Small Work Bench I Made

redsquid2

redsquid2

Rockabilly Interim Pardon Viscount
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
3,124
Had some fun making this. Had not made anything this big in a couple years.

I did it the way Bob Loveless recommends in his book, except it is only 4' instead of 8', and I used 3.5" drywall screws and glue, instead of carriage bolts. Oh, and I did not bolt it to the floor. I don't think the landlord would appreciate that. :D

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I like it. :thumbup: Two layers of ply for the top is very cool. I could use about four of those benches scattered around my shop for single-purpose workstations.

You may find that open outlets have a curious tendency to attract steel dust. This is somewhat disconcerting; you can buy cheap little plastic thingys to "plug into" an unused outlet. They're meant to "childproof" and keep a little kid from sticking a fork in there, but they work in knife shops, too.

I know pegboard is very popular for hanging tools up, but I've found I get by just fine with a solid backdrop and drive nails in like you did. :p
 
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That looks great, I built a workbench a lot like that and it is sturdy as can be.
 
Great job! Nice to see a little bit of woodworking going on here! If you want to ad pegboard to the back, you can do it with some 1x2 furring strips to hold the peg board out away from the plywood.
 
I like your work bench
When I build mine I screwed a layer of the thinest (and cheapest) ply wood on top.
That way I can cut, draw, burn, abuse, drill, whatever on the bench and after a while replace the top for only a few cents and keep the bench clean.
 
One thing you might consider..... The ends of the plywood will be easily splintered over time with things bumping into them. You could take some fir (or some type of wood) stripping and glue and nail them around the front side and each end. That will prevent 90% of troubles down the road.

Nice work bench by the way.

Robert
 
I made four 8 footers using 2 layers of 3/4" birch plywood for the tops. A buddy helped cause I'm not much of a wood worker. He whipped out a router and some kind of bit that chamfered the edges. It totally has prevented any splintering at all. Gave the benches a very finished look too, kinda rounding the edges.
 
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redsquid2

I am looking to build a workbench and I really like how solid yours looks, great job! Is the blue print for that bench in the book "how to make knives" by Bob Loveless??
 
jason29681 said:
redsquid2

I am looking to build a workbench and I really like how solid yours looks, great job! Is the blue print for that bench in the book "how to make knives" by Bob Loveless??
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Thanks, Jason.

He does not include blueprints. He just makes some suggestions on materials and overall dimensions. I used screws and glue, rather than the suggested carriage bolts. I also did not top it with masonite, as suggested.

My top surface is 2'X4' vs. the suggested 2'X8'.


Doing some research here on blade forums, I decided to give the top a 2" overhang, so I can clamp stuff on the edges. The shelf underneath was something my brother suggested, and it makes a good storage space, or a footrest, if you are sitting on a stool.


Here is a picture of when it was a work in progress:

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nice job - looks plenty sturdy and a design like that works well for a wide range of activities - knifemaking, leatherwork, reloading, woodwork, etc...
 
Okay, looks like no one else is going to ask this, so I will. What's the Dawn dish soap for? :o
 
Mudbug007 said:
Okay, looks like no one else is going to ask this, so I will. What's the Dawn dish soap for? :o
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I thought no one would ask.

Dab a little soap on the screw threads, they drive easier. That's the idea. I never did any scientific testing to prove it, but I figured it wouldn't hurt, especially with 3 1/2" screws.
 
If low on space, I mount all my equipment to thick plywood then when I need to use I just pull it out from under the bench and secure with heavy duty quick clamps. I do this with my vice, drill press, grinder,etc. When done it stows away and I have lots of work room.
 
redsquid2 said:
I thought no one would ask.

Dab a little soap on the screw threads, they drive easier. That's the idea. I never did any scientific testing to prove it, but I figured it wouldn't hurt, especially with 3 1/2" screws.
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That's what I was thinking it was for. I racked my brain trying to figure it out before I asked...lol Neat idea!
 
redsquid2 said:
I thought no one would ask.

Dab a little soap on the screw threads, they drive easier. That's the idea. I never did any scientific testing to prove it, but I figured it wouldn't hurt, especially with 3 1/2" screws.
Click to expand...

bar soap and candle wax work well for this too.
 
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