Workshop Projects. Jeff Jacobson

      Building a Workbench on a Budget

      There are a number of woodworking fixtures you can get by without for a long while, but a sturdy workbench isn’t one of them. The trouble is, those solid-hardwood benches we all lust after can completely blow a modest woodworking budget. Here’s a bench that splits the difference. You’ll get a top that can stand up to significant abuse, a sturdy, heavy base that keeps the bench planted where you put it, and an end vise and T-track system for holding workpieces and a variety of unique jigs. It may not look quite like a European bench, but it works just as hard as one for a lot less money.

       by Rick White

      Every woodworker dreams of owning a classic European workbench. The beautiful maple top and elaborate shoulder vise symbolize the essence of fine craftsmanship. But how many of us look at these benches and end up saying, “It’s just too nice to use in my shop”? And when we see the cost of building such a bench, we pass on the project altogether.

      On the other hand, settling for a barely adequate bench is frustrating. Without a vise, you can’t hold your workpiece, and without a heavy, solid surface, you can’t expect to strike a chisel without having it bounce around and damage your wood.

      Being caught between a rock and a hard place over a workbench is no fun. The workbench is, after all, the heart and soul of a shop. With this dilemma in mind, I set out to build a completely functional workstation for about $300. About half of that cost was for two essential products: The first is a Veritas vise with two screws connected by a bicycle chain that overcomes the racking problem commonly experienced with traditional vises. The chain drive can be quickly released to operate the screws independently, making it possible to cant the jaws a little when holding stock out near the edge of the bench. The second must-have is a T-slot system (see Figure 1). It offers great flexibility and, as you’ll see, lends itself to dozens of homemade accessories.

      The first thing a bench should offer is a sturdy surface, and this one fills the bill. You can surface an oak board with a hand plane, and the bench won’t budge an inch. The hardboard top makes a sound work surface, and since it’s screwed down, it’s easy to replace when it becomes worn or damaged. There’s plenty of room for handling large panels, and you can clamp wood for sanding, surface and edge planing, edge and panel routing, joint cutting, and up to this point, any operation you can think of. The completed bench is heavy, which is perfect for deadening the blows of a pounding mallet.

Figure 1: The basic T-slot system opens up all sorts of jig possibilities for holding a project while drilling, routing, planing, sanding, or cutting at the workbench.

      In addition to the basic bench design, you may also want to add a cabinet to the leg structure. Although this isn’t part of the original project, spending an additional $50 for one more sheet of plywood and three pairs of drawer slides makes better use of this otherwise empty space. The exploded view on page 7 will guide you through this addition.

       Building the Base

      The base of the workbench is made with standard 2" x 4" stock, and most of the joints are made with lap joints and screws. All the cutting was done with a table saw, and for this phase of the project, the only other tool you’ll need quite a bit is a drill.

      Begin by gluing up 2" x 4" stock for the legs (pieces 1), after cutting the pieces a couple inches longer than the lengths given in the Material List on page 4. Use two pieces of lumber for each leg, spreading yellow glue on both mating surfaces to get a perfect bond, and then clamp the pieces together. Clean off the excess glue from each lamination before it hardens.

      Once the legs are removed from the clamps, go ahead and cut all the base pieces to length. The side aprons (pieces 2) and top supports (pieces 3) give the top much of its rigidity and help keep the base from racking. The side stretchers (pieces 4), end aprons (pieces 5), and end stretchers (pieces 6) complete the base, creating great stability and adding substantial weight to the bench.

      Lay out the lap joint locations on the legs, as shown above and in the lap joint detail on page 5. Keep in mind that all the leg joint positions are essentially the same, but as with all table legs, each one has to mirror the leg across from it. To cut the laps, install a ¾" dado blade in your table saw, raise the blade 1½", and then, with the aid of your miter gauge, take several passes to remove the wood in each joint area.

      Now, lower the dado blade to ¾", and lay out the dadoes on the side aprons for joining with the top supports. Cut each dado with a couple of passes over the blade. Next, cut a ¾"-wide x ½"-deep rabbet along the top inside edge of each side stretcher. Stop the rabbets 1" from each end of the pieces. To protect your fence during these rabbeting cuts, be sure to clamp on a wood face.

T-Slot Jigs

       The clamp-holding jig steadies bar clamps on the bench top while you adjust boards in a panel assembly. That way, you can work at a comfortable height without tipping clamps over during an assembly.

       This T-square jig is a sweet invention. When routing multiple dadoes across a panel, it is unsurpassed for speed, and since everything references off the edge of the bench, it’s super-accurate.

       A pair of toggle clamps makes a nice combination for clamping: One set clamps in line with the T-slots, and the other set is at right angles to the slots. Between them, you can hold projects across or parallel to the bench length.

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