One of the most valuable tools in your shop is the workbench. Rather than a mere surface to set things on, it should be your silent assistant, holding tools, gripping workpieces and withstanding the rigors of pounding, pushing and clamping projects together. In short, it must be A tough cookie !

The basic, stationary workbench
Your workbench should be made to fit you…and it's design should reflect both your needs…and your wants. There are lots of ready-made benches available. From flimsy, steel-legged models that can barely support themselves to massive, 300-pound European beechwood behemoths that will support a bulldozer and can easily cost a small fortune.
What you probably want is something in-between that you can personalize for your specific application and build yourself for a fraction of the cost plus some time. But before you get started, you need to ask yourself a few questions:

How big is your shop?
The size of your shop determines the size of your bench. The average bench is about 5' to 7' long and 18" to 36" wide (depending on its application). But, if your shop space is smaller than that, you'll have to build one that fits the space you have.
Just remember that you'll need freedom of movement around your bench, as well as adequate working space on top of it. It's best to leave a minimum of 27" of clearance around all working sides of the bench so you won't be crowded.

Where will you put your bench ?
Shove a bench into a corner and you'll only have two usable working sides - place it against a single wall and you'll have three. Better yet, place it in the middle of the shop space and you'll have access to all four sides - and that's a MAJOR ADVANTAGE.

How large are your projects ?
The size of the projects you typically make also helps determine the size of the bench you'll need. If you only build small projects, you'll only need a small bench. Don't be stingy. Try to allow as much worktable surface

space as possible. Remember that your workbench should be considered as one of your most important stationary tools and as such, is worthy of as much space as you can give it.

How tall are you ?
If you're an average sized person, you could build an average sized bench. But it's best to build the bench to fit your body and ensure your comfort. Here's how:
For a standing workbench, measure from about 4" above your hip joint to the floor. If you would like to have more leverage, drop that to be even with your hip joint. If you dislike bending, raise the height of your benchtop above the norms. The important point is that you think it out thoroughly before you decide.

What kind of work surface do you want ?
For an inexpensive top that will suit most applications, a piece of 3/4" thick MDF, particleboard or plywood mounted onto a 2x4 frame should provide a sufficiently rigid, stable work surface. If you need something a bit heavier, double-up on your sheet goods surface.
If you screw a sheet of 1/4" thick tempered hardboard over your benchtop, you'll have a surface that can be easily and inexpensively replaced after a year or two of hard use.
If you want a truly professional-quality top, you can always create a laminated edge-grain surface by gluing and bolting, screwing or nailing a series of 1" thick by 2" to 2-1/2" wide hard maple, beech or oak boards together. Such a surface won't scratch or mar your workpieces and is certain to withstand the rigors of heavy pounding.
Protect natural wood surfaces with an application of linseed oil followed by a couple of coats of tung oil or other durable, clear sealer. Once the sealer coat dries, apply a couple of coats of paste wax then maintain the surface with occasional waxing to keep paints, stains and glue from building up on the surface.
For a "budget version of the professional-quality top, use clear, straight 2x4s instead of hardwoods

What kind of legs do you want ?
A benchtop is only as good as the legs that support it. Usually, 2x4s or 4x4s attached with heavy screws or bolts will do quite nicely. Be sure to brace everything solidly

with 2x2, 1x4 or plywood strip braces mounted diagonally to the top and legs and tied together where they cross.
Another alternative to wooden legs is prefabricated steel bench legs. They're available in a different sizes at hardware stores, home centers and similar locations and most are extremely easy to assemble. To customize their heights, just add 1x4 or 1x6 shims between the tops of the legs and the bottom of your work surface.
Remember that as with wooden legs, you'll need to add diagonal braces to the sides and back. As an alternative, if your bench is to be located against a wall, your back brace could be made from a sheet of 1/2" plywood or similar.

Customizing the basic workbench
Once you've decided on a basic design for your workbench, think about some of the "extras" that will make your bench "one-of-a-kind". For example:
Vises - Of all workbench accessories, the vise is probably the most important. At least one vise is a necessity for a good bench and it's traditional location is on the left front corner of the bench.
The holding capacity of vises is limited by how far the jaws open…a problem that can be overcome with the addition of Bench Dogs. Bench Dogs are stops that are inserted into mortises or bored holes in the surface of the benchtop (See Fig. 1). They're normally used in conjunction with a retractable, pop-up Dog on the movable jaw of your woodworker's vise. The workpiece is placed between the vise jaw's pop-up Dog and a Dog or series of side-by-side Dogs on the workbench surface. In this way, vises and Bench Dogs work together to transform the entire benchtop into a solid clamping system. For optimal operation, a row of Bench Dog holes spaced about 6" apart should run in line from the center of the pop-up vide Dog to the back of the bench.
A second vise mounted on the opposite end of the bench and perpendicular to the first vise can be added, with a corresponding row of Bench Dog holes along the front edge of the bench. This makes it possible for you to secure a workpiece that's as large as the bench itself.
Your first choice should be a rapid-action woodworker's vise. These models feature quick-release mechanisms that disengage the vise jaw threads when you turn the handle counter-clockwise…allowing you to slide the jaws in or out quickly. To tighten, just turn the handle clockwise and the jaws re-engage.
When attaching these vises, mount them in a shallow cut mortise with their fixed jaws flush with the front edge of the bench and about 1/4" below the top surface. Add a 3/4" hard maple face to the front, movable jaw. This allows the edge of your workbench to function as a vise jaw for wide workpieces
(See Fig. 2).

Combination Bench & Drill Press Vises can be mounted on the benchtop - extending off the benchtop - upside-down - even at a 45o angle. They will attach to benches up to 2-1/2" thick and offer jaws with horizontal and vertical V-cuts for more positive control of round or triangular stock.
Specialty vise jaws Round stock is difficult to hold in a conventional vise without marring due to the flat faces of the jaws. However, you can make some special jaws (See Fig 3) that will grip round stock gently but tightly. Just drill 1/2", 3/4" and 1" holes in a piece of ordinary 2x6 lumber, as shown in the drawing. Then use your Bandsaw to resaw your 2x6 in half, as shown and slip the two halves between the jaws of your bench vise to hold your odd stock.
Hold-down clamps A hold-down clamp is like a vise that can be used to hold workpieces down, onto the workbench surface. Just drill and counterbore a series of holes in your benchtop for the special 3/8" mounting bolts. These bolts have unique heads, designed to engage a slot in the foot of the Hold-Down Clamp. Once the bolts are installed and adjusted properly, just lift the bolt head up, slip the Hold-Down Clamp slot over the bolt head and tighten to hold your workpiece down firmly.
Bench hooks (See Fig.4) are used to hold small workpieces securely while you work on them. One end of a bench hook has a small cleat underneath that hooks over the edge of the bench. The opposite end of the hook has another small cleat that protrudes up from the top of the device. When you lay your stock on top (and against the
top cleat), you can push against it for chiseling, planing, sanding, screw pocket hole drilling or whatever without fear of the stock moving.


Your workbench - a personal tool
As you plan for "the workbench of your dreams", remember that it should be your most personally tailored stationary tool. It's a tool you can (and should) design and build yourself.
Choose from the components of lumber, hardware and accessories that you want and customize your bench as your talents and needs grow. Through it all, make sure that your workbench fits (and suits) the most important person in your shop - YOU !


The Shop Stool
Why not get comfortable while you work? There are times when a stool built to seat you at just the right height to your workbench can be a comfortable alternative to standing. And, you can make one in your shop, much more easily than you might guess.
Start by laminating some hardwood stock for the seat. Allow the glue to set for at least 24 hours. Rough-out the seat to round on the Bandsaw and turn it on the lathe. There should be an 8" to 9" clearance between the underside of your benchtop and the top of your stool seat. Cut the length of legs you need and turn the dowel ends on the tops of them.
Drill the holes in the bottom of the seat by tilting the table on your drill press to 5o and resting the seat against some stop blocks to ensure the consistency of the hole positions. Then tilt the table to 4o and drill the holes in the legs for the stretchers. Taper the legs on the jointer, if you like. Glue and clamp the stool together and apply the finish of your choice.

BILL OF MATERIALS
(finished dimensions in inches --
for a 25-3/4" tall stool)

A Stool seat 1-1/2 x 12-1/2 dia.
B Legs (4) 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 x 25
C Stretchers (4) 1/2 dia. x 9
D Stretchers (4) 1/2 dia. x 8



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