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Show us yer bench!

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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Craig Salisbury » 29 Dec 2021, 18:50

novocaine wrote:I love how most of these appear to be in very tidy workshops with loads of space and light.

then you look at mine and Andy's and....... :lol:

never mind :lol: I reckon most would have a fit if they saw my workshop.

To be fair, i do VERY little in my garage and have an unhealthy obsession with tidiness, i actually cringe when i go in because i think its messy :D
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby AndyT » 29 Dec 2021, 19:02

Andyp wrote:I’m spending more time looking at the workshops than the benches.

5 braces for example seems a lot and there is no reason why double switched sockets have to be fixed horizontally.


He can't mean me, even though I've got vertical sockets - the photo only shows a third of the braces that fit on that shelf! :lol:

Mike G wrote:
AndyT wrote:.........Image.......


What happens behind the bench, Andy, but in front of the storage?


There's the edge of the higher floor level, below the bay, which is about two foot higher than the rest of the floor. The back of the bench sits on this level and is fixed to it. The bit of space in front of the ̶o̶l̶d̶ ̶s̶o̶f̶a̶ bespoke storage rack is some extra informal storage, for half-used oily rags, unwanted parts of projects, things that have not yet come in useful, etc, etc ;)
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby chataigner » 29 Dec 2021, 19:16

And now for something completely different ! Mine uses two torsion boxes heavily constructed from MDF and basic construction timber and edged with 20mm oak. The MDF holds everything square and flat and provides a lot of mass. These are mounted on a heavy frame carefully levelled up since the floor is all over the place.

Between the two torsion boxes is a void where I put tool trays which can be turned upside down to fill the void and maintain the flat surface of the bench for assembly jobs. With one or more tool trays removed, I can clamp in the middle of the bench and/or cut sheet goods with a jigsaw or circular saw over the void with both sides properly supported.

No dog holes, I prefer to use clamps to hold stops for planing and a saw hook for hand sawing.

The version shown is in my old, badly lit workshop, the one in my new workshop is very similar but with lots more room around it and more light. However, I've no pictures to hand.

See pics below.

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Notice vice at the rh end - I'm left handed.
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Lons » 29 Dec 2021, 20:38

This is my set up in a double garage. Workbench is an ancient ex school model but smaller than usual, I don't know how old but I've had it a good 40 years, I've filled in the well because it was shallow and a pita, I have a home made MFT which sits on top or trestles when I need it, most of the floor cupboards/drawers were salvaged from a college where they were dumped out in the rain ( oak frames and drawer fronts no less :shock: ).

It's usually much messier than this btw. :lol:
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Mike G » 29 Dec 2021, 21:35

Blimey Bob, that's not at all how I pictured yours.
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Lons » 29 Dec 2021, 21:49

Mike G wrote:Blimey Bob, that's not at all how I pictured yours.


:lol: :lol: How did you picture it Mike?
I deliberately haven't shown the storage space above the top cupboards, garage is about 1 metre higher than a normal pitched roof, or the single garage and sheds stuffed to the gunnels with my hoard or salvaged "treasures". It takes me hours to get at anything I want from the back of those and only possible on a day when it isn't raining.
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby AndyT » 29 Dec 2021, 23:11

novocaine wrote:I love how most of these appear to be in very tidy workshops with loads of space and light.

then you look at mine and Andy's and....... :lol:

never mind :lol: I reckon most would have a fit if they saw my workshop.


I can't see the pictures of your workshop... Is there something else piled on top of them? ;)
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Steve Maskery » 30 Dec 2021, 00:14

This is mine. The more I useit the more I like it.

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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Cabinetman » 30 Dec 2021, 01:30

Mine is an L shape in the corner of the room bolted to the walls, it was designed for two people but there is only me there now, two photos one in the middle of battle and the other for the camera lol. Somebody mentioned the price of timber for making a bench nowadays and it made me realise how lucky I was to be able to get all the 3” beech for these two – one is 10 feet long and the other 11 feet, for £375 10 years ago.
The downside of an L-shaped bench is there isn’t anywhere to fit a pop-up planing stop so I have to improvise with a length of wood and a bench holdfast, as shown in a thread here previously there is a planing stick fitted to the back of the main benchtop. Ian
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby TomTrees » 30 Dec 2021, 06:28

Love seeing your workshops
This one is a temporary solution that has earned it's keep even with the shortcomings of
a thin top which needs a bit of attention, in regards to chopping needing something under like bearers, making sure it's flat for planing as this changes, and I've only just broke down and bought a fancy long level for it and other things.
I have come accustomed to the benefits a floating top combined with a movable bench.
Being in a cramped workshop with wolfies, lawnmowers and seemingly always a disassembled
machine, makes things a bit of a challenge and I often just use the back side now,
and only make up space on the other side for planing.
Eager to make up space again, and get things back to normal.
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And as for that chancer of a cat which came in and sprayed on the floor, the minute I came
into the house for a cuppa, I'll only give him a pass cuz he didn't spray on the blanket :lol:
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Dr.Al » 30 Dec 2021, 08:28

novocaine wrote:I love how most of these appear to be in very tidy workshops with loads of space and light.


Mine's definitely light, but mainly because I was standing outside to take the photo as there isn't enough room in the workshop to get far enough away from the bench to photograph it. Space there most definitely isn't: it's a single garage with a metalworking lathe, milling machine and motorbike taking up 3/4 of the space. As for tidy, that's something that happens every few months, at which point I take a photo!
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby RogerS » 30 Dec 2021, 09:04

This is my bench (photo taken in my old workshop)
Image

And now ? Buried under detritus as I never use it.

This is now my Go-To workbench and usually the router is well out of the way.

Image
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Alf » 30 Dec 2021, 12:33

Lons wrote:This is my set up in a double garage.

Jealous as all heck, I am. All those drawers, all that storage. Ahhh. :mrgreen:

I think we need to lower the tone a bit. Craig expected four figure Swedish benches, and while I can't do that, here's a eleven year old pic of my E C Emmerich with customisation instead.

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E C Emmerich workbench with retro-fitted Emmert vice
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It'd just been freshly flattened and oiled after vice surgery, hence its sparkly new appearance and lack of clobber on and around it. Must have had it for ten years or so at that point. Not building a bench was the best thing I ever did; knowing me it still wouldn't be finished and meanwhile I've had years of happy use out of this one.
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Lons » 30 Dec 2021, 12:45

Alf wrote: All those drawers, all that storage. Ahhh. :mrgreen:


Not always a blessing though as they're far too convenient just to fill up. As I said I rescued them and will always regret not being able to take the others available as I only got around a third and the rest were smashed up, it's disgraceful how much is wasted. :shock:
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Woodbloke » 30 Dec 2021, 12:58

Here's mine; this is based on the Emir cabinetmaker's bench that we used at Shoreditch College. To say the benches were used and abused by the students over the decades is a mild understatement :eusa-whistle: but they lasted.

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75mm thick legs and top; no apron. Removable bench well bottom so that cramps can be applied from both sides if needed. In addition an assembly bench, IMO, is also an absolute 'must have':

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There's easily as much work that gets done on this bench as the main one, particularly where there's an overhang onto which stuff is cramped - Rob
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Mike G » 30 Dec 2021, 13:18

Woodbloke wrote:......There's easily as much work that gets done on this bench as the main one, ....


I couldn't quite say that, but a fair percentage of my work gets done on saw horses.
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Craig Salisbury » 30 Dec 2021, 13:43

Excellent show, seems far more hand-toolery than i would have thought, not that that is a bad thing
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Trevanion » 30 Dec 2021, 13:52

You may have seen this from another post, but can I put forward this bench for Top Trumps? Feast your eyes on this beauty:

Image

8' x 4' Workbench, very Spartan and practical, no vices, holdfasts, wells, or any other fancy accoutrements you Easterners may be used to.

Made with a stout 4" x 3" softwood frame which were lengths that were too badly split for any actual work.

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12mm MDF 8' x 4' sheet as a work surface.

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Textured finish, of course.

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The top is loose on the top of the bench, so if needed it can be pushed so that one side is flush with the base for cramping stuff to the side of the table.

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Loads of storage space underneath, I'd argue you'd get more under there than any other bench builds with all those fancy drawers and shelves.

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How do you rate it? 8-)

I have other benches, that are far too chaotic to photograph and be proud of :oops:
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby the bear » 30 Dec 2021, 14:30

Here’s mine. It doesn’t normally have a chest of drawers on it but I’m slowly moving my workshop into its new home. It’s an old school bench like a couple of others on here. Mines jacked up to a better height for me by adding blocks under the legs. I’ll redo those as the mdf got wet when I had a flood. And also the vice could do with a clean as it got concrete dust on it. But was a bargain. Bench complete with two record quick release vices was less than £50 when I bought it. It came from the place in Corby that was selling all those old science tables off over on ukw probably over 10 years ago now
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Mike G » 30 Dec 2021, 15:42

Trevanion wrote:You may have seen this from another post, but can I put forward this bench for Top Trumps? Feast your eyes on this beauty:

Image.........


Awesome, Dan. That's a proper no-nonsense working bench.
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Craig Salisbury » 30 Dec 2021, 16:04

Trevanion wrote:You may have seen this from another post, but can I put forward this bench for Top Trumps? Feast your eyes on this beauty:

Image

8' x 4' Workbench, very Spartan and practical, no vices, holdfasts, wells, or any other fancy accoutrements you Easterners may be used to.

Made with a stout 4" x 3" softwood frame which were lengths that were too badly split for any actual work.

Image

12mm MDF 8' x 4' sheet as a work surface.

Image

Textured finish, of course.

Image

The top is loose on the top of the bench, so if needed it can be pushed so that one side is flush with the base for cramping stuff to the side of the table.

Image

Loads of storage space underneath, I'd argue you'd get more under there than any other bench builds with all those fancy drawers and shelves.

Image

How do you rate it? 8-)

I have other benches, that are far too chaotic to photograph and be proud of :oops:


oof that kinda man-bench makes we want to rip off the skimpies and go make snow angels in sawdust.
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Rezi » 30 Dec 2021, 16:08

I have a very cheap and nasty Clarke Workbench that was virtually free and the top is made of 15mm Beech and I could just about pick it up with one hand. The vice is next to useless despite my attempts to beef it up a bit.I have the workbench bolted to the assembly table or it would float away.
As I wasn't really sure what my needs would be I cobbled together an asssembly table and added 'build a workbench' to the list of future projects. I still haven't got round to it and, to be honest, I seem to manage perfectly fine with what I've got. I think if I had the wood lying around I'd probably do it but I don't.
I haven't bothered tidying up as I have 3 or 4 projects going on.

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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Andyp » 30 Dec 2021, 16:18

In order to clarify and prove I do not have an offcut addiction I thought I would elaborate on the state and number of benches in my workshop.

The one I built see post earlier in this thread. With off cut storage pile to the left.

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the Sjoberg bench with off cut storage under. There is a cast iron surface plate under there somewhere that adds ballast.

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And the combination router/lathe/bandsaw bench which is on locking castors bought from a deceased member on UKW years ago.

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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Craig Salisbury » 30 Dec 2021, 16:22

Andyp wrote:In order to clarify and prove I do not have an offcut addiction I thought I would elaborate on the state and number of benches in my workshop.

The one I built see post earlier in this thread. With off cut storage pile to the left.

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the Sjoberg bench with off cut storage under. There is a cast iron surface plate under there somewhere that adds ballast.

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And the combination router/lathe/bandsaw bench which is on locking castors bought from a deceased member on UKW years ago.

20211230_155753_resized.jpg


you are doing a terrible job of disproving an offcut addiction Andy lol
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Re: Show us yer bench!

Postby Peri » 30 Dec 2021, 16:26

I'll have a go - I do hope the op wasn't wanting to see the cream of British craftsmanship.

Made from B&Q's finest Autumn sale, buy 2 get one free lengths of decking (as is the router table and TS stand).

It's not flat, particularly sturdy or well designed, but as a place for putting things on, it's exceptional.
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