An easy bench build, definitely not a Roubo

[AndyP]

Building your perfect bench will only come from many years of experience and knowing whether you prefer face vices, should vices, leg vices, end vices. etc etc.
Something along the lines of this bench will provide a sturdy surface and with the addition of a bench hook and shooting board will be sufficient to build just about anything.

Make a Leg frame, simple mortice and tenon joints


Then make another


Screw some chipboard to the back and another piece to the base and attached kitchen cabinet legs to the underside and test for strength with anything that comes to hand.


Take an old office desk top and plonk it on top. This was very heavy, 1" thick and thick melamine type covering top and bottom and was very flat.


Add some beech lipping to 3 pieces 18mm MRMDF and glue together


Check for flatness by balancing steel rulers on the top.






Reverse mount the morticer and using bench dogs to insure spacing is equal drill lots of holes


Screw a couple of old kitchen cabinet doors to each end to add rigidity and weight and add a kick board to stop bits rolling under.


For planing long lengths attach a Gripmaster


If after all that the bench still wobbles or racks it could be screwed to the walls of the workshop and even the floor. no need to in this case.

 

[Phil]

Nice bench Andy. I like the way you have used 'second hand' stuff for building it.

Cheers
Phil

 

[AndyP]

Phil, yes I forgot to mention that. With the exception of the MDF top and beech lipping everything else was leftover bits from the workshop build with the odd kitchen bit thrown in.

 

[AJB Temple]

My bench (the one that I actually use most) is 8ft by 4ft. The top is made of four sheets: sacrificial MDF on top, then 2 sheets of 24mm ply (the two middle sheets are fine - just being stored there) and a sheet of OSB that I had lying around on the bottom, with a screw at each corner to stop the sheets sliding about. The top sheet is sacrificial for the track saw. The bench is on three very heavy duty folding metal trestles that are height adjustable and have 4 by 2 cheap structural framing timber along each edge (the trestles are designed for this) that provide rigidity. Trestles are height adjustable but I have them on max.

I do have a couple of traditional benches and a metalworking bench, but this lash up is the one I actually use as it handles sheet goods and long timbers very well. Perfect for track saw use and assembly. Can be put out of the way totally in 5 minutes.

If I rebuilt my workshop I would probably run a very large bench like this off my table saw (when I get a new one).