Workbench Base

[LeftyTom]

Here are some pics of my first go at mortise & tenon joinery. The wood is reclaimed from a deck. I cut the tenons using a dado blade on the old Sears benchtop saw. The mortises were cut using mt HF Forstner bit set.

I gotta go to the BORG to use a gift card to buy the lumber for the front and rear rails. I may make the op from a couple of sheets of Baltic birch, or cheap-out & use MDF.

 

[JackLeg]

Off to a good start, Tom. Keep us "posted."

 

[nelsone]

...I may make the op from a couple of sheets of Baltic birch, or cheap-out & use MDF.

Compromise and put a sheet of Birch ply on top of a piece of MDF! The only downside with using ply is gouging through the veneer. You wouldn't have that problem with MDF. If you don't glue two pieces of MDF, you can replace the top piece when it gets too banged up!

Legs look good!

 

[Travis Porter]

Looks good! You going to put any storage in it?

 

[Tarhead]

Tom,
May want to consider 2 sheets of 3/4" MDF topped with 1/4" hardboard. Flat, heavy, tough, replaceable and cheap.

 

[JimmyC]

I agree with Tarhead, use the MDF with the hardboard/masonite just make sure that the hardboard is tempered (a harder,better quality). I made a temporary workbench out of this combo about 12 years ago, and it's still my main bench( I'm still fixin' to get around to building a better bench:lol.

Good luck,
Jimmy

 

[Bas]

Looking good Tom, from what I can tell those are nice fitting joints! Those HF Forstner bits cut just fine.... Any specific reason you made the legs asymmetrical?

 

[LeftyTom]

Bas, I was using the plans you noted in your bench posting. It called for 3"x3" legs, but I did not have enough wood for that, So I jointed & glued two 2x6's together. Then I started thinking (always slows down any process): it would stay closer to the plan's dimensions (or my "dementions") if I flipped the legs on one side. That side will probably end up against a wall in the basement.

I forgot to mention that the table will be about 24" wide, so I will have the sheet goods cut in half at the store (free of charge, mind you), and laminate (I luvs fancy words for glue) the layers for a 3" thickness.

 

[Bas]

Tom, that makes perfect sense. Also more interesting than square legs! My bench is also 24" wide, been very happy with that. Great "dementions" :rolf:

 

[LeftyTom]

Assembled base pics, soon.

 

[JimmyC]

Tom,
The base looks great:icon_thum, it's real sturdy and should keep the rocking to a minimum once you add your table.

Jimmy

 

[sapwood]

Looking good Tom :icon_thum
But I want to know about the blue/gray paint????

Roger

 

[cpw]

Tom,

You better beef up those rails a bit or the base might tend to rack when you start to work on it! :rolf:

Seriously! What are you going to be putting on this thing? A '68 Buick?

Outstanding base dude. If you make a comparable top you're never going to have to worry about chasing your bench around the shop. :icon_thum

You've pushed me a little closer to starting on my own bench.

Keep the pics coming.

 

[LeftyTom]

It's gotta be structurally sound, Charles. Most wood is grown only to cope with right-handed woodworkers. Being A lefty, I gotta account for the counter-vibration of my delicately placed, ham-fisted handiwork.

Roger, the paint is what wasn't jointed off wood I removed from my deck when I did a re-do of composite. I still have a 20 or so 5/4 deck boards (10' long, ~6" wide) laying under a tarp, waiting on some inspiration.

 

[LeftyTom]

The latest stop on my path to the perfect workbench. I just gotta get around to mounting my 6" woodworker's vise, and drilling those doggone dog holes.

 

[Bas]

Fine looking bench Tom! That thing is going NOWHERE! A good workbench instantly doubles your WW skill

 

[cpw]

Lookin' great. Can't wait to see the pics with the Buick on top:icon_thum

 

[mcoston2]

Great looking bench.:icon_thum:icon_thum

 

[lcottrell]

I went with the double layer of MDF with 1/4" hardboard on top and it turned out really well, I think. It wasn't expensive and seems sturdy and heavy enough to not move around when I'm working on it.