Here is my attempt to build a workbench. I have almost zero woodworking experience (see the desk I built when I had zero woodworking experience) and have found that there is surprisingly little out there with the details, and step by step guidance I was hoping for. To put my woodworking level into perspective, prior to this project I didn’t know what a dog hole was. So if you’ve decided to embrace woodworking, have little to no knowledge of the trade and need a bench – maybe this will help.
A number of articles expect you to have machine planners and a table saw. I have neither. So everything I’ve done was done with some very basic power tools, and your basic hand tools.
Resources
Here are the main resources I used. There have been numerous other articles and forum posts but these are the best I’ve found that I based my design off of.
- Workbenches: From Design And Theory To Construction And Use
An excellent book but with too few pictures for my lack of knowledge.
Here is a list of the key things I highlighted from that book. - The $175 Workbench (written by the author of Workbenches)
Note: Make sure to download the pdf on page 3, it includes a number of key diagrams not shown on the web site. - Bob and Dave Key’s Good, Fast, Cheap Bench
The original article is no longer available.
A compilation of the original into a pdf.
Others
A few other benches that are based off of Bob and Dave Key’s.
- http://tomecat.com/jeffy/ww/bench/
- http://www.user.dccnet.com/cedwards/bench/bench.htm
Apparently I’m not the first geek to go down this path. - http://home.comcast.net/~bmlerner/workbench.htm
Virtually every idea, concept or solution I mention in the following posts have come from someone else. They deserve the kudo’s. I’m simply trying to consolidate everything I’ve learned with as much detail as possible for all the other noobs out there.
mikehardy.com 