Ramia Workbench From Rockler

[Wiley's Woodworks]

I've been debating building a better workbench for my shop. I've gotten far enough along to do a swag estimate on material costs, which includes quality vise mechanisms. It is ~$800.

Rockler is running a good price on a Ramia Diamond Beech 71" Workbench with lower cabinet for ~$1,350, tax included. As much as I enjoy my woodworking, for $500 more to get a complete bench set up in my shop in about 3 hours instead of 2 months gathering materials and building it myself seems like a no-brainer.

My current bench is a lightweight cheap bench with a vise that racks badly whenever any working piece isn't centered over the screw, which is why I'm ready to upgrade. My only hesitation in buying the Ramia is the quality of the vise mechanisms. Does anyone use one of these benches, or have you seen one and can vouch that the vises will hold something tightly when clamping on one end of the vise face? Also, is it heavy enough to stay stationary under pressure from planing hardwood or screwing force?

 

[Barry W]

Are you looking at Item 63265 or 64838? They both appear to be selling at their regular prices with the exception of a 10% discount through 10/31/22. I'm thinking of building a new workbench this winter, but I can also see it taking month's to complete. I agree with your reasoning.

 

[Wiley's Woodworks]

Are you looking at Item 63265 or 64838? They both appear to be selling at their regular prices with the exception of a 10% discount through 10/31/22. I'm thinking of building a new workbench this winter, but I can also see it taking month's to complete. I agree with your reasoning.

I don't have the catalog in front of me. I'm looking at the 72" bench with the cabinet. I'll pay for the cabinet just to get the extra weight. Catalog price is $1249 for both plus tax. There's a $200 extra shipping fee, but I can drive in 2 1/2 hours to the new Charlotte store. That's more/hour than I net on selling my finished pieces LOL.

I'm still hoping someone on this forum can speak to the quality and rigidity of the vises.

 

[Barry W]

I do not live near a Rockler store and am therefore shopping online. The 10% discount, which ends today, would pay for a little more than half of the $200.00 shipping charge. My final cost, including tax, would be $1400.93.

I'm also hoping that a forum member addresses the overall quality of this table and the vises.

 

[Robert LaPlaca]

Wiley, I have a Hofmann and Hammer German Large work bench I bought from Highland Hardware, 8 years ago for roughly the same money as the Ramia. It's a really nice bench made of European beech, weights in at about 300 lb'ish, has both a shoulder and tail vices. I am of the mindset, I know I could build a bench, but I just rather spend the time building furniture rather than a bench..

As nice as the bench and vice's are, I still need to place a spacer in the shoulder vice if I am attempting to clamp material to one side of the vise. Maybe higher quality shoulder twin screw vise (Veritas, Lie-Nielsen, Bench Craft) don't have that issue, every single screw vice I have used seemed to have that same malady..

 

[junquecol]

What country was the Ramia made in? If it's a Pacific Rim country, I personally would pass.

 

[Barry W]

Ramia is a Czech Co.

RAMIA s.r.o. - Joinery planers and workbenches

 

[Howie]

I've been debating building a better workbench for my shop. I've gotten far enough along to do a swag estimate on material costs, which includes quality vise mechanisms. It is ~$800.

Rockler is running a good price on a Ramia Diamond Beech 71" Workbench with lower cabinet for ~$1,350, tax included. As much as I enjoy my woodworking, for $500 more to get a complete bench set up in my shop in about 3 hours instead of 2 months gathering materials and building it myself seems like a no-brainer.

My current bench is a lightweight cheap bench with a vise that racks badly whenever any working piece isn't centered over the screw, which is why I'm ready to upgrade. My only hesitation in buying the Ramia is the quality of the vise mechanisms. Does anyone use one of these benches, or have you seen one and can vouch that the vises will hold something tightly when clamping on one end of the vise face? Also, is it heavy enough to stay stationary under pressure from planing hardwood or screwing force?

Good vid. on the subject (IMO)

 

[Mike Davis]

I built my bench and I would do it again. I haven't seen any commercial bench as solid and work friendly as mine for even twice what it cost me including my time at $50 per hour.

 

[Gotcha6]

Before attempting to build your own workbench, I would recommend to anyone to get - and read - a copy of "The Anarchist's Workbench" by Christopher Schwarz. It's a comprehensive no nonsense guide to building your own workbench without being 'preachy' about the right way to do it. He explains in detail the many options for building your own and goes through several iterations of his earlier builds and the mistakes he made in them. Don't look for a set of hard and fast rules to go by, but do look at it as a guide to help you make your own choices about what you want.

 

[Graywolf]

If I were you i would stick with building one. You see I don’t think you are comparing apples to apples here. I think are only seeing cost in time and $$. Let’s start by looking at the competition at Rockler, the Sjoberg benches, compare the price difference, the compare the hardware. Now let’s compare the vise hardware that you have selected for the bench you are going to build. Then there is one more factor, the satisfaction of working on a bench that you crafted for yourself that fits you and your needs. Speaking from experience there ain’t nothing better than that.

 

[pop-pop]

Adding to Richard’s comments, even a modest wooden leg vise is far superior to the vises on most expensive commercial workbenches.

Untreated SYP from your local BORG is a great bench material. Select long center-cut boards and rip the pith away and get stable quarter sawn stock.

Building a solid bench is just another woodworking project and it will last you forever.

Also, there is no finicky finishing to fret over. BLO on SYP ages to a golden colour.

 

[Gotcha6]

Christopher Schwarz made this book 'open source' so that it could be copied in any medium provided it is for educational purposes and not for profit. I would be willing to forward it to anyone who wants to scan and download it to the site, pending review by the BoD of his disclaimer and their approval to proceed.

 

[Barry W]

Downloading to the site would be great. This book is <$60.00 on Amazon and <$90.00 on eBay (used).

 

[mdbuntyn]

Downloading to the site would be great. This book is <$60.00 on Amazon and <$90.00 on eBay (used).

NEVER look for an in-print Lost Art Press book on Amazon or eBay. They're always cheaper directly from LAP. The Anarchist's Workbench is $31 for a hardcopy and the download link is there also

The Anarchist's Workbench (signed by the author)

Note: You can download a free pdf of this book via this link. By Christopher Schwarz “The Anarchist’s Workbench” is – on the one hand – a detailed plan for a simple workbench that can be built using construction lumber and basic woodworking tools. But it’s also the story of Christopher Schwarz’s...

lostartpress.com

 

[bowman]

This file is just slightly too big fit us to host directly. Let me see what i can do.

 

[bowman]

I added to our resources page.

https://ncwoodworker.net/forums/index.php?resources/anarchists-workbench.554/

 

[Gotcha6]

NEVER look for an in-print Lost Art Press book on Amazon or eBay. They're always cheaper directly from LAP. The Anarchist's Workbench is $31 for a hardcopy and the download link is there also

The Anarchist's Workbench (signed by the author)

Note: You can download a free pdf of this book via this link. By Christopher Schwarz “The Anarchist’s Workbench” is – on the one hand – a detailed plan for a simple workbench that can be built using construction lumber and basic woodworking tools. But it’s also the story of Christopher Schwarz’s...

lostartpress.com

That's where I bought my copy, along with another book they reprinted. Really durable binding and paper, too.

 

[Reference Handiwork]

I completely understand the desire to save time by buying one.

That said, I recently built my first ever proper woodworking bench and I couldn't be happier. It's not much, but it suits my needs and the only expenses were the knock down hardware (about $30 from rockler) and the vise (about $150 for an open box deal). All of the wood was recycled old growth pine (all of the legs and the top) and some old oak shelves for the storage shelf underneath. I used some finish ply scraps and long screws for the cross braces. It is VERY heavy, was cheap to make, and I didn't fiddle with trick joinery on it.

I find that if I'm hand chopping mortises after work I'd rather be doing it on a piece of furniture to share or sell than on a workbench, which I think of as a utilitarian thing.

Good luck making your choice!

 

[Hmerkle]

I recently built my first ever proper woodworking bench and I couldn't be happier. It's not much, but it suits my needs
View attachment 214609

@Reference Handiwork I disagree violently!
you said " It's not much, but it suits my needs"
"
it suits my needs" is the ONLY thing that matters!
and I think it IS MUCH - look at that end grain on a thick-topped workbench you CAN chop, saw and work on - too many people have worked on less for longer - you should be proud of that bench!