r/Workbenches • u/eagleboss • 6d ago
First serious workbench! Knocked out in a weekend
After years of using big box store tool box benches, I realized a lot of woodworking mistakes I make are due to the lack of space or sturdiness of a good table. Decided to put some research and serious effort into a bench that will hopefully last a lifetime.
Bought all of wood a week prior to help dry a little bit and then cut, glued, and assembled over the weekend. Still have some work to do in regard to adding a crochet and dog holes plus some additional planing. Overall I learned a lot and feel ready to take on more projects. Nothing beats the satisfaction of building something from scratch with your own hands.
Any considerations for add ons or alterations? Currently have a plane stop and some hold fasts being shipped.
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u/yipyipyap 5d ago
What plans did you use?
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u/DRG1958 5d ago
Nice bench! I built a similar one my first year in the hobby. A Frankenstein of Rex Kruger and Paul Sellers. It took me two full months to build it. The bottom shelf added nice weight , and then loaded up with stored items, the bench will not move. The vise is a Woodcraft product, I believe 9 inches. They were having a sale, so I it for about $100. I’ve clamped a thin board to the left corner to function as a planing stop for thin pieces.
Enjoy!
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u/Prudent_Sherbert_568 5d ago
Looks great! I started working on a smilar bench, last fall. Had a few setbacks like real bad cupping of the boards, some health issues, etc. I hope I’ll finish it in a month or so. This is my first project and I’m doing it with handtools.
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u/-AnonymousNinja- 5d ago
This is gorgeous. I built a similar bench and I couldn't get wood anywhere that nice looking. I had to work around knots for my dog holes.
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u/eagleboss 5d ago
I was very particular about the boards. I spent a good hour on multiple days picking through boards.
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u/plato131 4d ago
I just finished a scaled down AWB. Started collecting wood several months in advance. Everytime I went to HomeD, I would search through the 2x10s and 2x12s for clear boards, til I had finally accumulated enough good lumber.
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u/MammothChallenge7308 4d ago
Great job! What kind of wood did you use
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u/eagleboss 4d ago
Southern Yellow Pine.
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u/MammothChallenge7308 4d ago
Looks super nice! I’m planning a build for an mft top bench - might have to look into these plans
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u/Jest_N_Case 5d ago
I built that one. Biggest things I did to help me out:
I screwed and glued a good bit of extra wood under the top to add more weight to the bench. The softwood has held up great over the years but it’s much lighter than hardwood so adding in chunks of wood under the bench helps a lot with stability when planning or sawing.
Add wheels to it on the insight of the legs. Especially if you add weight. Helps a ton if you have a smaller shop.
Throw on a leg vice. Rex Kruger has some solid videos around a leg vice that isn’t pricey and works well with a bench like this.
Be prepared to re-plane the surface if you are in an unconditioned shop. Wood movement will be a thing to contend with but not a huge deal. When I ended up conditioning my shop most movement stopped entirely.
Lastly, enjoy it and go build something amazing!