Get the plans for the construction lumber WORKBENCH PLANS HERE: scottwalsh.co/products/construction-lumber-workbench Features 20 step-by-step pages, 3d renderings throughout, and a cutlist for the easiest build possible.
One thing you might want to warn people about is that in many home centers, the 2x4's are kiln dried (although only to around 18% moisture content, not as dry as most hardwood), but the 2x8's and 2x12's may not be kiln dried at all. I think this is because the 2x4's are often used in home construction, but the larger boards are mostly just used for decks and such. Anyway, you can check the label on the lumber. If it is kiln dried, it will have KD somewhere on the label. If you do not see KD, it is not kiln-dried, and the moisture content could be 30% or more.
question, could you link the aluminum extrusion faces you have on your rip fence for your table saw. I've been looking for some like those for mine. thanks man, solid vid as always.
@@idhatemet00 That's actually the way my fence came. It was sold by grizzly/craftex but I don't think it's available anymore. I believe @thewoodwhisperer has a video on the extrusion iirc.
At 71, I've built a lot of work benches over the years, using different designs. One of the ones I like the most is using a solid core interior door, with a 1X3 oak perimeter for the top. You can use any type of replaceable top on that, smooth hardboard works well. I also like 4X4's for leg construction, and I've used different bracing, shelving, enclosure to hold it square. The more experience you get, the better the bench(s) seem to get. There is no wrong way, and don't be afraid to experiment!! Nice job on this one BTW!! 8) Peace --gary
Seriously, go for the solid core door, unless you already have all the clamps, table saw, planer, jointer, and you're looking to spend an extra 5 hours to save on $30.
I have always used solid core doors for my bench tops. Very straight, very stable, and very cheap if you take your time finding bargains. My best score ever was getting ahold of several 10 ft long, 24 inch wide conference room doors that had no holes in them and they were more than 2 inches thick.
Just what I was coming to the comments section to say. Check to see if you have one of those reuse stores in your area because they usually have a ton of them for reasonable prices.
what are you talking about home depot wood is awesome after i get mine done I can take out a bag of marbles and play roller coaster On it. The marbles go up the hill then down the hill.. great game when IM bored staring straight at my curved wood bench top!!!!!1 hahahah
Thank you so much for posting this. I spent the past 12 months lost in a hellscape of over-engineering a workbench in sketchup that I would end up never building. You might have saved my workbench project from disaster
The half lap is a good joint, underrated. The full lap though holds a cat and a dog. I made my workbench out of the family dining room table, 8' mid-century modern mahogany with 2 leaves, seats 16. Made a coffee table out of the leaves, unscrewed the toothpick legs and screwed on 4 4x6 glue lams, cross bracing and a bottom shelf from a massive butcher block. It's only 3/4" but well made so it stays flat and doesn't budge at over 300 lbs. I get a lot of good ideas from you and others to stay busy, as a retired sparky.
You can actually avoid cupping by installing your lumber with the grain facing the right direction. The assumption, looking at the board, is that it will cup "with the grain", but reality is the opposite of the appearance. The long grain will pull away from the short grain, so if your end looks like )))) the cupping will take place on the right side even though you would probably assume it would occur on the left. Install the bark-side of the board down, I noticed you had about half bark-down and half bark-up on both your old bench, which is why only half of it cupped so badly. When making glue-lams, you actually want to alternate grain )))((()))((( so they will naturally tug against one another and prevent warping.
Came here to say this. There are actually charts on the internet with pictures on how to alternate the grain directions. Really helpful if you make larger pannels.
Re your first part, won't it still cup, except that the cupping is now aimed down? Alternating the boards doesn't actually avoid the cupping, it just alternates the directions so they (mostly) cancel out.
@@Ceen328there are actually posts on the Internet that says this is bogus. I think with construction lumber that isn't properly dried they will cup. Unless you use quartersawn lumber. Where do you get quartersawn construction lumber? You can take a piece of, say 2x12 with the pith running down the middle. If you rip the pith out, you end up with quartersawn pieces. Meaning the grain runs straight from top to bottom, not side to side. These are the most stable wood. 2x12 pieces also tend to have fewer knots or other defects. They crack down the middle but you cut those parts out and get rid of them.
@@jimweisgram9185 There are, BUT als always, I'm not sure if they are generally correct. Each kind of wood behaves under different humidity and temperatures different. Honestly, these charts have a bit of an oldschool woodworking book style. Something we had at school, if you know what I mean. So maybe a bit outdated? For my region (germany, mid humidity and temp), there has never been a real problem tbh.
In lieu of the roller that has to get tossed, use some kind of plastic card. It'll spread the glue even thinner, reduce waste from drips during clamping, and you can just wipe off or break off the wet or dried glue when you're done and reuse the plastic card.
I save old credit cards and all the junk mailed "pre-approved" stiff paper cards that come in the mail. Trim the sides with pinking shears to give them a little sawtooth pattern.
Anytime I get a gift card or new credit card, it goes into my bench drawer when I'm done with it (used gift card, old credit card) for just this purpose. I few snips with a good pair of shop scissors and I've got 1/16" triangles every 1/4"-3/8" across the edge. I spread some glue then take the card and scrape off the excess (to be reused), I then take another straight-edged card and smooth is out using light pressure. Gets me a nice thin layer of glue with little effort and very little waste. Wipe both card off when done, and they can be used again and again. Oh, and I wear disposable latex/nitrile gloves when doing this to keep my hands clean.
I am actually working on the ash workbench right now. Yes, I am a hermit, I have no social life, I hate money, and I love the smell of contact cement. My wife loves telling people I'm a woodworker and explaining to them that the reason we have almost no custom built furniture in the house is because I spend all my time making needlessly elaborate shop furniture that only I will ever use. In any case, the build is coming along real well. I never worked with ash before, but now I want to use it all the time. It reminds me of oak in terms of appearance, but it's softer, lighter, and a lot easier to work with (and it's pretty cheap!). Probably the best species for shop projects in my opinion.
I have metamorphosed into a crusty old hermit who works with wood in my garage. Love your work bench! 🥰 I enjoyed all the points you made in this video - Thank You. 👍
Yeah I was thinking the same thing. And I know you can use different tools to do the same thing but I really wish UA-camrs would make a bench with tools beginning woodworkers have. Like you can use a circular saw instead of a table saw.. ok then use the circular saw. You don’t have to use a planer.. so don’t use a planer. Is it education or entertainment? I mean hey you can do whatever you want but I can be frustrated lol.
@@austinquick6285 I've been watching Rex Krueger a lot lately and I have to say I respect the hell out of that guy. He really takes "less is more" to a new level. Needless to say, I'm building a bench and you're right I need a planer, but it's a hand planer lol and not a whole lot else.
What's the dollar amount you're comfortable with? Unless you can punch stock to flat, square and accurate lengths, you'll need tools. And you'll need skills you probably don't have.
Thanks for your wonderful video. It reminds me of when I did my workbench. When I was planning my workbench, I slowly accumulated 2x4s from my local Home Depot. Even when I wasn't there to purchase wood, I still looked at what was there and would often pick up a few pieces. Even though the lumber was technically kiln-dried, I let the lumber sit in my garage for a year, stored horizontally. I purchased far more pieces than I knew I would need since during the drying process, unexpected warping and twisting would likely occur. When I was ready to do the actual glue-up, I ran all the pieces through my small portable planer to get absolutely flat and clean surfaces. The lumber ended up perhaps 1-3/8" wide. I only glued up about 5 or 6 pieces at a time, since like you, I didn't want the glue to dry prematurely. When the slab was ready for leveling and flattening, I had a local cabinet shop do it for me. Instead of planing it and then sending it through their wide belt sander, they avoided the planer altogether. They simply used the belt sander for the entire process. The shop brought it down to exactly 3", with no tear-out whatsoever. It was dead flat, a feat I absolutely could not do myself. Their final run was at 100 grit. I then finish sanded. It was a more expensive way to go, but I lacked the skill to flatten such a large slab about 27" x 96" with any consistency. The slab was shortened to 6" or 6.5" (I forgot the actual tabletop size).
Nice! I used 4-4x8 for the base and attached the 4x4 corner posts with 12” landscaping screws. 2x4 and 3/4 MDF make the top. No diagonal braces in the way of storage. Solid as a rock for 20 years and counting.
The construction pine top is completely ridiculous in many climates, especially for the average home woodworker with a garage that is not fully climate controlled. Good plywood like high ply baltic birch (NOT construction plywood) with a layer of sacrificial MDF / HDF layer on top is the smart way to go. Also spreading glue with a paint roller is silly and leaves bubbles depending on your glue. Buy a few sizes of Brayer rollers for printmaking and never look back.
I've used a work bench design from a 1959 "Better Homes and Garden" for 3 benches. 2x4 frame with 2x4 ribs every 6-10 inches. Screw and glue 3/4 plywood for the top. Then screw on a 1/4 plywood as a face. If the face gets messed up just unscrew and replace. For a bottom shelf I use a 2x4 frame with ribs and 3/4 plywood for the shelf and attach with screws every 6-8 inches for awesome stability. The bottom shelf is 12" off the floor so I can also put stuff right on the floor as well. When against a wall I lag the bench to the wall; it's rock solid.
10:50 re: dents in your worktop - you can take pretty significant dents out of softwood with a damp cloth and an iron. If the damage is beyond what you can steam out, you can always route out a shallow recess and patch it (like a butterfly inlay)
You're a genuinely funny guy who is anything but boring like so many are. Plus, a real woodworker who keeps it moving. Don't have to put on 2x playback speed to keep my attention. Enjoyed this very much, thanks. 73 year old retired woodworker son of a cabinetshop ownder from Ohio. pa: Your filmography is astounding and actually very rare on UA-cam, as is your vocabulary. Way to go!
I have been using 2x8s and 2x10s and milling them down for years. They tend to be a lot better than the 2x4s quality wise, and it ends up costing a lot less. Thanks for another great video.
didnt realise this til i watched a video on.. literally this. You think youre saving money buying cheap 2x4's (which are great for construction) but if youre milling it down etc buying the biggest lumber you can saves money
My experience is just the opposite. The tricks they use to speed up kilning pretty much guarantee that what you get to pick through is more likely to resemble a rotini than usable lumber.
Built a bench with legs much like this near two decades ago. I used reclaimed 4x4 timber for the legs and old reclaimed 2x4s for the cross braces. I both glued and deck screwed the cross braces. For the top I deviated from your idea and used a solid core 36x84" commercial fire rated door which is very stable dimensionally and had a 1/4" hard wood veneer on both sides. For my surface though, I used a sheet of 16Ga 304 stainless steel that I had bent at a precision sheet metal fabrication shop to fit tightly over the door and wrap around and under the front edge. I TIG welded, ground, and polished the corners on the front for a clean and safe finish. Solid is an under statement!
Ordered the Workbench Plan and had big problems with finding it on our email. It was "My Bad" finding it in our emails spam folder so I had to contact our internet/email provider and had to get tech help to find the new spam folder implemented. Took a few minutes but was a lesson learned. FYI to others who cannot find the attachment in the email sent to you. We really enjoy Scott's videos, he's a great instructor .
I like the offsetting trick with the drill bits, that was a simple and clever way to account for the kerf. One thing I initially struggled with is: how to build a good flat workbench when you lack a workbench with a good reference surface starting out with. :)
My workshop is in my basement, and the concrete make potato chips look flat. haha! There's a 2" pitch over just 4 feet. I can put marbles down and watch them roll. I ended up getting an 8' aluminum level, and then shimming up a platform to get pretty flat.@@SaltyMikan
@@MMMS75 just get a large composite sheet of any kind, like plywood, put that on literally anything and use it as an improvised workbench. Obviously, it's not gonna be a loadbearing or anything like that, but it will be flat.
I used 2x8s also; but instead of ripping them in half, I ripped them to the depth of my vises (2-5/8, if memory serves), eliminating the need to carve a recess in the bottom of the top. Instead of using construction grade 2xs, I bought Southern Yellow Pine, a tad more expensive than SPF, but also better quality and more stable (or so it seems to me). Cheers from Virginia's southern border!
The yellow pine has a little more dense fibers. making it harder and retains less moisture also it has a higher load baring. These are all the reasons why they are spect on all exterior walls and many area's required under code. You defiantly had the right Idea in choosing it over the white pine. The big box stores around here don't stock 2x4 yellow pine for some strange reason. So I'm constantly having to resaw many of my pine building projects when I deem yellow pine as the better option. The only negative in your 2-5/8ths top is it reduces the amount of times you can resurface it before it becomes to thin for you. Of coarse that would also depend on how hard you are on it to begin with. The only other thing would be the shorter distance for securing vises from underneath without brake out on your top but it does make drilling dog holes a lot easer.
For a good bench top, try finding a broken Glu Lam at your local lumber yard. They do happen. I found a 16 ft 5 1/4" x 15" that had come off the end of a truck and broke in half. Very cheap. Made a great bench top.
Just came across your channel while looking for workbench videos. Love the humor in your videos and how well you explain your process. Liked and subbed!
Great video: Filming, production. Knowlege and commitment to your art. Dry humor just enriches the experience. Learned things too about wood itself. Inspiring. If only I had the time in life to try to build something like you do. Wish I could hire you to make a nice bench. The work of a skilled, dedicated professional craftsman is worth paying for!
A few years ago, I built my bench out of construction lumber (2x4s and 2x10s). What I used to make sturdy legs were through tenons with a wide shoulder. Basically, I glued 3 sections of 2x10 together, and built a really large tenon at the end, and mortised the laminated top. It was a tight enough fit that I used a 45 lbs weight to hammer it in. It never moved since then.
Another option for the legs that I think is actually a lot less work is to use 3/4" plywood stacks. You can fairly easily incorporate half laps or tenons in the glue stacks. You can also do sturdy legs with just 3 layers formed in an L (staggered at the corner so no 45 degree cuts needed) and still use tenons for the cross pieces. I glued up end frames and left the long side span tenons without glue so I can knock it down if I ever need to move it out my workshop.
You slammed that point home in a way I didn't realize I knew and practiced already, AVOID THE PITH, rip larger lumber to get nice flat and square edges! Thanks for your humor and vulnerability!
It's fun to see that video. I made my workbench like 6 month ago, and it kinda looks like that. I have diagonals to make it sturdy, wheels to be able to move it, and it's made from cheap lumber. I used 3 2x8 for the top. I don't really get why yours is made like that, and I may have problems later, but for now on, I really like mine. I used some wood stain and floor varnish for the top in order to protect the wood a bit. If at some point there is wayy to much dent for me, i'll just have to sand it and put some more floor varnish to restore it I think.
After watching Rex Krueger, I'll just say that he flattens his bench with a handplane every year. He skips finishing the bench because he knows that he'll plane it again. Rex Krueger has made a few workbench designs over the years, and his channel is primarily about handtool woodworking.
Just finish with thin shellac + wax/oil finish, or just the wax/oil finish. Takes like 5 min for the shellac and another 5 min for the wax. It will prevent glue from sticking and is easier to clean. It also repells water and IMO the wood feels nicer to the touch. Also, easier to slide wood over the surface.
I really like the use of 1/4” bolts in 1/2” holes to allow for growth and shrinkage in the table top lam. That along with the shear strength provided by the angled members in the base should provide a nice square surface in all temperatures and seasons.
It is quite nice using wider wood! I recently picked up 2x12s for one project! Its crazy how for almost cheaper per piece by wood amount I can get a nicer piece of wood with even less warping overall! Even without a thickness planer I can trim the rounded edges on a table saw and have a surprisingly good piece of 2x11 by 8ft segment for $12!
You can't stop me, video title! See, this is why I installed alternating cross-braces under my surface, and put a high density particle board over it instead of gluing a bunch of boards together and sanding them down. Easy to fix, fill or replace. That workbench was a beast, had a built-in table saw, tons of storage for all my tools, a place for grips, and was so sturdy you could jump up and down on it without the slightest movement. Way bigger than I needed! But goodness did I enjoy it. It was just small enough I could drag it around by myself, one side at a time. I hope the people we sold the house to are making good use of it.
i hate particle board but i use it on all my benchs other than the welding bench. THICK pb is cheap, flat, dimensionally stable and you dont care if you cut into it etc. Note i used a reworked oak pallet for the welding bench.. worked great
@@charlesreid9337 Exactly! Short-term, even if you gouge it really bad, a quick swipe of wood fill and you're on your way like nothing happened. Several years later, drop a new top on it in 20 minutes and it's back to new!
Wider boards will release tension when ripped, so what can start as a nice straight 10” could likely end up as two 5” bananas. Not saying don’t do it or that this guys is wrong (certainly not wrong about the pith placement nor the general quality/dryness of wider vs narrower boards) but it’s something worth mentioning and preparing for.
Also, I think for a first workbench, worrying about 2x4 warp is just not a big deal. Do you know how hard it is to do anything without anything resembling a workbench? It's damned near impossible. Going from no workbench to workbench + tool rack behind workbench took me from not being able to do jack shit that I actually wanted to do to pretty much being able to do whatever I want. The first workbench is your beater workbench that you use for aggressive tasks. The second one you build can be the one you really engineer and design well, where you have the work surface and experience to actually build a nice workbench. I'm glad I didn't cave into the pressure of feeling like I had to have some beautiful dead flat bench, and eventually just hacked together something of my own design that incorporates design elements of other workbenches. I built my bench with very little joinery - the only joinery in it are a couple of half lap joints that don't even cut into the legs. The thing is built like a truck, yet it can be broken down and transported in a car. It's not a super flat surface, but it's not bad at all. I built a lyre with it, I could certainly build a guitar with it or another instrument, since I built the lyre like a guitar.
@@hellomate639 Okay, well, quite literally the first sentence out of his mouth is this is his third workbench, but none of the points you're making are wrong. HOWEVER: I don't agree with Not putting in the effort to get the bench as ideal as possible. If nothing else, when one decides to enter the craft, then they've committed to themselves they want to work with wood. There's not a single technique you'd use on a workbench where it WOULDN'T be useful to develop skill in, for the everything-else-youll-ever-do AS a woodworker. Moreover, a workbench is a jig. The most important jig you own. A jig who's sole purpose is HOLDING WOOD in whatever orientation you need. The better the bench, the easier you've made every aspect of your future journey. That said: really there's 3 things that count in a workbench: 1. MASS. You want the thing as heavy as you can make it. Doesn't matter if the weight is REMOVABLE, though. I know guys who put two shelves on the bottom there. Top one for exactly what he describes, bottom one for bags of concrete mix just stacked. 2. Grippy. The more dog holes, vises, stops, and holding options you can cram into it, the better ("jig", recall). With that in mind: the more contiguous flat surfaces the better too. If you gotta hold a sheet of plywood on end, you need as much positive contact as possible. 3. As flat is as reasonable/you are capable of getting it. Even luthiers need a flat surface they can rely on. If it's caddywompus, so is everything built atop it. My first benchtop was 28x66x1/4-inch (71cm x 168cm x 6mm) plywood... ...glued to a 1-1/4-inch (32mm) thick piece of plate _glass_ the same size (It had been a conference room tabletop from a local office building. I paid em $10 for it as they were moving out). Dead. Flat. I STILL have it as an assembly table. And before anyone tells me how irresponsible a glass surface is, a piece of glass those dimensions weighs over 200lbs (90kg), and can literally handle a CAR driving over it. It took 3 of us to get it back to the shop. The plywood was only there in case I dropped a hammer or something; I didn't wanna _chip_ it. There's all KINDS of ways to get a flat benchtop. Even if you don't yet have a bench to build it atop.
@@grumblycurmudgeon When your fiance needs the garage and you're under a time crunch, you kind of make due with not necessarily getting it dead flat, at least not right away. I would add... a flush vice face on the front is also super useful. Dog holes can be added as needed. I think maybe part of my comment comes from the fact that despite some jankiness in some cosmetic elements of my bench, it is very sturdy and almost feels like its made out of one piece. Joinery is miserable without a bench, so sweating over it when you lack a bench isn't worth it, IMHO. It's much better to learn it when you have the bench available, and I recommend also putting up a pegboard tool rack/magnetic strip for tools. My workbench is essentially an English style bench with a flat space on the bottom to toss saws and hand planes. It has quasi-joints made out of two by fours screwed and glued, with 2x6s sandwiched between. It's well-designed as first benches go, IMHO. So, spend time on the design that you can build.
I buy the "pit" 4x4 for fence posts and they do not warp like other pieces in my experience. I do treat the ends and cap them. A 2x4 base for my benches at home works great. I have solid core doors for tops and laminated tops. One is made from bowling alley lane and wears like a tank, it has a metal base from my late FIL's shop, he was a master wood carver. At the shop we always used tempered hardboard and polyurethaned for the top surface. When cut up and damaged, flip and use other side. Lasted years.
Great video - many thanks. Consider covering the floor before applying the glue - it gets everywhere. And using a scraper (as c4call suggests below) to apply the glue is free and works well.
Ok … great build …. But …. Your editing skills are beyond anything I’ve seen in a long while …. Excellent production / editing skills, just excellent! Thank You for time well spent …. !!
you know. i'm not a woodworker. but i do enjoy quality. and watching your videos does keep inspiring me to keep my quality game up in my own specialization. whenever i figure out what it is going to be ...
That’s a heavy duty workbench, great video. My workbench top is made of 3/4 ply with 3/4 MDF on top and finished with 3/16 (I think) hardboard, no planning and perfectly flat. For me, your build was a subtle lesson in various woodworking techniques without being a “lesson”. Well done and keep up your funny demeanor!
Looking at the Home Depot web site for my local store here in CT, 2x4s are various spruce/pine/fir, but 2x8s are all Douglas Fir. If you must build a workbench out of such lumber, take the bit of extra effort to find Douglas Fir. An alternative to diagonal bracing is to put something thin and flat over the opening, attached on all four sides with plenty of screws and even glue. Even 1/8" pegboard can do the job, or 1/4" luan. Ever try to bend sheet goods sideways?
Scott Walsh videos are easy to watch. He doesnt make me feel stupid. And I think he would engage in a conversation for the sake of a good conversation.
Bought the plans and will try the build. The only thing I would suggest is using General Finishes Arm-R-Seal as the finish. It's a wipe-on oil-based poly, super tough. Great for kitchen counter tops. Thanks for the great video.
The last bench I made had a leg vise and an apron on one side, which was super useful. Next bench I made will have a leg vise again, but instead of an apron, I'll probably put in a sliding apron, like some Roubo benches have. I want to add a tail vise, too. One of the things that I did the best I could at the time was to put in a bunch of 1/2" dog holes. This time, I'll make sure they're all 3/4. Back then, I couldn't make them bigger because I only had an eggbeater drill. Now I have a couple bit braces and larger bits, and it's a lot easier to make bigger holes.
A drill guide (hole drilled cleanly in a piece of wood) should help, too. Prevent the bit from wandering. Run it up against a straightedge clamped to the top.
I want to make a small production line, and that tip about flip down castors would make an amazing change to the small area I have to work with. I didn't know they existed. It will allow me to build a couple of different workstations and move the appropriate bench to my work area rather than set up some multi-use thing that requires part changing and compromises in design. *I don't know what stations I need yet, I haven't even finished inventing the PRODUCT. But the idea is going straight to my file of good ideas
How heavy do you think your workbench is? I'm looking to build a table that doesn´t sag for some computer equipment. Someone recommended me to solder some metal angles for a sturdy lasting frame. The problem is that the table need wheels and I'm afraid they won't hold the weight of the equipment + the metal frame.
When cutting for the diagonal braces, allow for any end play in the circular saw shaft bearings. If there's a lot of slop and it will move back and forth easily, the saw blade position is going to shift on you.
You could have made a dog extension for the old table. Hardwood would be the easier material to make it out of. You could also use aluminum since carbide blades or an angle grinder would make easily grind a slot in two pieces that are then JB welded or epoxied together. Adding to that a chain that keeps it attached to the vice and you have a readily available dog as if the vise was mounted flush.
The rare DIY video where I laughed, learned, and loved...your scripted and editing. Definitely subscribed. The point about the pith and 2x4s was super interesting. I will never discount a 2x8 as overkill again. Thanks for the great video.
The issue with using larger dimension framing lumber is that it is generally case hardened. Meaning it was dried so fast in the kiln that the outside is drier than the inside. Once you try to rip it in half it has a tendency to do very undesirable things.
One of the cool things about videos like this is that I am absolutely certain that when I get around to building a work bench, I will have forgotten all the tips and make all the same mistakes you made. That or; I will have forgotten all the work bench videos I watched, think of all the tips I heard in them, and think I'm a genius for thinking up all the cool ideas on how to make a awesome workbench the first time.
I have an old workbench from Harbor Freight but new work benches I used 3/4 ply with 3/4 MDF glued and screwed down with birch frame around edges. Legs are just 2x4’s. Sealed top with poly.
Nice build. For anyone putting a bench like this in a conditioned space let the construction lumber sit in the space for a few weeks to a month before building to give it time to dry out.
Find a heavy duty metal filing cabinet and build it into the base of the work bench. The file cabinets are designed to hold a lot of weight and work great for power tools or whatever.
Mine is 2x4's with a lower shelf and diagonal bracing on all 4 sides. The top is 2x4 framed with 3 cross frames and topped with 1 inch plywood. Several holes facilitate power cords and clamping of work pieces or tools. 4 large, solid tires with breaks (2 casters, 2 straight) finish it off. I have used this bench for about 15 years with no issues.
Great video. Will start considering cutting down larger dimensional lumber in the future instead of 2x4’s. I still think I would go with box top with dog holes though if it was gonna be my only bench. I love the clamping versatility they give.
I made my benchtop as a torsion box. I made the edges of 2x4 I like the tric laid flat to make it 1 1/2 inches tall. I used 1x2s for the webbing and 3/8 plywood for the skins. I like ripping the 2x8s to get more stable lumber. I chose this costruction because I didn't have a jointer or planer. I've been using it for about 30 years now. I hand chopped the m/t joinery. I position it in a corner of my shop to prevent it from wobbling. It's been solid and flat for 3 decades now.
Dude! I’m going to make this at some point now that I have a bigger shop. I could use a better hand tool workbench than my cheap Harbor freight workbench. Great video!
Mine is similar, but I found it was too light. So, also at home depot are those 12" x 12" concrete pavers came in handy. I put them under the floorboards of the bottom shelf. I was able to put 8 of them under there, and 2 between each leg front to back. Now when I plane a board, the bench not only won't wrack, but it simply won't move either. And that is great. And I ca still put it on those cool casters.
Dedicating yourself to a craft makes you a crusty old hermit. got it. 👍 You are literally the Bourgeoisie woodworker. I don't see a single hand tool Just very expensive power tools.
Nice video, though when I made mu bench I used my biscuit cutter every 8 inches between each laminated strip. Not sure if it helps, but often in Chicago winters the bench is not heated, then also survives 110 degree days (125 in the garage) without wrapping. That's belt and suspenders.
Unless you move the bench often, it is easier to just keep a couple of furniture dollies around. They have plenty of capacity and you can lift each end of the bench with a floor jack if it is too heavy to pick up by hand and slip a dolly under each end. Then move the bench where you want it and remove the dollies. Pretty easy and saves having those ugly caster wheels sticking out in the way on both ends all the time.
For my first workbench, i created a torsion design out of plywood and 1x4 with a 2x4 frame. Then i leveled the top of the plywood, took some old pieces of hickory hardwood flooring ive had sitting around, and created the top of my workbench out of that, then glued it down to the plywood. Not only does it look nice, but the torsion base stays flat, and the hardwood can take a beating!
I personally use 2x10's or bigger and cut down from there. That way, you have a choice of using southern yellow pine (at least in my area on the east coast) rather than white pine which is basically junk in comparison.
The advantage of 2x10 or 2x12 is you can select those with the pith running right down the middle. When you to these boards, what you are left with is quartersawn stock. This is more stable than anything else. Plan to let the stock air dry for a couple of months at least. Kiln dried can be good if you can get it, but spot check that the boards are not case hardened. You can Google that. Basically, you are checking that the boards were not pushed too fast in the kiln and the boards could have internal stresses in them, and warp.
I agree with all the suggestions about keeping the house ADA accessible. Its not just a kind thing to do, it will also attract a wider range of customers.
A small note on the braces. Those are the most complex part of this build by far, and will likely loosen anyway with age. You could alternatively brace with a set of turnbuckles in an "X" configuration, then tighten as needed. Should be easier, if not faster and cheaper too
Agreed. I was thinking if the build was going simple, an X of cables and turnbuckles would actually work very well. Cool bench though. That said, this style of bench isn’t my thing. I prefer aluminum 1545 perimeter (highly flexible for clamping vertically and horizontally) and laminate top made of ply that won’t warp or cup and is easily replaced.
Nice bench Scott. As a maker of custom workbenches, I like your mods to prevent (or at least resist) racking. Thank you for demonstrating how easy (& strong) half laps are. Well worth the time to use half laps, even w/ a skillsaw & chisel. One question: which brand of parallel clamps do you prefer? I’ve seen the same clamps in your other videos, but haven’t been able to capture the brand. Thanks for all of your productions. Nice to know that there’s another maker out there working in a one-car garage.
That little jab was my favorite part of this video. Scott's light-hearted, punny quips throughout his videos are exactly why I've recommended this channel to others, but that comment was fairly direct 👍👍👍 Also, he builds nice stuff
@@Greenpecks1myopia. She's def an American that was dismissed by her parents too often in her youth. Always out to prove how smart she is to anyone that will listen.
Yes and no. A planer has rollers that clamp down on the wood in order to feed it through and prevent kickback. The warp in the wood gets undone by these rollers before it reaches the planing blades, resulting in the warp "springing" back after it leaves the planer. Bows, crooks, kinks, and twists are best dealt with a jointer. However, you CAN use a planer for these types of warp if you tape your wood to a piece of plywood and use shims to support any gaps between your piece and the plywood base. This will prevent the piece from getting compressed by the rollers and will result in a truer face. Regarding the video, just looking at the wood, you can see there's no warp of significance to be concerned about. He just needed to flatten the faces to eliminate the rounded edges. Any minor warp will be eliminated when the boards are clamped together.
Great looking bench! I've been meaning to add a secondary bench to my shop and I'll probably incorporate some elements from this one into my design. And don't worry Scott, profiting from your work doesn't make you a capitalist. As long as you aren't exploiting someone else's labor for profit you should be in the clear.
With all my benches I keep the bottom shelve up from the floor about 6 inches and build carts to go underneath. Basically just a drawer with wheels on the sides holding the bottom a 1/2 in. off the floor. Great for bolt or screw storage. Turns wasted space that collects junk you never see again into handy easily accessible storage. Plywood discs make great wheels.
I like that what is presented here that's most useful are the various concepts. The specific design is nice but not as important as the concepts driving it. So you can easily apply the same concepts to a various workbench designs.
Would it be advantageous to use reclaimed/salvaged lumber for the top? It would be uniformly dry and you'd be able to see if the wood was ever going to warp, because it would have already done so. If there was a nail hole, it wouldn't really matter.
This is MUCH easier: we are not making furniture, we are making a workbench. Just use particle board for the working surface. It is flat, smooth, inexpensive, you can clamp to the edge easily. And after drilling into it a bunch of times or screwing into it to hold your work in place, you just mix glue and sawdust to patch it back up! Save the furniture making for furniture.
I wanted to practice 1/2 laps and so I made 3 custom scaffolds for installing a boatload of T&G. What I found is that cutting them on the tablesaw proved a work out for the blades. Now I'm not certain how much work they had already seen but I'm through two at the moment with two laps left to cut. I think I'll try getting the edges close and then try a couple passes with the circ saw then switching to chisels the next time. Thanks for the vid - gave me pause as I need to do something like this next. Cheers!
You need to find your inner scrounger and buy used. I got my table saw, band saw, planer and circular saw for less than 300 bucks combined. Most of them are contractor/jobsite grade mobile tools but they get the job done.
Here we have another video showing us how to used 5000 dollars worth of power tools along with 1400 dollars worth of clamps to make a 150 dollar bench someone with those tools would never want. Brilliant
Appreciate all of it. But.. My vote: - Find old solid wood door if you can. Wood is already stable, and way cheaper and faster to build - To cross member (stabilise) your table, use EMT, pound the ends flat, bolt them in place, simple, cheap, fast, works. My next suggestion - I should post a picture of what I built, but I use it all the time to move tables. It's 4 swivel casters attached to 4 lengs of wood 1.5m (~4 feet long) each. They are all attached to a 30cm (foot round) centre with bolts but free to swing. I store this folded in a corner of the room When I need to move a table, just drop on the ground, pull it into an X configuration. I can use it for ALL tables, it works SO well! I pulled the wheels off a $12 small furniture dolly from Home Repo (as you call it)
Get the plans for the construction lumber WORKBENCH PLANS HERE: scottwalsh.co/products/construction-lumber-workbench
Features 20 step-by-step pages, 3d renderings throughout, and a cutlist for the easiest build possible.
I’ve seen the plans. They’re pretty great. I’m not bias or anything 😂. Nice video Scott. The editing keeps getting better and better
One thing you might want to warn people about is that in many home centers, the 2x4's are kiln dried (although only to around 18% moisture content, not as dry as most hardwood), but the 2x8's and 2x12's may not be kiln dried at all. I think this is because the 2x4's are often used in home construction, but the larger boards are mostly just used for decks and such. Anyway, you can check the label on the lumber. If it is kiln dried, it will have KD somewhere on the label. If you do not see KD, it is not kiln-dried, and the moisture content could be 30% or more.
question, could you link the aluminum extrusion faces you have on your rip fence for your table saw. I've been looking for some like those for mine. thanks man, solid vid as always.
@@idhatemet00 That's actually the way my fence came. It was sold by grizzly/craftex but I don't think it's available anymore. I believe @thewoodwhisperer has a video on the extrusion iirc.
Nice, love the planer.
At 71, I've built a lot of work benches over the years, using different designs. One of the ones I like the most is using a solid core interior door, with a 1X3 oak perimeter for the top. You can use any type of replaceable top on that, smooth hardboard works well. I also like 4X4's for leg construction, and I've used different bracing, shelving, enclosure to hold it square. The more experience you get, the better the bench(s) seem to get. There is no wrong way, and don't be afraid to experiment!! Nice job on this one BTW!! 8) Peace --gary
Seriously, go for the solid core door, unless you already have all the clamps, table saw, planer, jointer, and you're looking to spend an extra 5 hours to save on $30.
God bless careless fork lift truck drivers. They can turn solid core doors and kitchen counter tops into bargain workbenches in seconds.
I have always used solid core doors for my bench tops. Very straight, very stable, and very cheap if you take your time finding bargains. My best score ever was getting ahold of several 10 ft long, 24 inch wide conference room doors that had no holes in them and they were more than 2 inches thick.
That's the way to go. When a school or hospital does any remodeling they usually have plenty of solid-core doors for next to nothing.
i do the same thing solid core doors are great tops those homedepot 2x4s are garbage the worst ive ever used
Just what I was coming to the comments section to say. Check to see if you have one of those reuse stores in your area because they usually have a ton of them for reasonable prices.
what are you talking about home depot wood is awesome after i get mine done I can take out a bag of marbles and play roller coaster On it. The marbles go up the hill then down the hill.. great game when IM bored staring straight at my curved wood bench top!!!!!1 hahahah
@@mikecondoluci53 The big box stores use Grade 3 lumber. Bananaland
I appreciate the humor and reflections on what didn't work on past builds.
Thank you so much for posting this. I spent the past 12 months lost in a hellscape of over-engineering a workbench in sketchup that I would end up never building. You might have saved my workbench project from disaster
The half lap is a good joint, underrated. The full lap though holds a cat and a dog. I made my workbench out of the family dining room table, 8' mid-century modern mahogany with 2 leaves, seats 16. Made a coffee table out of the leaves, unscrewed the toothpick legs and screwed on 4 4x6 glue lams, cross bracing and a bottom shelf from a massive butcher block. It's only 3/4" but well made so it stays flat and doesn't budge at over 300 lbs. I get a lot of good ideas from you and others to stay busy, as a retired sparky.
You can actually avoid cupping by installing your lumber with the grain facing the right direction. The assumption, looking at the board, is that it will cup "with the grain", but reality is the opposite of the appearance. The long grain will pull away from the short grain, so if your end looks like )))) the cupping will take place on the right side even though you would probably assume it would occur on the left. Install the bark-side of the board down, I noticed you had about half bark-down and half bark-up on both your old bench, which is why only half of it cupped so badly. When making glue-lams, you actually want to alternate grain )))((()))((( so they will naturally tug against one another and prevent warping.
Came here to say this. There are actually charts on the internet with pictures on how to alternate the grain directions. Really helpful if you make larger pannels.
this guy gets it
Re your first part, won't it still cup, except that the cupping is now aimed down?
Alternating the boards doesn't actually avoid the cupping, it just alternates the directions so they (mostly) cancel out.
@@Ceen328there are actually posts on the Internet that says this is bogus.
I think with construction lumber that isn't properly dried they will cup. Unless you use quartersawn lumber.
Where do you get quartersawn construction lumber? You can take a piece of, say 2x12 with the pith running down the middle.
If you rip the pith out, you end up with quartersawn pieces. Meaning the grain runs straight from top to bottom, not side to side. These are the most stable wood.
2x12 pieces also tend to have fewer knots or other defects. They crack down the middle but you cut those parts out and get rid of them.
@@jimweisgram9185 There are, BUT als always, I'm not sure if they are generally correct. Each kind of wood behaves under different humidity and temperatures different. Honestly, these charts have a bit of an oldschool woodworking book style. Something we had at school, if you know what I mean. So maybe a bit outdated?
For my region (germany, mid humidity and temp), there has never been a real problem tbh.
In lieu of the roller that has to get tossed, use some kind of plastic card. It'll spread the glue even thinner, reduce waste from drips during clamping, and you can just wipe off or break off the wet or dried glue when you're done and reuse the plastic card.
Bump
I save old credit cards and all the junk mailed "pre-approved" stiff paper cards that come in the mail. Trim the sides with pinking shears to give them a little sawtooth pattern.
Nice idea! Thanks!
WHAT a tightarse. How are things in Glasgow?
Anytime I get a gift card or new credit card, it goes into my bench drawer when I'm done with it (used gift card, old credit card) for just this purpose. I few snips with a good pair of shop scissors and I've got 1/16" triangles every 1/4"-3/8" across the edge. I spread some glue then take the card and scrape off the excess (to be reused), I then take another straight-edged card and smooth is out using light pressure. Gets me a nice thin layer of glue with little effort and very little waste. Wipe both card off when done, and they can be used again and again. Oh, and I wear disposable latex/nitrile gloves when doing this to keep my hands clean.
I am actually working on the ash workbench right now. Yes, I am a hermit, I have no social life, I hate money, and I love the smell of contact cement. My wife loves telling people I'm a woodworker and explaining to them that the reason we have almost no custom built furniture in the house is because I spend all my time making needlessly elaborate shop furniture that only I will ever use.
In any case, the build is coming along real well. I never worked with ash before, but now I want to use it all the time. It reminds me of oak in terms of appearance, but it's softer, lighter, and a lot easier to work with (and it's pretty cheap!). Probably the best species for shop projects in my opinion.
I have metamorphosed into a crusty old hermit who works with wood in my garage.
Love your work bench! 🥰
I enjoyed all the points you made in this video - Thank You. 👍
if you find the brilliant short story " The Country Husband " by John Cheever his character finally finds some peace by doing exactly what you say.
Happy New Year 🎉
Thank you, thank you! Very much appreciated, and happy new year to you too.
Hey UA-cam, show me workbench where 100k of woodworking tools aren't necessary.
Yeah I was thinking the same thing. And I know you can use different tools to do the same thing but I really wish UA-camrs would make a bench with tools beginning woodworkers have. Like you can use a circular saw instead of a table saw.. ok then use the circular saw. You don’t have to use a planer.. so don’t use a planer. Is it education or entertainment? I mean hey you can do whatever you want but I can be frustrated lol.
'Firewood for life' has a good one with minimal tools needed.
@@spizzloyou really do need a planer though tbh.
@@austinquick6285 I've been watching Rex Krueger a lot lately and I have to say I respect the hell out of that guy. He really takes "less is more" to a new level. Needless to say, I'm building a bench and you're right I need a planer, but it's a hand planer lol and not a whole lot else.
What's the dollar amount you're comfortable with? Unless you can punch stock to flat, square and accurate lengths, you'll need tools. And you'll need skills you probably don't have.
Thanks for your wonderful video. It reminds me of when I did my workbench. When I was planning my workbench, I slowly accumulated 2x4s from my local Home Depot. Even when I wasn't there to purchase wood, I still looked at what was there and would often pick up a few pieces. Even though the lumber was technically kiln-dried, I let the lumber sit in my garage for a year, stored horizontally. I purchased far more pieces than I knew I would need since during the drying process, unexpected warping and twisting would likely occur. When I was ready to do the actual glue-up, I ran all the pieces through my small portable planer to get absolutely flat and clean surfaces. The lumber ended up perhaps 1-3/8" wide. I only glued up about 5 or 6 pieces at a time, since like you, I didn't want the glue to dry prematurely. When the slab was ready for leveling and flattening, I had a local cabinet shop do it for me. Instead of planing it and then sending it through their wide belt sander, they avoided the planer altogether. They simply used the belt sander for the entire process. The shop brought it down to exactly 3", with no tear-out whatsoever. It was dead flat, a feat I absolutely could not do myself. Their final run was at 100 grit. I then finish sanded. It was a more expensive way to go, but I lacked the skill to flatten such a large slab about 27" x 96" with any consistency. The slab was shortened to 6" or 6.5" (I forgot the actual tabletop size).
Nice! I used 4-4x8 for the base and attached the 4x4 corner posts with 12” landscaping screws. 2x4 and 3/4 MDF make the top. No diagonal braces in the way of storage. Solid as a rock for 20 years and counting.
The construction pine top is completely ridiculous in many climates, especially for the average home woodworker with a garage that is not fully climate controlled. Good plywood like high ply baltic birch (NOT construction plywood) with a layer of sacrificial MDF / HDF layer on top is the smart way to go.
Also spreading glue with a paint roller is silly and leaves bubbles depending on your glue. Buy a few sizes of Brayer rollers for printmaking and never look back.
I've used a work bench design from a 1959 "Better Homes and Garden" for 3 benches. 2x4 frame with 2x4 ribs every 6-10 inches. Screw and glue 3/4 plywood for the top. Then screw on a 1/4 plywood as a face. If the face gets messed up just unscrew and replace. For a bottom shelf I use a 2x4 frame with ribs and 3/4 plywood for the shelf and attach with screws every 6-8 inches for awesome stability. The bottom shelf is 12" off the floor so I can also put stuff right on the floor as well. When against a wall I lag the bench to the wall; it's rock solid.
10:50 re: dents in your worktop - you can take pretty significant dents out of softwood with a damp cloth and an iron. If the damage is beyond what you can steam out, you can always route out a shallow recess and patch it (like a butterfly inlay)
Bondo!
I use Masonite on the top. It wears like iron and can easily be replaced.
You're a genuinely funny guy who is anything but boring like so many are. Plus, a real woodworker who keeps it moving. Don't have to put on 2x playback speed to keep my attention. Enjoyed this very much, thanks. 73 year old retired woodworker son of a cabinetshop ownder from Ohio. pa: Your filmography is astounding and actually very rare on UA-cam, as is your vocabulary. Way to go!
I have been using 2x8s and 2x10s and milling them down for years. They tend to be a lot better than the 2x4s quality wise, and it ends up costing a lot less. Thanks for another great video.
didnt realise this til i watched a video on.. literally this. You think youre saving money buying cheap 2x4's (which are great for construction) but if youre milling it down etc buying the biggest lumber you can saves money
@@charlesreid9337 it is easier to find straight boards too. Some of the 2x4s look like they would go around a corner without bending them.
I also like getting kiln dried instead of green lumber because it's more stable.
same here
My experience is just the opposite. The tricks they use to speed up kilning pretty much guarantee that what you get to pick through is more likely to resemble a rotini than usable lumber.
Built a bench with legs much like this near two decades ago. I used reclaimed 4x4 timber for the legs and old reclaimed 2x4s for the cross braces. I both glued and deck screwed the cross braces. For the top I deviated from your idea and used a solid core 36x84" commercial fire rated door which is very stable dimensionally and had a 1/4" hard wood veneer on both sides. For my surface though, I used a sheet of 16Ga 304 stainless steel that I had bent at a precision sheet metal fabrication shop to fit tightly over the door and wrap around and under the front edge. I TIG welded, ground, and polished the corners on the front for a clean and safe finish. Solid is an under statement!
Laminate 2 sheets of 3/4” birch ply together and hey presto a nice flat strong top for your work bench without all this fuss
Do you mean glue them together
@@hittsville
Yes. That’s what “laminating” means.
Ordered the Workbench Plan and had big problems with finding it on our email. It was "My Bad" finding it in our emails spam folder so I had to contact our internet/email provider and had to get tech help to find the new spam folder implemented. Took a few minutes but was a lesson learned. FYI to others who cannot find the attachment in the email sent to you. We really enjoy Scott's videos, he's a great instructor .
I like the offsetting trick with the drill bits, that was a simple and clever way to account for the kerf. One thing I initially struggled with is: how to build a good flat workbench when you lack a workbench with a good reference surface starting out with. :)
If it's just for the glue up, by using the floor perhaps?
My workshop is in my basement, and the concrete make potato chips look flat. haha! There's a 2" pitch over just 4 feet. I can put marbles down and watch them roll. I ended up getting an 8' aluminum level, and then shimming up a platform to get pretty flat.@@SaltyMikan
@@MMMS75 just get a large composite sheet of any kind, like plywood, put that on literally anything and use it as an improvised workbench. Obviously, it's not gonna be a loadbearing or anything like that, but it will be flat.
I used 2x8s also; but instead of ripping them in half, I ripped them to the depth of my vises (2-5/8, if memory serves), eliminating the need to carve a recess in the bottom of the top. Instead of using construction grade 2xs, I bought Southern Yellow Pine, a tad more expensive than SPF, but also better quality and more stable (or so it seems to me). Cheers from Virginia's southern border!
The yellow pine has a little more dense fibers. making it harder and retains less moisture also it has a higher load baring. These are all the reasons why they are spect on all exterior walls and many area's required under code. You defiantly had the right Idea in choosing it over the white pine. The big box stores around here don't stock 2x4 yellow pine for some strange reason. So I'm constantly having to resaw many of my pine building projects when I deem yellow pine as the better option. The only negative in your 2-5/8ths top is it reduces the amount of times you can resurface it before it becomes to thin for you. Of coarse that would also depend on how hard you are on it to begin with. The only other thing would be the shorter distance for securing vises from underneath without brake out on your top but it does make drilling dog holes a lot easer.
For a good bench top, try finding a broken Glu Lam at your local lumber yard. They do happen. I found a 16 ft 5 1/4" x 15" that had come off the end of a truck and broke in half. Very cheap. Made a great bench top.
Hate to show my ignorance but, what's a Glu Lam?
Manufactured Beam. The one I have looks like multiple 2x6's glued together.
Just came across your channel while looking for workbench videos. Love the humor in your videos and how well you explain your process. Liked and subbed!
Great video: Filming, production. Knowlege and commitment to your art. Dry humor just enriches the experience. Learned things too about wood itself. Inspiring. If only I had the time in life to try to build something like you do.
Wish I could hire you to make a nice bench. The work of a skilled, dedicated professional craftsman is worth paying for!
The humor has to be dry to prevent cupping.
People make time for the things they value.
I learnt a lot and have now concluded on my workbench design: the slanted brace, modular storage and heavy duty levelling feet. Thanks
A few years ago, I built my bench out of construction lumber (2x4s and 2x10s). What I used to make sturdy legs were through tenons with a wide shoulder. Basically, I glued 3 sections of 2x10 together, and built a really large tenon at the end, and mortised the laminated top. It was a tight enough fit that I used a 45 lbs weight to hammer it in. It never moved since then.
Hands down the best music in videos in the whole DIY genre!
Another option for the legs that I think is actually a lot less work is to use 3/4" plywood stacks. You can fairly easily incorporate half laps or tenons in the glue stacks. You can also do sturdy legs with just 3 layers formed in an L (staggered at the corner so no 45 degree cuts needed) and still use tenons for the cross pieces. I glued up end frames and left the long side span tenons without glue so I can knock it down if I ever need to move it out my workshop.
The issue is that 3/4" plywood right now costs a lot more than 2x lumber does, and I think he wanted to do a bench for the people, so to speak.
You slammed that point home in a way I didn't realize I knew and practiced already, AVOID THE PITH, rip larger lumber to get nice flat and square edges!
Thanks for your humor and vulnerability!
That's a beautiful bench. I think it's adaptable to other types of work, as well. (Not just carpentry.)
It looks very strong and well-thought-out.
It's fun to see that video. I made my workbench like 6 month ago, and it kinda looks like that. I have diagonals to make it sturdy, wheels to be able to move it, and it's made from cheap lumber. I used 3 2x8 for the top. I don't really get why yours is made like that, and I may have problems later, but for now on, I really like mine. I used some wood stain and floor varnish for the top in order to protect the wood a bit. If at some point there is wayy to much dent for me, i'll just have to sand it and put some more floor varnish to restore it I think.
After watching Rex Krueger, I'll just say that he flattens his bench with a handplane every year. He skips finishing the bench because he knows that he'll plane it again. Rex Krueger has made a few workbench designs over the years, and his channel is primarily about handtool woodworking.
Just finish with thin shellac + wax/oil finish, or just the wax/oil finish. Takes like 5 min for the shellac and another 5 min for the wax. It will prevent glue from sticking and is easier to clean. It also repells water and IMO the wood feels nicer to the touch. Also, easier to slide wood over the surface.
This is frankly astonishing production value for such a small channel surprised there aren't more subs
I could see you being a belt and suspenders man for safety, so it makes sense it would be in your builds too. Excellent work mate!
Love the modem sound. Yes, 2x8 is gooder! Love your talent (voice and content) -- keep it up, brother!
Be careful, Scott. With this upload consistency, I'm gonna start expecting monthly uploads..
lol this made me laugh as much as it hurts 😂
If I ever get a break from all the orders I might upload another video… so, I get it.
@@ScottWalshWoodworkinglol
Why are you uploading less and less? Love your show!
I really like the use of 1/4” bolts in 1/2” holes to allow for growth and shrinkage in the table top lam. That along with the shear strength provided by the angled members in the base should provide a nice square surface in all temperatures and seasons.
It is quite nice using wider wood! I recently picked up 2x12s for one project! Its crazy how for almost cheaper per piece by wood amount I can get a nicer piece of wood with even less warping overall! Even without a thickness planer I can trim the rounded edges on a table saw and have a surprisingly good piece of 2x11 by 8ft segment for $12!
Tremendously energetic, creative, and educational delivery! Only watched the first few minutes so far and learned so much! Thank you!
You can't stop me, video title! See, this is why I installed alternating cross-braces under my surface, and put a high density particle board over it instead of gluing a bunch of boards together and sanding them down. Easy to fix, fill or replace. That workbench was a beast, had a built-in table saw, tons of storage for all my tools, a place for grips, and was so sturdy you could jump up and down on it without the slightest movement. Way bigger than I needed! But goodness did I enjoy it. It was just small enough I could drag it around by myself, one side at a time. I hope the people we sold the house to are making good use of it.
i hate particle board but i use it on all my benchs other than the welding bench. THICK pb is cheap, flat, dimensionally stable and you dont care if you cut into it etc. Note i used a reworked oak pallet for the welding bench.. worked great
@@charlesreid9337 Exactly! Short-term, even if you gouge it really bad, a quick swipe of wood fill and you're on your way like nothing happened. Several years later, drop a new top on it in 20 minutes and it's back to new!
I put a sacrificial hardboard top on top which helps in flatness, and lets you beat it up and simply replace it
Wider boards will release tension when ripped, so what can start as a nice straight 10” could likely end up as two 5” bananas. Not saying don’t do it or that this guys is wrong (certainly not wrong about the pith placement nor the general quality/dryness of wider vs narrower boards) but it’s something worth mentioning and preparing for.
THANK you. I was thinking the same thing.
Also, I think for a first workbench, worrying about 2x4 warp is just not a big deal.
Do you know how hard it is to do anything without anything resembling a workbench? It's damned near impossible.
Going from no workbench to workbench + tool rack behind workbench took me from not being able to do jack shit that I actually wanted to do to pretty much being able to do whatever I want.
The first workbench is your beater workbench that you use for aggressive tasks.
The second one you build can be the one you really engineer and design well, where you have the work surface and experience to actually build a nice workbench.
I'm glad I didn't cave into the pressure of feeling like I had to have some beautiful dead flat bench, and eventually just hacked together something of my own design that incorporates design elements of other workbenches.
I built my bench with very little joinery - the only joinery in it are a couple of half lap joints that don't even cut into the legs. The thing is built like a truck, yet it can be broken down and transported in a car. It's not a super flat surface, but it's not bad at all.
I built a lyre with it, I could certainly build a guitar with it or another instrument, since I built the lyre like a guitar.
@@hellomate639 Okay, well, quite literally the first sentence out of his mouth is this is his third workbench, but none of the points you're making are wrong.
HOWEVER: I don't agree with Not putting in the effort to get the bench as ideal as possible. If nothing else, when one decides to enter the craft, then they've committed to themselves they want to work with wood. There's not a single technique you'd use on a workbench where it WOULDN'T be useful to develop skill in, for the everything-else-youll-ever-do AS a woodworker.
Moreover, a workbench is a jig. The most important jig you own. A jig who's sole purpose is HOLDING WOOD in whatever orientation you need. The better the bench, the easier you've made every aspect of your future journey.
That said: really there's 3 things that count in a workbench:
1. MASS. You want the thing as heavy as you can make it. Doesn't matter if the weight is REMOVABLE, though. I know guys who put two shelves on the bottom there. Top one for exactly what he describes, bottom one for bags of concrete mix just stacked.
2. Grippy. The more dog holes, vises, stops, and holding options you can cram into it, the better ("jig", recall). With that in mind: the more contiguous flat surfaces the better too. If you gotta hold a sheet of plywood on end, you need as much positive contact as possible.
3. As flat is as reasonable/you are capable of getting it. Even luthiers need a flat surface they can rely on. If it's caddywompus, so is everything built atop it.
My first benchtop was 28x66x1/4-inch (71cm x 168cm x 6mm) plywood...
...glued to a 1-1/4-inch (32mm) thick piece of plate _glass_ the same size (It had been a conference room tabletop from a local office building. I paid em $10 for it as they were moving out).
Dead. Flat. I STILL have it as an assembly table.
And before anyone tells me how irresponsible a glass surface is, a piece of glass those dimensions weighs over 200lbs (90kg), and can literally handle a CAR driving over it. It took 3 of us to get it back to the shop. The plywood was only there in case I dropped a hammer or something; I didn't wanna _chip_ it.
There's all KINDS of ways to get a flat benchtop. Even if you don't yet have a bench to build it atop.
@@grumblycurmudgeon When your fiance needs the garage and you're under a time crunch, you kind of make due with not necessarily getting it dead flat, at least not right away.
I would add... a flush vice face on the front is also super useful.
Dog holes can be added as needed.
I think maybe part of my comment comes from the fact that despite some jankiness in some cosmetic elements of my bench, it is very sturdy and almost feels like its made out of one piece.
Joinery is miserable without a bench, so sweating over it when you lack a bench isn't worth it, IMHO. It's much better to learn it when you have the bench available, and I recommend also putting up a pegboard tool rack/magnetic strip for tools.
My workbench is essentially an English style bench with a flat space on the bottom to toss saws and hand planes. It has quasi-joints made out of two by fours screwed and glued, with 2x6s sandwiched between.
It's well-designed as first benches go, IMHO. So, spend time on the design that you can build.
I buy the "pit" 4x4 for fence posts and they do not warp like other pieces in my experience. I do treat the ends and cap them.
A 2x4 base for my benches at home works great. I have solid core doors for tops and laminated tops. One is made from bowling alley lane and wears like a tank, it has a metal base from my late FIL's shop, he was a master wood carver. At the shop we always used tempered hardboard and polyurethaned for the top surface. When cut up and damaged, flip and use other side. Lasted years.
inspiring. my local bowling lane won't know what hit them when they open at 10am tomorrow.
Don't ever stop doing these! Awesome pro video skills and even better projects that are realistic!
Great video - many thanks. Consider covering the floor before applying the glue - it gets everywhere. And using a scraper (as c4call suggests below) to apply the glue is free and works well.
Ok … great build …. But …. Your editing skills are beyond anything I’ve seen in a long while …. Excellent production / editing skills, just excellent! Thank You for time well spent …. !!
you know. i'm not a woodworker. but i do enjoy quality. and watching your videos does keep inspiring me to keep my quality game up in my own specialization. whenever i figure out what it is going to be ...
That’s a heavy duty workbench, great video. My workbench top is made of 3/4 ply with 3/4 MDF on top and finished with 3/16 (I think) hardboard, no planning and perfectly flat. For me, your build was a subtle lesson in various woodworking techniques without being a “lesson”. Well done and keep up your funny demeanor!
Looking at the Home Depot web site for my local store here in CT, 2x4s are various spruce/pine/fir, but 2x8s are all Douglas Fir. If you must build a workbench out of such lumber, take the bit of extra effort to find Douglas Fir.
An alternative to diagonal bracing is to put something thin and flat over the opening, attached on all four sides with plenty of screws and even glue. Even 1/8" pegboard can do the job, or 1/4" luan. Ever try to bend sheet goods sideways?
Scott Walsh videos are easy to watch. He doesnt make me feel stupid. And I think he would engage in a conversation for the sake of a good conversation.
Bought the plans and will try the build. The only thing I would suggest is using General Finishes Arm-R-Seal as the finish. It's a wipe-on oil-based poly, super tough. Great for kitchen counter tops. Thanks for the great video.
The last bench I made had a leg vise and an apron on one side, which was super useful. Next bench I made will have a leg vise again, but instead of an apron, I'll probably put in a sliding apron, like some Roubo benches have. I want to add a tail vise, too. One of the things that I did the best I could at the time was to put in a bunch of 1/2" dog holes. This time, I'll make sure they're all 3/4. Back then, I couldn't make them bigger because I only had an eggbeater drill. Now I have a couple bit braces and larger bits, and it's a lot easier to make bigger holes.
A drill guide (hole drilled cleanly in a piece of wood) should help, too. Prevent the bit from wandering. Run it up against a straightedge clamped to the top.
@@scottwillis5434 That's a good idea!
I want to make a small production line, and that tip about flip down castors would make an amazing change to the small area I have to work with. I didn't know they existed.
It will allow me to build a couple of different workstations and move the appropriate bench to my work area rather than set up some multi-use thing that requires part changing and compromises in design.
*I don't know what stations I need yet, I haven't even finished inventing the PRODUCT. But the idea is going straight to my file of good ideas
How heavy do you think your workbench is?
I'm looking to build a table that doesn´t sag for some computer equipment. Someone recommended me to solder some metal angles for a sturdy lasting frame. The problem is that the table need wheels and I'm afraid they won't hold the weight of the equipment + the metal frame.
When cutting for the diagonal braces, allow for any end play in the circular saw shaft bearings. If there's a lot of slop and it will move back and forth easily, the saw blade position is going to shift on you.
You could have made a dog extension for the old table.
Hardwood would be the easier material to make it out of.
You could also use aluminum since carbide blades or an angle grinder would make easily grind a slot in two pieces that are then JB welded or epoxied together.
Adding to that a chain that keeps it attached to the vice and you have a readily available dog as if the vise was mounted flush.
The rare DIY video where I laughed, learned, and loved...your scripted and editing. Definitely subscribed. The point about the pith and 2x4s was super interesting. I will never discount a 2x8 as overkill again. Thanks for the great video.
Me Too
Scott, thanks for your honesty. Very few creators admit their mistakes.
This guy is too funny! I’m not a woodworker and I found the dry humor highly entertaining
he is certifiably " nuts " - i relate an awful lot ....
The issue with using larger dimension framing lumber is that it is generally case hardened. Meaning it was dried so fast in the kiln that the outside is drier than the inside. Once you try to rip it in half it has a tendency to do very undesirable things.
One of the cool things about videos like this is that I am absolutely certain that when I get around to building a work bench, I will have forgotten all the tips and make all the same mistakes you made.
That or; I will have forgotten all the work bench videos I watched, think of all the tips I heard in them, and think I'm a genius for thinking up all the cool ideas on how to make a awesome workbench the first time.
I have an old workbench from Harbor Freight but new work benches I used 3/4 ply with 3/4 MDF glued and screwed down with birch frame around edges. Legs are just 2x4’s. Sealed top with poly.
Nice build. For anyone putting a bench like this in a conditioned space let the construction lumber sit in the space for a few weeks to a month before building to give it time to dry out.
Can't help but chuckle when watching a woodworker do basic framing! 😁
Find a heavy duty metal filing cabinet and build it into the base of the work bench. The file cabinets are designed to hold a lot of weight and work great for power tools or whatever.
My 25 year-old computer desk is a solid core door on top of a pair of 2-drawer file cabinets.. 😎
Mine is 2x4's with a lower shelf and diagonal bracing on all 4 sides. The top is 2x4 framed with 3 cross frames and topped with 1 inch plywood. Several holes facilitate power cords and clamping of work pieces or tools. 4 large, solid tires with breaks (2 casters, 2 straight) finish it off. I have used this bench for about 15 years with no issues.
Great video. Will start considering cutting down larger dimensional lumber in the future instead of 2x4’s. I still think I would go with box top with dog holes though if it was gonna be my only bench. I love the clamping versatility they give.
I made my benchtop as a torsion box. I made the edges of 2x4 I like the tric laid flat to make it 1 1/2 inches tall. I used 1x2s for the webbing and 3/8 plywood for the skins. I like ripping the 2x8s to get more stable lumber. I chose this costruction because I didn't have a jointer or planer. I've been using it for about 30 years now. I hand chopped the m/t joinery. I position it in a corner of my shop to prevent it from wobbling. It's been solid and flat for 3 decades now.
what a king. kudos
Dude! I’m going to make this at some point now that I have a bigger shop. I could use a better hand tool workbench than my cheap Harbor freight workbench. Great video!
Cheap doesn't always mean bad
Mine is similar, but I found it was too light. So, also at home depot are those 12" x 12" concrete pavers came in handy. I put them under the floorboards of the bottom shelf. I was able to put 8 of them under there, and 2 between each leg front to back. Now when I plane a board, the bench not only won't wrack, but it simply won't move either. And that is great. And I ca still put it on those cool casters.
I need a workbench to build my workbench on.
You've just discovered Steinberger's Loop
O that's easy just make a bench first
@@johnjohn88024 I’m actually building one now on top of a free kitchen table and shop floor
Dedicating yourself to a craft makes you a crusty old hermit. got it. 👍
You are literally the Bourgeoisie woodworker. I don't see a single hand tool Just very expensive power tools.
Thank you for your videos! As usual, I always "borrow" an idea or two from your work. Your video editing skills are great, very fluid...
Thanks Eric!
Nice video, though when I made mu bench I used my biscuit cutter every 8 inches between each laminated strip.
Not sure if it helps, but often in Chicago winters the bench is not heated, then also survives 110 degree days (125 in the garage) without wrapping.
That's belt and suspenders.
Unless you move the bench often, it is easier to just keep a couple of furniture dollies around. They have plenty of capacity and you can lift each end of the bench with a floor jack if it is too heavy to pick up by hand and slip a dolly under each end. Then move the bench where you want it and remove the dollies. Pretty easy and saves having those ugly caster wheels sticking out in the way on both ends all the time.
For my first workbench, i created a torsion design out of plywood and 1x4 with a 2x4 frame. Then i leveled the top of the plywood, took some old pieces of hickory hardwood flooring ive had sitting around, and created the top of my workbench out of that, then glued it down to the plywood.
Not only does it look nice, but the torsion base stays flat, and the hardwood can take a beating!
I personally use 2x10's or bigger and cut down from there. That way, you have a choice of using southern yellow pine (at least in my area on the east coast) rather than white pine which is basically junk in comparison.
The advantage of 2x10 or 2x12 is you can select those with the pith running right down the middle.
When you to these boards, what you are left with is quartersawn stock. This is more stable than anything else.
Plan to let the stock air dry for a couple of months at least.
Kiln dried can be good if you can get it, but spot check that the boards are not case hardened. You can Google that. Basically, you are checking that the boards were not pushed too fast in the kiln and the boards could have internal stresses in them, and warp.
I agree with all the suggestions about keeping the house ADA accessible. Its not just a kind thing to do, it will also attract a wider range of customers.
Did you do an audio recording dub on this? It's good, but it's giving me this slight uncanny valley as there is the SLIGHTEST offset in some shots.
You have a nice work bench! I alway put one board crown up the next crown down this practically eliminates bowing.
A small note on the braces. Those are the most complex part of this build by far, and will likely loosen anyway with age. You could alternatively brace with a set of turnbuckles in an "X" configuration, then tighten as needed. Should be easier, if not faster and cheaper too
Agreed. I was thinking if the build was going simple, an X of cables and turnbuckles would actually work very well. Cool bench though. That said, this style of bench isn’t my thing. I prefer aluminum 1545 perimeter (highly flexible for clamping vertically and horizontally) and laminate top made of ply that won’t warp or cup and is easily replaced.
Hard disagree. The only way those diagonal braces will loosen is if the glue joint fails. With turnbuckles you'll be forever chasing "tight".
Nice bench Scott. As a maker of custom workbenches, I like your mods to prevent (or at least resist) racking. Thank you for demonstrating how easy (& strong) half laps are. Well worth the time to use half laps, even w/ a skillsaw & chisel. One question: which brand of parallel clamps do you prefer? I’ve seen the same clamps in your other videos, but haven’t been able to capture the brand. Thanks for all of your productions. Nice to know that there’s another maker out there working in a one-car garage.
"Im not apart of the problem, you are" love that @1:40
That little jab was my favorite part of this video.
Scott's light-hearted, punny quips throughout his videos are exactly why I've recommended this channel to others, but that comment was fairly direct 👍👍👍
Also, he builds nice stuff
"....to whisk it away"! Oh I was so hoping you could finish that alliteration. :) Awesome video. Learned a lot. Thank you!
I'm not sure you understand what "anaphylactic shock" means
He absolutely does not. Maybe his next video will be a correction of the correction of the previous one. 🙄
I think you just don't have a sense of humour.
Is that all you were able to take away from this video..??
@@Greenpecks1myopia.
She's def an American that was dismissed by her parents too often in her youth. Always out to prove how smart she is to anyone that will listen.
Anybody that writes something like this without knowing any facts is obviously an idiot. Midwit at best.
Newb here. Does a planer make the face flat? I thought it was a jointer. Per comment at 1:00
Yes and no. A planer has rollers that clamp down on the wood in order to feed it through and prevent kickback. The warp in the wood gets undone by these rollers before it reaches the planing blades, resulting in the warp "springing" back after it leaves the planer. Bows, crooks, kinks, and twists are best dealt with a jointer.
However, you CAN use a planer for these types of warp if you tape your wood to a piece of plywood and use shims to support any gaps between your piece and the plywood base. This will prevent the piece from getting compressed by the rollers and will result in a truer face.
Regarding the video, just looking at the wood, you can see there's no warp of significance to be concerned about. He just needed to flatten the faces to eliminate the rounded edges. Any minor warp will be eliminated when the boards are clamped together.
Great looking bench! I've been meaning to add a secondary bench to my shop and I'll probably incorporate some elements from this one into my design.
And don't worry Scott, profiting from your work doesn't make you a capitalist. As long as you aren't exploiting someone else's labor for profit you should be in the clear.
With all my benches I keep the bottom shelve up from the floor about 6 inches and build carts to go underneath. Basically just a drawer with wheels on the sides holding the bottom a 1/2 in. off the floor. Great for bolt or screw storage. Turns wasted space that collects junk you never see again into handy easily accessible storage. Plywood discs make great wheels.
Fun to watch, informative, and impressive to see the detail and quality of your work. Thanks, Scott.
I like that what is presented here that's most useful are the various concepts. The specific design is nice but not as important as the concepts driving it. So you can easily apply the same concepts to a various workbench designs.
Nice video Mr. Walsh. I like the way you work your wood.
Would it be advantageous to use reclaimed/salvaged lumber for the top? It would be uniformly dry and you'd be able to see if the wood was ever going to warp, because it would have already done so. If there was a nail hole, it wouldn't really matter.
Wouldn't look so clean and tidy, but I don't think many of our benches do anyway lol.
This is MUCH easier: we are not making furniture, we are making a workbench. Just use particle board for the working surface. It is flat, smooth, inexpensive, you can clamp to the edge easily. And after drilling into it a bunch of times or screwing into it to hold your work in place, you just mix glue and sawdust to patch it back up! Save the furniture making for furniture.
I use mdf, doesn't chip as easily as particle board.
@@bobshaker yup! good smooth surface.
Wow man you really got it all figured out
I couldn't agree more. He is definitely doing WAY to much!
I wanted to practice 1/2 laps and so I made 3 custom scaffolds for installing a boatload of T&G. What I found is that cutting them on the tablesaw proved a work out for the blades. Now I'm not certain how much work they had already seen but I'm through two at the moment with two laps left to cut. I think I'll try getting the edges close and then try a couple passes with the circ saw then switching to chisels the next time. Thanks for the vid - gave me pause as I need to do something like this next. Cheers!
Step 1: Have $10,000 in equipment.
To be fair, that describes every woodworking video ever.
You need to find your inner scrounger and buy used. I got my table saw, band saw, planer and circular saw for less than 300 bucks combined. Most of them are contractor/jobsite grade mobile tools but they get the job done.
Best I find in my area is really old stuff a widow is selling... @@schuylerashton813
Wranglerstar is on UA-cam. He had a series on building a work bench and smooths it with a hand plane.
I could build that bench with hand tools. They aren’t free either tho lol
Love the video format, the sense of humor, and the get-to-the-point presentation.
Here we have another video showing us how to used 5000 dollars worth of power tools along with 1400 dollars worth of clamps to make a 150 dollar bench someone with those tools would never want. Brilliant
Shut up
Appreciate all of it. But..
My vote:
- Find old solid wood door if you can. Wood is already stable, and way cheaper and faster to build
- To cross member (stabilise) your table, use EMT, pound the ends flat, bolt them in place, simple, cheap, fast, works.
My next suggestion - I should post a picture of what I built, but I use it all the time to move tables.
It's 4 swivel casters attached to 4 lengs of wood 1.5m (~4 feet long) each.
They are all attached to a 30cm (foot round) centre with bolts but free to swing.
I store this folded in a corner of the room
When I need to move a table, just drop on the ground, pull it into an X configuration.
I can use it for ALL tables, it works SO well!
I pulled the wheels off a $12 small furniture dolly from Home Repo (as you call it)