# For those who built quality workbenches, what was the price tag?



## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

I will be starting a hand tool cabinet project, then a router table … and finally a shot at a quality heirloom style work bench (Roubo or such). Since a Unisaw fell in my lap in January, free's me up to start saving for something else. What was the price tag of your workbench? I know the selection of wood rises or falls depending on the species. I know add ons (vice hardware, hold fasts, etc) add to the cost as well. But would like a general idea of the start to finish price tag of such ventures so I can start saving up.


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## conifur (Apr 1, 2015)

300$ ish with a cabinet underneath with 6 drawers with ball bearing guides at 11$ a pair. Made from white ash and Baltic birch. Bench frame was from Doug fir and multiple layers for the top, 2 double layers of 3/4" OSB, Then white ash 7/8" for the final top 24×72 inch top.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

Took a gander at your project section, nothing there. Have a picture of your bench, Con?


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

Holbs, Yours is a great question. I am looking forward to the answers. Like you will be attempting to build an honest to God workbench. I'm looking forward to all the responses you get. I have decided that I will use Benchcrafted vises. That immediately ups the cost, but it sure looks worthwhile.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

Bob.. I too will be looking hard at Benchcraft hardware as well. I have in mind of a dedicated joiner's bench down the road. So many options  Tis fun. And will be a fun build even with all the blood, sweat, and tears that surely will come from such a journey.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

I know the production bench's (grizzly, harbor freight, sjborn?, etc) cost a pretty penny. $1000?


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## Texcaster (Oct 26, 2013)

My bench is made of Euro Beech bought at AU $1,500 m3, now about $3,000 m3. The timber was all 8/4, I got lucky with the legs, 55 mm dressed. The only hardware, two screws. A beautiful antique one for $5 and a new one for $25.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/92062


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

50-60$ maybe.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

Fridge… milk crates do not count


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

I think I spent around $400 total, with the most expensive single part being my Benchcrafted Criss Cross leg vise support. Since I used 12/4 red oak for a lot of it, that ended up being somewhat expensive. You could easily halve that amount by using doug fir or other inexpensive lumber.


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## Clarkie (May 11, 2013)

My first bench was made for an amazing total of 20.00. The fun was in finding the pieces to make it work, the top came from a bowling alley, they were redoing the alleys and were giving away the old ones. The first 16 feet of which was hard rock maple. I got the section cut in half and put on the truck, hauled it home. Gave the other half to a friend of mine and we began, each at his own pace, building our bench. I used a bridle joint on the frame where the top was mounted and on the bottom of the bench top I made 8 drawers, which were in a frame and were made to be taken out in a group if need be. Meanwhile the hunt for a suitable vise was in motion, found a 100 yr old wood vise and paid 10.00 for it. After completing the bench, I found a Steiner German bench, 8 feet long and a full European beech top, 4 inches thick with front and tail vise and dog system. I bought that and sold my new built bench to a friend who still has it 30years later. For me the fun has always been in the acquiring of the parts to make the whole. God bless, have some fun, make some dust.


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## MrSmith670 (Jan 26, 2014)

Inexpensive lumber can be used to build a lifetime bench. If you are going to splurge, get quality vise hardware.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

$400 total? and that is with the hardware? That is not too shabby at all. I was thinking $800 range.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

Ian.. great looking bench. I like the length: not too dinky… nor too encompassing All the red oak and vice hardware really came to just $400?


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## conifur (Apr 1, 2015)

Ya I think I do some where, then there is MS 10 junk!!! It was a take off of Wood Shop bench plan and I modified some dementions. 
Here it is, I get the magazine and they had the plans for the cabinet underneath that is not pictured here. It rest on the lower rails. I think with that site you can buy the plans for about 11.00$
http://my.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-plans/simple-workbench/


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## johnstoneb (Jun 14, 2012)

don't blow off Fridge he has one outstanding well built bench.


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

Just to give you an idea, this tail vise was $20 at the flea market.









The leg vise screw was the inexpensive one from Lee Valley ($40), with a handwheel from Grizzly added ($10).









I had a machine shop bore out the handwheel, which they did for $20. Not strictly necessary, but I liked the idea of a handwheel.

My deadman has a slot on the top and some soft steel angle iron ($5?) keeps it in place.









I made my own holdfasts, but you can get them from Gramercy for $40. That's it on the hardware. The rest of the cost is lumber, glue, and bench bling.


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## conifur (Apr 1, 2015)

I cant find it, on my PC but I am out of town on the lap top, I have the PDf on the PC but wont be there for 3 weeks.


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## Texcaster (Oct 26, 2013)

Holbs, since you're still in the planning stages you might want to consider the trad. tail vise. It is still the most useful vise, so much so, my face vise hardly ever even gets a look in. The traveling dog, wagon vise used on most roubo benches is really just an expensive one trick pony. For the same money as a wagon vise, bolt on trad tail vise hardware is available.

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/180/The%20Argument%20for%20a%20Traditional%20Tail%20Vise


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## JayT (May 6, 2012)

$200, and I've since removed and sold the end vise, so could have done it for less.


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## newwoodbutcher (Aug 6, 2010)

Without getting up and looking, I'm guessing $800, about $400 for the Benchcrafted crisscross and wagon vice, which are both awesome. My bench is 3 1/2" thick 24" wide and around 8' long. The top is mostly 8/4 ash which is all the lumber I purchased for this bench, the rest is stuff I already had. The dog hole strip and two outer strips are 8/4 maple I've been storing for about five years. I put 10/4 mahogany breadboard ends and chop from a big lump of mahogany I got for a very good price two years ago. The legs are 6×6 Doug fir patio leftovers milled to 5×5". The shelf is 3/4 Hickory tongue and groove hardwood floor leftovers from two shops ago, I was moving this stuff.

I don't have a photo bucket so I can't post a photo here but I'll try to post it on my profile from my Google Drive.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Without the end vise or cabinet hardware that's underneath, $0.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Counting a box of screws, and a $10 end vise I picked…..maybe $30 or so…lumber came froma couple "Dumpster-dives" Everything else was "on hand".


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## dyfhid (Jun 4, 2015)

I just last Saturday bought the final lumber needed to start my bench build, 46 board feet of 8/4 white ash that will be the top. That was $151. I had previously bought the 12/4 ash for the legs and short stretchers, about $100. The long stretchers I have had for years, I forget what they cost, but to 8/4×6 x 8ft boards. I have a wooden screw, 2" diameter that I got off eBay for $20 I still need to get the chop wood, but my son got me a Benchcrafted Criss Cross for Christmas,so that was free for me  I got an acme screw and hardware that was used to drive a carriage in a metal lathe off eBay for $$15 that will be the wagon vise. I think after the chop, I will be in a total of about $300-350 for a totally white ash bench, which will be Roubo style. Should be a solid and heavy sucker!

Now, what's the time, blood, sweat and tears worth? Therein lies the largest cost, just not money-wise.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

wow… did not expect such a broad range of price tags: $0 to $800. hmmm… I have no 'lumber' on hand per se. Been rather careful of "over" stocking on plywood and simple douglas fir. Certainly no 12/4 of hardwood lumber laying around. But I do have a traditional wood working vice I picked up.


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## onoitsmatt (Mar 7, 2015)

If you are trying to keep costs down, keep a close eye on craigslist for vises during your build. I see great deals on great vises with some regularity. Be sure to search for vise, vises, vice and vices.


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## dyfhid (Jun 4, 2015)

> wow… did not expect such a broad range of price tags: $0 to $800. hmmm… I have no lumber on hand per se. Been rather careful of "over" stocking on plywood and simple douglas fir. Certainly no 12/4 of hardwood lumber laying around. But I do have a traditional wood working vice I picked up.
> 
> - Holbs


Holbs,

Note that I said "I had previously bought the 12/4 ash for the legs and short stretchers"

I didn't just have it lying around. I have been buying wood and parts for this bench build for over two years. I knew going in it was going to e expensive, so I spread the cost out over time. A very long time now.

Bonus is that the wood is sure to be dry


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

I bought 3/4 X 3' acme rod and nuts. A couple of 3/4 bronze flange bushings. About a gallon of glue as well. That's pretty much it. So maybe 75$? Definitely under 100$ easy.

The legs and stretchers were from a family lumber stash of ash and cypress.

The top was just the free hardwood scraps from a local cabinet shop Alomg with any hardwood in the shop not nailed, glued or screwed down.


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## Timberwolf323 (Feb 3, 2016)

> Fridge… milk crates do not count
> 
> - Holbs


What about sawhorses with 3/4" PT PINE so it can sit in the driveway indefinitely. Lol


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## BigYin (Oct 14, 2011)

Just bought the timber, 7 lengths of 8'6" European beech 13 inch by 8/4 for £125. Guy at timber merchants let me have it cheeeep as an uncollected order.
now to start building


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## 85497 (Apr 3, 2013)

I spent about $145 for all the wood on my Roubo, here is a link to the project and build:
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/134802

My tail vise was reused from my last workbench, the leg vise came from LV (cannot remember the cost) and you do not need an expensive parallel guide, or any parallel guide for the leg vise, don't waste your money on one.

Good luck on your build.


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## geekwoodworker (May 27, 2014)

$65.00 for this one ( http://lumberjocks.com/projects/102104 ) 35.00 for the wheels, 20.00 for the vise and 10.00 for glue and leftover finish. All wood is scrap.

Will build a bigger better one when I can more afford it.

Good luck.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

Difficult question because its all going to depend on what wood you use and what hardware.

I am currently building the Scandinavian (Klausz) bench. The hardware was just two screws $100 from Lee Valley.









The base was from a white oak beam I bought for $100 and the top is from 5" thick hard maple slab I bought from a sawmill for $150. I also bought some 5/4 maple to make the top field slabs ~ $140.

All in I'll have around $500 in it.

My first (and current) bench is a secition of bowling alley lane I got for $0. The base was made from dunnage I got for free from a sawmill that makes log houses. Total ~ $300.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

This is what I have on hand currently. No hardwood to speak of. Unsure if I want to go the route of a beefy sexy leg vice with Benchcraft hardware or use a traditional vice. Lots of decisions to be made til it comes time to start with many months away. I do know I do not want a 8' long top. Maybe 4-5'.
I will start keeping eye out for lumber at auctions & craigslist. Also, nearest lumber mills are 2 hours away near Sacramento that I might call and ask about species selection and such.

As I did a quickie search for 'oak' on craigslist, I see many posts about 'oak firewood'. Hmmm… wonder if that can be used somehow.



















-------

My current workbench. A Lervad basic bench built for schools and classrooms:


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## paratrooper34 (Apr 27, 2010)

My first bench was one I made. In total, the cost was around $150.00. The biggest cost was the vise and the drawer slides. I still have it and it is rock solid. If you do it right and you want to be frugal, it is easy to achieve without spending a lot of money.


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## conifur (Apr 1, 2015)

This is the one I made and then made a cabinet with drawers that fits underneath instead of just that shelf.
http://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/sturdy-affordable-workbench/


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## TarHeelz (Sep 13, 2012)

$100 for bench and another $100 for hardware.


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## Bob5103 (Feb 13, 2016)

For me the cost is relative. I have a small shop so the bench has to do more than just be a bench. I use it to break down sheet goods and rough lumber and as an assembly/finish table. Since I have had strictly beater benches in the past, I also want this one to look nice and provide some storage. I paid $380 for the euro beech, $300 for the Veritas quick release end vise and about $40 in the leg vise hardware. The rest of the wood I had in the shop. The butcher paper roll is a consumable and not part of the bench cost.
Oh, since I dropped the slab on my foot during the build it cost me a broken toe.


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## Marlow (Feb 1, 2011)

$1500 with LN hardware.


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## BenjaminNY (Jul 24, 2014)

If you are looking to save money on a bench there are two articles in FWW that are worth reading. Dunbar's "Heavy duty workbench" and Garret Hack's "A bench 30 years in the making".

Dunbar puts a heavy piece of solid birch or maple up front and the rest of the top beyond the first 12 inches is plywood. In other words, where you put your work 95% of the time and where you do your pounding should be dense and other areas of the bench don't matter as much. Shaker benches are usually made this way also.

Most work bench designs have sections of wood with the edge grain up. Hack's bench is made by making sandwiches of stock with the broad face up. He uses all hardwood but if you think about it you could save a lot of money by buying cheap softwood for the bottom layers and then using a good hardwood for the top layer only. The downside would be that the benchtop would lack weight but my bench is designed like this and it never moves around. I used 3 layers of 5/4 stock.

You can see in the pic I attached another stupid thing I did which was not cutting out the center ring of the boards and then gluing boards back together. The bottom layers of cheap 5/4 pine common board have split in some places. It hasn't really caused a problem but with a little planning you could avoid that pretty easily. At the time I just hand planed them reasonably flat and then glued them together. I just bought a benchtop DW734 so im finally going to plane all the boards down and attach them to the bench. It is still lose now.

Good luck with your design.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

Tarheelz… interesting take! I like it. Gots a blog or construction blog somewhere? I do admit, I am leaning towards a traditional dedicated work bench though. But this does give me ideas.
Bob… I agree. Cost is relative. I am looking to make a medium duty (again…4-5' length, not 8') work bench that I can use my meager hand tools skills upon from start to finish (er…try to anyways). I have a saw vice project that should be completed this weekend to sharpen my hand saws, just for this venture. If the parts & material come to $500+, I am ok with that.
Marlow..I love those trestles and draw bored tenons.
Maybe I should buy a wood working workbench book to give me an idea of material, and go price it at local lumber yard.


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## RogerBean (Apr 25, 2010)

The split Roubo bench in my project section cost about $1100 for the Benchcrafted hardware (Leg vise, tail vise, Moxon vise and build hardward kit.) The 200 b/f of 8/4 American beech was a good deal from Johnson's Workbench in Charlotte, MI at about $800, straightlined, planed and delivered. Very nice wood. Love the bench. Wish I had built it years earlier.
Roger


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## Timberwolf323 (Feb 3, 2016)

> As I did a quickie search for oak on craigslist, I see many posts about oak firewood . Hmmm… wonder if that can be used somehow.
> 
> - Holbs


This could work. You will need a bandsaw., many many many clamps. And probably 2 gallons of glue for the lamination. Lol.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

I've been watching this thread with great interest. I've just about finished my bench.









Total cost for wood was about $100. The big budget items were a Lake Erie wooden screw ($200), BenchCrafted criss cross($100) and bench bolts($65), and a vintage Shelton face vise as an end vise($25).

The bench turned out far better than I expected and it does not move.


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## bearkatwood (Aug 19, 2015)

I am in to mine for about $1,400. Now that I say it, I must be nutz! but it sure was fun and a blast to use. Video is on the way.


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

All the fancy benches in this thread are a hoot, and checking out the projects that came off of them makes me think that way more money and effort went into them than they're worth. Nyuk nyuk


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

^ a hole


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

OldFart… I actually visited Lake Erie website today looking at their products. Tis something I may consider. Maybe they will give me a discount because I was born in Erie  How does that face vice work as an end vice? Seems like a rather logical way for an end vice to function. I do have a face vice (picture was above) that I could toss on.


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## paratrooper34 (Apr 27, 2010)

> All the fancy benches in this thread are a hoot, and checking out the projects that came off of them makes me think that way more money and effort went into them than they re worth. Nyuk nyuk
> 
> - Clint Searl


You still haven't figured out that no one gives a rat's ass what you have to say. Go play in traffic, jerk.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

Holbs, it works quite well. I can almost lift the bench with a piece of toobufor clamped in it. Both vises are lined with cork, grips really well.

Mike, thanks for the back up.


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## redesigningwood (Feb 13, 2016)

Main bench was probably +/- 100 bucks in 2×4s and plywood (its 10 feet by 4 feet), side workbench was was about 15 bucks for casters and two door pulls, $20 bucks for the metal vise and a tabletop I found in the garbage and free pallet wood. (about 5 feet by 2.5 feet)

Also, you people have BEAUTIFUL benches!!!


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## Pezking7p (Nov 17, 2013)

Roubo made with oak, cherry for the top. Poplar base. Leg vise using a screw from lee valley and a home made wagon vise. All in is about $500. No holdfasts (yet).


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## TarHeelz (Sep 13, 2012)

> Tarheelz… interesting take! I like it. Gots a blog or construction blog somewhere? I do admit, I am leaning towards a traditional dedicated work bench though. But this does give me ideas.
> Bob… I agree. Cost is relative. I am looking to make a medium duty (again…4-5 length, not 8 ) work bench that I can use my meager hand tools skills upon from start to finish (er…try to anyways). I have a saw vice project that should be completed this weekend to sharpen my hand saws, just for this venture. If the parts & material come to $500+, I am ok with that.
> Marlow..I love those trestles and draw bored tenons.
> Maybe I should buy a wood working workbench book to give me an idea of material, and go price it at local lumber yard.
> ...


Thanks for the kind words. This is a Paul Sellers bench with only two of the four legs (if that makes any sense). The back half of the bench top is bolted to the rail on the backside of the table.

https://paulsellers.com/tag/building-a-workbench/?orderby=&order=asc

Bench top is Southern Yellow Pine appearance boards from the BORG. They are a full one inch in thickness and 3.5" wide.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

One year, I happened to get a few Barn Beams to re-use









Aprons came from an old waterbed frame. Leg vise screw was a pipe clamp…...chop was rived off of one of those 6×6 beams of Sycamore. Had to leave this one behind when I moved, Fellow that owned the pole barn moved it to his new barn, and it is still in use.


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## paratrooper34 (Apr 27, 2010)

> Holbs, it works quite well. I can almost lift the bench with a piece of toobufor clamped in it. Both vises are lined with cork, grips really well.
> 
> Mike, thanks for the back up.
> 
> - theoldfart


Anytime, Kevin


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

So… worst case is to start saving for $1000-$1200 if I want to go high quality hardwood and parts. $200-$400 economical versions. Thanks guys, gives me something to work with.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

One more thing Holbs, check out this site. Jim's LJ name is Boatman53. His chain vise has been used by several folks here and no one has said anything negative. He is a good guy.


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

Thanks for the kind words Kevin. If anyone has any questions I'm here to answer them.
But to the point of the thread, I built a smaller bench at 5' long and 24" wide. I used Ash that was given to my by a friend, he was dying from a brain tumor and I helped him close his shop, I put on twin leg vises and used LN screws, and after it was built I decided to put on a tail vise. My cost was around two hundred dollars.

The bench, it's still not finished but it's hard at work.










And lest I get accused of not making anything on my fancy bench, the curved piece of wood clamped in the vise is the dashboard arch of the project I finished this past spring.










Jim


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

Jim…any regrets with a 5' bench? That seems to be my target length (or maybe 6'). Real estate in my 2car garage is fading fast, hence the concern.
Your Ash, could your guestimate it's cost and board feet if you purchased it? I am going to ask my local hardwood suppliers about price tags of 150-200 BF of 8/4 Beech, Hard Maple, Soft Maple, and Ash today. I am referencing the Benchcraft Roubo lumber dimensions for 150-200 BF, even though their bench is based on 87" top.


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

No regrets Holbs. 5' gets just as cluttered as an 8' bench but it's easier to clear off 'cause it only holds so much. The top is 2 1/2" thick if I remember correctly. It is heavy enough that it doesn't move at all, no matter what the task is. I built it as a single monolithic structure, everything is glued and doweled. At 24" wide it will easily fit through doorways and I can put the whole thing on a dolly. That was an important feature for me. I'll have to look back in my notes to see what the dimensions of the wood were if I can find that info. At least you will know how much I used.
I know I spent a long time dreaming of a bench and should have built it sooner than I did.
Jim


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

Jim… and nice photo of that car. Reminds me of another guy named Jim who works on cars like that here locally. His car (his pride and joy) is the car used in the Titanic movie where Kate & Leonardo made out in that old model T car  I work on his phone system and he always likes to point out that fact.


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

Holbs, here is a photo of the wood I started with. All dressed to 1 1/2" thickness and totaling 55 BF. I got lucky when planning out the cut list and only had a piece left over that was not enough to make the second chop, so I did buy the wood for the second chop. You'll have to price the wood in your area, but generally Ash is inexpensive. 
Jim


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

I talked to both of my hardwood suppliers. Here are the price tags of Benchcrafts recommended species:
Euro Beech: 4/4=$4.10 bf, 8/4=$6.00+ (he was unsure exactly but said 6 or 6.50)
Soft Maple: 4/4=$4.00 (no 8/4 on hand)
Hard Maple: 4/4=$3.96, 8/4=4.73
Ash: 4/4=$3.79, 8/4=$4.10
Times the 8/4 by 150 and that's the material price tag at a minimum. Not including any hardware.
I did not ask about douglas fir or SYP but I know they are more economical.


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

150 bf seems very high for a small bench like you're describing.

A 5' x 24" x 3" top is 30 bf. Four 4" x 4" x 30" legs is 16 bf. Stretchers are like 6 bf. So, like 55 bf total?

You can always just do the top with hardwood, and the legs with construction grade lumber to save money.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

Ian…seems I have some math to work on  55BF sounds better than 150BF by far! I guess this is where drawing up plans and such (my first cutlist?) comes into play.


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

55 BF is exactly what I posted earlier. 150 for a big bench like Benchcrafted plans maybe.
Jim


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

Sorry I missed that earlier, Jim, but glad to know my estimate verifies. 8^)


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

I was just poking around on their website today. Benchcrafted recommends 150 bdft for their Roubo. But that's also like 8' long, not 5'.


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## bigJohninvegas (May 25, 2014)

I have done all my own research and design to build a rubio style bench. I was looking to go 7'X 28", 4" thick top and legs. Figured around 100bf. So in my local market, I'm looking at almost $500 for hard maple, about $400 if I go with beech. I had read Chris Swartz books where he used southern yellow pine. I'm on the west coast USA, and fir is all I have from the big box store. If I go that route, lumber cost comes down to around $120.
So hows your budget? 
Now on to vise hardware. 
The skies the limit when it come to building a bench. Your vise hardware can swing in price just like the cost of lumber. How much bench do you need, want, and can afford.
I have not been willing to pull the trigger on the $1000 bench I have designed for myself.
As much as I'd like to have it. I have decided I don't personally need it. 
I have decided to build a bench using two sheets of 3/4 baltic birch for the top, with a hardwood base.
Good luck with your build.


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## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

I'm almost finished with this and withought the vise, it's cost me 48 bucks to do. Granted I already had the walnut and maple left over from other projects, but a decent bench to work on doesn't have to cost a lot.










Link to my blog on the build.


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