Andy Dingley wrote:
On Tue, 08 May 2007 22:01:01 +0100, NoSpam
wrote:

Anybody got any pointers to designs for woodworking benches?

The Scott Landis workbench book from Taunton
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1561582700/codesmiths
Don't even think about a bench until you've read this.

Thanks, I'll look for it.

.... snipped


My own bench
http://codesmiths.com/shed/workshop/bench.htm

This looks good (never seen double dovetails before).

.... snipped

Any other bench I made would have to have some sort of moving dogs in
the top surface (like Frid's tail vice). These are much more useful for
joinery than any iron vice I've ever had.

My plan is simply to put dog holes in the hardwood facings of the end
vice - these can then be used to clamp boards against dogs in the bench
- what's the advantage of moving dogs in the top surface?

I'm sketching-out some ideas for a woodworking bench top to fit on an
existing sturdy metal frame.

No such animal, if by woodworking you mean handwork, planing and
chiselling. Steel is strong, but it doesn't have the inertia, damping
and stiffness of a good wooden frame. Under rhythmic loads it'll sway
back and forth beneath you. Even if you weld stiffeners all over it,
it's still an annoyance. As a minimum, I'd use a solid sheet back, then
weld angle sections across that to stiffen it.

This is heavy "U" section with (eventually) diagonal braces, but I take
the suggestion about the solid back.


The top's going to be 1500x660 (overhanging
slightly at each end),

.... snipped

a quick release vice set
on the front and a standard vice on the end.

I've no use for an iron tail vice whatsoever. Tail vices aren't there as
vices, they're either there as front-edge notch vices (useful) or as a
moving member to work moving dogs (incredibly useful). Wooden tail vices
aren't to be used as vices on the end of the bench (you'll strain them)
and the whole idea of a "tail-mounted vice" is a red herring that has
grown up around them.

With dog-holed wooden facings it will be useful for holding boards

Probably also a removable panel to drop-in a router.

Damned annoying to work around. Router tables are easy - make a simple
top and stick it on a cheapWorkmutt frame.
http://codesmiths.com/shed/workshop/techniques/router_table/

There will be an insert plug fitted when the router isn't needed so the
bench top will be flat, the big router will spend lots of its time in
the Woodrat anyway.
Are you just thinking about strength? The hole won't be bigger than it
needs to be for a 1/2" router and will have stepped edges and a
reinforcing brace underneath - so I don't think it'll be a problem.

.... snipped

so I'm thinking of laminating 3 layers of 18mm ply (or maybe
MDF) and edging it with some 30mm wide Beech.

2 x 19mm baltic birch plies and a 4mm MDF top is traditional and works
well. Wax the MDF well, stick it down with DS tape and replace every
half-decade.

I can just get the 3 layers out of a single sheet - and size matters -
so I may as well go for the 3x18 (less offcuts to store).

I hadn't thought about waxing the MDF - why wax rather than oil or PU?
(and which wax?)

Many thanks.
Dave