Unique small shop workbench

I’ve never seen T-slots in a workbench. Good idea!

-- Ryan

Thanks for sharing Bernie, that’s a fine workbench with a lot of options.

I’m actually doing something like this with oak flooring soon. I have enough oak flooring to do a 4’x6’ workbench doubled up so it’s 1 1/2” thick. All the boards on mine are a bit longer than 6’ except for one which will be used on the bottom layer.

Nice job on your bench!

-- --Tyrone - BC, Canada "Nothing is ever perfect, we just run out of time."

Nice to have it out in the open where al can find it. ;-)

-- Bob in WW ~ "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence

I’m also taken by the T-slots. Looks like a great idea!! Funny, I’m not sure I’ve seen a manufactured bench that included them. Router tables for sure, but T-track has so many other possible uses. What better place to put them than on a bench. Awesome idea.

-- http://www.ezwoodshop.com

Sweeeeeet!

Thanks for bringing this forward …I never saw the other post that you referred to above.
You have some nice ideas here. Added to favorites…...Thank you : )

-- I'm absolutely positive that I couldn't be more uncertain!

I was asked today about how I would secure short pieces of wood on my bench. I have already solved that problem. In picture #5 (featuring the hand screws) you can see a block of wood with a round bench dog in it. Look closely at picture #7 and you will see a 1.25 inch wide pieces of wood secured in the end vise. It is a one screw end vise (I bought in a yard sale) and it will hold a 1/4 inch piece.

-- Bernie: It never gets hot or cold in New Hampshire, just seasonal!

Many good Ideas, especially for challenged budgets.

-- "ButI'mMuchBetterNow"

Favorited so I can “borrow” some of your ideas later.

-- "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." - Mark Twain

Hi Bernie
Thanks for the Pm asking for me to give you my thoughts on your bench. The first very serious thing I see wrong with your bench is that I didn’t think of all those great innovations LOL I was reviewing each idea you incorporated and could not find fault with any of them . I’m curious to see how the flooring holds up, but I don’t know why it shouldn’t. I also thought about the location of the T slots if over time you might find you would like them where they are at or if you decide you would like them spaced differently. All in all I think you have come up with a great design and this workbench should work well for years to come. Great job

Thank you Jim for the kind words. As for the bamboo flooring, I’ve learned to be careful with it because it dents and cuts easier then some hardwoods. The dents do come out easily with a bit of water. As for cutting – it’s a problem with any bench. If I have a real quick cut, I place a piece of ply with a cleat on the bench and cut while protecting the bamboo. Other then that, I install my saw horses and cut as many pieces as I have too!

As for the spacing the T tracks on different planes, I never thought of your suggestion. I can think of a few circumstances where that might work better especially when securing small pieces. I did resolve that issue with the end vise and dog, but I never thought of your solution which would be much better on a tight budget. If I ever adopt your suggestion, I would simply add another track and keep my long clamping option open! I’ll be thinking – and thanks!

I did not glue the flooring down but screwed the first 2 rows down. I didn’t know how the summer humidity would affect the top via wood movement. So far, no problem.

While making a country hutch. I was gluing the components on my bench. I lined the bar clamp to 90* and used my bench in the clamping process. It worked like a charm and best of all, the excess glue did not stick to the finish of the bamboo. Thanks again Jim. Having followed your posts over the years, I respect your opinions – that’s why I asked your critique!

-- Bernie: It never gets hot or cold in New Hampshire, just seasonal!

Bernie, I think you’ve come up with a fantastic design. I like each and every one of the features you’ve included. The only thing I might add would be to replace one of the T-tracks with a Bora-style clamp recessed just below the surface like the T-track. I actually built a mini-bench and put one in there and it is VERY handy. There are other brands besides Bora that would work as well. Actually, I like the WoodCraft house brand because of its lower profile.

‘T-track’... the new ‘bench dog’.

-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--

Rance – I didn’t even know what a Bora clamp was so I goggled it. I’m curious how you incorporated this clamp into your workbench. They just seem to be a bit thick for sinking into my bench… but I’m open to suggestions. Thanks for getting my attention.

-- Bernie: It never gets hot or cold in New Hampshire, just seasonal!

Bernie,

Here’s one in normal operation:

Now imagine turning it upside down and mounting it to your workbench. This way the clamp edges are facing up. Next, imagine recessing it into the surface of the bench like you did the T-track. The only part sticking above the bench would be the lever end and the sliding ‘dog’ if you will. Here’s a picture of a double one that shows the clamping mechanism:

I wish I had a pic I could post of mine. Hopefully you’ll see what I’m talking about.

-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--