Project Information
They always say good, fast and cheap: Pick two. Well I think this bench has all three. I am sharing here in case someone is approaching a similar project and is looking for ways to make a great bench for not too much time or cash. All in is about $350 for vise parts and lumber. So about $350 and a weekend and you are good to go.
Many more images are here, as well as steps that are implied.
In short, I used Southern Yellow Pine (recommended in the holy grail of bench books) as durable, hard, inexpensive and obtainable. Buy larger boards in the structural section of the big box store and rip out parts that are clear. Once ripped, they were jointed and planned as normal lumber.
The top is laminated in two sections. The "field" is one big chuck and the smaller front section that will feature a tail vise and dog holes is a second section. This allows you to mill and work the smaller section independently.
The basis is a simple frame of glue-laminated posts and stretchers, with large stub tenons made on the posts during the glue up. Tenons on the stretchers are cut on the table saw then mortises are hand cut on the legs.
Mortise locations are marked on the monster top based on measurements, but it is fitted to the legs to verify. Once marked, they are hand cut as well with a good bit of help form a drill bit and/or router. Make them at least big enough as you don't want to put the top on and off many times to test.
Once the top was glued onto the legs, the flattening process is a good workout. I did a few passes with a scrub plane, then a joiner ending in a smoother. It really is only 45 minutes or work. You could do the top in smaller sections and pass them through your planner, but I really don't want to abuse my planner that way and don't mind hand work.
I had some scrap ash and cherry that I used to make vise chops and end piece to hold the tail vise assembly. The end piece is simply held on with a spline joint. The tail vise is sort of a kludge but works surprisingly well. Each vise is about as cheap as you can find. No, they are not quick release. Just turn them.
The front vise chop is long…way longer than recommended, but I wanted the room and I use a block to fight vise rack and am very satisfied. The bench side chop is bolted on so it can be swapped out in the future.
After assembly each joint was double pegged for extra strength in the event that there is any movement during drying (construction lumber is wet stuff).
The bench has proven to be worth the time and cost as it is the perfect work holding tool for hand work and power tool work.
Hand work holding:
Power tool work holding:
Not only did it make doing hand work so much more effective and efficient, I was stunned at the speed that it gave to power tool setups, especially routing.
As an aside, the holdfasts are from here and are perfect. My bench top is 4.5" and they hold well. You have to sand them when new….sand rotating around the rod, not up and down.
I think some folks get hung up on the details of a bench. First it has to exist, i.e. any bench is better than no bench, second, it simply needs to hold work. It is a big elaborate clamp. It doesn't need to hold tools, or lights, or flowers for that matter. Make something solid, massive and with enough work holding capacity that you can move on to the work at hand. This is the best time in woodworking to use the KISS principle.
Changes I may make: I may ditch the tail vise for a front vise on the end with dog holes in the chop. I have room for a deadman and plan on putting one in when needed. Right now I don't have a need - dog holes in the legs have worked well. I will put some additional dog holes in the bench field at some point.
Front Vise $100
Tail Vise $40
Lumber $180
Holdfasts $40
Many more images are here, as well as steps that are implied.
In short, I used Southern Yellow Pine (recommended in the holy grail of bench books) as durable, hard, inexpensive and obtainable. Buy larger boards in the structural section of the big box store and rip out parts that are clear. Once ripped, they were jointed and planned as normal lumber.
The top is laminated in two sections. The "field" is one big chuck and the smaller front section that will feature a tail vise and dog holes is a second section. This allows you to mill and work the smaller section independently.
The basis is a simple frame of glue-laminated posts and stretchers, with large stub tenons made on the posts during the glue up. Tenons on the stretchers are cut on the table saw then mortises are hand cut on the legs.
Mortise locations are marked on the monster top based on measurements, but it is fitted to the legs to verify. Once marked, they are hand cut as well with a good bit of help form a drill bit and/or router. Make them at least big enough as you don't want to put the top on and off many times to test.
Once the top was glued onto the legs, the flattening process is a good workout. I did a few passes with a scrub plane, then a joiner ending in a smoother. It really is only 45 minutes or work. You could do the top in smaller sections and pass them through your planner, but I really don't want to abuse my planner that way and don't mind hand work.
I had some scrap ash and cherry that I used to make vise chops and end piece to hold the tail vise assembly. The end piece is simply held on with a spline joint. The tail vise is sort of a kludge but works surprisingly well. Each vise is about as cheap as you can find. No, they are not quick release. Just turn them.
The front vise chop is long…way longer than recommended, but I wanted the room and I use a block to fight vise rack and am very satisfied. The bench side chop is bolted on so it can be swapped out in the future.
After assembly each joint was double pegged for extra strength in the event that there is any movement during drying (construction lumber is wet stuff).
The bench has proven to be worth the time and cost as it is the perfect work holding tool for hand work and power tool work.
Hand work holding:
Power tool work holding:
Not only did it make doing hand work so much more effective and efficient, I was stunned at the speed that it gave to power tool setups, especially routing.
As an aside, the holdfasts are from here and are perfect. My bench top is 4.5" and they hold well. You have to sand them when new….sand rotating around the rod, not up and down.
I think some folks get hung up on the details of a bench. First it has to exist, i.e. any bench is better than no bench, second, it simply needs to hold work. It is a big elaborate clamp. It doesn't need to hold tools, or lights, or flowers for that matter. Make something solid, massive and with enough work holding capacity that you can move on to the work at hand. This is the best time in woodworking to use the KISS principle.
Changes I may make: I may ditch the tail vise for a front vise on the end with dog holes in the chop. I have room for a deadman and plan on putting one in when needed. Right now I don't have a need - dog holes in the legs have worked well. I will put some additional dog holes in the bench field at some point.
Front Vise $100
Tail Vise $40
Lumber $180
Holdfasts $40