# Workbench top question



## sankofa (May 2, 2009)

I want to build a bench, a small bench...... 2 foot or so wide by 4 feet long..... Its all I need and want.

Ive got some 3 inch by 5 and 1/2 inch wide boards that while rough...will be quite suitable for me as a workbench top.

As I dont have any tools except some chisels and a 14 inch millers fall hand plane.....and a stanley block plane......and some saws.... I am not comfortable in my ability to dress the sides of these boards to a state that I believe would make a good glue joint.

I also would like to stay away from metal fasteners in the bench.

Im considering building a sorta heavy frame..and then laying the boards I have on top.....clamping them together and getting as tight a joint between the boards as I can....and then using some dowels....3/4 or 1 inch diameter to peg the boards down to the top frame.

I want a heavy duty bench that is reasonably flat....that I can hang a vise off of and start working on some wood.

I would just like some opinions from those with some experience as to whether my method of dowelling the boards down will hold it all together tight enough.....

Ive even considered using the dowels in slightly....slightly offset holes to give a drawboring effect......as the top will be part of the stability of the bench and I need it to remain tight to prevent any racking in the frame.

If you guys dont think the dowels will work then Im going to bolt the top pieces down......

I just need to get this bench made so I can have a good vise. and a good place to start working on some wood.

thanks


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## Jammer (Jul 15, 2009)

I suggest you read the book on workbenches by Chris Shwartz.

Good luck!


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## DST (Jan 10, 2011)

Rushing your bench so you can start woodworking doesn't seem right to me. Also dowels help with alignment but don't add much for structural integrity. Use metal/ bolts if you need to. Or find a friend or mentor that can help you dress the boards and think of it as learning and as your first project. Not just something to get out of the way so you do your next project.


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## Redneck chan (Jan 22, 2011)

I just made a bench almost exactly that size for about 35 dollars. Here's the picture 

I am going to braces to the leg than turn them into a shelf


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

DST said:


> Rushing your bench so you can start woodworking doesn't seem right to me. Also dowels help with alignment but don't add much for structural integrity. Use metal/ bolts if you need to. Or find a friend or mentor that can help you dress the boards and think of it as learning and as your first project. Not just something to get out of the way so you do your next project.


I agree. You may not get the leverage from dowels as they don't allow much offset. You may regret not putting some time into dressing your stock. That's all part of woodworking. If you don't feel you can dress the wood, for a small fee, a cabinet shop, or any shop where there's a jointer and someone proficient with it, can fix you up pretty quick. Proceeding as you are planning will leave you with a bench top that you probably won't be happy with.












 







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## sankofa (May 2, 2009)

I dont really need anything fancy or a showpiece. Im just looking to get something built out of wood that I can put a vise on.

My bench will be sitting out on my unsided back porch all year round and like I said...I just need something sturdy that I can work off of.

I need to get some pics of my top boards....they are fairly rough having been part of a shipping crate for a large cooling tower.

Full of knots...chunk out of them here or there....places where bolts and lag screws were used to hold them together......but they are nice heavy pieces and I just couldnt pass them up for a bench top.

I only own a 14 inch plane and no power tools whatsoever so planning takes me forever.....plus my health sorta limits my time out there planning anything over a couple of feet long.

Im quite busy working and after getting home in the evenings usually past 6 pm and having to take care of family biz that usually just leaves me with what free time I can steal on the weekends.

Anyhow... I have been working on them with plane and am getting them to the point where they will be reasonably tight.....though I believe I am going to bolt them individually to the frame instead of attempting to laminate them together as one piece. But Im not completely ruling out gluing them up.

I guess I was getting out of hand with trying to build without metal fasteners but for now...Id rather use them and have the stabilty than jumping in and relying on my rather meek woodworking skills.

Sturdy wooden platform is all Im after.....

Im a very simple woodworker.....just need the basic stuff.....

Id work off a big tree stump if I had one in the yard that was tall enough....hard to hang a vice off one though.......lol


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## wsommariva (Jan 3, 2010)

Just use metal bolts from underneth. For legs get 2 x 4 pressure treated and screw and glue them together to get double thickness. 

See that picture above - very sturdy. When you have time work on smothing the top - if you want. Apply some rain protection.


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## KenBee (Feb 19, 2011)

I Just built a bench and constructed it in such a way that 3/4"x2'x4' sheet of plywood top sits in a cavity surrounded by a 2x4 frame. I drilled a series of holes at 6 inch intervals from side to side and end to end in the top and placed 1/4-20 T-Nuts under the top to secure hold downs for fastening my boards or whatever for sawing, routing, drilling, etc. The T-Nuts are held in place by a 2" wide boards attached to the bottom of the table. I firstly attached the boards in place and drilled 7/16" holes through the top and the boards then removed the boards, placed the T-Nuts and re-attached the boards. Doing that prevents the hold down bolts from bottoming out. I think when I replace the top I will use a 1/4 inch thick sheet of plywood to secure the T-Nuts instead of the boards though for the sake of simplicity.

I made the top so it is expendable and can be changed once it is cut up or damaged to the point it needs to be changed. The [plywood board only costs around $8.00 at HD


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## georgewoodie (Oct 20, 2009)

Sankofa:

When I built my bench, I used two pieces of 3/4 ply as a base for a thick top. I glued these together but as I was not able to clamp them sufficiently, I used screws from the underside. Once the glue had properly set, I removed the screws. I did not want any metal on or near the working surface.

The final top is 1/4 inch hardboard which I fixed to the base using finishing nails very close to the edge. I want to be able to replace this top as required.

I used oil base varnish applied to the hardboard and put on several coats. I chose the oil base product as it was floor quality so it should wear well [my thinking]. Wax when done so that glue drips just slide off. I rewax once a year.

After I put the hard board top on, I used a strip of hard wood around the perimeter.

I have used it now for about 7 years and I suppose I will have to replace that top in the not too distant future.

I do hobby work, am retired so I am on it for 7 days a week and from about 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

I consider my work bench to be one of my most important tools.

Hope this helps.

Woodie


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## Nick6685 (Mar 23, 2011)

*Nice Bench*



******* chan said:


> I just made a bench almost exactly that size for about 35 dollars. Here's the picture
> 
> I am going to braces to the leg than turn them into a shelf


 
Love the look of your bench. I am about to make one very similar to that, do you have plans or was it something you just did.


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