# Question Of The Week... (2021 week 4)



## ripjack13 (Jan 24, 2021)

*Most people may have made a workbench (or would like to). For those of you that have made a bench, What do you like or dislike about your workbench?*








**Rules**
There is no minimum post requirement,
primates, woodticks, wood spinners, and leprechauns are welcome to post an answer.
I remember when I was a little boy, I once stole a pornographic book that was printed in Braille, and I used to rub the dirty parts.


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## Mike1950 (Jan 24, 2021)

Mine has been finished almost a decade. My biggest problems with it 1. It absolutely refuses to de-clutter itself!! I think it is broken. 2nd. It has been finished almost a decade- this means I am not building it. I love building big M&T. Just something so satisfying putting stuff together that stands and stays together before you glue it.

Reactions: Like 6 | Agree 1


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## T. Ben (Jan 24, 2021)

I built mine about 15 yrs ago,maybe longer I’m not sure, in the basement of my first house,took it apart,shortened it and reassembled it in the garage. It could use some improvement,drawers and stuff like that.

Reactions: Like 4


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## woodtickgreg (Jan 24, 2021)

I have made many workbenches in my lifetime and I'm about to embark on making another. My workbenches have been anything from plywood tops, solid slab doors that where re purposed, to just construction grade 2 x 4's. Cost of materials has often been a factor in what the bench was made from. I have made them big and small and every size in between. Some benches for the garage, some for metal working, and many for wood working. I dont think there is any one perfect bench, and everyone's needs are different. For now I'll give my thoughts on a wood working work bench and what I want in my next bench, which I'll be starting on soon. Some things that need to be considered..........bench height? And this will vary for everyone. In my early days I always made them too tall, through trial and error I've finally found the height that is right for me, I'm 5'9". So my bench height wouldn't be good for a person that's 6 foot or more, and probably would be too tall for @Tony. Bench size? I once had a bench that was 9 or 10 foot long, it was way to big, I still have it but I have cut it in half and use one half in my wood shop and one half in my metal shop. The half in my metal shop is too tall and I need to shorten the legs. For me I find that about 5 to 6 foot length is enough room since I often use my tablesaw outfield tables as a supplemental work surface (place to pile stuff). For a wood worker the bench needs to be rock stable and have mass! My next bench will have a much thicker laminated hardwood top, Ash because I have a bunch of it. I've gone back and forth with this but I think I want my next bench to have a tool tray in the middle with ramps on both ends of the tray for easy clean out of sawdust and wood chips. It should also have massive legs for low weight and stability, I haven't quite worked out the final details of this in my head yet, but I'm almost there. 
Work holding?........and this too will be different for everyone and often times dictated by budget, good vises can be expensive. I have my favorite ways of holding things, a good wood workers vice with replaceable wood jaws suits me just fine. Bench dog holes, hold fast for those holes, and the ability to clamp things to the edge of the bench are important to me and how I work. Finish?........For me over the years i have found that a waterbased poly for floors works well topped with wax, its durable and easily repaired or refreshed and allows glue drips to be wiped off easy. 
For me a workbench is utilitarian and I'm hard on a bench and usually beat the crap out of them which cause me to occasionally sand the tops down to refresh them. I have seen some beautiful work benches, @Mike1950 bench comes to mind, it's absolutely beautiful! But I would be way to hard on a bench like his and would abuse such a beautiful bench. No drawers for my bench because I have a whole wall of cabinets and drawers and I put my shop air cleaner below the bench, works great when I'm sanding and I dont hit my head on it. So these are my thoughts on a bench and what I'll be building next, it will be similar to @Sprung bench but with a few things different to suit my methods of work. Of all the tools in your shop I think over the years I have learned that it should require the most thought and effort to build correctly because that is where most of you time will be spent. I have made many mistakes building benches to learn this from trial and error.

Reactions: Like 2 | Great Post 3


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## Sprung (Jan 24, 2021)

Not sure how well I can answer this question as I'm currently in the process of building a new bench! I'm looking forward to working on it and it should suit my needs quite well. Eventually I may build a cabinet for under the bench.

In progress/how it sits right now:





I have another bench, well, maybe more of a counter, that I have been happy with. The work surface is about 40", which is a good height for me to work at while standing, especially when working on smaller stuff.





And under it (though not directly attached to it) is hardware storage.





Setting up shop again after moving has given me a great opportunity to evaluate previous shop spaces/setups and learn from them and set everything up how I really want it and how it's going to best work for me.

Reactions: Like 4


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Jan 24, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> I have made many workbenches in my lifetime and I'm about to embark on making another. My workbenches have been anything from plywood tops, solid slab doors that where re purposed, to just construction grade 2 x 4's. Cost of materials has often been a factor in what the bench was made from. I have made them big and small and every size in between. Some benches for the garage, some for metal working, and many for wood working. I dont think there is any one perfect bench, and everyone's needs are different. For now I'll give my thoughts on a wood working work bench and what I want in my next bench, which I'll be starting on soon. Some things that need to be considered..........bench height? And this will vary for everyone. In my early days I always made them too tall, through trial and error I've finally found the height that is right for me, I'm 5'9". So my bench height wouldn't be good for a person that's 6 foot or more, and probably would be too tall for @Tony. Bench size? I once had a bench that was 9 or 10 foot long, it was way to big, I still have it but I have cut it in half and use one half in my wood shop and one half in my metal shop. The half in my metal shop is too tall and I need to shorten the legs. For me I find that about 5 to 6 foot length is enough room since I often use my tablesaw outfield tables as a supplemental work surface (place to pile stuff). For a wood worker the bench needs to be rock stable and have mass! My next bench will have a much thicker laminated hardwood top, Ash because I have a bunch of it. I've gone back and forth with this but I think I want my next bench to have a tool tray in the middle with ramps on both ends of the tray for easy clean out of sawdust and wood chips. It should also have massive legs for low weight and stability, I haven't quite worked out the final details of this in my head yet, but I'm almost there.
> Work holding?........and this too will be different for everyone and often times dictated by budget, good vises can be expensive. I have my favorite ways of holding things, a good wood workers vice with replaceable wood jaws suits me just fine. Bench dog holes, hold fast for those holes, and the ability to clamp things to the edge of the bench are important to me and how I work. Finish?........For me over the years i have found that a waterbased poly for floors works well topped with wax, its durable and easily repaired or refreshed and allows glue drips to be wiped off easy.
> For me a workbench is utilitarian and I'm hard on a bench and usually beat the crap out of them which cause me to occasionally sand the tops down to refresh them. I have seen some beautiful work benches, @Mike1950 bench comes to mind, it's absolutely beautiful! But I would be way to hard on a bench like his and would abuse such a beautiful bench. No drawers for my bench because I have a whole wall of cabinets and drawers and I put my shop air cleaner below the bench, works great when I'm sanding and I dont hit my head on it. So these are my thoughts on a bench and what I'll be building next, it will be similar to @Sprung bench but with a few things different to suit my methods of work. Of all the tools in your shop I think over the years I have learned that it should require the most thought and effort to build correctly because that is where most of you time will be spent. I have made many mistakes building benches to learn this from trial and error.


Good lord, I thought Rocky took over Greg's account for a minute!

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 4 | +Karma 1


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## eaglea1 (Jan 24, 2021)

Wish mine was larger, because that would mean my shop was larger.

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 1


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## DLJeffs (Jan 24, 2021)

I built mine at our previous house and liked it so much I moved it here with our household goods. I like it:
1. sturdy, solid
2. the top is a sheet of 5/8" ply that I can replace when it gets all dinged up and grungy
3. two drawers and shelving that accommodate most of the stuff I have

I dislike it because:
1. doesn't have a decent, useful vice or dogs to hold pieces I'm working on
2. sometimes it's too tall, when I need to apply lot of force, I can't lean into it very well

Reactions: Like 5


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## Nature Man (Jan 24, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> I have made many workbenches in my lifetime and I'm about to embark on making another. My workbenches have been anything from plywood tops, solid slab doors that where re purposed, to just construction grade 2 x 4's. Cost of materials has often been a factor in what the bench was made from. I have made them big and small and every size in between. Some benches for the garage, some for metal working, and many for wood working. I dont think there is any one perfect bench, and everyone's needs are different. For now I'll give my thoughts on a wood working work bench and what I want in my next bench, which I'll be starting on soon. Some things that need to be considered..........bench height? And this will vary for everyone. In my early days I always made them too tall, through trial and error I've finally found the height that is right for me, I'm 5'9". So my bench height wouldn't be good for a person that's 6 foot or more, and probably would be too tall for @Tony. Bench size? I once had a bench that was 9 or 10 foot long, it was way to big, I still have it but I have cut it in half and use one half in my wood shop and one half in my metal shop. The half in my metal shop is too tall and I need to shorten the legs. For me I find that about 5 to 6 foot length is enough room since I often use my tablesaw outfield tables as a supplemental work surface (place to pile stuff). For a wood worker the bench needs to be rock stable and have mass! My next bench will have a much thicker laminated hardwood top, Ash because I have a bunch of it. I've gone back and forth with this but I think I want my next bench to have a tool tray in the middle with ramps on both ends of the tray for easy clean out of sawdust and wood chips. It should also have massive legs for low weight and stability, I haven't quite worked out the final details of this in my head yet, but I'm almost there.
> Work holding?........and this too will be different for everyone and often times dictated by budget, good vises can be expensive. I have my favorite ways of holding things, a good wood workers vice with replaceable wood jaws suits me just fine. Bench dog holes, hold fast for those holes, and the ability to clamp things to the edge of the bench are important to me and how I work. Finish?........For me over the years i have found that a waterbased poly for floors works well topped with wax, its durable and easily repaired or refreshed and allows glue drips to be wiped off easy.
> For me a workbench is utilitarian and I'm hard on a bench and usually beat the crap out of them which cause me to occasionally sand the tops down to refresh them. I have seen some beautiful work benches, @Mike1950 bench comes to mind, it's absolutely beautiful! But I would be way to hard on a bench like his and would abuse such a beautiful bench. No drawers for my bench because I have a whole wall of cabinets and drawers and I put my shop air cleaner below the bench, works great when I'm sanding and I dont hit my head on it. So these are my thoughts on a bench and what I'll be building next, it will be similar to @Sprung bench but with a few things different to suit my methods of work. Of all the tools in your shop I think over the years I have learned that it should require the most thought and effort to build correctly because that is where most of you time will be spent. I have made many mistakes building benches to learn this from trial and error.


What did you decide on for the right height for your workbench? Chuck

Reactions: Like 2


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## Gdurfey (Jan 24, 2021)

I have built several basic benches for stuff, reloading, storage below, etc. Most have been doubled layer of plywood with a couple being MDF. Now that I am learning and desiring to do more woodwork, and from y’all, I am learning what a proper bench should be. And honestly, if I could build one like @Sprung , I would be blown away. I know there are others out there just as nice as Matt’s, but his is easy to reference and I certainly appreciate him taking the time t document the build. As I have said before, this is what makes Woodbarter special.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Sprung (Jan 24, 2021)

Gdurfey said:


> doubled layer of plywood



That was something I learned in my previous shop. Over time I started building any benches or tops for the shop out of a double layer of 3/4" plywood. Even the wood top I put in place on top of my HF toolbox is a double layer of 3/4" plywood - and I've been happy that I went with the double layer instead of the single layer. The double layer makes for a nice work surface! The side bench I posted a picture of above, with the laminate on it and ash edging, is also a double layer of 3/4" plywood.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Gdurfey (Jan 25, 2021)

Forgotten who got me into doubling up on the plywood, but that also was a good width for several of my benches over time. Matter of fact, they will be moving with me again when we get into the new place later this year. I have cheapie big box cabinets supporting them; bought way before I ever dreamed i would build my own cabinet!!!!

Yes, pictures coming later today........

Reactions: Like 2


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## Mike Hill (Jan 25, 2021)

I loved the one my Dad built at our house in San Antonio and the one Little Mikey cut his teeth on. All 2x material except for the drawers - he used dynamite boxes he picked up from the highway jobsites he frequented. 

The one I built at my house, was all 2x stuff (sans dynamite boxes), just not big enough. But I tore it up a couple of years ago to make room for more equipment, tools, and wood. Bought on of the SS rolling boxes from one of the membership clubs that has a butcherblock type top, but I have so many lap machines, faceting machines, ring saws, sharpeners (2), etc.... on it, it is dedicated to them. So I'm relegated to 3 others - pickup tailgate, and old shop mate and an old Neiko (Woodcraft used to sell) They have their limitations, but when that is all ya got!

Reactions: Like 3


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## Tclem (Jan 25, 2021)

That I actually have to work

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Gdurfey (Jan 26, 2021)

My quick easy ones currently in the basement. Guess I could have posted in Show Us Your Shop.













I will say, doubling the plywood and putting on top the store bought cheap cabinets is a very easy bench if you can get by with 2 feet wide. And they are sturdy enough for a lot of things.

I still want a bench like @Sprung ’s!!!

Reactions: Like 3


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## Ray D (Jan 26, 2021)

Very nice. I like your loading station. Chewy is awesome!! lol

Reactions: Like 2


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## Mike Hill (Jan 26, 2021)

I was going to ask what you did with the tumbler, but then I noticed the reloading station.

Reactions: Like 2


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## DLJeffs (Jan 26, 2021)

Seeing Garry's bench reminded me of one other thing I like about mine. It fits tight to the wall so stuff can't fall down behind it. I'm constantly pushing stuff out of the way and it would drive me crazy if I had those spaces between the studs like yours Garry. I'd put a 1X4 railing back there to stop that.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Gdurfey (Jan 26, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> Seeing Garry's bench reminded me of one other thing I like about mine. It fits tight to the wall so stuff can't fall down behind it. I'm constantly pushing stuff out of the way and it would drive me crazy if I had those spaces between the studs like yours Garry. I'd put a 1X4 railing back there to stop that.


I put a small 2 x 2 or something. Yep, I will always push a pencil off the back.....to start.

Reactions: Like 1


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