bench ideas

[daver828]

So many posts about benches. I'm trying to figure out a way to make some sort of a bench, portable, movable. I live in a one bedroom apartment and it's full. I have very little options for a place to work. But maybe if I could come up with a way to work with a portable bench, then I could get some work done. I thought about Odate's idea of a planing beam which would serve as several things. I have several 12 x 12 beams I could use. But how to set them up for planing? Sawhorses move too much. I've tried the little black and decker fold up bench with the rollers to clamp with. That is absolutely useless for planing or chisel work. Any ideas?

 

[michaelgarner]

PM me I have an article that I can send you that might be just right for you.

 

[Mike Davis]

I've been thinking about a small bench as well. I'm thinking to build something like the saw bench only much stronger and maybe with an end vise.

 

[rbdoby]

Blum Tools has a neat portable workbench. Maybe you can get some ideas from this:

http://www.blumtool.com/pages/benchhorse.html

Rick Doby

 

[Mike Davis]

I'm thinking more along the lines of Scott Grandstaff's saw horses.

http://www.oldtoolsshop.com/Galoots/sGrandstaff/sawhorses.htm

 

[merrill77]

I read an article in the past few months that might be helpful. It might have been in American Woodworker, but I looked through my last few issues and didn't find it. Could have been an older issue though - I bought a few lots of back issues off eBay over the winter.

Anyway, he was an accomplished woodworker but had no traditional workbench. He had two bases (possible heavy sawhorses?) and 2 "tops". Each top was a 12"x8' torsion box. The article showed the variety of ways that he would clamp the tops to the sawhorses to accomplish each task. I know he specifically mentioned various hand-plane usage and thought his bench choice was more flexible than the traditional bench and just as sturdy. Cheaper to build and no face/tail vices - just a variety of clamping strategies.

I wish I could find the article. Grrrr...

 

[Adirondax]

Anyway, he was an accomplished woodworker but had no traditional workbench. He had two bases (possible heavy sawhorses?) and 2 "tops". Each top was a 12"x8' torsion box. The article showed the variety of ways that he would clamp the tops to the sawhorses to accomplish each task. I know he specifically mentioned various hand-plane usage and thought his bench choice was more flexible than the traditional bench and just as sturdy. Cheaper to build and no face/tail vices - just a variety of clamping strategies.

That was in FWW No. 202, the last Tools & Shops issue. His system was pretty clever.

 

[merrill77]

That was in FWW No. 202, the last Tools & Shops issue. His system was pretty clever.

Yup - that's it. Just re-read parts of it. It looks to be a great system for the space-constrained or budget-conscious. If I didn't already have a bench, I'd build that.

 

[Adirondax]

Here's a pic of the bench with one of the two torsion boxes Josh Finn made for the bench. I'd really consider this as well if I hadn't already built the John White NewFangled Bench for my shop.

 

[merrill77]

After re-reading the article I noted that each top is 9" wide. The picture that Adirondax posted is actually using both tops. Of course, you can build them to suit your own needs. Given the experience level of the author, I'd probably start with his dimensions if I was to build them.

 

[Mike Davis]

I don't have room for all that. :nah:

 

[Len]

I've tried the little black and decker fold up bench with the rollers to clamp with. That is absolutely useless for planing or chisel work. Any ideas?

Which B&D bench was this, the WM425, or one of the smaller 100/200 series?

I've used an old WM400, similar to the WM425, for planing with no problem. With longer pieces of wood I use a roller support to keep it from sagging.

Since attending Roy Underhill's class recently, I've gotten into hand cutting dovetails & mortise/tenons. I figured out that clamping a striking post in the WM jaws would keep the WM from jumping around. It runs from the floor to the top surface of the WM.

A full explanation's in the "Tips for cutting mortises?" thread, and more pics in my gallery.

Len