used 4/4 red oak, so there was lots of milling and gluing up of stock. It was a bit tedious, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of using the jointer efficiently.

From the beginning I had planned to make this bench knock down in case I need to move it in the future. The original PWW bench was also knockdown, where the short and long stretchers were bolted on. I decided instead to make the two ends solid assemblies and bolt on the long stretchers, still movable, but a bit more strudy.

Before assembly I tried to do everything I could think I needed to do to the legs and stretchers. I drilled all the holes, mortises, and dadoes for the leg vise, drilled and counter bored the holes in the upper stretcher for the lag bolts to attach the top, cut the dadoes for the long stretchers, and relieved all the edges.

I also cut the 2 5/8" hole in the leg for the leg vise. I bought a hole cutting saw for this. Since it wouldn't cut though 3" at a time, I had to drill out as much as the hole saw could handle, take the leg to the bench and chisel out the waste, then back to the drill press where I raised the table to drill out again. it took three iterations, but in the end it worked pretty well.




























The legs are 3×5, and I attached the upper and lower short stretchers (which were about the same size) with mortise and tenon joints. The tenons were 1.5"x3.5". I seriously thought about doing a double tenon, and I think it would have added strength (long grain glue surface) to the joint, but I finally decided this was not a great project to try this for the first time, so I went with a solid tenon and decided to try drawboring.

The drawboring did not go very well. I thought I might be in for trouble when I realized my benchtop drill press only has a little over 2" of travel, and I couldn't drill the drawbore holes in one shot. I drilled out on half with the drill press and finished the holes with a hand drill. They weren't as straight as they could have been. I think I also offset the holes in the tenon too much (~1/16th), at least given the overall length of the hole (5"). Anyway, I applied glue, fit everything up, and applied two clamps to close the joints tightly. As I started driving the pins I could get the pin through the leg and into the tenon, but they just were not going all the way through; they didn't seem to want to make it out of the tenon and back into the leg. After cracking off a couple of pins, I drilled out the remaining holes again to widen the hole in the tenon and just pinned them. I figured pinning was better than nothing; the clamps are off and it is holding the joints tightly closed.

The end result is the assemblies are very sturdy, and everything is square and in one plane, so I'm pretty happy.




























I used dadoes for the long stretchers into the legs and counter bored the holes for the 4" hex head bolts. The front stretcher has a 45deg point on the top for the deadman to ride on. I cut the 45 on the table saw along the entire length, then notched out the track around the leg.










Then I fastened the leg vise nut to the leg. I cut a dado in the leg for the nut. I figured I didn't want to glue it in case I ever want to move it to another bench. Whatever method used to attach the nut won't really see any forces; the dado will support the weight of the nut, and clamping will draw the nut agains the leg. Attaching it really just prevents the nut from sliding out of the dado if you push on the chop. I decided to cut a 1/4" deep by 1/4" wide groove in the block and use a strip of oak screwed into the leg to trap it. If I ever want to move it, I can pull out two screws and its done.










Tomorrow I can bolt together the base and check for square across the entire thing. Of course my shop floor is so out of level I'll have to shim no matter what.

Next up is the twin screw end vise. I want to get that installed so I know exactly where to position the top on the base. At some point I want to get the scale out and weigh the components.


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## 559dustdesigns (Sep 23, 2009)

jmos said:


> *The Base*
> 
> Since last time I've been working on the base. I used 4/4 red oak, so there was lots of milling and gluing up of stock. It was a bit tedious, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of using the jointer efficiently.
> 
> ...


I see some good progress here, keep it up. 
Thanks for giving us a look.


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## GPDMTR25 (Jun 21, 2010)

jmos said:


> *The Base*
> 
> Since last time I've been working on the base. I used 4/4 red oak, so there was lots of milling and gluing up of stock. It was a bit tedious, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of using the jointer efficiently.
> 
> ...


Thanks for blogging this. I recently blogged a project and it takes a lot of work and you have to remember to take photos as you go. I'm glad you posted a photos of the end pieces and legs, I just wish you had posted some photos of the long stretchers once they were attached at this stage. 
Thanks
Angela


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *The Base*
> 
> Since last time I've been working on the base. I used 4/4 red oak, so there was lots of milling and gluing up of stock. It was a bit tedious, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of using the jointer efficiently.
> 
> ...


Thanks Angela, take a look ahead a couple of posts and there are some pics. I used 2 bolts with lock washers. I countersunk the heads so I didn't have to worry about a work piece getting scratched on a bolt head, or have any issues clamping something long against the leg.

If you had any specific question, fire away!

Also, looking at the text, I probably should have said the front stretcher has 2 45 degree cuts where the deadman rides, since those 2 cuts actually form a 90degree angle, not a 45 degree angle. I sure most were able to figure that out anyway.


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

*Twin Screw Endvise*

I've been working on the end vise. I wanted to get that mounted next so I could figure out if it would impact the placement of the top on the base.

I wanted a twin screw vise for dovetailing. As I mentioned previously, I'm using two Lee Valley end vise screws for the end vise. I thought about buying their twin screw (Or Lie-Nielsen's, or Hovarter) but couldn't come up with the money. I also considered building a Moxon vise for dovetailing and just using a more simple end vise, but I decided I didn't want something else I needed to store.

So, I used 8/4 maple, one thickness for the rear jaw and two thicknesses laminated for the chop. I think the chop is overkill, but I ended up with 16.5" between the screws and didn't want to find out that I had flexing issues with a single 8/4 thick chop after I was done.

The chops are a bit over 7.5" tall. This is more than my jointer can handle, so I flattened one side with my jointer plane and then ran them through the planner.

When I was done I had 30# of maple. Then I reconsidered how I was going to mount it. I had planned on using lag screws to fasten it to the edge of the top. Since this joint would see all the weight of the vise continually, as well as the weight of anything I clamp, and any pounding I do, I was concerned the lags would loosen up over time. I thought about adding a spline to provide more support, but I couldn't come up with a good way to cut the groove in the bench top accurately. I also considered biscuits, but I don't trust them to add strength. I finally decided to add three 7/8" hardwood dowels. I drilled 1" into the bench top and into the rear jaw. Then I used 4 3" lag screws to secure it. It turned out well that I added the maple strips to the top, I was able to run all four lag screws into maple instead of the LVL. I don't know how well it holds screws, but now I don't have to find out.

A little while back I watched a video about twin screw installation posted by LJ Bill Schenher III, http://lumberjocks.com/AWSIII/blog/27696
He talks about mortising the nuts into the rear jaw. At first I wasn't sold, but the more I thought about it, the more it sounded like a good idea; Thanks Bill!

The taper on the nuts is only 1/16" per side over 1.75". I drilled through at the small diameter and then used a rasp to open up the taper. Even in hard maple, it only took about 45 minutes of filing and trying to get them to fit pretty well. The height of the nut fit perfectly into a 8/4 board; with the flange flush the front of the nuts doesn't quite stick out past the front of the rear jaw.

After drilling out for the dowels, the lag screw (and their counter sink holes,) and the dog holes, I was ready to assemble. The nuts and garters attached easily; just drilled pilot holes and ran the screws in. I did run into one problem I'll pass on. To drill the dog holes I got a 3/4" up cut router bit, but that's not long enough, so I also picked up an Irwin 3/4" auger bit from Lowe's. This was a traditional single screw auger. I figured I start the holes with the router and finish with the auger. The dog holes in the end vise chop were my first try. Since it's a small piece I used the drill press. Now I have a small bench top drill press, but it couldn't turn the auger bit. It would run the lead screw in and seize up. I tried it with a corded hand drill and no luck there either. I ended up using the 3/8" auger I got for the drawbore holes and drilled to my depth, then I used the 3/4" auger to finish. Since the lead screw had nothing to grab I could control the rate of feed with my hand drill. I guess this is how I'll have to do my dog holes, which will be a bit of a PITA (route to max depth, use 3/4" auger to mark center, drill through with 3/8" auger, finish drilling through with 3/4" auger.) I was looking at buying a hand held bit brace for this job, but couldn't find one with a swing more than 10". Anyone looking to sell one?

It took a little fussing with the dowels to get them to fit, as my holes were not perfect, but I got it to fit, and the dowels are tight. At this point I'd say all the weight is on the dowels, and I feel pretty sure this won't move. However, if it does, I decided not to glue anything, so if I pull out the lag screws the whole end vise will come off. This also gives me the flexibility to replace the vise later if I don't like using this.

The rear jaw ended up a bit lower (~1/16th) than the top, and the front chop a bit lower than the rear jaw (again ~1/16th), but not bad, and it shouldn't effect the use of the vise. If I was doing it again I would add more of an intentional offset and plane it down. I aimed for flush, but it drooped slightly.
































































I did weigh some of the parts so far, the top was 175#, the base 83#, and the end vise assembly 45#; 303# and still have the leg vise chop and dead man to add. Still plenty to do; the dead man, getting the top mounted, drilling the dog holes, then the leg vise chop, and finally a shelf under the bench.

Thanks for reading.


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## redryder (Nov 28, 2009)

jmos said:


> *Twin Screw Endvise*
> 
> I've been working on the end vise. I wanted to get that mounted next so I could figure out if it would impact the placement of the top on the base.
> 
> ...


Rockler makes some nice casters if you ever want to move this work of art….............


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

*Leg Vise and Assembly*

Things are moving right along.

One thing I knew I would need for this project was a 3/4" upcut router bit I could do plunge cuts with for the dog holes, as well as for routing a groove in the top for the sliding deadman. I didn't want to spend a fortune for a carbide bit so I tried the HSS bit from MLCS (item #7498). Overall I was very happy with it; more later.

Once I had the end vise installed I could decide exactly where to mount the top on the base. With the base upside down on the top I was able to mark leg position and layout and route the groove for the sliding deadman. The groove was 3/4" x 3/4" so I routed it in three passes with my plunge router with an edge guide, and it worked well.

In Shwarz's book he mentions that the leg vise is strong enough to shift the top, which he had attached with four lag screws. Per his recommendation I added two 2" long 7/8" hardwood dowels to the front legs. It was a little finicky lining everything up, but it worked.

By the way, another selling point of using the saw benches for this build was that I was able to flip the top right side up, set the base next to it, and lifting one side at a time I got the top on the base myself, even though it's about 210#. I was able to do the entire build without assistance.

With the top in place, but not attached, I got my dimensions for the sliding deadman. machining that was pretty straight forward, I just had to make sure that it was flush with the front edge of the bench; the V groove in the bottom was symmetrical, but the tenon in the top was not. I first cut the V groove on the table saw, cut the deadman blank to length, than cut the rabbets in the top on the router table. After that was done and it fit well, I laid out the curves and cut them on the band saw, then bored the holes.



















Then I installed the last piece of edging on the top. I used a couple of biscuits for alignment and two lag screws at either end to attach it.

Next was the leg vise chop. Overall that went well, no real surprises. I lined the chop up and clamped it to the leg to transfer the marks for the clearance hole and mortise for the parallel guide. Then I used my hole saw and hollow chisel mortiser for cuts. Once that was done I cut the shape of the chop, I didn't get terribly fancy, but I like the way it turned out. I used a scrap piece of cherry for the parallel guide. I cut a kerf in the tenon end and wedged it with a sliver of oak, between that and the glue I don't think that will pull out on me.



















Then it was time to attach the top. I used two 3/8" lag screws on each side; they penetrate 2" into the top, so I don't think it will be going anywhere. Then I did some flattening with my jointer plane. It didn't take too long to get the top flat and to clean off any residual marks and glue stains.

After that it was dog hole time. This turned out to be a bit of a pain. I first laid out the holes and cut them as deep as I could with my plunge router. The MLCS bit worked like a champ; I cut 61 holes and the bit was still cutting well. Now, I was drilling into SYP, so your mileage may vary if your using hardwood, but I was happy. After the router I planned on using my corded drill to finish the holes.

I mentioned earlier that my drill didn't have enough power to drive the single flute auger bit I had gotten. I went back to Lowes and got another bit that had three flutes. The bit was a hair large in diameter than the router bit, so it was difficult getting it into the holes, and if I didn't have it inserted far enough it would cause a bit of tearout in the LVL. My drill was struggling to bore the holes. It was (yes was) a 20 year old 3.5amp B&D cheapo home model, and after about 6 holes I let out all the magic smoke and it turned no more. So, off to the store to buy a better drill. I decided not to go crazy and bought a PC 7amp hammer drill.










With the new drill I figured I'd give the single flute bit another go, and it worked great. However, the bit is not exactly 3/4"; it was smaller enough in diameter that the dogs wouldn't fit in the holes. So, back to the three flute bit. The new drill worked much better, and except for some tearout the drilling finished up without further incident.




























I still need to give the bench a couple of coats of BLO, and add a shelf on the bottom, but it is mostly complete. I'm looking forward to really trying it out. I'll post some final pics after I get the finish on.


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## andyboy (Jun 9, 2009)

jmos said:


> *Leg Vise and Assembly*
> 
> Things are moving right along.
> 
> ...


Clever lad. Very nice!!


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## GPDMTR25 (Jun 21, 2010)

jmos said:


> *Leg Vise and Assembly*
> 
> Things are moving right along.
> 
> ...


Question: I didn't understand why you added and where exactly you added this. I also couldn't locate this on the photos
"I added two 2" long 7/8" hardwood dowels to the front legs. It was a little finicky lining everything up, but it worked." 
Is the deadman also silver oak? It's looks very nice.


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Leg Vise and Assembly*
> 
> Things are moving right along.
> 
> ...


Yea, could have posted a photo of that. One issue with a leg vise is that it transfers force from the leg to the top. In a traditional Roubo you've got massive tenons holding the top in place so it is not an issue. With a knock down bench you don't have such positive attachment. Schwarz commented in his review of the bench after some use, that the top was actually shifting back when they use the leg vise. His suggestion, which I adopted, was to add dowels to the top of the leg, and into the top of the bench. These dowels will then keep the top from moving back. And it does work, no top movement at all so far!

Hopefully that makes sense. If not, let me know.

The deadman is 8/4 maple, as is the leg vise, the end vise, and edge banding and two strips on the top. Everything else is red oak.

Thanks for reading!


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

*Finished!*

Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.























































Overall I'm happy with the way it turned out. I might still ad a shelf underneath, or I'll just store my bench jigs on the floor underneath. I installed a wall mounted shelf and tool rack, so most of what I need easy access to is just behind the bench in easy reach.

I'm happy with how the LVL worked out. I would have preferred solid maple, but the cost difference would have been a lot. With a 3.25" thick top, there is no perceptible flex in the top when I stand on top of it and jump up an down, and at over 300#, it's plenty solid.

I tried out the leg vise, and found it wasn't gripping that well; the boards had a tendency to rock. Even thought everything was planed flat, I found there was a very slight crown on the inside of the chop. A few strokes of a hand plane fixed it and the grip is impressive. I do like how fast the Lake Erie screw moves; running the screw in and out is very quick.

I'll try to remember to post one last entry after I've had time to really get to use the bench and decide how well I like the layout.

If anyone has any questions I'd be happy to discuss it.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Great work, John! That LVL looks sweet. I was a little skeptical of LVL at first, but it looks awesome and I bet it will perform well too. Again, congrats on such a fine bench.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Suggestion: Add leather to the inside face of the chop for extra grippiness. It really works wonders…

A beautiful bench, love your veritas hardware too!


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## hhhopks (Nov 22, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Great looking bench.
I hope mine will be as good.


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## fernandoindia (May 5, 2010)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Terrific job John.
Thanks for blogging you work.

Do you happen to know the final weight?


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Thanks guys!

Smitty - I'm keeping my eyes open for some leather. I looked online, but the cost for a piece large enough to do the end vise and the leg vise was crazy. I'm hoping I'll come across an old breifcase or jacket at a yard sale I can use.

Fernando - The base and top (including end vise) were 303#. I didn't weight the leg vise chop and the deadman, but I'm guessing the total is about 320#.


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## balidoug (Aug 13, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Awesome. I hope to begin my own in a couple years, and I am definitely saving this build for then.


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## Enoelf (Mar 15, 2012)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Sweet bench! I would totally add that shelf underneath to take advantage of the space. I really like the look and dimension of this build.
Well done.


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## BTimmons (Aug 6, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


That's one damn pretty bench.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Outstanding. Nothing else to say about it. You've got the screw I'm getting


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Thanks again.

It's a very nice screw Al, you'll enjoy it.


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## nwbusa (Feb 21, 2012)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Very nice job! I enjopyed reading your blog and your bench is an inspiration to my current project. I only hope mine turns out half as nice as yours did!


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


thats a great looking bench. nice work!


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## LeeJ (Jul 4, 2007)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Hi John;

This is first class all the way.

What a beautiful job, on a beautiful bench.

Lee


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## lysdexic (Mar 21, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Just read through your blog and enjoyed it. I hope you are enjoying this fantastic bench. Did you ever put a shelf underneath?


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Seems to be a good time to post an update -

Since completing the bench I've done one major project, a Harvey Ellis bookcase. (I'm getting around to posting projects, so it will turn up soon). Anyway, it was a joy to work on. No sign it ever even thought about moving on me. So many options for holding work I'd have to pause to think.

I'm using planing stops a lot, very little clamping boards between the end vise and the dog holes. However, I'm using the end vise a lot. There's about 4" from the edge of the bench to the first screw, which is great for throwing in a board on edge for paring shoulders and the like. No dovetails on that project, but I can't wait to try it out on some. My only knock with the end vise is that is isn't the smoothest operation; probably didn't get everything perfectly aligned. A pre-made twin screw would have been nice, but I'm still happy having the money in my pocket. Well worth the trade off IMO.

The leg vise is great; with the deadman and the vise I can easily clamp up long boards to work edges. Was able to clamp a large case door for trimming; it was well secured and well supported.

I'm loving the length; probably wouldn't have missed the seventh foot if I made it 6" long, but the extra room is nice. Haven't had an instance where I wanted the eighth foot. Yet.

As for the shelf, it's on my low priority 'I'll get to it someday' list. I've got my shooting boards, bench hooks, and other bench jigs on the floor under the bench, a tool rack behind the bench (which is fantastic) and I'm not hurting for storage, so it's fallen pretty low on the list.

Thanks for the nice words and taking the time to read my ramblings.


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## GPDMTR25 (Jun 21, 2010)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


What a beautiful bench. I really enjoyed your blog and I'm glad you did an update on how you like the bench after using it. Thanks for adding the links and adding any mistakes you made. All this helps us when we go to make our bench. 
Angela


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

jmos said:


> *Finished!*
> 
> Well, I haven't gotten a lot of time in the shop lately, but I did get two coats of BLO on the bench, and I'm calling it complete.
> 
> ...


Thanks Angela! Any other question fell free to ask.


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