Workbench Question

D

dougthewoodworker

Member
I am going to replace my current bench. I currently have a workbench and a largish outfield table for my table saw. I use both power and hand tools. Most benches that lean towards hand tools are long and narrow....say 24" in depth. In your experience is this too narrow? I have a decent size space but I keep filling it with things so adding a dedicated assembly table is out. I am concerned I will run out of room for working on components while assembling things like a case. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Doug Voss
Louisville, KY
 
Doug,

I'm primarily a hand-tool woodworker. My primary workbench is 22" deep. I can't recall how I chose that depth...probably a combination of limited shop space and dictates of the material. At any rate, I do at times wish I had another inch or 2 of depth; not for any working purposes, but when standing a chair on the benchtop I find the legs are too close to the edges for comfort. I make it work though and don't otherwise spend much time thinking about it. I think I'd be perfectly happy with a 24" deep workbench and wouldn't want it more than that...then it'd be too much of a PITA to walk around and use for clamping.

I do have a second work surface for components that have been set aside. I wouldn't want them on my main workbench in any case...too much risk of bumping and dinging them up when near the active work area.

Mark Maleski
 
My work bench is about 24" x 84". What I find is that I mostly use the first 13"-14" closest to me. The workbench is about 36" high. I have an assembly table that is 24" high, with a considerably larger surface area, next to the bench. I use this for gluing and bringing the parts together when building furniture. I know you have ruled out an assembly table, but I find mine to be almost as useful as the bench in its own way. It allows me to offload much of the assembly work from the work bench. My point is you're going to need space to assemble furniture and the typical workbench is not ideal for larger projects. It's too high and (often) covered in tools :).
 
creasman said:
My work bench is about 24" x 84". What I find is that I mostly use the first 13"-14" closest to me. The workbench is about 36" high. I have an assembly table that is 24" high, with a considerably larger surface area, next to the bench. I use this for gluing and bringing the parts together when building furniture. I know you have ruled out an assembly table, but I find mine to be almost as useful as the bench in its own way. It allows me to offload much of the assembly work from the work bench. My point is you're going to need space to assemble furniture and the typical workbench is not ideal for larger projects. It's too high and (often) covered in tools :).
Click to expand...
thanks for the reply....can you tell me a little more about your assembly table? How it fits into your shop? Maybe send a pic? I really appreciate it. Also, is 84" too long or just right for the bench?
 
Mark Maleski said:
Doug,

I'm primarily a hand-tool woodworker. My primary workbench is 22" deep. I can't recall how I chose that depth...probably a combination of limited shop space and dictates of the material. At any rate, I do at times wish I had another inch or 2 of depth; not for any working purposes, but when standing a chair on the benchtop I find the legs are too close to the edges for comfort. I make it work though and don't otherwise spend much time thinking about it. I think I'd be perfectly happy with a 24" deep workbench and wouldn't want it more than that...then it'd be too much of a PITA to walk around and use for clamping.

I do have a second work surface for components that have been set aside. I wouldn't want them on my main workbench in any case...too much risk of bumping and dinging them up when near the active work area.

Mark Maleski
Click to expand...
Mark, Thank you very much for your reply. I am new to SAPFM. The people I have met and the support so far has been tremendous. Can you tell me a little about your second work surface? I use my outfeed table as such but then it compromises me being able to use my table saw.
 
Doug,
I have 3 hard maple top workbenches, 27-29"D x 8'L x 35-37" tall. Make you workbench whatever is best for you. There is no "rule of thumb" for a workbench size. I wish mine were a few inch deeper. In my opinion a workbench can never be big enough!
Dennis Bork
 
Antiquity said:
Doug,
I have 3 hard maple top workbenches, 27-29"D x 8'L x 35-37" tall. Make you workbench whatever is best for you. There is no "rule of thumb" for a workbench size. I wish mine were a few inch deeper. In my opinion a workbench can never be big enough!
Dennis Bork
Click to expand...
I'm curious....when you say you wish they were deeper....as I am concerned about....what limitation do you encounter because your benches are only 27-29" deep?
 
If my workbench was 36" deep it would be more usable for me when I build and layout furniture and other projects.
Dennis Bork
 
what style of bench is each one? I am considering building a roubo. That's where I get stuck on depth.....also weight. I am debating on how thick to make the top.
 
dougthewoodworker said:
can you tell me a little more about your assembly table? How it fits into your shop? Maybe send a pic?
Click to expand...
Sure, here is a picture. The assembly table is in the foreground. It's oriented in the same direction as my workbench with about 30" of space between the two. It's close enough so all I have to do is turn around, but far enough so I can still easily work at the bench.
 
Check out this thread on the NCWW forum. It contains comments and posts from many of our members on their workbenches, what they like and don't like. A description of my workbench starts here. You can just see the corner of the assembly table in the first picture.
 
I have 3 patternmaker's benches (my past trade). The legs and cross members are all 4"x4" hard maple and the top is maple 3" thick. Dog holes along one side,I added more in the center for hold fasts, end vise and a patternmaker's vise on the other end (the best vise ever made). Just make your bench the size that fits your needs/projects.
Dennis Bork
 
Antiquity said:
I have 3 patternmaker's benches (my past trade). The legs and cross members are all 4"x4" hard maple and the top is maple 3" thick. Dog holes along one side,I added more in the center for hold fasts, end vise and a patternmaker's vise on the other end (the best vise ever made). Just make your bench the size that fits your needs/projects.
Dennis Bork
Click to expand...
Thanks Dennis. You must have quite a sizeable shop to have 3 benches. I am jealous. Things are starting to come into focus for me. Thanks for including your top thickness. That is very helpful. It's one of the variables that I am wrestling. In regards to make the bench that fits your needs...I am progressing from fairly basic projects to more complex and larger projects. That is where I lean on the SAPFM membership for input. Hard to know my needs until I get to that point. That said, chances are that it's all fine in the end and I am just overthinking things (as usual).
 
My shop is less than 400 sq ft. Layout is the key! You don't need a big shop to make projects. Having everything mobile helps.
 
Before you build your bench, take the location of it into account. If you can put a vise on the end as well as the front that would be great. I built my bench almost 40 yrs ago now. I used treated 4x4's as legs and some 2x material for the top frame. Originally I used treated 2xs for the top. My original intention was a 'work bench', not something to build fine furniture on. Over the years a plastic laminated door slab was added to the top. This makes a perfectly flat surface, which by the way cleans extremely easy. The overall size of the top is 32 x 84. At one point I added a vice to the front left corner. Most of the woodworkers I know and have known from SAPFM would probably cringe if they saw it, LOL. I have it against a wall so only work from the front. It is not too wide, however the back 8"-10" is mostly cluttered with junk. I also have a 4 x 8 work table to prop stuff on when the need be. Not sure how to add pictures yet.
 
Hello Doug,
The better bench to make is a Robo bench with face vise and tail vise. There's a lot of vises on the market, use care in your choice.
I am tall, 6'-2", therefore my bench is 39" high. 36' is OK. Old benches are about 30" high, you'll break your back at that height. THINK OF A WORKBENCH AS A TOOL. THE QUALITY OF YOUR WORK IS PROPORTIONAL TO HOW WELL YOU HOLD IT. And it's not a storage shelf for tools. Only tools while in use are on the bench. I use a bench for working wood and putting together small items, accessories as in drawers. Otherwise, I use sawhorses as an assembly devise. If a surface is required, place 2 boards, such as 2x4's, across the sawhorses for holding a carcass in place. The 2x4's are useful to clamp to and apply pressure to the item in the necessary places. You may place a 2 ft. deep item on 2 ft. hgt. sawhorses and the total top hgt. is 4 ft., workable. A 1 ft. deep cabinet on 3 ft. hgt. sawhorses is at a convenient hgt. Far more flexible than a workbench surface. I've made my bench with 2 boards for a top surface and with a 2-3" space between those 2 boards. You can drop a clamp thru the space for clamping requirements. 24" is a good width since you used the front 12-16" edge most of the time, and sawhorses fills in for other needs. Just an oil finish is good for the bench surface. I occasionally add paste wax on the top. Glue doesn't stick to wax, but it makes for a slippery surface, sometimes inconvenient. My first good bench made was about 38-40 years ago. I scavenged cutoff oak flooring, while on a job site, for the work surface. I like it ! Material is optional and hardwood is preferable. The surface should be flat.
WES
 
Doug

Late to the party but attached is a plan for the assembly table I use routinely. Copied it from the assembly tables Ben Hobbs has in his shop. It is covered with a cheep habor freight moving blanket. I have a second one on casters that I have on the screened in porch I use as a spray booth.

If you can find the room I highly reccomend.

Bill Markert
 
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