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Workbench e

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Work Bench A design for holding the work by Tage Frid There are many workbenches available on the market today. Aside from obvious reasons of economics, why make my bench? I can convince my students and myself easily enough, but to convince you I should explain the benefits of this design and how I arrived at these specifics. When I came to this country in 1948 I was given a tour of the school where I was to teach. I was guided to a large room and introduced to the teacher with whom I was to work. We talked for a while, or rather he did the talking because my vo- cabulary didn't go much beyond yes and no. By using arms and legs I finally conveyed to him that I wanted to see the woodshop. When I was told I was standing in it I just about passed out. In the room was a huge thickness planer I think Columbus' father must have brought over, and a few small power tools. I was really flabbergasted when I saw the student "workbenches." These were large tables for two persons with a vise in each end. Most of the time the students were holding down their work with one hand and working with the other. Some had taken much time to make special contraptions to hold their work so they could use both hands, which I'm sure was the Lord's intention when he designed us with two. (Of course the Japanese use their feet to secure their work, leaving both hands free.) After being in school for a few months I realized that the bench I wanted did not, to my knowledge, exist in this coun- try. So I designed my first workbench, which was quite similar to the one I was taught on. Later we made one for each stu- dent. Since then we have been making workbenches every two or three years so that the students have their own when they graduate. I find it a good exercise in which they learn how to set up the machines for mass production and work to- gether as a production team. It takes us three days from rough lumber to have all the parts ready to fit and assemble, and to have the bench top glued up. This year each bench cost us about $100, half for wood and half for hardware. Over the years, having made the bench so many times and having had numerous people using and criticizing them, I have arrived at this design and these dimensions as best suited for a cabinetmaker. With its two vises and accessory side clamps there are five possibilities for holding the work—two in the right vise, one in the left vise, one between the bench dogs and one between the side clamps. Both vises are the type with only one screw and no guide pins to interfere with the work. A piece can be clamped all the way to the floor if nec- essary, and the vise can hold irregularly shaped objects. With only six bolts, the bench is easy to assemble and disassemble, and takes minimum storage space. The only glued parts are the bench top, the right vise and the leg sections. Everything else bolts together so that any damaged pieces are easy to replace. This bench is almost six feet long, but if you wish to lengthen the bench you can easily do so by extending the bench top at the center and the two leg crosspieces (#18 on the plan) the same amount. You can shorten it in the same way. I would advise keeping all dimensional changes in five-inch increments so that the distance between the bench dogs remains the same. The bench is designed as a right-handed bench but could be converted to a left-handed one by reversing the plans. If additional storage space is needed, I suggest attaching a piece of plywood between the Vise closeup shows top spline construction. Dowel jig helps support long boards in other vise.
Transcript
Page 1: Workbench e

Work BenchA design for holding the work

by Tage Frid

There are many workbenches available on the markettoday. Aside from obvious reasons of economics, why makemy bench? I can convince my students and myself easilyenough, but to convince you I should explain the benefits ofthis design and how I arrived at these specifics.

When I came to this country in 1948 I was given a tour ofthe school where I was to teach. I was guided to a large roomand introduced to the teacher with whom I was to work. Wetalked for a while, or rather he did the talking because my vo-cabulary didn't go much beyond yes and no. By using armsand legs I finally conveyed to him that I wanted to see thewoodshop. When I was told I was standing in it I just aboutpassed out. In the room was a huge thickness planer I thinkColumbus' father must have brought over, and a few smallpower tools. I was really flabbergasted when I saw the student"workbenches." These were large tables for two persons witha vise in each end. Most of the time the students were holdingdown their work with one hand and working with the other.Some had taken much time to make special contraptions tohold their work so they could use both hands, which I'm surewas the Lord's intention when he designed us with two. (Ofcourse the Japanese use their feet to secure their work, leavingboth hands free.)

After being in school for a few months I realized that thebench I wanted did not, to my knowledge, exist in this coun-try. So I designed my first workbench, which was quite similarto the one I was taught on. Later we made one for each stu-dent. Since then we have been making workbenches everytwo or three years so that the students have their own whenthey graduate. I find it a good exercise in which they learn

how to set up the machines for mass production and work to-gether as a production team. It takes us three days from roughlumber to have all the parts ready to fit and assemble, and tohave the bench top glued up. This year each bench cost usabout $100, half for wood and half for hardware.

Over the years, having made the bench so many times andhaving had numerous people using and criticizing them, Ihave arrived at this design and these dimensions as best suitedfor a cabinetmaker. With its two vises and accessory sideclamps there are five possibilities for holding the work—twoin the right vise, one in the left vise, one between the benchdogs and one between the side clamps. Both vises are the typewith only one screw and no guide pins to interfere with thework. A piece can be clamped all the way to the floor if nec-essary, and the vise can hold irregularly shaped objects. Withonly six bolts, the bench is easy to assemble and disassemble,and takes minimum storage space. The only glued parts arethe bench top, the right vise and the leg sections. Everythingelse bolts together so that any damaged pieces are easy toreplace.

This bench is almost six feet long, but if you wish tolengthen the bench you can easily do so by extending thebench top at the center and the two leg crosspieces (#18 onthe plan) the same amount. You can shorten it in the sameway. I would advise keeping all dimensional changes infive-inch increments so that the distance between the benchdogs remains the same. The bench is designed as aright-handed bench but could be converted to a left-handedone by reversing the plans. If additional storage space isneeded, I suggest attaching a piece of plywood between the

Vise closeup shows top spline construction. Dowel jig helps support long boards in other vise.

Page 2: Workbench e

leg crosspieces and inserting two end pieces to form a largestorage compartment. If you wish you can add a piece behindthe bench to hold gouges, chisels, screwdrivers, etc. But I findit more a bother than a help because if you are working onpieces larger than the bench top surface you have to removethe tools so that they don't interfere.

If you are working on long boards or panels you can make asimple device to support the weight of the board. Take a goodheavy piece of wood (a 2x4 or 4x4 will do), and drill holes ofat least 1/2-inch diameter in a straight line down the lengthof the piece about one inch apart. By clamping this into theright vise and moving a dowel to the hole just under the workyou can easily add support to a long piece.

Before beginning, get your hardware. That way, if youwish to make a substitution or if something isn't readilyavailable, you can make all your dimensional changes beforeany wood is cut. We could not find a 14-inch bolt so we makeour own by brazing a nut to the end of some 3/8-inchthreaded rod which we have cut to the right length. We gotbench screws and dogs at Woodcraft Supply in Woburn,Mass., but I understand Garrett Wade in New York andothers also may have them.

When choosing the wood, make sure you select a densehardwood and be sure the wood is properly dried. We usemaple because it is extremely hard and durable and is theleast expensive in this area (it takes about 60 board feet).When cutting up the stock be sure to cut the longest piecesfirst. Cut them all one inch longer than the final dimension.It is best to purchase rough lumber, joint and thickness-plane

Base parts are wedged and glued.

it rough, and then final thickness-plane the whole top togeth-er after it is glued. If a thickness planer isn't available, buythe lumber planed and align carefully during gluing. Isuggest not using pieces wider than four inches in the topbecause of possible warpage problems. We use 8 / 4 stock foreverything except pieces #18 and #8, which are 5/4 stock. Forthe heavier pieces which finish 2-3/4 by 4 inches, we glue-uptwo pieces of 8 / 4 because in this area it is just about im-possible to find properly dried lumber of that thickness. Ifnecessary, you can bricklay or stack these pieces if you areshort on lumber. We use Titebond yellow glue for all theglued sections.

BASE

Page 3: Workbench e

Many students have found it best to start assembly with thebase, as it goes together very easily. Assembling the base firsteliminates many pieces, making things less confusing whenthe vise is to go together. If you wish, you may round over theedges of the base pieces and radius the ends of the feet. Thesedetails, along with your vise corners and handles, will giveyour bench a personal touch. Sand all pieces before gluing.Be sure to hammer evenly on both wedges and don't over-hammer or the wood will split. After the wedges are in, checkthe sections for squareness. At this point you can remove theclamps because the wedges will hold everything in place.Clean off all the excess glue while it is still wet and you willhave little finishing work. After the glue dries, saw off theexcess of the wedges and plane the tops even and flat. Clampthe base together to drill the hardware holes.

In making the bench top, we use splines between the piecesto make gluing up easier. It isn't a bad idea for strengtheither, because of all the hammering that will take place onthe top surface. A spline should definitely be used betweenpieces #1 and #3 to help align the front piece flush with therest of the top. We use a dado head to cut the grooves for thesplines but it could be done with a shaper, a hand router or aplough plane. The bench top is glued and planed beforepiece #3 with the bench dog slots is added. We use the dadohead on the radial arm saw to cut the bench dog slots with astop set to keep the spacing and the angle consistent. It couldbe done instead with a router, a saw and chisel, or a routerplane. The top step of the slot is chiseled out by hand at thevery end. Cap piece #2 is added afterwards and a brad is usedin each end to prevent the piece from sliding over the lengthduring gluing. Don't use too much glue or it will be necessaryto do a tedious clean-up inside each bench dog slot. After thefront piece is attached, the top is cut in length and width.The tongues are made at each end with a shaper, circular saw,hand router or rabbet plane.

The lengthwise cut for the right-hand vise must be parallelto the front of the bench top, and the crosswise cut preciselysquare to it. This can be done on a band saw, or with a circu-lar saw or hand saw. For making the groove for the right-handvise to ride in, you can use a hand router or chisel it out. Theaccuracy of this groove is very important because it will deter-mine how smoothly your vise works.

As mentioned previously, none of the end cap pieces isglued. For this reason it is essential that the holes for the boltsare drilled very accurately or the bolts will not go in square.Therefore I suggest drilling the holes in pieces #4, 5, and 7 ona drill press or with a doweling jig. At the same time, drill thehole for the vise in piece #7. After the holes are drilled, theend cap pieces are clamped in place with filler #6 inserted.The holes are then continued into the bench top. The bestway to do this is to use an extra-long drill bit, or a bit on anextension. If you don't wish to invest in the bit, you can cut adado and let the bolt ride in that. The same procedure shouldbe followed on piece #18. If you do use a dado and wish toclose up the groove, you can add a piece to conceal the bolt.However, this isn't necessary because the nut will nestle in the

spacing using dado blades. Student uses chisel to clean saw cutsmade to shape bench-top corner for vise. Below, Piece 3 is planed toalign with Piece 1. Bottom photo shows vise.

At top, radial arm-saw jig helps cut out bench-dog slots of consistent

Page 4: Workbench e

TOP

SEE ERRATA AT END OF ARTICLE

Page 5: Workbench e

At top, plywood board is used to square three vise parts when gluingthem together. Middle vertical board is bench-top end (Piece 5).After gluing, other parts of vise are fitted together with the vise inplace on the top. Other photos show bottom and rear views of vise.

shoulder of the right-angled hole, pulling the bolt in tight. Inour benches we insert the vise hardware brackets flush, butthis certainly isn't crucial.

Now comes the most difficult part of assembly—theright-hand vise. It is advisable to make the tongues on thepieces all slightly oversized and carefully fit them with theirgrooves. It is essential that every part of the vise be complete-ly square. We use finger joints in the corners but dovetailswould probably be faster if you are only making one bench.In gluing the vise pieces together it is helpful to cut a piece ofplywood to the exact dimension of the inside rectangle of thevise. If you clamp the vise pieces around this piece, the visewill have to end up square. The plywood also provides anedge to clamp against on the open side.

The vise should be glued and fitted and all the holes drilledfor the hardware before cover piece #14 is added. The hole forthe vise is drilled in piece #11, and from there guided intopiece #5, with #5 bolted in place. It might be necessary tochisel a little notch into the bench top to make room for thevise bracket, but such a notch is invisible. The bench isflipped upside down for the fitting of the guides. The notchesshould be scribed off the runner pieces and carefully routed orchiseled out by hand. Countersink all the screws so that theydon't interfere with the vise travel. Piece #17 should bescrewed down first and then the other guides set in place.Take the time to make all of these fit right. Fitting the visewill drive you crazy at times, but be patient and worry aboutone section at a time and eventually it will all fit just right.When the vise is working properly, piece #14 is added. It isset into pieces #11 and 12 so these pieces must be chiseledout. If you want to get a little fancy you can undercut theedges so that the effect is almost like one large dovetail. Acomplimentary angle is cut on the edges of #14 and the pieceis glued. You must glue only to the moving pans of the viseand not to any of the stationary parts of the bench top. Drillup from the bottom through the bench dog slots to locate thetops of the slots and finish chiseling them out.

Piece #8 is screwed onto the back of the bench after itreceives a groove to support the plywood for the tool trough.The plywood is screwed directly to the underside of the benchtop and is further supported by the filler pieces which securethe top to the legs. The filler pieces #24 stabilize the top andconnect it to the base. The two corner blocks are screwed infrom the bottom. Their only function is to make the trougheasy to sweep out. Piece #23 is used to prevent directclamping onto the work you are holding. A piece of plywoodwould function equally well here.

After the bench is completed, the top should be handplaned and belt sanded level. All the edges should be easedoff slightly, or "broken," to minimize chipping out whensomething hits against an edge.

All of the places on the underside of the right-hand visewhere wood is running against wood should be coated withmelted paraffin thinned slightly with turpentine—say atablespoon or two to a block of paraffin. The paraffin is firstmelted in a can or pot, and the turpentine is added with thecontainer removed from the heat source. The mixture isliberally painted on in its liquid state to protect the pieces andhelp them to function smoothly. No oil is used on any ofthese pieces.

At completion, the rest of the bench and especially thework surface should be completely penetrated with raw

Page 6: Workbench e

linseed oil. This will take several hearty coats. At least once ayear the bench top should be resurfaced. This is done byscraping it down, releveling it, and again penetrating it withoil.

Four small pieces should be added under the legs so thatthe bench rests on four points. The thickness of these piecescan serve as an adjustment for the final bench height.

Now your bench is completely finished and looks sobeautiful you hate to use it. If you take good care of it,working on it and not into it, it should stay like that for yearsand years.

[Author's note: Material for this bench includes 50 board feet

of 8/4 maple; 10 board feet of 5 / 4 maple; one piece of1/2-in. Baltic birch plywood 8 x 60; two 1-1/4-in. diameterbench screws, one 18-in. overall length, the other 13-3/4 longwith a swivel end; 1 pair 7-in. bench dogs with heavy spring,1 x 5 / 8 knurled face, 7 / 8 x 5 / 8 shank (we used Ulmias); two3 / 8 x 8 bolts; four 3 / 8 x 6 bolts; one 3 / 8 x 14 bolt (orthreaded rod); two 3 / 8 x 5 lag screws.[Editor's note: Blueprints of this bench are available for $6.The prints do not give any additional information, but somereaders may find the orthographic projections drawn to a scaleof 1-1/2 and 3 inches to the foot convenient to work with.Send check to The Taunton Press, Box 355, Newtown, CT06470. Connecticut residents add 7% sales tax.]

VISE

BOTTOM VIEW(and sections)

TOP VIEW

SEE ERRATA AT END OF ARTICLE

Page 7: Workbench e

ADDENDA, ERRATA, ETC.On the workbench drawings in the fallissue, in Piece 11 (p. 45) the hole forthe bench screw should be 1-3/4 inchesup from the bottom, not the 2 inchesindicated. And the missing type onPiece 10 (p. 43) should read 1 - 3 / 4i n c h e s . . . . The reversing third drum forthe stroke Sander in the summer issue isno longer available as a stock item.George Mooradian says he'll makesome up if he gets enough orders.Otherwise, he recommends his off-the-shelf Model 1000 special extended shaftmandrel as a substitute. . . .

More bench business: In Fall '76,page 43: piece 3 should total 46 in.long, not 4 6 - 1 / 8 in. ; the top of thebench-dog slot in piece 3 is 1 - 3 / 1 6 in.wide, not 1 5 / 1 6 i n . , (the bottom of theslot is 1 5 / 1 6 in.); on piece 7 the dado is7 - 3 / 8 in. long, not 7 in.; piece 5 is16-3/8 in. long, not 16-5/8 in.; theprotruding tongue of piece 23 is 2 - 1 / 4in., not 2 - 1 / 2 i n . ; bolts are shown ashex-head but mislabeled as carriagebolts. On page 45, piece 12, the dadoslot is 1 - 1 / 4 in. wide, not 3 / 8 in.w i d e . . .

Page 8: Workbench e

An Easy-to-Build WorkbenchBolted butt joints for rigid construction

by Richard Starr

A

s a school woodshop teacher, I must often solve problemson the spur of the moment. That's how the design for myeasy-to-build workbench came to me. A couple of kids

wanted to build a bench as a gift for a neighboring preschool. Thebench had to be quick and easy to construct, yet professional look-ing and, above all, absolutely rigid. When all the elements for asimple, bolt-together frame came together in my mind, I hit mypalm to my brow. It seemed so obvious. I wondered why I hadn'tthought of it before.

Designing the workbenchThe workbench mainly consists of four legs and four stretchersheld together with eight identical joints. The joints are easy to cutyet forgiving because they are fastened with common hex-headbolts available at any hardware store. The joint, equally effective inhardwood or cheap construction-grade lumber, is also perfect formany types of knockdown furniture. It's even solid enough forpermanent installations, such as a built-in work counter.

The first step in building the frame is to decide the dimensions

of the top. This decision should be based on the bench's intendeduse (a carving bench should have a narrower top than a cabinet-maker's assembly bench) and on the shop space you have avail-able. The bench I built has a 42-in.-wide by 72-in.-long top, goodfor general woodworking tasks. From these dimensions, I calculat-ed the size of the frame and the length of the stretchers, You candetermine the length of each pair of stretchers by subtractingtwice the thickness of a leg plus the amount the top will overhangat each end from the length and width of the benchtop. When de-ciding on the amount of overhang, keep in mind that it's a goodidea to leave plenty of room on all sides, for mounting vises andfor clamping things to the top. For example, I chose a 7-in. over-hang and used 3-in.-thick by 3-in.-wide legs, so my end stretcherswere 22 in. long and the side stretchers were 52 in. long. I mademy stretchers from 2x6 stock.

I used soft maple for my bench's legs, but you can use glued-uphardwood or construction-grade 4x4s. Cut the legs to a length thatequals die height of the bench less the thickness of the top. I findthat bench height is largely a matter of personal taste. I'm a six-

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footer, and I like a 34-in.-high bench whenever I'm sawing or plan-ing wood; for small assembly work, though, I'd want the benchtopan inch or two higher. The workbenches in my school shop are 30in. high, which is right for most adolescents, although youngerwoodworkers might do best with a 26-in.-high bench.

Making the stretcher jointsThe function of a stretcher is to prevent the frame from rackingand the bench from rocking, so it's imperative that each stretcherconnection be rock solid. A joint held together with a single boltfocuses pressure at the center of the joint, which doesn't adequate-ly prevent the joint from racking. Two bolts are better becausethey pull the stretcher against the leg closer to the edges, thuskeeping the joint square. But you need to buy twice as much hard-ware, plus it takes twice as long to knock down or assemble thebench. After trying several variations of the bolted stretcher joint, Ifinally came up with the version shown in the drawing. A singlebolt is used for each joint, and an arched relief area is cut out oneach end of the stretcher. As the joint is tightened, pressure is fo-cused at the outer edges (like a two-bolt joint), effectively lockingthe stretcher square to the leg and preventing racking.

To begin making the joints, crosscut the stretchers square and tolength, and drill cross holes to provide the space for the nut andwashers that are fitted to the end of each bolt. The center of eachcross hole is located where the bolt end will be when the joint isassembled. For my bench, I used 3-in.-sq. legs and -in.-longbolts with the heads countersunk . in. deep. This places the cen-ter of my cross holes at in. from the end of each stretcher. Youshould avoid locating the cross holes any closer to the stretcher

ends than that or you risk the force of the bolt splitting out theendgrain and ruining the stretcher.

Bore out the cross holes with a -in -dia. bit, which will leave ahole large enough to allow a box wrench to fit around the nutduring assembly. Next, the portion of the hole facing the end ofthe stretcher is squared up for the nut. I used a try square to markout the pocket, as shown in the drawing. Then I chopped out thewaste with a chisel. If you like, you can whittle or sand the edgesof the opening to give them an attractive chamfer.

To locate the bolt holes in the ends of the stretchers, I made athin-plywood (you could use cardboard) template cut to the samedimensions as the cross section of a stretcher, in this case about

in. by in. The template is used to mark the center for each-in.-dia. bolt hole, and then these holes are drilled through until

they intersect with the cross holes. A spade bit in a portable elec-tric drill works fine in endgrain, although I prefer to use a modi-fied auger bit in a hand brace. To modify the bit, I just filed thespurs off, and it chewed right through endgrain. I tried to drillaccurately by checking that the bit was parallel to the face andedge of the stretcher, and stopping and rechecking frequently. Be-cause the hole is much larger than the bolt, dead accuracy isn'tnecessary; as I've said, this joint is very forgiving.

If you plan to disassemble and assemble the bench often, youmight want to add an alignment dowel on the end of each stretch-er. This short, -in.-dia. dowel keeps the stretcher aligned duringassembly and mates to a slightly oversized hole in the leg.

Next, mark and cut out the relief area on each stretcher end,leaving two l-in.-long contact areas. A -in.-deep relief is all youneed, but if you'd like to add a decorative touch, you can cut afancy shape; just avoid cutting too near the cross hole or you'll risksplitting the joint when you tighten the bolt. I cut out the reliefarea on a bandsaw, but you could use a sabersaw or chop out thewaste by hand with a chisel.

Use the same template described above to mark the positions ofthe bolt holes on the legs. Each pair of legs is laid out differently,so be sure to mark carefully. If you choose to countersink the boltheads, drill the countersunk holes first. A 1-in.-dia. hole matchesthe diameter of washers normally used with -in. bolts. Drill thebolt holes oversized— -in. holes for the -in. bolts-as you did onthe stretcher ends earlier.

Assemble the bench frame by first bolting together the legs andend stretchers, and then joining them with the side stretchers. Thejoints will seem loose and sloppy when first assembled; simply posi-tion and tighten them using two washers under each nut. You mightneed to retighten the joints after they've settled for a few days.

Fitting the benchtopFor my benchtop, I glued up some -in.-thick maple I had lyingaround. An easier (although more expensive) alternative is to buya length of ready-made butcher-block countertop, available frommany building-supply stores, home centers and lumber dealers.

Bolt the top to the frame through a batten glued to the insidefaces of the end stretchers (see the drawing). Bore three -in.holes in each batten, and then fasten the top with -in. lag boltsand washers. While the battens keep the top flat, the oversizedholes allow the solid-wood top to move with changes in humidity.If you want to add a shelf under your workbench, screw battens tothe underside of some -in.-thick shelf boards; then drop the shelfin place, as shown.

Richard Starr is a teacher and author. Building this workbench isthe topic of the first show in his television series, Woodworking forEveryone, on PBS this fall.

Page 10: Workbench e

Emmerts are clas-sics. Specialized vis-es, like this Emmert

No. 1, were designedfor busy pattern-

makers during theindustrial boom

years at the turn ofthe century. Vise

jaws hold irregularlyshaped workpieces(above) and swivel

to improve access tothe work (right).

Patternmaker'sVisesThe most versatile work-holdingdevice ever bolted to a bench

by Benjamin Wild

M ore than 20 years of woodworking and patternmakingtaught me that the ideal vise is one that I can forget aboutwhile I'm working. I don't want to fight with a vise or

spend much time setting it up. A vise should hold the work firmly,without marking it, and allow me to work in a comfortable posi-tion. I started my career as a patternmaker using the special visethat goes with the trade. Since then, I've tried every other type ofvise on the market. No other vise comes as close to the perfectwork-holding device as a patternmaker's vise.

The patternmaker's vise was developed specifically to meet thedemanding needs of a specialized job. A patternmaker turns outwooden models (such as plane bodies, gears or tablesaw tops)that are used, in turn, to create molds for casting parts in metal.The models often assume odd shapes and sizes and are difficult tohold—hence the development of a special vise.

You don't have to be a patternmaker to appreciate this type ofvise. It's better than other vises at holding the work firmly so thatthe woodworker and the tool have ready and easy access to virtu-ally any part of the piece. I now teach woodworking, and I oftensee my students struggling with improperly held work. The resultusually is inaccurate work or a botched job. The beauty of a pat-ternmaker's vise is that it can hold a variety of different sizes andshapes in almost any position.

The vise attaches to the front of the workbench like a conven-tional bench vise. But from this position, the vise can be rotated360° or lifted 90°, so the jaws are parallel to the benchtop, all withthe wood clamped firmly in the jaws. The jaws can be angled upto about 5° from side to side to hold tapered objects. An accesso-ry tilt plate will pivot up to 30° perpendicular to the vise for moreseverely angled work or for gripping pieces angled in two planes.

In addition to this versatility, the vise has two sets of jaws. In the

Page 11: Workbench e

normal position, the jaws are the same as in any other woodwork-ing vise. But rotate the vise 180°, and a pair of metalworking jaws,similar to a machinist's vise, are brought to the top (see the topphoto on p. 80). The vise also has dogs built into both front andback jaws to hold round, curved or odd shapes (see the top pho-to on p. 81). Or the front jaw dogs could be used with bench-mounted dogs to grip objects beyond the capacity of the vise.

For clamping simple square pieces of limited size, any conven-tional vise will suffice. But a patternmaker's vise is so versatile thateven mundane jobs become easier. You'll soon find yourself ro-tating and tilting your work for best access rather than twisting andturning your body to conform to the constraints of your bench andvise (see the bottom photo on the facing page). Once you've useda patternmaker's vise, you'll have a hard time going back to a con-ventional one. Fortunately, these vises are still available, from usedEmmerts to newly manufactured imitators, at prices ranging from$250 to more than $1,500.

The Emmert viseThe Universal patternmaker's vise was first manufactured byJoseph F. Emmert in 1891. At that time, American factories were infull swing, creating a huge demand for the patterns necessary forcasting the parts for all those wonderful cast-iron woodworkingmachines, as well as other equipment, that we covet so much to-day. These patterns assumed almost any shape, often were quitelarge and had to be worked to exacting tolerances. Emmert viseshave been in use for more than 100 years, and they are still thebenchmark, even though the company has been out of businessfor some time.

The original Emmerts came in two sizes, the No. 1 with jawsin. by 18 in. that opened 15 in. and weighed in at 87 lb. (see the

photos on the facing page). A smaller No. 2 vise had 5-in. by 14-in.jaws that opened 12 in. and weighed a mere 56 lb.

What happened to the Emmert Co.?"If these things are so good, why doesn't everyone have one, andwhy did the Emmert Co. go out of business?" you might ask. Forthe same reason that I'm no longer actively making patterns. Mostof the work that used to be done by patternmakers is done bywelding, sent out of the country or done with computers and au-tomated milling machines. And the materials are now plastics andceramics worked to ever finer tolerances. Almost gone are thedays of handworking patterns of clear mahogany, cherry and pine.

The closing of the traditional patternmaker's shops, meant notonly that the market for Emmert vises was dwindling, but also thatcompetition was increasing as thousands of used Emmerts hit themarket. Some bad management decisions and new competitorsalso had a hand in the demise of the Emmert Co.

What's available todayEver since the original Emmert Co. closed, woodworkers whohave wanted the versatility of these fine tools have had limited op-tions. But thanks to the rising demand for woodworking tools,new sources have developed and old sources have come to lightfor patternmaker-style vises. American Machine & Tool Co. (AMT),Veritas Tools Inc. and The Kindt-Collins Co. all offer some versionof a patternmaker's vise.

All of these vises work much like the old Emmert. They all tilt,angle and spin. They all require about the same effort to install.They all have metalworking jaws on one side, and they all hold thework firmly. They all have built-in dogs to hold things between thejaws or between the front jaw dogs and dogs set into the work-bench. But there are differences. Choosing the right vise for you

Modern versionuses alloy casting.Made by VeritasTools, this Tuckervise uses a zinc-aluminum alloyinstead of cast iron,making it strong andlight. A quick-releasefeature can be oper-ated by a foot pedal(above). The vise'scork-lined jaws pro-tect delicate work-pieces (left).

Page 12: Workbench e

Vise handles metal,too. Rotate this Amer-

ican Machine & ToolCo. vise 180°, and

you'll have a pair ofjaws for metalwork-ing (above). A set of

jaw inserts, which arelined with soft rubber(right), prevents dings

in soft material.

really depends on the type of woodworking that you do, howheavy your work is and how much money you're willing to spend.

The AMT viseThe AMT vise (American Machine & Tool Co., Fourth Ave. andSpring St., Royersford, PA 19468-2519; 800-435-8665) is a copy ofthe Emmert No. 2 vise. The specifications are almost identical: 5-in.by -in. jaws that open 12 in. and an overall weight of 55 lb. forthe cast-iron and steel unit (see the photos at left).

The primary differences between the two are that the machiningis not as good on the AMT as it is on the original, the cast iron is alittle softer and the -in.-dia. handle fits sloppily in its 1-in.-dia.hole. In spite of the rough casting, though, everything seems towork well enough. In addition to the standard pivot plate, AMT of-fers a set of soft jaws as an optional accessory ($20 for the pair).The soft jaws are 3-in. by 6-in., rubber-faced aluminum plates thatmagnetically attach to the face of the jaws to protect your work, asshown in the bottom photo at left. I found the soft jaws helpful,particularly for small work.

Although I'm used to working with the bigger No. 1 vise, I likedthis little AMT vise and would be tempted to buy it if I knew Iwould never need the size and strength of the larger one. At $250,it's the most reasonable entry into owning a patternmaker's vise,unless you find a real bargain on a used Emmert, which usuallysells for $350 and up depending on size and condition.

The Veritas Tool viseVeritas Tool Inc. (12 East River St., Ogdensburg, NY 13669-1720;800-667-2986) introduced the Tucker vise in 1991, exactly 100years after Emmert patented his vise. With jaws that are 4 in. by13 in., the Tucker is only slightly smaller than the Emmert No. 2,but the 12-in. jaw capacity is the same (see the photos on p. 79).The Tucker operates much like an Emmert, but there are some dif-ferences and a few added features.

The Tucker is much lighter than the Emmert, which gave mesome concerns about its durability. But the zinc-aluminum alloyused to cast the Tucker is not only much lighter than cast iron, it'sstronger and less brittle. The other readily noticeable difference ismachining. The finish is a highly refined, smooth surface similar tothat found on the unmachined surfaces of machinist's tools.

The Tucker vise has some advantages over the Emmert and, inmy opinion, some disadvantages. It has a quick-release mecha-nism, so the front jaw can slide open or closed easily without hav-ing to turn the handle. In addition to a top release button, a footpedal allows the spring-loaded jaw to be popped open when bothhands are full (see the top photo on p. 79).

The built-in dogs have a flat side and a round side to offer a va-riety of clamping surfaces. The jaws of the Tucker are cork-lined,which is great for protecting your work, but could be a pain if thecork lining gets damaged and needs to be scraped off. This is like-ly because even the metalworking jaws, which tend to get moreabuse, are cork-lined. The directions are complete, and installationis easier than it appears. The exploded view of the vise makes itlook as complicated as the control panel of a Boeing 747.

One thing I did discern from the mounting instruction's explod-ed drawing was that the Tucker has a lot more parts than the Em-mert. Although I did not have a chance to use the vise for anextended period, I would be concerned that with so many parts, itmight be easier for the vise to get out of alignment.

The big drawback to the Tucker vise is that the angle feature isnot all that convenient to use. The other vises use a quick-actingcam lock to hold the vise at an angle. However, the Tucker re-quires a separate, large Allen wrench (provided) to make this ad-

Page 13: Workbench e

justment. Because of the smaller size of the Tucker, when it's ro-tated 90° to the vertical position, the end of the vise is only about2 in. above the bench.

The end of the next smallest vise, the AMT, when in the same po-sition, is 4 in. above the benchtop. This extra height raises smallwork up to a better working position. Also, the Tucker doesn'thave a pivot plate, which is good for holding odd-shaped pieces.

At $500, the Tucker might seem a little dear, but overall, this is aquality-machined product that works extremely well.

The Kindt-Collins viseAlthough The Kindt-Collins Co. (12651 Elmwood Ave., Cleveland,OH 44111; 800-321-3170) master universal patternmaker's vise hasbeen on the market for more than 20 years, it's been a relative se-cret. That may be because of its price: $1,555. Kindt-Collins con-tinues to sell vises primarily to corporate patternmaker's shopsand the government.

The Kindt-Collins is an improvement over the old Emmert. Theangle and other adjustments work much more smoothly becauseall the working parts are machined and hand-fitted (see the pho-tos at right). The surfaces of the large woodworking jaws (18 in. by7 in.) are ground flat, and the metalworking jaws are ground,hardened and serrated. The tilt plate also is ground flat and fits per-fectly into its groove in the back vise jaw, as shown in the bottomphoto at right. The front jaw rides smoothly on a double-leadAcme thread and opens a full 16 in. A nice paint job makes the viselook as good as it works.

The Kindt-Collins vise has much thicker castings than the Em-mert, so the Kindt-Collins can hold the heavy castings that pat-ternmakers sometimes work on, but you'll probably have to boltyour bench to the floor. In fact, weighing in at about 170 lb., thevise alone may tip over some workbenches.

Although the extra heft makes the vise stronger, the increasedbulk gets in the way when working near the jaws on smallerpieces. Because of its heavy-duty construction, the Kindt-Collinsis obviously marketed to industry. The company must assume thatthese pros know what to do with this vise because it came withoutany mounting directions or hardware. The only other disadvan-tage of this vise is that it is about three times the price of the nextcheapest model. In spite of the heavy price, the Kindt-Collins viserepresents a good value for the user who needs the ultimate inholding power.

An Emmert in the future?Along with these vises, I also had a chance to try out a new Em-mert vise, as shown in the top photo on p. 78. That's right, a newEmmert. Back in 1984, Bob Kinslow of Hagerstown, Md., acquiredthe rights to the Emmert name, as well as remaining inventories,patterns and some production machinery. He has been strugglingever since to combine these ingredients into a going concern andhas managed to put together a few of the vises. But recent healthproblems have dealt his efforts a serious blow.

If Kinslow can get things up and running, he speculates the sell-ing price for a No. 1 (the only size he'll be producing) will beabout $675. Until then, if you want an Emmert, keep your eyesopen at flea markets or used tool shops in your area. One thing isfor sure: Anyone who still calls himself a patternmaker is not like-ly to be selling his vise.

Benjamin Wild worked as a patternmaker for 16 years. He is cur-rently teaching construction trades for the City School District,Rochester, N.Y., and is the coordinator of the apprenticeship pro-gram for Rochester Carpenters Local 85.

Cadillac of vises.With a price tag ofmore than $1,500,the Kindt-Collins viseisn't for everyone.Machined, hand-fit-ted parts explain itsease of operation,and the vise handlesbig, unwieldy objects(above). A tilt platethat fits between thejaws (left) allows thejaws to hold taperedstock firmly.

Page 14: Workbench e

y father learned woodworkingin Sweden, and when he cameto this country, he got a job

building reproduction Early Americanfurniture. The shop had been in operationsince the late 1700s, and like those whoworked before him, my father wasassigned a huge bench with manydrawers. He stored his tools and ate hislunch at the bench, but much of his actualwork took place nearby on a low table hecalled “the platform.”

When I inherited his big bench, I alsofound myself doing most of my work at alow platform improvised from sawhorsesand planks. I have bad shoulders and theoccasional sore back, so using a full-height bench is difficult and unproductive.

I needed a bench that suited the way Ireally work, so I built a low platform thatincorporates some features of a traditionalfull-sized bench.

A clamping machineMy low platform bench is made forclamping (see the photos on the facingpage). The edges overhang enough forclamps to get a good grip anywhere alongthe length of the bench. A 4-in.-widespace down the middle increases theclamping options.

This platform bench has four tail visesmade from Pony No. 53 double-pipeclamps, which can be used by themselvesor in combination with a row of dogs onthe centerline between the screws, as thedrawing shows. Unlike most bencharrangements, with a single row of dogsalong one edge, this one doesn’t twist orbuckle the piece. I can use each vise singlyor with the others because the pipes arepinned into the benchtops at each endwith 1⁄4-in. by 2-in. roll pins. Without thepins, the pipes would slide through thebench when tightening one end.

Rather than using traditional squarebench dogs, I bored 3⁄4-in. holes for avariety of manufactured dog fixtures orshopmade dowel dogs (see the drawing).

Building the benchtopsThe bench is made from eight straight,clear 8-ft. 2x4s that I had kept in the shopfor a few months to dry. I jointed theedges and then ran each of the boardsthrough the planer until the radiusedcorners were square.

Building the legs and base according tothe dimensions on the drawing isstraightforward. The only point to note isthe dovetail connecting the beams to thelegs. Because of the orientation of thebeams and legs, the dovetail is only 11⁄2 in.at its widest point, but it’s 31⁄2 in. from topto bottom. I tilted the tablesaw blade tocut the tails on the beam and cut the pinson the legs in the bandsaw. Almost anymethod would work to join the beam tothe leg; my first version of the bench useda bolted slip joint.

The pipes run through the tops—Thetops are made in two sections and gluedup with the pipes and vises in place. Theupper sections are made of three boardsand the lower section from two. I edge-glued them with alternating growth ringsto eliminate cupping. I cut 7⁄8-in. grooves

lengthwise in the top face of the bottomsection to accommodate the pipes.

The tops are held to each beam with asingle lag screw, which allows seasonalmovement. To lock the tops into the base,I cut dadoes on the lower faces of thebottom sections to fit over the beams.

Assembling the double-pipe clamps—

The double-pipe clamps are sold with a

42 Fine Woodworking Photos: Aimé Fraser; drawings: Heather Lambert

M

Low AssemblyBenchVersatile platformputs your work at the right height

by Bill Nyberg

A low bench made for clampingThis bench is 24 in. high, a convenient heightfor working on many projects. The benchtopsare 421⁄2 in. long, which gives more than 4 ft.between the jaws. At about 70 lbs., the benchis light enough to move around yet heavyenough for stability.

Leg braces are resawn 2x4s, about 11⁄16 in. by 33⁄8 in.

Roll pinDowelsalign topduringglue-up.

10 in.

Lag screw

Page 15: Workbench e

tail stop and a screw head. I set aside thetail-stop ends and used only the screwheads. Threading on the vise at one endof the pipe will unscrew the vise at theother end. So I had a plumber cut thethreads twice as long on one end of eachof the four pipes. I threaded the first viseall the way onto the end with double-longthreads so that it was twice as far on thepipe as it needed to go. By the time the

second vise was in place, the first one hadunscrewed itself to the correct location.

Keep ends flush when gluing—Beforethe pipes are installed in the grooves, I cutall the bench pieces to length. Once thetops are glued up, the pipes and vises arein the way, so it’s hard to trim up ends thataren’t flush. For flush ends, I aligned thepieces with dowel pins between top and

bottom. I applied the glue and clampedthe top and bottom sections together withthe dowels in place. After the glue wasdry, I drilled for the roll pins from thebottom so they wouldn’t show. �

Bill Nyberg is director of ophthalmic

photography at the University of

Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He works

wood in his spare time.

MAKE CLAMPING EASY

The open space at the center ofthe bench allows clamping pres-sure to be applied anywhere.

Two vises that can be adjustedindependently hold even irreg-ular shapes securely.

Glue only bottom of dovetail toallow seasonal movement.

Drill 11⁄8 in. holes in cheeksfor loose fit on pipe.

Dog holes, 3⁄4 in.,on 4 in. centers

Bench

Alternatinggrowth rings

Four No. 53Pony clamps

Counterbore for 1⁄4 in. by 2 in. bolts.

Black iron or galvanized pipe, 1⁄2 in. ID by 57 in. long

Top assembly is dadoed 1⁄4 in. deep to fit over beam.

Roll pin

Lag screws, 3⁄8 in. by 5 in.through beam

A 1⁄4-in.bullet catchkeeps thedog inplace.

Bench dogs are hardwooddowels, 3⁄4 in. dia.and about 41⁄2 in.long, planed flaton one side.

Roll pins, 1⁄4 in. by 2 in.,keep pipe from turning.

Dado for pipe, 7⁄8 in. deep by 7⁄8 in. wide

Pipe

Cut off oneside ofhandle.When thevise is open,gravity willkeep theremainingportion ofthe handlebelow thebenchtop.

Page 16: Workbench e

Rules of Thumb BY M I C H A E L D U N B A R

Woodworking benches

It is almost impossible to work wood without a workbench. Itranks as one of the most important fixtures in a shop. In fact, themore extensive your woodworking experience the more likelyyou are to have more than one bench. I have always had at leastthree benches in my chair-making school's shop—large andsmall joiner's benches and an assembly bench.

Different types of woodworkers traditionally have had differentstyles of benches that vary according to the needs of their craft.For example, a joiner's bench is long and narrow with a vise

along the side (known as a side vise) and a vise at one end(known as a tail vise). Chair makers frequently work on a lowplatform called a framing bench because chair assembly is calledframing. All good benches share features you will want toinclude in any bench you are making or acquiring.

A bench must be sturdy. You frequently place a lot of weight onit. Woodworking, especially with hand tools, creates a lot offorce. A bench that wobbles or racks under these forces isfrustrating to work on because you waste a lot of energy moving

the benchtop rather than working wood. Also,this type of movement is not good for thebench's joints. They wear more quickly, and youmay need to replace the bench down the road.All the benches in my shop have 4x4 legs, andthe stretchers are joined with 2-in.-deep mortise-and-tenon joints. The top is secured to 2x6 cleatsthat are mortised to sit on tenons cut into the topof the legs. We have reinforced all the multiple-person benches with cross bracing—both end toend and side to side.

A bench should also be heavy. The forcesexerted upon a bench can not only rack it butalso make it slide around the shop. Chasing yourbench while trying to work wood is veryfrustrating. A heavy bench is more likely to stayput. A thick top is one way to create weight. Thetop of my large joiner's bench (see the photo atleft) is in.-thick beech, and all of ourmultiple-person benches (see the photo below)require four people to lift them safely. Storingsome of your tools under the bench is anothergood way to add weight. I store my working

Low bench for handwork. Planing moldings, chopping mortises and jointing boards all re-quire lots of upper-body strength. A low bench—the one in the photo is 31 in. high—allowsthe author to put a lot of muscle into his motions.

High bench for machining. Benchtop machines come with their own horsepower, so theoperator's strength is almost superfluous. Slipping battens under the plywood has raised theactual working height of the benchtop to almost 36 in. Adding height is easy; lowering it isn't.

Page 17: Workbench e

Rules of Thumb (continued)

Get the height just right. To determine the properworkbench height, stand with your arm hangingby your side. Bend your wrist so that your palmis facing down.

handplanes, about 20 of them, on a shelf thatspans the side stretchers.

You can also secure the bench to the floor tokeep it from moving. My small joiner's bench islagged to the wooden floor. If you have aconcrete floor, you may need to drill holes in itand use lag shields. In this case, be sure tolocate the bench in the most desirable location.

Chair making requires a lot of shaping. When astudent would pull the draw knife, the benchwould follow. We corrected this by placingcleats against the legs and screwing them to thefloor. And the cleats have another advantage. Although low—only

in. thick—they keep a lot of the shavings produced in the shopfrom working their way under the bench, making clean up easier.

Your bench should be sized appropriately to your work. Abenchtop has three important dimensions: length, width andheight. If you work with long pieces of wood, you want a longbench. When I built my joiner's bench, I was doing a lot of houserestoration. As a result, I was making a lot of doors and interiorand exterior trim. The 8-ft.-long top came in handy for this work.

A bench should be wide enough to handle the jobs younormally do. My joiner's bench is 32 in. wide. This is sufficient formost of the chairs, tables or carcases I have built.

Bench height is perhaps the most critical dimension. It is onethat is also very personal. It varies depending on your methodsof work and your height. In a production shop where parts are

An immovable beast. To keep his benches from racking, the author uses dovetaileddiagonal braces. Cleats screwed to the floor prevent the benches from moving.

mostly machined, benches are generally used for assembly.These benches tend to have higher working surfaces. However, ahigh bench makes working by hand very difficult. For example,when planing, you use muscles in your legs and back. On a highbench, you are more limited to your arm and shoulder muscles. Ido a lot of handwork, and for that reason, I prefer a low bench.My large joiner's bench is only 31 in. high.

To determine bench height, stand erect with your arm hangingby your side, and bend your wrist so your palm is facing down.This is a good height for your bench. If you do a lot of work withbenchtop machines, such as a router or a biscuit joiner, you maywant the bench slightly higher. Remember this: It's easy to addtemporary blocks or battens if you want to raise the workingheight of a bench for a particular project, but it's awfully hard tolower it.

Page 18: Workbench e

Rules of Thumb BY M I C H A E L D U N B A R

Vises are a woodworker's third hand

I have watched a lot of frustrated beginning woodworkers at-tempt to saw a piece of wood while holding it against a work-bench with their free hand or their knee. I even saw one diligentguy put a board on a workbench, then sit on the board while hetried to make a cut. Pity that all of them didn't clamp their workin a vise.

Vises are indispensable woodworking tools. Through the day, awoodworker has to hold any number of things, such as parts ortools, so that he can work on them.

Different styles of vises are made for a variety of different pur-poses. Thus, the longer you work wood, the more likely you areto own more than one vise. I started with one and now have six.

Vises are commonly built into woodworkers' workbenches. Atypical joiner's bench has two—a side vise and a tail vise. A sidevise is usually mounted along the length of a bench and is gener-ally used for holding boards or parts on their edges. Holding aboard for jointing with a handplane is a common job for the sidevise. A tail vise—usually mounted on the end of a bench—holdsboards or parts flat on the benchtop (see the left photo below). It

is generally used in conjunction with benchdogs. Planing orsanding a board's face and gluing panels are common jobs thatinvolve the tail vise.

In my chair-making school's shop, we use two other types ofvises on a daily basis. My favorite, the carriage vise, is similar to amachinist's vise but is made to much more exacting tolerances. Itwas manufactured early this century by the Prentise Vise Co. Inthe company's catalog, this model is listed as a "woodworker'svise," but it is intended more specifically for carriage makers.

The jaws are at chest level (see the right photo on p. 108), mak-ing it easier to work in a standing position, which is especiallyhelpful for fine work. The jaws' faces are machined flat so thatthey do not mar the work, even when it is held very tightly. Thescrew has very little backlash, so I can tighten and loosen thejaws with a half twist. I have had the Prentise carriage-maker'svise for 27 years. It serves me as a third hand, and without.it, Iwould feel handicapped.

The other type of vise used in our shop is the Record 53E. Thismodel is so well known and so widely used by woodworkers

A tail vise is for working wood flat on the bench.Chopping mortises, face-planing or sanding is easywith a tail vise mounted so that the screw is parallel tothe bench's length. The vise clamps the wood against abenchdog, the movable square peg at the front end ofthe new wood.

A side vise is used for working the end or edge ofa board. The author copied the twin-screw vise—greatfor gripping long boards while working the ends—froman antique bench. Side vises are mounted so that theirscrews are parallel to the width of a bench.

Page 19: Workbench e

Rule s of Thumb (continued)

Side vises on the end of a bench.For his Windsor-chair-making class-es, the author mounted two Record53E vises on the short end of eachbench (left), which allows him towork off the corner of the bench.Working the long edge of a board iseasy with tandem-mounted vises.

everywhere that it is the standard add-on cast-iron bench vise.A once-popular type, pattern-maker's vises were made in large

numbers and can still be found (though they're expensive). Pat-tern makers worked with irregular shapes and frequently neededto revolve the work to place it in an advantageous position. Theirvises were far more flexible and complicated than those used byother branches of woodworking. Veritas makes a modern ver-sion of a pattern-maker's vise called the Tucker Vise.

Use a vise to your advantageWhen I visit other shops or watch students at work, I observetwo common problems. Many woodworkers use vises that areinadequate, or they frequently do not use their vises to their bestadvantage. Whatever type of vise or vises are required in yourwork, they should all be high quality and strong. (Weak vices arespelled differently.) It is also usually a good bet to buy a brandyou recognize. You will not be well served by a lightweight orundersized vise. Acquiring a good vise usually means spendingthe long dollar. However, the investment will pay dividends foras long as you work wood.

Using a vise to its best advantage is a regular part of our class-room instruction. It is easier to work wood if it is securely heldby the vise. But avoid working in a way that allows the part toflex. It is usually best to lower the wood you are working on asfar into the vise as possible so that it doesn't project a lot. Try tokeep the area you are working as close to the jaws as possibleto keep the workpiece rigid.

Smooth operator. Thisantique Prentise vise (right)has smooth faces that won'tmar wood.

It doesn't matter whether the waste or the piece you are keep-ing gets clamped into the vise—whatever holds better is best. Forinstance, if you are cutting the waste off the end of a turned spin-dle, which would be hard to clamp securely because of the turn-ings, it will be easier to clamp the waste piece in the vise andhold the spindle in your hand as you saw with your other hand.And if you have to joint pieces too small to run across a jointer,clamp a #7 jointer plane upside down in a vise and push thepiece over it.

With a little forethought, vises can be adapted to better suityour needs. In our school, we cannot provide each student withseveral types of vises, so we have mounted Record 53E vises in aversatile way that allows them to perform all the jobs we require,such as holding chair seats for planing, turned legs for drilling orspindles for shaping. Many shops mount a bench vise on thebench's long edge and set it in from the corner. Ours are locatedon the bench's short end and right on the corner, This allows usto use them as a tail vise for planing. A row of dog holes isaligned with the vise's dog (which is mounted in the outsidejaw). And when jointing very long pieces, we can clamp thewood using two vises on the end of a bench.

Page 20: Workbench e

New-Fangled WorkbenchWith six pipe clamps and

some dressed framing lumber,

you can makean inexpensive bench

that's as versatileas a Swiss Army Knife

B Y J O H N W H I T E

For five years I worked as a cabinetmaker in a shop that usedonly hand tools for the simple reason that electricity wasn'tavailable that far back in the woods. One lesson that I came

away with was the importance of a good workbench—and lots ofwindows. I now work in a shop that is, if anything, overelectrified,but a functional workbench is still important. Just because you'redriving a car instead of a buggy doesn't mean you don't need agood road to get where you're going.

On a perfect bench, the various vises and stops would hold anysize workpiece in the most convenient position for the job athand. Traditional workbenches are adequate for clamping small-er pieces, a table leg or frame rail for instance, but most benchescan't handle wide boards for edge- and face-planing or frame-and-panel assemblies.

Recently, I moved my shop and needed to build a new bench. Ibegan by researching traditional American and European designs.I found that although our predecessors had many clever solutionsto the problems of holding down a piece of wood, no one bench

Page 21: Workbench e

DOUGLAS FIRWORKBENCH

To minimize costs, the authormilled workbench stock fromDouglas fir framing lumber,sawing clear sections from thecenter of 2xlOs and 2xl2s.The bench is fastened withdrywall screws and lag bolts.Six pipe clamps in differentconfigurations are used as vises.

Oak blocks span tail-viseclamps. The screw ends of thepipe clamps are screwed tothe end of the bench throughholes drilled in the clamp faces.

Pipes rest on blocks that turn.Tail-vise pipe clamps are support-ed by blocks fastened with onescrew. To slide a clamp past, turnthe block.

Front clamps are easy to ad-just. The clamps fit in holes in thebench front and are secured withlarge washers and speed pins.

Page 22: Workbench e

Sliding height adjustment. Pipe-clamp tail-pieces slide on cast-iron pipes held captive inthe top and bottom of the bench. A T-shapedDouglas fir planing beam rides on the clamps.

solved all or even most of the problems Ihad encountered in 25 years of wood-working. Frustrated, I finally decided to de-sign a bench from the ground up.

At first I had no success. A design wouldaddress one problem but not another, or itwould be far too complex. I was about togive up and build a traditional Germanbench when I came up with a design thatincorporates pipe clamps into the bench'stop, the front apron and even the legs.

Planing beam slides on pipesOn the front of the bench is an adjustable,T-shaped planing beam that runs the fulllength of the bench. It is supported on bothends by the sliding tailpieces of Pony pipeclamps. The -in. cast-iron pipes on whichthe clamps slide are incorporated into thebench's legs. I used Pony clamps through-out this project because they are well madeand slide and lock very smoothly.

The planing beam continuously supportsthe full length of a board standing on edge.The stock for the planing beam can be asnarrow as 2 in. and as wide as 30 in. Theplaning beam can be set to any position inseconds. Of all of the bench's features, theplaning beam is the most useful. I use itdozens of times daily when building apiece of furniture.

You've probably noticed that there is nofront vise to secure the board being

planed. Instead, the force of the planepushes the workpiece into a tapered plan-ing wedge attached to the far left end of thebench. This is an ancient device, and forhandplaning it is far more practical thanany vise. You can flip the board end forend or turn the other edge up in an instantwith one hand. You don't even have to putdown your plane.

To make a shoulder vise when needed, Idrilled holes 6 in. on-center along thebench's front rail to mount pipe clampshorizontally. I pair up two clamps with adrop-in vise jaw, which is just a length of

-in. square hardwood. The jaw can beas short as 8 in. or longer than 6 ft. I haveseveral jaws of different lengths.

The front vise can be used with the plan-ing beam supporting the workpiece frombelow. This is useful because some proce-

dures, such as chopping mortises, drive thework downward through the jaws of aconventional vise, scarring the wood.

Traditional tail viseis replaced with pipe clampsOn the bench's top, two pipe-clamp barsare recessed into a l0-in.-wide well, re-placing a conventional tail vise and benchdogs. The clamp-tightening screws projectfrom the right end of the bench, and themovable jaws project in. above the top.Both the fixed and movable jaws have oakfaces. This clamp setup makes it easy tohold down boards for surface-planing be-cause nothing projects above the board'ssurface to foul the tool. The top clamp barshave a clamping capacity of just over 7 ft.

Blocks of wood support the pipes. Eachone is screwed to the frame of the bench

Page 23: Workbench e

Lift-out MDF panels. The panels, cut in differ-ent lengths from MDF scraps, make a durableyet disposable center surface for the bench.The panels get removed when the tail-visepipe clamps are in use.

with a drywall screw. The single screw al-lows each block to swing out of the way ofthe pipe-clamp tailpieces as they are slid toaccommodate long work.

The top pipe clamps can also be usedto hold panels in place that have othertools permanently attached, such as a viseor an electric grinder. I have a tilting drill-press vise attached to a square of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) that I clamp tothe bench for metalworking or for holdinga piece of wood to be carved. I plan to de-sign a drop-in router table for the bench;there's enough space between the pipe-clamp bars to fit a small machine.

When the top clamps aren't in use, thewell is covered by several sections of -in.MDF that simply drop in and lay on top ofthe pipes. Because MDF is so inexpensive,I treat the panels as sacrificial surfaces. I cutinto them, screw jigs to them, whack themwith a hammer, and when they get toochewed up, I toss them. To save my back, Ibuy precut MDF meant for shelving; itcomes either 12 in. or 16 in. wide. This pre-cut stock is useful for all manner of jigs andprototypes, and I always have a fewlengths around the shop.

Douglas fir makes a solid benchThe bench, as I built it, is 8 ft. long and wasdesigned to accommodate fairly large

work, such as doors and other architectur-al millwork. The design can be shortenedor lengthened, and it could be reversedend for end if you are left-handed.

I built the bench out of Douglas fir in-stead of hardwood. Douglas fir at its best isa dense, stable wood that machines clean-ly and holds fasteners well, important at-tributes given the way I wanted toassemble the bench.

Wide planks—2xl0s and 2xl2s—of Dou-glas fir framing lumber will often be sawnright out of the center of the log, and a halfor more of the board will be quartersawnand knot free, with tight, straight grain.By carefully choosing and ripping theseplanks, you can get some beautiful materi-al for a lot less than the price of evenmediocre furniture woods. Some of thetrimmed-out wood that isn't good enoughfor the bench can still be used for otherprojects such as shelves or sawhorses.

If you start with green lumber, sticker itfor a few months to get the moisture con-tent down. To prevent checking, trim theends to get a clean surface and then applyduct tape over the end grain. Even if youstart with kiln-dried wood, give it a coupleof weeks indoors to stabilize before start-ing to cut. Use the best wood for the frame,benchtop and beam, saving lesser qualitystock for the leg assembly.

Screw joinery is fast and strongMy method of assembling the bench withdrywall screws and lag screws (and nofitted-and-glued joinery) is unconvention-al, but I've used this style of constructionfor years. The finished bench is rock solid,and the joinery goes quickly.

Most of the screws were counterboredwith a -in. drill, sometimes quite deeply,to bring the screw heads in. shy of theedge being joined. On the 3-in.-wide,edge-jointed benchtop boards, the coun-terbore is in. deep. The deep bore min-imizes the amount of wood under thescrew head, which in turn minimizes theloosening of the joint as the stock shrinks.

After drilling the counterbore, follow upwith a long bit to drill a clearance hole forthe screw shank. Then line up the pieces tobe joined and install the screws a couple ofturns to mark the centers, drill pilot holes atthe marks in the adjoining piece and as-semble the bench.

One of the advantages of this type ofconstruction is that if the wood shrinks and

the joints loosen up, you can retighteneverything in a few minutes with a screw-driver. I did this about a month after as-sembling the bench, and it has stayed solidever since. Don't overtighten the screws.Excessively crushing the wood under thescrew's head ruins the resilience that al-lows a joint to flex slightly and remain tight.

The keyhole slots in the legs and stretch-er are functional; as the boards shrink, theyallow the wood to flex without cracking. Ineffect, they are preemptive cracks that looka lot better than the ones that would formrandomly otherwise. When you install thelag bolts, drill clearance and pilot holesand go easy on the torque when you tight-en them up. The joint will be stronger ifyou don't overstress the threads in thestretcher's end grain.

Horizontal clamps run full length. A pair ofpipe clamps, running under the benchtop, holdwork in the same way as a traditional tail vise.

The pipes used with the clamps cut easi-ly with a hacksaw or a small pipe cutter.For the smoothest operation of the clamps,clean up any burrs along the length of eachpipe with a file and then smooth it downwith emery paper. This is a messy opera-tion, creating a staining black dust, so do itaway from your woodworking area. Wipedown each pipe with a rag and paint thin-ner when you are done.

John White keeps the Fine Woodworking shoprunning smoothly.

Page 24: Workbench e

A Workbench That WorksA small top without a tail vise

has served this master furniture makerfor three decades

In the early 1970s, havingcompleted my training in fur-niture making, I found myself

in need of a workbench. I figuredI'd make one that would be largeenough to hold all of my handtools and small enough to move,guessing that it would be sometime before I settled down. Iwanted an all-purpose bench forplaning, scraping, cutting joints,carving and finishing. Cost was aconcern because there was a slewof tools and machinery I wantedto buy, so I decided not to use anyfancy or expensive hardwoods inits construction. For the originalbench, I chose birch (sturdy andcheap) for the top and the frame,and I used construction-gradefir plywood for the side panels.That first version was a little onthe low side, so I later correctedthe problem by cutting down theoriginal top and adding a newmaple slab over it.

The relatively small size of thebench makes it comfortable to use. Unlike many larger benches, Ican easily reach a workpiece resting on the top from all sides ofthe bench. It holds almost all of my hand tools—or at least the onesI use the most—keeping them well within reach. Also, this benchis small enough that it can be moved around the shop when need-ed. Loaded up with tools, it's heavy enough to stay in place whileI'm using it. But I can break it down into manageable pieces, ifneed be, by removing the drawers and the top. I was particularlyglad about this feature when I had to set it up in my first apartmentin a third-floor attic space where I worked for a while.

In the construction of the case, I used mortise-and-tenon jointswith pins for all of the frame pieces, through- and blind-dovetailsfor the drawers and housed dovetails for the drawer dividers. I

built most of the frame with 8/4birch, and I used 4/4 birch for thedrawer dividers, the center parti-tion and the drawer fronts. I fash-ioned the side panels with

-in.-thick fir plywood, set intorabbets that were cut into theback edges of the legs and rails.Drawer runners—joined withtenons into mortises in the draw-er dividers—are held to an insideframe by a screw in the back. Thetop is 8/4 maple, ripped to 3-in.widths that I glued together onedge for strength and stability.

To make the benchdog holes inthe top, I cut a series of -in. by

-in. dadoes before laminatingthe top. I also cut the same sizeddadoes on every third board in aposition that would line up withthe dog on the vise, once it wasfastened to the top. The overhangof the top is such that the dogholes are clear of the base so thatthey don't become clogged withsawdust. Also, I needed the over-

hang for clamping workpieces to the table. The overhang on theside above the drawers is smaller so that it doesn't restrict access tothe tools in the top drawers. The new top is secured to the oldoriginal top (that I cut down to serve as a subtop) from underneathwith lag screws, and that subtop is secured with lag screwsthrough the top rails of the base cabinet.

This bench functions quite nicely. The vise will not only holdworkpieces between its jaws, but it can also hold them betweenthe dog on top of the vise and one placed into the benchtop. Isometimes set up workpieces, such as panels to be planed, so thatthey rest against a thinner batten that spans two dogs. With this set-up I need to lift my plane on the return stroke to prevent the pan-el from sliding backward. And sometimes, when planing the ends

B Y P H I L L O W E

Small but sturdy. This workbench is almost 30 years old, and it'sstill used daily for all facets of furniture making.

Page 25: Workbench e

Out of harm'sway. When it'snot needed,this 3-ft. Star-rett straight-edge lives in aslot under thebenchtop.

Drawers do more thanhold things. In combina-tion with the vise, they alsosupport workpieces suchas this large mahoganycarcase piece.

How it's used and what it holdsThis benchtop's small size ( in. by in.) belies its versatility. The author'smost-often-used hand tools fit compactly but comfortably in storage under thetop. Layout tools, chisels, planes and spokeshaves, saws, rasps, files, scrapers,

sanding blocks, hammers and carving tools all have specific homes. There's evena spot for one very essential tool—a clipboard to record billable hours of timespent on jobs in the shop.

Every tool has its place.The contents of each drawerare custom-fit

or edges of panels or long boards, I use the vise to hold the work-piece and one of the drawers underneath to support it.

Looking back at the number of pieces I've built on this benchand remembering the number of workspaces it has inhabited, I re-alize how well it has served me all these many years. I'm some-times asked how I could get by with such a relatively small top andwithout a tail vise. I have the additional work surface of a fold-down table near the bench that I use to lay out and organize partsof furniture I'm working on. And I honestly haven't felt the needfor a tail vise, because dogs and a few clamps do the same job. I

can proudly say that I have never driven a nail into the top to holdanything in place. There is one thing I would change if I were tomake this bench again. The kick space between the bottom railand the floor is too small, resulting in an occasional pain in my bigtoe. Also, someday I'd like to replace the fir plywood side panelswith something a bit more attractive, but I don't imagine that willhappen until my daughters finish school.

Phil Lows builds and restores furniture in Beverly, Mass., where he teachesclasses on building traditional furniture.

The vise is anadjustableclamp. A seriesof benchdogholes in the topline up with thecenter of thevise for clamp-ing workpiecesof varyinglengths.

Securing theworkpiece with-out clamps. Ahardwood battenthinner than theworkpiece buttsagainst twobenchdogs inthe top to serveas a stop.

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36 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

A Bench Built to LastThis workbench has a wide top and a sturdy base that provides

solid footing and plenty of storage space

B Y D I C K M C D O N O U G H

w

Page 27: Workbench e

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 1 37Photos, except where noted: Tom Begnal

f this workbench played football, I’m certain it would be alineman. Because, like the guards and tackles found on thegridiron, my bench is big and solid. And I wouldn’t have it

any other way. Most of my work involves the fabrication of large case goods—

entertainment centers, bookcases and other types of storage furni-ture. And although much of the machine work gets done using atablesaw and router, I still do a good deal of work at the bench. Sowhen it was time to replace my older, smallish and somewhat rick-ety workbench, I opted to make a new one with all the bells andwhistles. The bench would provide plenty of size and sturdiness.Sturdiness is the operative word here. Indeed, no matter how ag-gressive I get with a saw, a handplane or a mallet and chisel, thebench doesn’t wobble. The result is a workbench that has justabout everything I need.

The supersized top is another important feature. With about 22 sq. ft. of surface area, the top is great for supporting long boardsand wide sheet goods. Two end vises, a front vise and a shouldervise, along with a small army of benchdog holes, make it easy tosecure almost any size stock to the bench.

My bench is considered left-handed, based on the location of the shoulder vise. If you prefer a right-handed bench, just build theshoulder vise on the right side.

The base creates a sturdy foundationThe bench owes much of its sturdiness to the design of the base.Yet its construction is pretty straightforward. It has just five mainparts: three support frames and a pair of boxes. Screwing theframes and boxes together creates a single, rock-solid unit that canaccept almost any kind of top. And the two boxes provide a ton ofspace for adding cabinets or drawers.

The center and right-side support frames are identical. But toprovide additional support for the shoulder vise, the left-side sup-port frame is longer and has an extra leg. I added seven heavy-duty levelers—one under each leg of the support frame.

To simplify the construction of the base, I made both plywoodboxes the same size. They fit snugly between the top rail and thefoot of the frames, which adds rigidity to the base.

If you include drawers in one of the boxes, as I did, cut the da-does for the drawer-support cleats, then glue the cleats into the dadoes before the box is assembled.

Once the support frames and boxes were put together, I wasable to assemble the base without much fuss. The boxes buttagainst the legs, with the bottom of the boxes simply resting on thenarrow lip along the length of the foot. Attaching the boxes to the frames was a matter of driving five wood screws through theinside of the box and into each of the legs.

Once the base was built, I moved it to its final location. Next Ileveled the top surface using winding sticks and the seven levelers.Then I was ready to build the top right on the base.

The top is flat and durableThe top has three main parts. There’s a center section made fromveneered particleboard. Attached to the center section are two

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 1

A variety of vises and ample storageI

Shoulder vise addsclamping options.The lack of a visescrew between the jawsurfaces makes theshoulder vise (above)especially handy whena board must beclamped vertically.

Front vise is nice.Used in conjunctionwith round benchdogs,the front vise (left) lets the author workcomfortably from theend of the bench.

Drawers galore. The shallow top drawer provides a perfect place forthe author to store his favorite chisels.

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38 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

6-in.-wide edgings—one in front, the other in back—and bothmade from glued-up solid maple.

Start with the center section—To help keep costs under con-trol, I face-glued three pieces of particleboard together—a 5⁄8-in.-thick piece sandwiched between two 3⁄4-in.-thick pieces.

First, I joined one of the 3⁄4-in.-thick pieces to the 5⁄8-in.-thickpiece, making sure all of the edges were flush. Then, I used a 5⁄8-in.-dia. core-box bit to cut three 5⁄8-in.-deep grooves across the under-side of the 5⁄8-in.-thick particleboard. When the remaining piece ofparticleboard was added, the groove produced a 5⁄8-in. semicircu-lar hole, which accommodated a threaded rod that helps securethe solid-maple edgings.

A workbench top gets a lot of wear and tear, so I used a 3⁄16-in.-thick veneer on top. And to make sure any movement stresseswould be equal, I also veneered the bottom.

To make the veneer, I resawed maple to about a 5⁄16-in. thicknesson the bandsaw. I used a thickness planer to bring the material tofinal thickness. Then I jointed one edge of each piece of veneerand ripped the other edge parallel on the tablesaw.

At this point, the veneer was ready to be applied to the particle-board. But faced with having to veneer such a large surface withthick veneer and without a lot of clamps, I used a somewhat un-usual gluing-and-clamping technique (see p. 41).

Wide edgings accept benchdogs—The wide edgings that runalong the front and back of the bench are made of solid maple.That way the benchdogs have plenty of support when in use.

I routed the dadoes that create the openings for the rectangular-shaped benchdogs before the pieces were glued together.

I also wanted benchdogs to work with the front vise. But it wasgoing to be a hassle to chop out all of those square mortises witha chisel. Plus, the particleboard wouldn’t hold up well when thedogs got squeezed. So I opted to use round benchdogs. That way I simply had to bore a hole to accept it. And to reinforce theparticleboard, I glued a short length of 3⁄4-in. copper water pipe into the hole.

Three lengths of 1⁄2-in.-dia. threaded rod, with a washer and nuton each end, secure the wide, solid-maple edgings to the ve-neered center section. The rods extend through the “holes” in theparticleboard and into through-holes in the edgings.

To drill the through-holes, I first cut each piece of edging to

A massive top on a sturdy modular baseTo help keep costs under control, the top is a hybrid, a mix of solidmaple, thick veneer and particleboard. The base construction issurprisingly simple—a pair of plywood boxes sandwiched betweenthree frames—yet the single unit that results is as solid as a ’72 Buick.

Drawings: Vince Babak

Slider, 7⁄16 in. thickby 23⁄8 in. wide by10 in. long

Front vise

Long rail and foot, 21⁄2 in. square by41 in. long

Upper jackboard, 11⁄4 in.thick by 53⁄8 in. wideby 187⁄8 in.long

Boxes are flushwith outsideedges of legs.

Frame-and-panel doors

Lower jack boardis cut from 2-in.-thick by 53⁄8-in.-wide stock.

311⁄4 in.

463⁄8 in.

353⁄8 in.

15 in.

123⁄8 in.313⁄4 in.

25 in.

41 in.

341⁄4 in.

983⁄4 in.

741⁄2 in.

Runner, 13⁄4 in.square by 831⁄4 in.long

Page 29: Workbench e

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 1 39

S O U R C E O F S U P P LY

WOODCRAFT (800-225-1153) Vises, vise hardware and benchdogs

A complete parts list is available on ourweb site: www.finewoodworking.com

Maple veneer, 3⁄16 in. thick, on topand bottom ofcenter section

Center section isparticleboard,21⁄8 in. thick by 191⁄4 in. wide by953⁄8 in. long.

Solid maple edging,31⁄2 in. thick by 6 in.wide by 953⁄8 in. long

Glue plywoodspline only toend cap.

Right end cap, 11⁄4 in. thick by 31⁄2 in.wide by 311⁄4 in. long,splined and bolted to benchtop

5⁄16-in. hex boltmates withbarrel nut incenter section.

Groove, 1⁄2 in. deepby 1⁄2 in. wide, forboard jack

Rout 5⁄8-in.-deep groove forthreaded rod beforegluing up center section.

Groove for drawerrunner, 1⁄2 in. wideby 3⁄8 in. deep

End vise

Boxes rest onlip created bynarrow legs.

Boxes are attachedto support frameswith 2-in. #12 flat-head wood screws.

Drawerrunner

Edging, 3⁄4 in.by 3⁄4 in.

Boxes, 341⁄4 in. wideby 221⁄4 in. deep(including edging onfront) by 263⁄4 in. tall,are made from 3⁄4-in.plywood rabbeted atthe corners.

Mounting plate,11⁄8 in. thick by51⁄4 in. wide by19 in. long

Tenons, 3⁄4 in.thick by 25⁄8 in.wide by 11⁄2 in.deep

Leg, 13⁄4 in.thick by 35⁄8 in.wide by 293⁄4 in.long (includingtenons)

Short rail andfoot, 21⁄2 in.square by 25 in. longLeveler

Page 30: Workbench e

40 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

final length. Then to mark the location of the holes in the edgings,I clamped one piece to the center section. I made a center-pointmarker by driving a finish nail in the end of a long, 1⁄2-in.-dia. dow-el. The nail must be centered in the end. I ran the dowel throughthe holes in the particleboard and used the nail to mark the centerpoint of the hole in the edging. Once all of the points weremarked, I drilled all of the holes through each piece of edging.

The threaded rod closest to the left end is longer than the othertwo rods because it extends all the way through the shoulder-viseparts. I used the same technique to mark the center points on theshoulder-vise parts.

I then face-glued the edgings and glued and clamped them to thefront and back of the bench.

The space under the bench is put to use—Those big boxes inthe base provide plenty of storage space. I placed eight drawers in the right-hand box. Plus, to take advantage of the space be-tween the top of the box and the underside of the benchtop, Iadded a shallow through-drawer that extends from front to back,with a face on each end of the drawer, so it can be accessed fromboth sides of the workbench.

The left-hand box holds the parts of a project I’m building. Thebox includes a hinged shelf that pivots up and out of the waywhen it’s not needed. The frame-and-panel doors keep dust fromfilling up the box.

Board jacks support long stock—The board jacks (one in frontand one in back) are handy additions to the bench. When a boardis clamped in the front, or shoulder, vise, the jack holds up the un-supported end. To accommodate boards of varying length, thejack is able to slide along the full length of the bench.

Power strips bring the juice—Because my bench is several feetfrom a wall, I added power strips along the front and back edges,making it easier to use power tools at the bench.

The bench has been serving me well for several years now. Dur-ing that time, it has picked up plenty of scratches and dents, butit’s as solid as ever. And I expect it’s going to stay that way formany years to come. �

Dick McDonough lives in Flint, Mich., where he’s a full-time finish carpenterand part-time woodworking teacher.

Shoulder vise and end cap

Bench screw(see Sources)

Jaw, 23⁄8 in. thick by31⁄2 in. wide by 131⁄4 in.long (including 1-in.-long tongue

Cut notch forrectangularbenchdog beforeassembling thewide edging. Copper water pipe

epoxied to centersection serves asbushing for roundbenchdog.

Notch forfront vise

1⁄2-in. threaded rodwith washer andnut on each end

Beam, 27⁄8 in.thick by 31⁄2 in.wide by 28 in.long

Block, 31⁄2 in.thick by 127⁄8 in.wide by 121⁄4 in.long

End cap, 27⁄8 in.thick by 31⁄2 in.wide

Plywood spline, 1⁄2 in. thick by 1 in.wide, is glued toend cap.

5⁄16-in. hex boltmates withbarrel nut.

Page 31: Workbench e

Large surfaces, like the top of my bench, are a

challenge to veneer because it’s difficult to get

good clamping pressure over the entire surface.

I have enough clamps for most jobs but

nowhere near the number I’d need for my

jumbo-sized benchtop. And new clamps don’t

come cheap.

The answer proved to be a set of 10 shop-

made clamping cauls. And because I was able

to use mostly scrapwood, the total cost was un-

der $12—less than I’d pay for a single commer-

cial clamp.

It’s easy to make these clamps. The top

“jaw” is a 24-in. length of 43⁄4-in.-wide medium-

density fiberboard (MDF) screwed to a 24-in.-

long 2x3. The bottom jaw is a 24-in.-long 2x4.

To prevent the MDF surfaces from ending up

glued to the veneer, add a healthy coat of paste

wax to each one. The ends of the jaws accept a

9-in.-long, 3⁄8-in.-dia. threaded rod that is fitted

with a washer and nut on both ends.

To begin veneering, spread a generous coat

of yellow glue on the mating surfaces of the ve-

neer and particleboard. A short painter’s roller

allows you to spread the glue easily and quickly.

When working with a large surface area, it’s im-

portant to have a good assembly game-plan

worked out because yellow glue can start to

tack up in less than 10 minutes. You need to get

the glue down and the clamps tightened up

without delay.

Place the veneer glue-side down on the parti-

cleboard. Butt the pieces together, but don’t

add glue to the edges or worry about a perfect

joint quite yet. Let the veneer overhang the par-

ticleboard all around.

Then start clamping down the veneer. To

help avoid lengthwise buckling, tighten the

clamps at one end and work toward the other.

Both the top and bottom surfaces of the par-

ticleboard must be veneered; if only the top is

veneered, it can create uneven stresses that

can cause the top to cup.

Once both sides have been veneered, true

up the edge joints with a router equipped with

a 3⁄8-in.-dia. straight bit. Use a long piece of

stock as a straightedge and rout a 3⁄16-in.-deep

groove centered along the entire length of

each joint line. Then use the clamping cauls

to glue 3⁄8-in.-wide by 3⁄16-in.-thick inlays into the

grooves. This technique results in near-perfect

edge joints.

G L U I N G T H I C K V E N E E R T O A L A R G E S U R FA C E

Clamp the veneer to the particleboard with clamping cauls. No need to have a smallfortune in clamps to do this glue-up. Shopmade clamping cauls get the job done for pennies.

Rout the joint. Toclean up any gaps, arouter and edge guideare used to cut a shal-low groove centered onthe long joint.

Add the inlay. Thinstrips of cherry fill in the grooves, produc-ing tight joint linesalong the full length ofthe bench.

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 1 41

INLAYS CONCEAL IMPERFECT VENEER JOINTS

Photos, this page: Erika Marks

Page 32: Workbench e

Mike Dunbar's WorkbenchHeavy-duty bench has a wide top,knockdown base and large vises

B Y M I K E D U N B A R

Page 33: Workbench e

T his is my workbench. Two friends and I each made one like it in the mid-1970s,copying a 200-year-old original we found in the basement of an 18th-century man-sion. I prefer it to any other design, for several reasons. The bench is a heavy, sol-

id structure. No matter how hard the work, there is no need to hold down this one withsandbags. And its joints don't wobble when I'm handplaning or sawing. If they do loosenbecause of seasonal movement, a tweak with a bed-bolt wrench makes them rigid again.

The bench's wood vises are very strong. The twin-screw front vise has ample space be-tween the screws, which means I can drop a long, wide part between them. And the jawsare wide enough to hold a 6-ft-long board for edge-jointing without additional support.

The bench does not have a tool tray, leaving its entire wide top available not just forwoodworking but also for assembly. When I worked by myself as a professional furnituremaker, this bench was all I needed. Finally, I am a woodworker, and a bench made en-tirely of wood has a deep appeal for me.

Making this bench is more heavy work than it is hard, although the tail vise is somewhat

Page 34: Workbench e

BASE AND BENCHTOP

complicated. Many of the parts are so large that joining them bor-ders on timber framing. A second pair of hands comes in handy forsome stages on the project.

Some heavy lifting will be requiredThe bench can be made of just about any type of hardwood. Be-cause this is a workbench, practicality governed my choices. In myregion, yellow birch is cheaper than maple but isn't availableabove 10/4. So I used birch for the 2-in.-thick parts and hard maplefor the thicker ones. If you cannot find 12/4 hardwood, you canglue up your stock.

Before cutting any wood, determine what bench height is com-fortable for you. When working with hand tools, it is more efficientand easier if you can bring into play all of the larger muscle groupsin your body, above all those in your legs and back. Most benchesare too high for me, forcing me to work only with my shoulders

and arms. I am 5 ft. 9 in. and a little short in the leg. My benchtop is32 in. high.

Besides wood, you will need to order two other items: -in.-dia.wooden bench screws and threaded blocks, which you can getfrom Crystal Creek Mill (P.O. Box 41, DeWitt, NY 13214; 315-446-1229). Mention this project to get the same components I used. Thethree screw-and-block sets will run you $195.

You can cut your own threads if you have a large tap and die suit-ed for this job (one that's at least in. dia. with 5 tpi or fewer).Antique tap-and-die sets for wood may be found at a flea marketor tag sale. The tap would be the most useful of the two, becauseit would allow you to make the threaded end batten near the tailvise out of one piece of wood. Without it you'll have to join one ofthe threaded blocks to the end of the batten. The Beall Tool Co.(800-331-4718; bealltool.com) offers wood-threading kits formaking -in.-dia., 5-tpi screws and nuts. It includes a router jig

Timber-frame techniques. Use a circular saw to cut the tenon shoulders on these large beams.The cheeks are then cut on the bandsaw. Get an assistant, if you can find one, to help you supportthe long, heavy timbers. For the mortises in the legs, first drill out the waste, then square with achisel. Afterward, the tenons are pared to fit the mortises.

Page 35: Workbench e

and bit and a -in.-dia. tap, which would solve the aforemen-tioned joinery problem.

You'll also need 16 bed bolts and a wrench, which you can getfrom Ball and Ball Hardware Reproductions (800-257-3711).

A knockdown base is easy to moveThe original bench knocks down completely. This leads me to sus-pect that it belonged to an interior joiner, what we would call to-day a finish carpenter. These guys were the elite of the buildingtradesmen and were responsible for raised-panel walls, wainscot-ing, staircases, mantels, moldings and doors.

Working on a magnificent Portsmouth, N.H., mansion, a joinercould be on the job site for months. He would move his bench andtoolbox right into the house. When finished, he'd put them in awagon and move them onto the next job site. A bench that knocksdown is still a good idea today because it is easier to move to anew shop.

The legs and stretchers are joined with mortises and tenons heldtogether with bed bolts. The joints can't be at the same height orthe bed bolts would bump each other, so offset their elevations.Notice that there are tenons on the tops of the legs, as well, to se-cure the top to the base. Cut all of the joints at the same time.

Cut the shoulders of these large tenons with a circular saw andthen rip the cheeks on the bandsaw. Bore out the mortises with adrill bit and square the corners with a chisel. I used a shoulderplane to fit the tenons.

Bed-bolt basics—Bed bolts are very effective fasteners and, whentightened, will not allow the slightest wiggle. The bolt has a squarehead with a large flange and requires a two-step hole. Drill thecounterbore for the flange first. The long hole for the bolt goes in-to the bottom of the mortise, through the length of the tenon andpast the location of the nut.

The nut sits in a hole drilled into the back of the rail. Assemblingthe joint is easy: Tap the mortise and tenon together, hold the nutin place and slide a bed bolt into the hole. A couple of quick turns

Locate the leg mortises on the plank. First turn everything upsidedown and level the back legs.

End battens support the plywood portion of the benchtop. Eachbatten is bolted to the thick plank and also to a cleat that supports theplywood and keeps it level with the plank. The plywood is screwed ontothe cleat and into a rabbet at the back edge of the plank.

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FRONT VISE

Size and strength. The thick wooden screws are far enough apart toaccommodate a wide workpiece, and the jaw is long enough to supporta 6-ft. board for edge-jointing.

catches the nut. When all of the fasteners are hand-tight, grab thebed-bolt wrench and finish the job.

The plank is the key to the topThe top of the bench is made of two pieces: a 3-in.-thick plank atthe front and a thinner plywood panel behind. The front and backlegs are different heights as a result. The thick front plank anchorsthe vises and provides a durable surface for your heaviest andmost forceful work. The rear panel will not take the same punish-ment as the front and does not have to be as thick. Its role is to pro-vide a wide, level surface. On the original bench this was a widepine board, but I used birch plywood for its stability.

The width of the front plank is a variable and can depend onwhatever you can find or glue up. A piece of wood this thick is sel-dom flat as it comes from the lumber dealer and will need to beplaned. If your machines are not up to a job this heavy, you mayhave to find someone who can do the work for you. I surfaced my12-in.-wide plank in my planer, because it wouldn't fit on my join-ter. Luckily it was straight but just cupped a bit. I took a couple ofpasses off the domed (heart) side, just to get a flat to work on.Then, I took light passes off the concave side. Because this surfaceis not seen, there is no need to flatten it completely. Finally, Iflipped the plank again and finished dressing the upper surface.Set the plank aside for several days and let it equalize before flat-tening it again with a light pass. While you are at it, joint the frontedge so that it is straight and square to the upper surface.

This plank requires a few operations before it's ready to drop in-to place on the substructure. First, lay out the leg mortises in theunderside and cut and fit them to the tenons on the top of the frontlegs. Next, rout the rabbet in the back edge to create a lip that willsupport the plywood portion of the top, which will be securedwith wood screws.

Make room for the vises—The front vise is secured to the benchwith wood screws threaded through two dovetail-shaped nuts,

After angling the sides of the threadedblocks, lay out their recesses. The trape-zoidal shape gives mechanical strength to thisjoint, which is also glued.

Circular saw comes in handy again. Cut theshoulders first, then cut some kerfs through thewaste section.

After chopping out the waste, pare thesides. Use one of the threaded blocks to guideyour chisel.

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which are set into the plank. Bevel the sides of two of the threethreaded blocks (the other one is for the tail-vise assembly). Thenuse the blocks to lay out their recesses. Lay out these notches sothat the blocks project slightly from the front edge of the bench-top; plane them flush later. Cut the deep notches with a handsawor circular saw, and clean up the walls with a wide chisel.

The top is far too thick for the wood screws to clear it on the bot-tom side, so you have to cut channels for clearance. Tap the nutsinto place temporarily to see where the threaded holes line upwith the bench. Cut the channel edges first, with a straightedgeclamped on the plank to guide your circular saw. Then make a lotof kerf cuts through the center and chop out the waste.

Now you can glue in the threaded nuts. Leave the tops slightlyproud and plane them flush after the glue is dry. Plane the frontedges flush, too. Next, cut out the large notch for the tail vise. A cir-cular saw will cut through most of the stock, but you will need ahandsaw to complete the corner. Clean up the sawcuts with ahandplane, keeping everything square (not the easiest task butvery important). Rout the long groove along the notch, and finishit with a sharp chisel.

The last task in preparing the front plank is to cut the dog holes.Although you can use any type of dog you prefer, I chose theclever, low-tech type I found on the original. The dog holes are

in. square, and each square dog has a slight taper planed ontoone face. There is a dog for each hole in the bench. Each is tappedinto place from below, narrow-side up, and sits flush with the topuntil it is needed. Tap it with a mallet until it projects slightly abovethe surface and tightens in place. The dog holes are roughly in.apart, but some are offset to avoid the screws for the front vise.

The plywood section—The bench's end battens are bed-boltedto the thick plank and have support cleats along their inside edgesfor securing the plywood. The plywood is also screwed into therabbet on the back edge of the thick plank. With the thick plank inplace on the front legs, place the plywood in its rabbet to locatethe mortises for the rear legs. Cut these mortises, then attach theplywood to the plank and the end battens.

A trick for vise handlesEach wood screw has a thick hub with lines scribed into it. Theseare both for decoration and for laying out the holes for the han-dles. Drill a 1-in.-dia. hole. You can make the handles out of a pieceof dowel with pins in the ends or end caps to keep them fromfalling out. However, I prefer the old technology used by the orig-inal maker. Turn your handles using wood that is still slightlygreen. You can split some from a firewood pile. Leave the ends

in. bigger than the hole in the vise-screw hub.Boil one of the bullet-shaped ends to soften it, and drive it

through the hub with a mallet. The wood will compress as it pass-es through the hole (some may be sheared away by the hole'sedges), then it will spring back on the other side.

Front vise jaw wears a garterThe jaw is a piece of 8/4 hardwood. Its width is not critical and candepend on the wood you have on hand. Unlike most period

Cut clearancechannels for thevise screws. Tapthe threadedblocks into placetemporarily to de-termine the loca-tion of these chan-nels. Remove theblocks before cut-ting. Define theedges with a circu-lar saw, kerf outthe middle, thenchop out the waste.

A garter keepsthe vise jaw mov-ing with thescrew. This thinstrip is mortised in-to the jaw and fitsinto a groove nearthe screw hub.

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TAIL VISEThis complex-looking unit is basicallya three-sided box that slides backand forth on the tip of the bench'send batten. One wrinkle: Thethreaded nut included with the screwset must be joined to the end batten.

END BATTEN

VISE END

benches I have examined, in which the user has to pull the visejaw backward after loosening the screws, the jaw on this benchhas garters that mate with a groove in the screws and keep the jawand screws moving together.

Drill the two holes in the jaw for the wooden screws. Then cutthe slots for the garters. Make the garters out of hardwood. One ata time, place a screw through the jaw and tap the garter into place.Turn the screws to test the fit of the garters. Before gluing them in-to place, be sure they aren't rubbing too tightly against the screw.

Tail vise is the tough partThe tail vise and its associated assembly make for some compli-cated joinery. A lot is going on at one time as the vise travels. Thebatten that stiffens the end of the benchtop and holds the frontplank and plywood level is threaded for the tail-vise screw. It alsoacts as one of the guides for the vise. Without a large tap to cut the

VISE JAW

Page 39: Workbench e

Think of the vise as a three-sided box withclosed ends. Build up the jaw end (foreground)from thinner stock. An ogee contour decoratesthe opposite end piece. The top, side and bottomare joined to the ends with large dovetails.

Slide the assembled tail vise into place tolocate the holes for the vise screw. Thismeasurement determines where the visescrew will pass through the end of the tail viseand where it will enter the jaw end (at right).

threads in the batten, I had to find a way to join one of the thread-ed blocks to it. I settled on a version of a scarf joint that providessome mechanical support and plenty of glue surface.

The vise itself is a three-sided box with closed ends. The jaw endis a 4-in.-square piece of hardwood. I glued up mine in a sandwichfrom thinner stock, which made it easier to create the tongue thatprotrudes from this block. A hole in the inside surface of the jawreceives the end of the vise screw. The other end piece is 8/4 andhas a clearance hole drilled through it for the screw. The ogee con-tour on this piece is more decorative than functional.

The top and side pieces of this box are in. thick and joined tothe jaw with large half-blind dovetails. The bottom is in. thickand joined the same way. There also is a guide strip on the bottom,which is in. thick and also dovetailed to the jaw and end pieces.Make all of the parts for the tail vise, then test their fit and actionbefore glue-up.

Cut the mortise for the garter and tap it into place. You cannotavoid cutting into the dovetails when you make this mortise. Drilland square the dog hole in the jaw the same way as those in thebenchtop. This hole should fit between the dovetails.

Use bed bolts to secure the end batten to the thick part of thebenchtop. Make the small retainer bracket through which the nar-row guide strip passes and screw it into place on the end batten.

The vise may work somewhat stiffly at first but will eventuallywear in so that it moves smoothly and without effort. Waxing themoving surfaces will help the action.

I completed my bench by finishing it with several coats of boiledlinseed oil thinned with a little turpentine. Let the wood absorb asmuch oil as possible before wiping off the excess.

Mike Dunbar is a contributing editor. He and his wife, Sue, run a Windsorchair-making school in Hampton, N.H.

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t’s hard to imagine working in a shopthat lacks a good bench-mounted vise.After all, woodworkers come from the

factory with just two hands, and we needboth of them to use most tools. So it usu-ally takes some help to keep a workpiecefixed firmly in place.

The cast-iron style of vise has long been astaple in woodworkers’ shops, and forgood reason. A cast-iron vise that’s wellmaintained can last several generations,and a workpiece locked in its grip won’teasily budge.

A cast-iron vise has another plus: Itgenerally installs without much fuss. But

that doesn’t mean the procedure is fool-proof. To minimize the fussiness factor,there are a few worthwhile points to keepin mind—including a little preinstalla-tion planning.

Where to put itAt first glance, a workbench seems to offera number of places to locate a vise. But afew spots can be eliminated quickly. Anyvise centered on the front, back or end of abench is sure to be in your way, so the visealmost always ends up installed near a cor-ner to make it as unobtrusive as possible.Your options narrow even further when

you consider the bench location, its design and you—or more specifically,your handedness.

Bench location and design—When abench is positioned well away from thewalls, allowing all-around access, the visecan be installed adjacent to any of the cor-ners. But if the bench butts against a wall,both corners of that side of the bench areeliminated as options. If the bench has togo in a corner, the options become fewer.So it’s best not to finalize the vise locationuntil you’ve considered where the bench isgoing to go.

Installing a Cast-Iron Vise

56 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

Determine the best locationBefore installing a vise, consider where on the benchtop it’s going to work best for you.Right-handers generally prefer the front vise on the left end of the benchtop, with theend vise on the right, near the front corner. Reverse the locations if you’re a southpaw.

F R O N T V I S E

E N D V I S E

If you’re going to mount only one vise, a front vise offers themost useful clamping options. A board clamped horizontallyin a front vise is perfectly positioned for edge-planing.Clamp it vertically, and the end of the board can be planedor sawed easily.

Used with a benchdog, an end viseallows a longer board to beclamped quickly face-down on the bench for planing, scraping or sanding.

I

Typical vise positions forleft-handed woodworkers

Typical vise positions forright-handed woodworkers

Align thebenchdogholes withthe end-vise dog.

Photos: Michael Pekovich

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S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 2 57Drawings: Melanie Powell

Most cast-iron vises have a metal dogbuilt into the front jaw. When the vise dogis used with a benchdog, the vise offers ad-ditional clamping advantages. Keep inmind, though, that the holes for the bench-dog must be in line with the vise dog. Sobefore you settle on a vise location, makesure the benchdog you use can be placedinto all of the holes without interferingwith the vise, the bench legs or anythingelse under the top.

Front or end vise?—A vise can be mount-ed to the front or end of a bench. Becauseeach location has its advantages, many

Figure out the filler-block thickness. Withboth the vise and benchtop upside down tomake the job easier, measure the distancefrom the benchtop to the top edge of the visejaws and then add 1⁄2 in. to 3⁄4 in.

Attach the filler block, then the vise, using lag screws. You might think that about does it,but to get the most out of the vise, you should cover the metal jaws and edge of the table next.

M O U N T I N G T H E V I S EM O U N T I N G T H E V I S E

There’s more to it than sinking a few lag screws B Y T O M B E G N A L

Filler block

BenchtopJaws should be 1⁄2 in. to 3⁄4 in. below thework surface.

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58 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

benches include both front and end vises. Ifa bench is limited to having just one vise,it’s best to install it as a front vise, becausemost of us naturally gravitate toward thefront of the bench.

Think right or left—More than anythingelse, your handedness determines the bestvise location. Right-handers usually like afront vise on the left of the bench. Thatway, when crosscutting a board with ahandsaw, the cutoff end can be held by theleft hand.

When the front vise is installed on theleft, you’ll want the end vise added to theright, near the front corner. Reverse the lo-cations if you’re a lefty.

How to mount itThere are several ways to install a cast-ironvise; your best option depends on the

benchtop’s design. The pro-cedure outlined here coversthe most common installa-tion, one where the back jawof the vise simply buttsagainst the edge of a topthat’s about 11⁄2 in. thick.

Cast-iron vises, especiallylarge ones, are heavy andawkward to hold. So try towork with the benchtop

turned upside down, as shown here. Ifflipping the top isn’t an option, you canmake the vise easier to handle by remov-ing the front jaw along with the screw andguide bars.

Include a filler block—Ideally, when thevise is installed, the top edge of the jawsshould be 1⁄2 in. to 3⁄4 in. below the top ofthe bench. The extra space allows room forthe wood face, added later, to cover the topof the jaw.

Also, on some vises, the dog extends al-most 1⁄2 in. above the jaws, even when thedog is fully lowered. Unless the jaws arewell below the benchtop, the dog will al-ways stick above the work surface.

To get that extra space, you’re likely toneed a wood filler block between the un-derside of the benchtop and the mountingbracket portion of the vise. The block

should be wide and long enough to coverthe bracket and thick enough to producethe intended spacing.

Install the filler block and vise—Beforesecuring the block to the underside of thetop, drill and counterbore it for four lagscrews. Position the block on the benchtopand drill the pilot holes. Add glue, then slipthe lag screws into the holes and threadthem home.

Now position the vise on the block, withthe back jaw firmly against the edge of thebench. Then drill the pilot holes and addthe lag screws. If you’ve been workingwith the benchtop upside down, now’s thetime to flip it right-side up.

Make the faces—A workpiece secured inthe vise is less likely to dent if the cast-ironjaws have wood faces. The faces can be in-stalled several ways.

A quick method is simply to screw a rec-tangular piece of hardwood stock to thejaws of the vise. Most jaws have predrilledholes, making the job an easy one.

I prefer to mortise the back face to acceptthe back jaw. Also, I like to extend the backface the full length of the bench. Effective-ly then, the back face becomes part of theedge of the benchtop. So when a longboard is clamped on edge in the vise, the

A long face. A mortise in the back face accepts the backjaw. The face extends the full length of the benchtop, whichwill make it easier to clamp long boards.

Measure, mark and cut out the mortise. On many vises, the face of the backjaw isn’t square to the benchtop. To make sure the mortise ends up deep enough,measure the depth from the thickest part of the jaw. Use a drill bit to remove mostof the waste stock before using a router to clean out the waste that remains.

A D D I N G W O O D FA C E S T O T H E V I S EA D D I N G W O O D FA C E S T O T H E V I S E

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S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 2 59

board remains in contact with the backface the full length of the bench. Thatmakes it easier to clamp the end of theboard to the benchtop.

To create the mortise, first mark itslength, width and depth on the back of theback face. When measuring the depth,keep in mind that most jaws taper in thick-ness, meaning the back jaw usually isn’tsquare to the benchtop. So to make surethe jaw can fit fully into the mortise, mea-sure the depth dimension at the bottom ofthe jaw at its thickest point.

Once the mortise has been marked, usea drill press and a Forstner bit to removemost of the waste. Clean up the rest with a router.

Mount the faces—At this point, there’sjust one more detail to attend to beforethe back face can be attached. Because theback jaw is tapered, it doesn’t fit fullyagainst the mortise. As a result, there’s agap that widens as it nears the top of thejaw. Thus, the jaw loses some support pro-vided by the back face.

To fill in the gap, use a bit of epoxy inputty form. You can find this stuff at mosthardware or home-improvement stores.To prevent the epoxy from sticking to thejaw, add a heavy coat of paste wax to thearea of the jaw that meets the epoxy.

Next, attach the back face, using the vise toclamp one end. The top edge of the faceshould stand proud of the benchtop by 1⁄16 in. Now add a bar clamp to the other endof the face. Secure the face with screws dri-ven into counterbored holes, and addwood plugs to the holes.

The front face is just rectangular stockthat’s attached by driving screws throughholes in the front jaw. Because the frontjaw has a taper, like the back jaw, the

front face cants toward the back face. That’sactually a plus because it helps the visegrip more tightly along the full width of thejaws. But if there’s too much cant, it can bereduced quickly by handplaning a bevel onthe entire inside surface of the front face.

For the final step, add a finish to the twofaces, preferably one that matches the fin-ish on the original benchtop. �

Tom Begnal is an associate editor.

Attach the back face to the edge of the benchtop. To fill in the gap between the back faceand the back jaw of the vise, add a couple of strips of epoxy putty to the mortise just before apply-ing the face to the bench (left). After coating the jaw with paste wax, attach the face with a fewwood screws driven into counterbored holes (right).

Plane the top edge of the face. A sharphandplane is all it takes to get the face flushwith the top of the bench.

Add the front face. Likethe back jaw of the vise, thefront jaw is tapered. To mini-mize the effect of the taper,you can bevel the outsidesurface of the front faceslightly. Then attach theface by driving two screwsthrough predrilled holes inthe jaw.

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54 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

The WorkbenchThe WorkbenchAn illustrated guide to an essential

woodworking tool

B Y G R A H A M B L A C K B U R N

n some parts of the world, woodworkers use the floor as their work surface. In Japan, it’s a nar-

row beam. But in the West, woodworkers traditionally have used a substantial workbench. In

fact, before tablesaws and routers became for most woodworkers their right and left hands, the

workbench was the most important tool of the craft. While it may no longer be the first tool a wood-

worker encounters in the shop, the workbench nevertheless remains at the heart of woodworking.

A closer appreciation of its uses and strengths can do much to improve your woodworking expe-

rience, so here’s a look at the development of the workbench, its major variations and the many

practical fixtures associated with its use.

II

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T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 2 55

Great moments in workbench history

Splayed legs

Double-screwedface vise

Planing stops

Benchdog holes

Movablebenchdog

Wedging notch

Bench stop

Tool rackIron holdfast

Holes forholdfasts

Side hook (usedwith holdfasts)

R O M A N B E N C H

The prime purpose of the workbench is to fa-

cilitate the flattening and smoothing of

stock, typically by planing. So it is no sur-

prise that some of the earliest benches were

used by the Romans 2,000 years ago, be-

cause it was the Romans who first made use

of the metal-bodied plane. The Roman bench

was little more than a long board supported

by splayed legs and fitted with stops to pre-

vent a board from being pushed off the bench

during planing. This bench remained popular

for more than four centuries after the demise

of the Roman Empire and in some areas per-

sists even today. The drawing is based on a

photograph of a bench found in Saalburg,

Germany, 250 B.C.

1 6 T H - C E N T U R Y B E N C H

After the Middle Ages, with the development

of more sophisticated forms of furniture,

benches grew larger and began to feature ad-

ditional holding devices. By the 17th century,

vises had become common in Northern Eu-

rope. German and Scandinavian benches, in

particular, were fitted with vises very similar

to the large wooden tail and face vises that

were common on British benches until the in-

troduction of metal vises. The drawing is

based on one by Loffelholz, 1505.

1 8 T H - C E N T U R Y F R E N C H B E N C H

One of the more distinctive varieties, the

commonly used French bench was basically

a heavy table that featured a tool rack, bench

stops, side hooks and holdfasts to secure the

work; vises were a rarity.

Mortises for planingstops and board supports

Single-board top

Enclosedadjustabletail stop

Drawings: Graham Blackburn

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56 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

Metal face vise withadjustable stop

Woodentail vise

Enclosedstorage

Benchdogholes

Large top

Benchdogholes

Heavytail vise

Workbench history (continued)

1 8 T H - C E N T U R Y B R I T I S H B E N C H

In contrast to French benches and to

most other European types, British benches

from the 18th century relied heavily on a long

face vise installed at the left end of the bench.

This long vise frequently had a single screw and a

guide rod to help keep it parallel, but sometimes it

possessed two screws arranged so that the vise

face could be angled for nonparallel stock. A stop

and a holdfast also were common, but support for

long boards held in the vise, in the form of apron

pegs or a deadman, was distinctly British. This

British-style bench emigrated to America with the

early Colonists.

S H A K E R B E N C H

Among the first distinctly American benches

were those built by the Shakers, a religious

sect famous for its simple but well-built furni-

ture. Shaker benches typically were massive and

without tool trays, and because the Shakers val-

ued order and neatness, their benches featured a

base that was fully enclosed for storage. The Shak-

ers also were fond of leg vises that could be kept

parallel, unlike the garterless face vises previously

common on workbenches. Because the cupboards

and drawers in the base made the use of a bored

apron impossible, the Shakers often used a sliding

deadman to provide support for long workpieces.

1 9 T H - C E N T U R Y S C H O O L B E N C H

The workbenches we use today owe much to

the school bench that was common in the 19th

and early 20th centuries. The essential features

of this bench, whether single or double (like the

one illustrated), are a large work surface, usually

with a trough or a tool well, both end and face

vises (increasingly of the metal variety) and a

system of benchdog holes in the top used for

clamping workpieces.

Slidingdeadman

Enclosed basewith storage

Legvise

Benchstop

Tool trough

Guide rod

Holes for pegsupports

Apron

Face vise

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T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 2 57

C O N T E M P O R A R Y B E N C H E S

C A B I N E T M A K E R ’ S B E N C H

Although many woodworkers prefer to build their

own benches, the commercially made cabinetmaker’s

bench has become the standard. Consisting of a

heavy-duty, laminated top, usually with a tool well,

the cabinetmaker’s bench is fitted with a benchdog

system and a provision for holdfasts. Although the

vises may have heavy wooden jaws, their screws are

invariably metal, thus combining the best of both

old and new.

S C A N D I N AV I A N B E N C H

A bench style popular with many wood-

workers, the Scandinavian bench is fit-

ted with either a standard tail vise or a

balanced vise that can hold work-

pieces between benchdogs on both

edges of the top, as shown. The

Scandinavian bench is characterized

by a dogleg face vise, considered by

those who use it to be superior to the

standard face vise because there are

no screws to get in the way of the

workpiece.

Face vise

Benchdogholes Holdfast collar

Ramped tool well

Tail vise

Balancedtwin-screwtail vise

Two rows ofbenchdogholes

Dogleg vise requiresfreestanding deadmansupport.

Though there are countless variations, today’s workbenches

generally are based on either a cabinetmaker’s bench or a

Scandinavian-style bench.

Page 48: Workbench e

58 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

FA C E V I S E S

A face vise is used for holding workpieces during planing.

It works best if the inside faces of the jaws are flush with

the front of the bench and if the tops of both jaws are

flush with the surface of the bench. Although there will be

occasions when you want to secure odd shapes (which can

be done easily with purpose-made auxiliary jaws), the jaws

should close perfectly parallel to each other so that they

will hold even a thin sheet of paper firmly. Metal vises may

need to be reset on the bench to meet these conditions,

and they also may need to have their wood facings re-

placed. Wooden-jaw vises can be made flush more easily.

But before altering the jaws, examine the way your partic-

ular vise works and how it is attached to the bench.

Pay special attention to making sure the guide arms

run smoothly with minimal play. Older wooden vises may

need their guide arms resecured to the jaws and their

guide blocks adjusted. Wooden screws depend on well-fit-

ting garters and properly positioned threaded blocks. Pro-

viding they are properly aligned, newer vises with metal

screws and guide arms have fewer problems and may need

nothing more than occasional cleaning and lubrication.

Most contemporary benches are fitted with vises. While there are many varieties, certain things remain true for all vises. If the work-

piece is to be held securely without being damaged, the jaws should be wooden or wood lined, clean, aligned and parallel.

TA I L V I S E S

A tail vise holds a workpiece at the

front of the bench. Newer tail vises

that ride on a steel plate fixed to the

bench can be adjusted so that the top

and front of the vise remain flush with

the top and front of the bench. Older

tail vises ride on rails attached be-

neath the benchtop. Neither kind is

designed to hold anything by the

tail of the vise; doing so might

misalign the vise. However, double-

screwed end vises or end vises with

a single screw and widely spaced guide

arms can hold work against the end of

the bench and, if they are as wide as

the bench, can be fitted with bench-

dogs. A tail vise also can be used to

clamp workpieces between a bench-

dog fixed in the benchtop and a dog

fixed in the vise itself.

Vises

Some metal vises have built-in adjustable stops that can be used to clampwork between a benchdog and a stop in the benchtop. Vises that don’t haveadjustable stops can be fitted with a wooden stop jaw that will perform thesame function or that can be custom-cut to hold other shapes.

Doubleguide arms

Metal vise withbuilt-in stop

Metal vise withshopmadewooden stop jaw

Carpeted jawsfor finishedwork

Jaws for odd-shaped work

You may want to make various auxiliary jaws, such as carpeted jawsto hold finished work or jaws to hold round and odd-shaped pieces.

Adjusting bolts

Clamp work here. Tail viseDo not clampwork here.

End vise

Benchdog

Workpiece

Page 49: Workbench e

T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 2 59

Bench accessories

B E N C H D O G S

Metal dogs may last longer and fit better, but wooden

dogs are easier to make and pose less of a threat to

both tools and finished work surfaces. Side dogs also

can be extremely useful for holding stock against the

front apron.

B E N C H S T O P S

A bench stop is designed to pre-

vent the workpiece from being

pushed off the bench. In its sim-

plest form, it may be a small

piece of scrap clamped or

tacked anywhere on the bench.

An integral stop, whether a sim-

ple wooden stop held in place

and at the right height by fric-

tion, wedge or a simple screw,

or one of the variously designed

factory-made metal stops, is

more convenient and often func-

tions as the last stop in a line of

benchdogs.

A bench with vises, even when everything is in top condition and perfectly adjusted, is still only half the asset it might be—unless it’s fur-

nished with a variety of devices, such as benchdogs, holdfasts and bench hooks

A holdfast remains one of the most versatile pieces of equipment

you can own. There are various modern forms available, but the

simplest L-shaped iron bar inserted in any conveniently bored hole

in the benchtop is efficient. Simply knock the top of the holdfast

to secure the workpiece, and hit the back of the holdfast to re-

lease the workpiece. A holdfast’s two main advantages are its

ability to hold odd-shaped, flat and rectangular pieces, and the

fact that it can be positioned anywhere on the bench. Don’t ago-

nize over where to bore the first hole—you inevitably will need to

bore another hole somewhere else. A particularly useful place is

near a vise so that the vise and holdfast can be used together in a

variety of ways. Older benches typically were bored in various

places along the length.

H O L D FA S T S B E N C H H O O K S

The most common device for securing small workpieces to the

bench is the bench hook. This can be made in a variety of ways

and may function as a simple sawing support, a sawing guide

when kerfed exactly at 90°, 45° or any other simple or compound

angle, or as a convenient end-grain shooting block.

Wooden dog,with woodenspring

Metal dog

Side dog

Simplest:nailed tobench

Adjustable:may be wedgedor screwed

Manufactured: metal,height adjusted byintegral screw

Simple angled ironin bored hole

Flat barin sleeve Fully adjustable

in flush collar

Provide dustgroove.

Cut larger groovefor holding roundwork.

Use dowels andglue rather thanscrew or nailhooks.

Cut kerfs foraccuratemitering.

Use a narrowpair to supportlong pieces.

Use as ashooting blockto trim end grainaccurately.

Page 50: Workbench e

50 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G Photos: Tom Begnal

knew that when I eventually got around to building my dreamworkbench, it would have to meet a few basic requirements.It would have to be sturdy enough to last a few lifetimes. It

would have to have storage underneath. And it would have tohave good front and end vises so that I wouldn’t have to do a lotto get a workpiece held securely.

In 1998, I finally built my bench. And I’m pleased to say that afterfive years of heavy work, it has fulfilled my expectations, and thensome. It’s rock solid and has plenty of useful storage, thanks to 15drawers and an area of open space between the base and the top.

Building such a large workbench can be an intimidating task, butit’s actually basic woodworking. The only parts of the bench thatcall for anything other than straightforward biscuit and mortise-and-tenon joinery is the end vise. Whether you decide to build thisbench using the foldout plans or add the end vise to a bench youalready have, this article walks you through the process.

Vises, benchdogs and a board jack help anchor workpiecesThe front and end vises, along with benchdogs and a board jack,offer plenty of clamping options.

In the front of the bench I had planned to use a typical cast-ironvise with wood jaws until I ran across an Internet ad for a used pat-ternmaker’s vise, and I couldn’t resist the temptation to buy. Thevise, built in the 1930s by the Emmert Manufacturing Co., allowsme to clamp a workpiece in almost any position. Patternmakers fa-vor this type of vise because it adjusts in several planes, making itpossible to hold work of almost any shape. Like me, you’ll occa-sionally see a used Emmert vise offered for sale on the Internet. Also, you can sometimes find them at vintage tool dealers or, morerarely, at flea markets. Expect to pay upwards of $500 for one ingood condition.

My vise is one of the larger ones Emmert produced. Modern re-productions of the vise are available in mostly smaller sizes, gen-erally about 15 in. long. Some of these are fairly inexpensive, about$300, and the quality is decent. Higher-quality ones can cost morethan $1,000.

A sliding board jack helps support long, wide stock, with thefront end of the stock held in the Emmert vise. The board jack isadapted directly from one I found in The Workbench Book by ScottLandis (The Taunton Press, 1987), modified only slightly to fit my

Rock-Solid Workbench

Ready-made hardware simplifies end-vise construction

B Y J O N L E P P O

I

Page 51: Workbench e

Upper end rails, 13⁄4 in.thick by 4 in. wide by21 in. long

End dividers, 13⁄4 in.thick by 41⁄2 in. wideby 21 in. long

Mounting cleats, 13⁄4 in.thick by 2 in. wide by 3 in. long

End panels, 3⁄4 in.thick by 91⁄8 in. wideby 217⁄8 in. long

Lower end rails, 13⁄4 in.thick by 41⁄2 in. wide by21 in. long

End stiles, 13⁄4 in.thick by 41⁄2 in. wideby 311⁄2 in. long

Plywood drawer-caseends, 3⁄4 in. thick by 21 in. wide by 24 in. long, including 1⁄2-in. solid-woodedging

Horizontal frames, 24 in. wide by 611⁄2 in.long, are made from 13⁄4-in.-thick by 41⁄4-in.-wide stock.

Board-jacklower runner,11⁄4 in. thick by15⁄8 in. wide by101⁄4 in. long

Horizontalplywood panels,1⁄2 in. thick

Back panels, 3⁄4 in.thick by 147⁄8 in. wideby 163⁄8 in. long

Back stiles, 13⁄4 in.thick by 51⁄4 in. wideby 311⁄2 in. long

Cleat, 13⁄4 in.thick by 2 in.wide by 165⁄8 in.long

Clearance forguide plate

End panelmortise, 3⁄4 in.wide by 1⁄2 in. deepby 91⁄4 in. long

Back dividers, 13⁄4 in.thick by 41⁄2 in. wideby 151⁄2 in. long

Horizontal supports, 11⁄4 in. thick by 31⁄4 in. wide

Filler block, 15⁄8 in. square

Back rails, 13⁄4 in.thick by 41⁄2 in. wideby 51 in. long

313⁄4 in.

5 in.

Front apron, 15⁄8 in.thick by 4 in. wideby 801⁄8 in. long

Long end cap, 31⁄4 in.thick by 4 in. wide by333⁄8 in. long

Main top, 23⁄8 in. thick by 961⁄2 in.long, including 1-in.-long tenons

Back apron, 15⁄8 in.thick by 4 in. wide by941⁄2 in. long

61⁄2 in.175⁄8 in.

Short end cap, 33⁄8 in.thick by 4 in. wide by281⁄2 in. long

All bolts are 3⁄8 in. dia.

Board-jack upperrunner, 3⁄8 in. thickby 111⁄16 in. wide by101⁄4 in. long

Board-jack track, 11⁄2 in.thick by 2 in. wide by611⁄2 in. long

Plywood drawer-casedividers, 11⁄2 in. thickby 21 in. wide by 24 in.long, including 1⁄2-in.solid-wood edging

Board-jack face, 7⁄8 in.thick by 75⁄8 in. wideby 22 in. long

Each board-jack elbow ismade from a block measuring13⁄4 in. thick by 21⁄4 in. wide by 6 in. long.

104 in. 35 in.

Anatomy of a sturdy bench The base of this bench, modeled after

the one master woodworker Robert

Whitley built for his bench, consists of

five frame-and-panel assemblies—two

end frames, a back frame and two hor-

izontal frames—bolted together with

carriage bolts. And while I wouldn’t ex-

actly call this a knockdown bench, it

can be disassembled.

I joined the panel frames with a

double row of #20 biscuits, mostly

because of speed and convenience.

The base carcase sees mostly com-

pression loads on vertical grain

members rather than racking forces,

which would stress the biscuit joints.

A purist would have used mortises

and tenons here. But I’ve had no

trouble using biscuits in this kind of

application.

The top is made from hard-maple

laminations face-glued together. Each

end of the bench has a long tenon.

Later, when a pair of caps is made,

each tenon fits into a mortise in the

corresponding cap pieces.

I used a circular saw to cut the

tenons. With a straightedge clamped

to the benchtop to guide the saw, I

made several crosscut kerfs and chis-

eled away the waste.

Both the long and short end caps

are mortised to accept the tenons on

each end of the bench.

To allow the top to move, the end

caps aren’t glued in place. Instead,

each one is held in place with a pair of

bolts. One of the bolt holes on each

end cap is slotted so that it can move

with the top. Once I had the end caps

mounted, I flattened the entire bench-

top using handplanes and winding

sticks. Mounting an Emmert vise is

relatively simple, although they are of-

ten heavy (mine is about 85 lbs.). The

vise itself mounts on a large hinge

that’s mortised into the top face of

the benchtop and also the front face

of the front apron. To allow clearance

for the vise screw, a channel is cut

into the underside of the apron and

the benchtop. 143⁄4 in. 65 in. 241⁄4 in.

337⁄8 in.

30 in.

Page 52: Workbench e

bench. The bottom track screws to the bottom frame, capturingthe board jack. An occasional application of paste wax to thetracks keeps the jack sliding smoothly.

End vise adds versatilityI originally considered a commercially made twin-screw endvise, but in the end the extra versatility that a traditional vise of-fers has made the effort worthwhile. Whether you build mybench from the ground up or not, adding an end vise to a work-

bench will make it much more user-friendly. Building the endvise is also the trickiest part of the process.

The end-vise hardware consists of four parts (the vise hardwareis available from Woodcraft—800-225-1153): a main plate that in-cludes a cylindrical nut; a long screw with a flanged bracket andhandle collar; a top guide plate with a lengthwise groove and apair of threaded bolt holes; and a bottom guide plate with a cor-responding groove and a pair of countersunk through-holes. Apair of bolts is also included. By the way, it’s important to have

E N D - V I S E C O N S T R U C T I O N

The main plate is mounted to the edge of the benchtopwith wood screws and is the only vise part that doesn’tmove. All of the other wood and steel vise parts simplyslide back and forth along the main plate.

Jaw, 27⁄8 in. thickby 413⁄16 in. wideby 73⁄8 in. long

Lowerguideplate

Splines, 1⁄4 in. thickby 1⁄2 in.wide

Core, 3 in. thick by31⁄8 in. wide by193⁄4 in. long

Upperguide plate

Lowerguideplate

CleatMain plate

Bolt passesthrough the coreand threads intothe upper guideplate.

Core isscrewedto thevise.

Vise

Upperguide plate

Groove

RecessBenchtop

Top, 13⁄16 in. thick by 3 in.wide by 181⁄8 in. long

Front, 111⁄16 in. thickby 413⁄16 in. wide by227⁄8 in. long,including 23⁄8-in.-longdovetails

Dog-hole block, 111⁄16 in. thick by 413⁄16 in. wide by 195⁄8 in. long,including 3⁄4-in. longtenons

End, 27⁄8 in.thick by 413⁄16 in. wideby 63⁄8 in. long

plate. Add 1⁄64 in. or so for clearance, then rip the core to width.Now clamp the two guide plates to the core and try sliding thecore along the main plate. If the fit is too loose, remove the plates,then run the core through a thickness planer, but make the cut anespecially thin one. Repeat as needed. If the fit is too tight, addshim stock between the core and a guide plate.

Cut the core to length and drill a clearance hole for the visescrew in one end. Then hollow out the center of the core using aForstner bit, and clean up what remains with a chisel. Now use thetop guide plate to mark the locations of the mounting holes oneach end of the vise. The end of the plate should be flush with thedrilled end of the core. To provide a little clearance between thecore and the main plate, the slot in the guide plate should extendpast the edge of the core by no more than about 1⁄32 in. Oncemarked, use a drill press to bore the holes.

Cut and assemble the end-vise parts—After cutting the front,end, top, jaw and dog-hole block to size, it’s time to tackle the

the hardware on hand before making the vise. Some of the di-mensions are taken directly off the steel parts.

The main plate is screwed to the edge of the benchtop. All of theother parts, effectively working as one component, simply slidealong the main plate. One end of the long screw is attached to theoutside end of the vise, while the other end is threaded into the nuton the main plate. As the screw is turned, it threads in or out of thefixed nut, and in the process the vise is carried along for the ride.The top and bottom guide plates connect the vise and the mainplate while allowing the vise to slide. The secret here is the singlelengthwise groove near one edge of each guide plate. The groovesin the guide plates simply slide over the main plate, held apart bythe wooden core.

Core prevents a sloppy fit—The core maintains the correct dis-tance between the top and bottom guide plates.

To make the core, start by measuring between the top and bot-tom guide plates while the two parts are assembled to the main

D O V E TA I L I N G T H E E N D C A P S A N D F R O N T O F T H E V I S E

Cut the dovetails. Use a fine-toothed backsaw tocut the sides of the dovetails.

Mark the pin locations on the outside and inside ends. With the end cap clamped in a vise,the front piece is used as a template to mark thepin locations.

Cut the pins. Use a Forstner bit to re-move most of the waste material fromthe pin ends. A chisel takes care ofany waste that remains.

A vise with good moves

The jaws on an Emmert patternmaker’s vise adjust inthree planes, a feature that can prove useful whenclamping odd-shaped parts. The jaws rotate 360°(left), pivot 90° (center) and taper (right).

Page 53: Workbench e

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 0 3 55

M A K I N G T H E C O R E

The core pro-vides a meansto secure thevise hardware.The core is madefrom a glued-upblock of wood.After drilling outthe cavity, use achisel to cleanup any wastethat remains.

Add the front piece. Apply glue to the tails on the front piece and thepins on the end and jaw, then use a mallet to tap the front into place.

Mounting thecore. With theupper guideplate temporari-ly placed on thecore to serve asa spacer, slip thecore and plateinto the vise cav-ity (top). Then at-tach the core tothe vise by dri-ving four screwsthrough the coreand into the dog-hole block (bot-tom).

Begin gluing the vise parts. Glue the end, the jaw, the dog-hole block and the top. You’ll need several clamps to squeeze the four parts together.

A S S E M B L I N G T H E V I S E

THE CORE CONNECTS THE VISETO THE HARDWARE

Core

Hole forscrew

Cavity forvise screw

Cavity forvise screw

Mainplate

Fixednut

Core

The cavity in thecore must be longenough to allow thevise to be placedover the fixed nuton the main plate.

Guide plate

Size the core to fit preciselybetween theupper and lowerguide plates.

Core

31⁄8 in.

25⁄8 in.

21⁄2 in.

143⁄16 in.

3⁄4 in.

3⁄8 in.

2 in.

Page 54: Workbench e

56 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

double dovetails that join the front to the end and the jaw. Doubledovetails simply are small dovetails cut between larger ones (seethe top photos on p. 54). They require a lot of chopping by hand,even after hogging out much of the waste with Forstner bits. Plus,it takes special care to avoid breaking the pins at the narrow end.

Mark the tails on each end of the front, then use a backsaw to re-move a good part of the waste. Finish the work with a chisel. Nowmark the pin profile. I clamped the jaw on end in the Emmert viseand used a chisel to mark most of the pin profile, reaching placesmy marking knife couldn’t. Remove the pin waste using the drillpress. You can do this with Forstner bits and then finish with achisel. Repeat the steps to cut the pins on the end piece.

The dog-hole block has three tenons on each end that fit intomortises cut into the end and the jaw. Cut the dog holes first, thenuse a router to expand the top end slightly, creating a small step.

The top piece has a spline groove on three edges. Cut matchinggrooves in the end, the jaw and the dog-hole block.

After dry-fitting all of the parts to make sure everything goes to-gether okay, glue and clamp the end, the jaw, the top and the dog-hole block. Then glue the front in place.

Mount the vise—The entire vise hangs on the main plate thatmounts at the notch in the right end of the top. But, before the visecan be mounted, you need to cut a groove in the edge of the topto provide clearance for the upper guide plate. A router and anedge guide, with the router operated horizontally, can be used tocreate most of the groove. A chisel is used to extend the groove tothe corner of the notch.

Before the main plate can be mounted, a shallow hole must bedrilled in the edge of the benchtop to provide clearance for thebolt head on the back of the plate. Finally, glue the cleat in place.

The top edge of the main plate must be parallel to the benchtop,and the front edge of the plate must be flush with the front of theend cap. It also must be located a distance from the benchtopthat’s equal to the thickness of the top plus the thickness of the topguide plate, minus the depth of the groove in the guide plate.

Once everything is lined up, drive a couple of screws to securethe main plate in place. The remaining screws will be installed af-ter the vise has been test-fitted. Next, add the core. Temporarilyplace the top guide plate on the core and slide the two parts intothe vise. While squeezing the plate between the core and the un-derside of the top, drive four screws through the back of the coreand into the dog-hole block. Once the core has been installed, re-move the plate. Now drill a hole in the jaw and slip the screwthrough the hole and into the core. A pair of screws driven throughthe flange secure the screw to the vise.

Next, with the top guide plate resting on the main plate, slip thevise over the guide plate. Position the vise so that the cylindricalnut ends up in the opening between the end of the screw and theback of the core.

To complete the vise assembly, insert the two bolts supplied withthe hardware through holes drilled earlier in the core. Snug upeach bolt with a few turns of an adjustable wrench. The wood han-dles are made from maple dowels, with ends made from hard-wood balls that are available from a number of woodworkingmail-order outfits. �

Jon Leppo is an amateur woodworker in Denver.

Secure themain plate. Po-sition the topedge of the plateslightly abovethe bottom edgeof the groove inthe top.

Slide the topplate onto themain plate.When properlylocated, the topguide plateshould slidesmoothly alongthe main platewithout interfer-ence.

Mount the vise. With the cylindrical nut on the main plate roughlyaligned with the open space at the back end of the core cavity, slipthe vise onto the guide plate. Then thread the screw into the nut.

Bolt the guideplates. Afterslipping the low-er guide plateonto the bottomedge of the mainplate, add thetwo bolts thatthread intotapped holes inthe upper guideplate.

I N S TA L L I N G T H E E N D V I S E

Page 55: Workbench e

W I N T E R 2 0 0 3 / 2 0 0 4TS

his latest attempt to design a woodworker’s bench is built onthe foundation of the dozens that have graced the pages ofthis publication, starting with Tage Frid’s in the fall of 1976

(FWW #4). His includes a built-in tool tray, a shoulder vise on theleft, and a tail vise on the right, with a single row of dog holesalong the front apron—much different from the bench seen here.Frid’s bench is a classic northern-European design that traces itsroots back centuries before the introduction of electricity. Frid’sbench and Frank Klausz’s very similar design a few years later(FWW #53) have influenced modern bench builders for decades.

Several Fine Woodworking editors and I recently collaboratedon designing an essential workbench for today’s woodworker, onethat is straightforward to build without compromising perfor-mance. This bench was designed to be a tool—more workhorsethan showpiece. We did not include traditional components simplyfor history’s sake, and we took advantage of modern innovations.We also wanted this bench to be a project that most woodworkerscould build using tools found in an average small shop: tablesaw,portable planer, crosscut saw, router, drill press, and hand tools. The

Workhorse bench combines the best of the old and the new

B Y L O N S C H L E I N I N G

A N AT O M Y O F A W O R K B E N C H

This bench consists of (andconstruction proceeds in this order):a trestle base joined with mortise-and-tenons; a thick top laminatedfrom boards set on edge; and frontand end vises, both with wood jaws.

Roundover on trestlemembers and vise jaws, 21⁄8-in. radius

Dowels, 7⁄16 in. dia.,chamfered on tip

Stretchers, 13⁄4 in. thick by 4 in.wide by 505⁄8 in. long overall(includes an extra 1⁄16 in. on eachtenon for trimming after wedging)

Tenons, 1 in. thickby 31⁄4 in. wide by31⁄16 in. long

Square dog holes, made to fitmetal dogs, tilting 3° towardend vise and 6 in. o.c., arealigned with dogs in end vise.

Front apron,13⁄4 in. thick by6 in. wide by75 in. long

Front vise jaw, 3 in.thick by 6 in. wide by18 in. long; inside facebeveled 1⁄8 in. top tobottom

Round dog holes, 3⁄4 in.dia., are aligned with dogholes in front vise jaw.

38 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G Drawings: Bob La Pointe

T

The Essential Workbench

Page 56: Workbench e

T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 4 39

Trestle top member,3 in. thick by 3 in.wide by 253⁄4 in. long

Trestle feet, 31⁄2 in. thick by31⁄2 in. wide by 28 in. long

Trestle legs, 3 in. thickby 3 in. wide by 311⁄16 in.long, including tenons

Lower tenons, 11⁄2 in.thick by 21⁄4 in. wideby 21⁄2 in. long

Upper tenons, 11⁄2 in. thick by21⁄4 in. wide by 31⁄16 in. long(includes an extra 1⁄16 in. fortrimming after wedging)

Wedges, 5°

End caps, 13⁄4 in. thick by6 in. wide by 273⁄4 in. long,are glued to the top at thefront and barrel-bolted atthe center and rear.

Slot

Top dovetail iscentered on slot.

Top slab, 21⁄2 in.thick by 26 in.wide by 733⁄8 in.long overall

Tongue, 3⁄4 in. thickby 11⁄16 in. long

End vise jaw, 3 in.thick by 65⁄8 in. wideby 273⁄4 in. long, arebeveled 1⁄8 in. top tobottom on the insideface.

273⁄4 in.

28 in.

341⁄2 in.

51 in.

781⁄2 in.

21⁄2 in.

32 in.

S O U R C E S O F S U P P L Y

PREMADE BENCHTOP SLABSGrizzly Industrial

800-523-4777; www.grizzly.com

Lee Valley Tools800-871-8158; www.leevalley.com

Woodcraft800-225-1153; www.woodcraft.com

QUICK-RELEASE FRONT VISE Woodcraft

VERITAS TWIN-SCREW VISELee Valley Tools

STEEL BENCHDOGS (SQUARE)Highland Hardware

800-241-6748; www.tools-for-woodworking.com

ROUND BENCHDOGSLee Valley Tools

1⁄2 in.

Page 57: Workbench e

40 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

only heavy-duty tool I used was a 3-hp tablesaw. Ripping lots of 8/4maple puts a strain on even a large saw, so use a clean, sharp blade.

A durable workbench requires beefy partsAvid woodworkers themselves, FWW editors regularly visit shopsacross the country, and they see a wide array of workbench con-figurations. Like all woodworkers, they know what they like anddon’t like. In the end we all compromised a bit, but we reached asolid consensus. My own involvement arose from having spent thelast year researching and writing a book on workbenches (look forit in the fall of 2004 from The Taunton Press). I was commissionedto finalize this design, write the article, and build the bench.

A thick, solid top—We decided on an overall size of 28 in. wideby 6 ft. long. Add a few inches for vise jaws, and it’s a nice, big top.

The editors thought 2 in. in top thickness would be plenty, with ex-tra thickness at the edges, but I made this top 21⁄2 in. thick becauseit wasn’t much more difficult to mill and laminate thicker pieces.However, if you start with a premade bench slab, the standard13⁄4-in. thickness offers plenty of mass and solidity for serious hand-tool use, especially after adding the thicker apron and end caps.

Gluing up the slab allowed me to machine the square dog holesbefore the pieces were assembled. Round dog holes might be abetter option for a premade slab because square ones are best cutwhile the top slab is in pieces.

Heavy, rigid base—I wanted the benchtop and base to be nicelyproportioned. Many benches I’ve seen look like top-heavy slabson spindly legs. Also, it was important that the bench not rack orskid across the floor under heavy handplaning. A thick trestle base,

A jig makes easy work of mortisesThere are 16 mortises(and tenons) in the basebut only two differentsizes. Make two mortis-ing jigs to speed up lay-out and guide the chisels.The jig is made from threeblocks glued and screwedtogether, with a fenceattached on each side tohug the workpiece.

Locate and lay out the mortises.With the jig, this job should go quickly.

Drill out most of the waste. Thelayout lines will guide you. For theblind mortises, set the drillpress’s depth stop.

Chop out the rest with chisels. Re-move most of the material with a 1⁄2-in.chisel before switching to a wider one.The jig will guide the chisels precisely.

B A S EA S S E M B LY

The feet are pinned to the legs. Start by drilling the dowel holes in the feet, dry-fitting the joints, and transferring (left)the dowel-hole locations to the tenons. Then use a center punch (center) to offset those locations slightly on the tenons,creating the draw effect. Last, apply glue to all surfaces, assemble the joint, and drive home the dowels (right).

B L I N D M O R T I S E - A N D - T E N O N S A R E P I N N E D F O R S T R E N G T HThe deep mortise-and-tenon joints areeither draw-pinnedor wedged to ensuredecades of rigidity.First, assemble thetrestles, then addthe long stretchersto complete thebase.

Page 58: Workbench e

T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 4 41Photos: Asa Christiana

joined with pinned or wedged mortise-and-tenons, guarantees sta-bility. I laminated 8/4 lumber to make these thick members (andthe top slab) because 8/4 is readily available in most regions.

Splitting the stretchers, two high and two low, leaves a perfectopening for a future cabinet with drawers. The traditional single,wide stretcher would have saved some time, but it also wouldhave blocked this natural storage area.

Innovative vises—Hundreds of woodworkers probably wouldsay they could not get through a day without a conventional tailvise, which is designed primarily for clamping things flat on thebenchtop between dogs. Others would say the same for a shoul-der vise, which offers the capability of clamping workpieces be-tween its jaws without interference from guide bars or screws. TheVeritas Twin-Screw Vise incorporates some of the capabilities ofboth types, allowing long boards or large panels to be clampedwith benchdogs as well as clamping an upright board up to 15 in.wide for operations such as dovetailing. The two screws are con-nected with a chain, preventing the jaws from racking no matterwhere a workpiece is located or which row of dog holes is used.

I’ve always loved the look and performance of thick wooden jawson a front vise but found it tedious to crank the long screw in andout constantly. I was tempted to install a cast-iron, quick-actionRecord-style vise, until I found a German-made quick-action visescrew and guide bars at Woodcraft. That allowed me to design awooden front jaw to match the one I made for the Veritas end vise

Wedge the top members and stretchers. The slots in the tenons areangled 5° to match the wedge angle. A hole is drilled at the base ofeach slot to prevent splitting. Apply glue to all surfaces, including thewedges and slots; assemble the joint; and drive home the wedges(above), using a block of wood to protect them from direct blows. Last,connect the two trestles with the upper and lower stretchers (below),wedging their tenons in place.

T H R O U G H - T E N O N S A R E W E D G E D

Page 59: Workbench e

42 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

and still have quick action. However, a cast-iron vise also wouldhave been fine (see FWW #158, pp. 56-59, for proper installation),and a patternmaker’s vise is an interesting option.

Both square and round benchdogs—The debates over round vs.square and wood vs. metal will go on as long as folks work wood.All dogs have advantages, but I prefer square, steel ones. How-ever, lots of accessories are designed to fit into 3⁄4-in. round holes,so I incorporated both types into the bench. For the end vise, Imilled square dog holes to fit specific steel dogs. But I can makewood ones if I choose, fitting them to the holes for the metal dogs.I ran two rows of 3⁄4-in. round dog holes for the front vise. Thisgives me the option of using round dogs as well as hold-downsand holdfasts, which use 3⁄4-in. holes. The round dog holes also pro-vide the option of locating and securing jigs with 3⁄4-in. dowel pins.

No tool tray—I like tool trays, but many woodworkers think theyare only good for collecting debris. Although this design lacks one,a tool tray could be attached easily to the back of the benchtop.Keep in mind that the large space between the stretchers willhouse a small chest of drawers for protected storage close at hand.

Build the base firstIt’s more glamorous to build the top than the base. But if you buildthe base first, you can use it for gluing up the top slab. Then, whenthe top is ready, you can set it on the base to finish installing thevises. Wedged mortise-and-tenons join the legs and stretchers, cre-ating strong resistance to racking; pegged mortise-and-tenons joinlegs to feet. Laminating two layers of 8/4 material (each 13⁄4 in. thickafter surfacing) creates the right thickness for the base members.Mill the legs and top crossmembers down to 3 in. square but leavethe feet at 31⁄2 in. square.

Leave the stretchers the full 13⁄4 in. in thickness and rip them 3⁄8 in.oversize in width to allow them to move. When a wide plank isripped into narrower pieces, tension in it is released, resulting inboards that bow one way or the other. Let the stretcher stock sit fortwo days, straighten and rip it to rough width, then run it through a

B E N C H T O PG L U E - U P

M A K E U P T H E T O P S L A B I N S E C T I O N SThe benchtop ismade of 8/4 maple,set on edge. Makethe top in sectionsnarrow enough to fitthrough thethickness planer.

Cut the holes for thesquare benchdogswith a dado bladebefore glue-up. Thenotches for the dogfaces can be routedor chopped out with achisel.

Joint and plane the pieces.Run them through the planeron edge to ensure uniformity.

Glue up the top. The base makes a levelglue-up platform, but protect it fromdrips. Use a notched card to spread glue.

Use cauls to keep the slab flat. Wrapthem with clear tape for easy cleanup. Snugthem down first, then clamp across the width.

Dado the dogholes. Use acrosscut sledwith a wedgeagainst the fenceto cut the slots ata 3° angle. Asquare pin setsthe distance be-tween dog slots.

Wedge between fence andworkpiece is angled 3°.

Dog hole is angled 3° toward the end vise.

Notch fordog faceSquare

benchdog

Workpiece

Squarepin

Tablesawsled

TOP VIEW OF SLED

Milling benchdog holes

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T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 4 43

portable planer on edge to clean each edge and bring the pieces tofinal width. If there’s any fitting to be done, it’s easier to do it on thetenons, so cut the mortises first, using a four-sided guide block tohelp with the chisel work. Then cut the tenons on the tablesaw, using a dado set.

Cutting the thumbnail profile—For the next task, cutting alarge thumbnail profile on the feet, it will be worth your time to in-stall a sharp new blade on the bandsaw. Before cutting the curve,I used a tablesaw and a crosscut sled to cut the small step at the topof the profile. After the bandsaw cut, the smoothing went quicklyusing a rasp and some files, followed by sandpaper.

Assembling the base—Start with the two trestle assemblies; it’scritical that they be flat and square. After the dowels have been dri-ven home and the glue has set, dry-fit and then glue and wedge

the stretchers in place. Put glue in the mortises and on the tenons aswell as on the wedges and in the wedge slots. At every step of theway, measure diagonally to make sure everything stays square,and sight across the trestle tops to be sure the assembly doesn’ttwist as you clamp it. Your eye will pick up minute variations.

Build the topThe boards for the top are plainsawn 8/4 stock set on edge andlaminated face to face. The top’s finished thickness is 21⁄2 in., butyou should expect some bowing when you rip the boards fromwider stock, so rip the boards for the slab just under 3 in. wide. Oncethe strips have stabilized for a day or two, joint them straight onone edge, rip them on the tablesaw to about 23⁄4 in., and then planethem on edge to about 25⁄8 in. This leaves the pieces 1⁄8 in. oversizeto allow for finish planing after each section is glued up. Cut theslots for the square dogs now, while the pieces are separate.

T R I M T H E E N D S O F T H E T O P I N T WO S T E P S

Flatten the slab. A five-board section of the top slab is narrow enoughto fit through a benchtop planer.

Use the simple two-fence jig shown. Rout deep slots in bothsides of the slab, then use a jigsaw to cut off the waste, leavingsquare shoulders and a tongue that will fit into the end caps.

Now glue three sections into one big slab. Place a try square acrossthe dog holes and use a long bar clamp diagonally to correct any mis-alignment. Again, use lots of clamps and cauls to keep the sections level.

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44 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G

Most woodworkers have a portable surface planer capable ofplaning a 12-in.-wide board. So glue up and mill the 26-in. top slabin three sections of five boards, each able to fit through the planerand easier to handle than the full slab.

Clamping with cauls is a two-step process. First, align the boardsby applying clamp pressure to the cauls. After the boards are inline, clamp them together horizontally. Aside from straight cauls,the other key to success is a flat gluing surface. The top cross-members on the base form the perfect platform to prevent the topfrom twisting during glue-up.

A damp (not wet) toothbrush makes short work of cleaning theglue out of the dog holes as long as this is done immediately afterthe slab is clamped up. Once the glue has set for an hour or so, re-move the cauls and scrape off the excess glue. Let each slab cureovernight before moving on to the next one.

Plane the sections before gluing up the entire slab—If thecauls have been placed correctly, the glued slab sections should beflat with no twist. Remove any leftover glue from the top surfaces.Then, with the top surface of the slabs down on the planer bed,run them through, taking light cuts until the bottom surface isclean. Turn the slabs top-surface-up and run them through again,taking light cuts until the top surface is clean. Turn them over oncemore and plane the underside until you reach the 21⁄2-in. thickness.

Gluing together the slabs is a lot like gluing up the individual sec-tions. Again, use the top crossmembers on the base and lots of caulsto keep the pieces aligned. Then it’s simple to close the last of theglue joints. However, check the dog-hole locations with a squareto be sure they all will be the same distance from the end vise.

A neat trick for trimming the slab to length—Not many of usown a saw capable of accurately crosscutting a very heavy slab al-most 21⁄2 ft. wide and more than 6 ft. long. For this project, a simple

router jig will allow you, in one operation, both to trim each endaccurately and to create some necessary joinery (see the bottomphotos on p. 43). By cutting deep dadoes on the top and bottom ofthe slab, a tongue is formed, which fits into a slot milled into theend cap. Cut the remaining 3⁄4-in. tongue to length with a jigsaw(not an important glue surface so not a critical cut). Cut the matingslots in the end caps using a dado set on the tablesaw.

Install the end caps and front apron—The end caps cover theend grain of the top slab and help keep the slab flat. The right-hand end cap also serves as the rear jaw for the end vise. The frontapron beefs up the thickness at this critical work area and servesas the rear jaw for the front vise. I not only needed a strong me-chanical joint holding the front apron to the end caps, but I alsowanted the areas that act as vise jaws to remain flat, with no endgrain protruding as it would if I used through-dovetails or fingerjoints at the corners. Half-blind dovetails seemed to be the perfectsolution, oriented as shown in the drawing on p. 39.

After cutting the joinery but before gluing the end caps and frontrail in place, use a drill press to bore the holes for the vise hard-ware. Mount the end caps with cross-barrel bolts. The Veritas viseincludes four of these; use two for each end cap. Apply glue onlyalong the front 3 in. or 4 in. of the tongue and the groove. This lim-its wood movement of the slab toward the back of the bench.

The front apron is attached to the slab with glue only (and helpfrom the half-blind dovetails).

Mount the vises and attach the topBoth vises come with thorough instructions, making the hardwarestraightforward to mount. The twin-screw vise attaches to thebench rather simply, with its two large screws passing throughlarge nuts attached to the inner face of the end cap. It’s critical thatholes in the front and rear jaws align perfectly, so drill them at the

I N S TA L L T H E V I S E S ,A P R O N , A N D E N DC A P SBecause of the half-blind dovetails, theend caps and frontapron must be fittedand attached to thebench one at atime, from right toleft, as are thevises.

Cut the right-hand set of half-blind dovetails. First, cut the tails in thefront apron, and then clamp the front apron in place with the right-hand endcap behind it to transfer the layout of the dovetails.

Attach the large vise nuts to theback of the end cap. Also, finish cut-ting and fitting the dovetails.

Page 62: Workbench e

T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 4 45

same time. The length of the chain determines the distance betweenholes, so careful layout is in order. The vertical location of the holesis determined by adding 11⁄2 in. to the thickness of the top slab toallow the large vise nuts to clear the underside of the benchtop.

Mounting the front-vise hardware and the large wood jaw iseven more straightforward. First, the mounting bracket must bebolted to the underside of the benchtop. I used 5⁄16-in. lag screws.Next, the vise screw and guide bars are run through the bracket tolocate their clearance holes in the front rail. Last, make the largewood jaw and bolt it to the vise hardware. Somewhere along theway, the front jaws for both vises must receive their large thumb-nail profile, identical to the one on the trestle feet.

Once you have all of the hardware and vises in place, mill a 1⁄8-in.bevel on each of the outside jaws to accommodate flex in thehardware as the jaws tighten, which helps them maintain goodclamping pressure at the top. Now you can attach the top to thebase. Two lag bolts along the centerline of the bench are plenty forattaching the benchtop to the trestle base.

Flatten the top and finish the benchDo the final flattening after the top has been mounted to the baseand all of the vises are in place. If your glue-ups went well, all youwill have to do is some scraping and sanding.

I didn’t want a slick finish, as beautiful as it might be. Clamps,hold-downs, and vises depend on friction to hold parts securely.The traditional finish for a benchtop is linseed oil thinned withturpentine, which seals the wood enough to make glue removalpretty easy but doesn’t make the surface more slippery than it isnaturally. However, I wiped on a thinned varnish for greater pro-tection. To make sure moisture absorption is even on all sides, it’simportant to coat the top and underside of the bench equally. �

Lon Schleining is a contributing editor.

Now for the front vise. Start by attachingthe mounting bracket under the benchtop.The blocking under the bracket will in-crease the clamping capacity.

Locate the clearance holes in the front apron. Clamp the front apron accurately in place and tap abrad-point drill bit through the holes in the hardware to transfer their locations. Drill the holes in thefront apron and front vise jaw at the same time.

Attach the front-vise hardware to the front jaw. Use the vise hard-ware to clamp the front jaw in its proper position before drilling for theattachment screws. Last, cut the half-blind dovetails on the left-handend cap and attach it.

Assemble the hardware for the twin-screw end vise. Clips join thechain at the proper length. Again, use the vise hardware to clamp thejaw in position before drilling for the attachment screws.

Page 63: Workbench e

F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G38 Photos: Tom Begnal; drawings: Stephen Hutchings

A Benchtop Bench

E L E VAT E D B E N C H S AV E S Y O U R B AC K

This benchtop bench elevates a workpiece several inches above a regular workbench, so it is more comfortable to do such tasks as cutting, carving, and routing.

For routing and

handwork, this

minibench raises

the action to a

comfortable height

Stretcher, 11⁄8 in. thick by 3 in. wide by 183⁄4 in. long, including 1⁄4-in.-long tenons

121⁄2 in.

13⁄4 in.

41⁄4 in.

33⁄4 in.

2 in.

11⁄2 in.

51⁄2 in.

24 in.

43⁄4 in.

33⁄4 in.

11⁄2 in.

2 in.

17⁄8 in.

Leg, 11⁄8 in. thick by 25⁄8 in. wide by 8 in. long, including 11⁄4-in.-long tenons

Dog holes,

3⁄4 in. dia., spaced 21⁄2 in. on center

31⁄4 in.

13⁄4 in. TOP VIEW

FRONT VIEWSIDE VIEW

Page 64: Workbench e

Woodworking benches are designed to place a workpiece at a height that’s ideal for hand-planing. But the perfect height for planing

often is too low for other common bench tasks. For example, when routing, carving, cutting dovetails, or doing layout, I frequently have found myself bent over at an uncomfortable angle so that I could see clearly and work effectively. When performing these tasks, I like to have a workpiece positioned 6 in. to 10 in. above my waist level.

To bring a workpiece to my ideal height range, I made a small workbench that mounts quickly to my regular bench. When extra height is needed, the minibench effectively raises the worksurface to my comfort zone. The bench is easy to move, stores nicely under my bigger bench, and includes a vise that provides plenty of holding force. I made the bench out of maple, but any hard, dense wood will work.

Trestle design is simple yet strongI wanted the benchtop bench to be as sturdy as my regular bench. I settled on a trestle-table design, which ensured a solid bench and simplified construction.

Begin by making the top. It can be sized to suit individual needs, but as a general rule, keep the top small enough to be moved without back strain. Joint and edge-glue the stock, then use a handplane and scraper to level and smooth the surfaces. Cut the piece to width and length.

Next, mill the

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 0 5 39

stock for the trestle base. I chose a mortise-and-tenon joint to connect the legs to the aprons and feet, but half-lap joints would work well, too. Cut mortises in the aprons and feet for the legs, then cut shallow mortises centered on the inside faces of the legs to locate and solidify the bolted joints with the stretch-ers. Cut and fit the tenons on the legs and the stretchers. The stretcher tenons will not be glued, so it’s especially important that they fit without any slop. Now is a good time to drill

the 3⁄8-in.-dia. bolt holes centered on the legs.

The trestle base is screwed to the top through three countersunk holes

in the bottom of each apron. Elongate the center and rear holes to allow for the ex-pansion and contraction of the top (see the left drawing on the facing page). To

B Y J E F F M I L L E R

Visit our Web site to see the author demonstrate the benchtop bench.

finewoodworking.com

Page 65: Workbench e

glue up the trestles, spread glue in the mortises and very lightly on the tenons, push the parts together, then clamp up. Check for square and adjust, if necessary.

The stretchers need to be drilled for the bolts that will hold the base together. Use the bolt holes in the trestle legs as drill guides. Dry-assemble the base and clamp it together, but leave access to the bolt holes. Be sure to drill to depth straight; use a self-centering dowel jig, if you need to.

Mark the locations for the hex-nut access holes on the inside faces of the stretchers. Drill with a 11⁄4-in.-dia. Forst-ner bit to within 3⁄16 in. of the outside face of each stretch-er. The hex nuts and washers go into these holes.

Vise adds versatilityThe front vise makes it easy to clamp a workpiece either to the front of the bench or on top of it. While I wanted the vise to be simple and easy to make, I also needed it to accept wide boards for dovetailing carcases. As it turned out, a couple of veneer-press screws satisfied both requirements.

Mill the vise jaw and the bench face to their desig-nated thicknesses, then cut them to the same width and length. Mark the locations for the veneer-press-screw holes on the inside of the bench face. Clamp the vise jaw and bench face together and drill through the bench face into the jaw with a 1⁄8-in.-dia. drill bit. This hole helps align the hole for the veneer-press nut with the one for the screw. Check the dimensions of the veneer-press

screws. I used a (roughly) 5⁄8-in.-dia. screw, with the outside of the veneer-press nut measuring about 1 in. dia., although it tapered slightly. Drill the hole for the screw in the vise jaw, and the hole for the nut in the bench face. The end plate that comes with each screw will not be used. You can remove the plate simply by loosening the mounting screw.

Enlarge the hole for the veneer-press nut, concentrat-ing on the end of the hole nearest the benchtop. Tap the nut into place to check your progress. (The paint on the nut will rub off when it is tapped in place, leaving a clear picture of the areas that need relief.) You can remove the nut by threading the veneer-press screw into place and then tapping the end of the screw (not the handle) with a mallet.

Once the nut fits, trace the outline of the flange onto the inside of the bench face. Rout away enough wood to allow the nut, and the screws that will attach it to the face, to sit flush with or slightly below the surface. Screw the nuts into place.

Clamp the bench face into position so that the top edge is flush with the benchtop, and screw the two outermost screws into place (drill and countersink pilot holes first). Turn over the benchtop and check where the veneer-press screw will come through the face. Depending on the size of your bench, you may have to rout a channel on the underside of the bench-top for the veneer-press screw. Mark exactly where the channel will be, then remove the bench face to rout

F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G40

Glue up the trestles, then attach the stretchers. A long bolt connects the end of each stretcher to the trestles. Note the access hole in the stretcher.

T R E S T L E D E S I G N M A K E S F O R A S T U R DY B E N C H

BASE ASSEMBLY

The trestles and stretchers are assembled using mortise-and-tenon construction, giving the benchtop bench solid footing.

Foot

Apron

Leg

Stretcher

Bolt, 3⁄4 in. dia. by 4 in. long

Hex nut

Access hole drilled from the inside face houses the hex nut.

Tenon, 1⁄2 in. thick by 2 in. wide by 11⁄4 in. long

Hardware Sources

VENEER-PRESS SCREW

BENCH PUP

Lee Valley Tools 800-871-8158

www.leevalley.com

Woodcraft800-225-1153

www.woodcraft.com

Page 66: Workbench e

the channel. Reattach the face, and try to thread the vise screw into place. Remove more wood as necessary.

The veneer-press-screw handles will need more clear-ance to operate easily. Glue wooden spacers, roughly 3⁄8 in. thick by 13⁄4 in. square, over the veneer-press-screw holes. Run the bit you used to drill these holes through the spacers from inside the jaw. The vise jaw will not open automatically when you loosen the veneer-press screws. You can pull it open manually, or refine the vise with two modified 5⁄8-in. drill-bit stop collars or shaft collars. The bore of the collars might have to be enlarged to fit on the veneer-press screw. A machine shop can do this for you, or you can file it by hand.

Benchdogs boost performanceThe addition of Veritas Bench Pups allows me to hold a workpiece on top of the bench. Lay out the positions for holes in the benchtop and the vise jaw, being care-ful to avoid the area over the veneer-press screws and the apron of the base. Bore 3⁄4-in.-dia. holes and insert the Bench Pups. The benchtop holes are best drilled on the drill press, with the bench face removed.

Reattach the face when everything is positioned proper-ly and works smoothly. Apply glue to the mating surfaces, then add the screws. Finally, mount the base to the top by driving screws through the holes in the aprons. ▫

Jeff Miller runs a custom furniture shop in Chicago, where he also offers woodworking classes (www.furnituremaking.com).

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 0 5 41

Veneer-press screw

Inset the veneer-press nuts into the back of the bench face. Trace the flange profile (above) and rout a recess to set the nut flush with the stock. Secure with screws (below).

Attach the base. Mount the top to the base by driving three screws through holes (two slotted, one round) in each apron.

VISE ASSEMBLY

Before attaching the bench face to the benchtop, drill the holes for the veneer-press screws and install the hardware. The screws will close the vise jaw, but you’ll have to pull it open manually.

Wood spacer, 3⁄8 in. thick by 13⁄4 in. square

Top

Vise jaw

Bench face

Veneer-press nut mounts from the back side of the face.

Screws mount the bench face to the top.

Flange on the nut is flush with the surface (see the photos at right).

Page 67: Workbench e

Rock-Solid

Build this versatile workbench in a weekend for under $250

B Y C E C I L B R A E D E N

Plywood Bench

F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G54

Page 68: Workbench e

T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 6Photos: Mark Schofield; drawings: Chuck Lockhart

I had wanted to build a sturdy workbench for some time but was put off by the cost and complexity of a traditional hardwood bench. I knew that such

benches derive much of their strength and rigidity from the mortises and tenons that join the framework, and I wondered if there was a way to combine this joinery with the inherent strength, rigidity, and dimen-sional accuracy of plywood. The design I created has a base of laminated sections of plywood and a top of plywood and medium-density fiberboard (MDF).

An advantage of this design is that the piece can be built without a planer or jointer, perfect for someone just getting started in woodworking. For under $250 including a vise, I have a bench with the rigidity I de-sired without breaking the bank.

Design the bench, create a cut plan, and beginThis method of construction can be adapted to almost any size and type of bench: You could even construct just the base and purchase a ready-made hardwood top. My bench is 33 in. wide by 72 in. long by 34 in. tall, a comfortable height for me to work at. It is also 1⁄8 in. lower than my tablesaw, allowing me to use the bench as an auxiliary outfeed table. The cut plan I used (see p. 56) allows you to create a bench with legs up to 36 in. long, giving a bench height of 371⁄2 in.

All base components—legs, aprons, and stretch-ers—are laminations made from 39⁄16-in.-wide slats of3⁄4-in.-thick plywood. Set the tablesaw’s fence and rip all the strips without changing the setting. You always

72 in.

10 in.

Overhang determined by vise size.

547⁄8 in.

321⁄2 in.

191⁄2 in.

33 in.

231⁄2 in.

Outer apron slat, 31⁄2 in. wide by 477⁄8 in. long

Center apron slat, 31⁄2 in. wide by 547⁄8 in. long

Solid edging, 3⁄4 in. thick

91⁄2 in.

MDF, 3⁄4 in. thick

Plywood, 3⁄4 in. thick

Upper center leg slat, 31⁄2 in. wide by 191⁄2 in. long

Lower center leg slat, 31⁄2 in. wide by 6 in. long

Outer leg slat, 31⁄2 in. wide by 321⁄2 in. long

BENCHTOP DETAIL

Deck screw, 3 in. long

BUILT- IN JOINERY

The aprons and legs are made from laminated strips of 3⁄4-in. birch plywood. The tenons and mortises are created during the lamination process, eliminating the need to cut joinery later.

Plywood Bench

55

Stretcher, same dimensions as apron

Pocket hole for attaching top

Page 69: Workbench e

F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G56

will get some tearout when you cut plywood: This can be minimized with a zero-clearance insert on the tablesaw, but in any case rip with the show side of the plywood up. If you do get some tearout, lightly sand away any splinters and keep the tearout side inward when assembling the components.

The last step before laminating the components is to drill pocket holes every 6 in. on one side of the two outer apron pieces to attach the top with pocket screws. Or you can use the battens described on p. 58.

Glue-up requires quick work, attention to detailEven with glue that has a moderate amount of open time, you must work quickly, so do a dry run first and have all components in order. I apply the glue to all mating surfaces with a disposable brush that has the bristles trimmed, but a roller would work. Glue the laminates on a flat surface protected by waxed paper.

OUTER LEG SLATS

OUTER LEG SLATS

UPPER CENTER LEG SLATS

OUTER APRON/STRETCHER SLATS

CENTER APRON/STRETCHER SLATS

BENCHTOPEND

OUTER LEG SLATS OUTER LEG SLATS

LOWER CENTER LEG SLATS

SPACERS FOR LEG GLUE-UPS

UPPER SHELF

LOWER SHELF

END

OUTER APRON/STRETCHER SLATS

First cut

221⁄2 in.

First cut 231⁄2 in.

Second cut

15 in.

The two optional shelves come out of a half sheet of 3⁄4-in.-thick plywood.

The top consists of a layer of 3⁄4-in. plywood topped with 3⁄4-in. MDF.

M A K E T H E M O S T O F Y O U R P LY W O O DIf you decide to build a bench that is the same size as mine, or one that is slightly taller, use these cut plans. I used 21⁄2 sheets of 4x8 birch plywood and a sheet of MDF from my local home center. Have your plywood seller make the first and second cuts as shown to ease handling the material. Other materials needed are 2-, 21⁄2-, and 3-in.-long deck screws, and a quart of fresh PVA woodworking glue. I’ve used both Titebond II and III, but particularly in hot, dry conditions, glues with extended open times make alignment of the laminations easier.

Waste used for assembly jigs.

SPARE SLAT SPARE SLAT

Page 70: Workbench e

T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 6 57

Construct the aprons and stretchers. These parts consist of a center strip of plywood that includes the two tenons, and two shorter outer strips that form the shoulders of the tenon. Have multiple clamps ready for use.

Assemble and glue stretchers and aprons—Make sure all like pieces are trimmed to exactly the same length. Draw a line 31⁄2 in. from both ends of the longer center-slat pieces, and mark the ends of both sides with an “X” to indicate non-glue areas. If you are using pocket holes on the aprons, make sure the holes are facing outward and upward.

Glue the three pieces of each component together, being careful not to get any glue on the tenon ends. Turn the assembly on edge so that the plies are facing up and insert one end in the apron jig (see drawing, top right). As you apply clamping pressure, keep the slats aligned and pushed against the jig to maintain the 31⁄2-in. tenon and even cheeks. When the glue is dry, run both exposed-ply sides of each component through the tablesaw to clean them up.

Next, make the legs—Prior to assembly, make the spacer blocks (see photos, p. 58) and wrap about 5 in. of each with clear tape. Used to create the lower mortise on each leg, the spacer is driven out after the leg has dried. Tape prevents glue from sticking to the spacer. The leg stack consists of two outside slats, the lower center piece, the spacer, the upper center piece, and two more outside slats. Locate the upper and lower mortise areas and mark both mating surfaces so that you will remember not to apply glue there.

A simple L-shaped jig helps to lay up the legs ac-curately. Glue the slats together, remembering to in-

sert the spacer. After assembly, turn the stack so that the spacer is sticking up. Using both sides of the jig, keep the ends and edges of each slat in perfect align-ment and the center slats pressed tightly against the spacer as you apply clamping pressure. Apply two small clamps to both outside pairs of slats that form the upper mortise.

After the glue has set, make cleanup cuts on the tablesaw. Use sandpaper to slightly chamfer the bottom edges of the finished legs to prevent splintering of the outer veneer if the bench is dragged across the floor.

Assemble the frame sides, then join them with plywood panelsStart by dry-fitting the tenon on each end of a stretcher into its respective mortise. If a tenon extends beyond the leg, trim it flush or slightly recessed. Lay a leg on a flat surface protected with waxed paper. Apply glue to the mortise-and-tenon, then insert the tenon and clamp lightly. Use a carpenter’s square to bring the stretcher and leg to exactly 90°, and tighten the clamp. Remove the excess glue with a damp cloth, put the joint aside to set, and assemble the second leg and stretcher.

Once the glue has set, remove the clamps and lay the leg/stretcher down with the inside facing up. Drill four countersunk pilot holes at least 21⁄2 in. deep in-to each joint and drive in waxed 3-in. deck screws. Reinforcing the joints in this manner may not be

A S I M P L E J I G A I D S A P R O N A S S E M B LYWhen gluing the stretchers and aprons, use a jig to align the center slat at the proper offset to create the tenon.

O n c e y o u s p r e a d t h e g l u e y o u ’ l l h a v e t o w o r k q u i c k l y, s o d o a d r y r u n f i r s t a n d h a v e a l l t h e c o m p o n e n t s i n o r d e r.

31⁄2 in.

3⁄4 in.

Tip:

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F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G58

Leg assembly. Insert a taped spacer block to hold open the lower mortise. An L-shaped jig keeps the sections aligned. Use a generous amount of glue, but don’t apply glue to those areas that face the spacer block.

Clamping the leg. When the sec-tions have been glued together, turn the assembly upward and apply the clamps. Waxed paper protects the work surface. When the glue has dried, knock out the taped spacer block with a mallet and a thin piece of wood to reveal the mortise.

necessary, but it is very cheap insurance that the joints will hold forever.

Stand the assembly on the floor with the stretcher pointing up. Place waxed paper under the apron mor-tise; apply glue to the mortise and insert an apron tenon, being sure the pocket holes are oriented prop-erly. Check for 90º and clamp the apron with a bar clamp. When the joint is dry, reinforce it with screws and then attach the other leg in the same manner.

The benchtop should rest on the aprons, not the legs, so if the top of a leg is higher than the apron tenon, trim it flush. Sand the exposed joints on the legs to remove glue residue.

If you are not using pocket screws to attach the top, prepare a couple of 2-in.-square battens with counter-sunk holes in two directions. Clamp the battens flush with the top inside edge of the aprons and attach them with 3-in. deck screws.

Stand the front and rear assemblies on their legs on a level floor, and cut two pieces of plywood to fit between the stretchers and aprons and to the desired width of the frame. These sides will serve as the end stretchers. There will be space to install an end vise above the side of the bench if desired. Chamfer the edges of the sides. Drill countersunk holes every 3 in., 13⁄4 in. in from both edges to locate the screws in the center ply of the legs. Clamp the sides in place with the edges flush with the outside edges of the legs. Be sure to check that the frame is square by measuring the diagonal between opposite corners; adjust until the

G L U I N G T H E L E G S

Clean up the edges. After the legs, aprons, and stretchers have been assembled, run both edges past a sawblade to clean up glue residue and leave them at the final 31⁄2-in. width. Cut the first edges with the fence at 39⁄16 in., and the opposite edges at 31⁄2 in.

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T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 6 59

distances are even, then tighten the clamps. Now drill pilot holes 11⁄2 in. deep through the previously drilled countersunk holes, and drive 21⁄2-in. deck screws.

Next, add two plywood shelves, the lower one at-tached to the front and rear stretchers with 2-in. screws, and the upper one screwed to battens attached with 3-in. screws through the end stretchers into the legs. Because the shelves, sides, and top are screwed on, the whole bench can be disassembled for moving.

Make and attach the topIf you are making your own top, lay the layers upside down, making sure one end of the assembly is flush, and screw them together using countersunk screws that will not go through the top layer. Cut the other sides flush using a circular saw and straightedge or the tablesaw.

Ask a friend to help place the top on the frame and position as desired. Mark the corners of the legs on the underside of the top. Then turn the top over and mark the holes for the vise(s) on the bottom side so that you can drill small holes through. You may have to add a spacer block to bring the vise jaws level with the top. Turn the top back over and use a spade bit to drill recesses for the bolt heads at each of the small holes. Then drill for the bolts and attach the vise. At this point you can attach the top: Place it on the bench frame and secure it with the pocket holes or battens.

To protect the soft edge of the MDF top, I screwed a solid wood edging around the entire benchtop, leaving a gap for the vise. Drill holes for bench-dogs (if desired), and you are done. If you plan to use this bench primarily for glue-ups or finishing, a good choice would be to laminate the top; otherwise, apply a clear finish or just leave it natural.

Cecil Braeden is a woodworker near Anacortes, Wash.

A S S E M B L I N G T H E B A S E

Begin with the frame sides. Insert the stretch-er and apron into the leg, making sure they meet at exactly 90° (1). Reinforce the joints with four 3-in. deck screws. With the side frame resting on the floor, add the second leg (2). Finally, add the plywood end stretch-ers (3). Clamp them in place, check the base for squareness, then attach with screws.

1

2 3

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F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G80

It’s exasperating when I can’t find a tool. Usually I know it’s in a pile some-where, or on a shelf, or over there

where I think I saw it last… Well, all that frustration is behind me

now. After 27 years as a professional wood-worker, I finally have a real tool chest.

When the editors and I designed “The Essential Workbench” featured in Tools & Shops, Winter 2003/2004 (FWW #167, pp. 38-45), we deliberately positioned the stretchers to accommodate a tool cabinet as large as 24 in. deep by 44 in. wide by 16 in. tall. The idea was to follow up the bench article with this article on how to build a complementary tool cabinet.

As with all of my projects, I first drew the cabinet full scale in three views, including all the construction details I could think of.

Two boxes are easier to build and moveI like the look of mitered corners and made that basic decision early on. Then I real-ized I wasn’t very comfortable mitering an edge on a plywood panel nearly 4 ft. wide by only about 2 ft. long, so I decided to break the cabinet into two separate boxes. This makes the parts smaller and easier to handle, especially on the tablesaw. I also like the idea that if you have to break down your bench to move your shop, the two boxes will be manageable.

Keep hand tools close at hand but out of harm’s way

B Y L O N S C H L E I N I N G

Tool Cabinet for a Workbench

The workbench is maple, with walnut wedges in the trestle joinery. I like the visual contrast between these two woods, so I chose maple plywood for the carcases, and solid walnut for the drawer fronts.

To make sure the carcases would stand up to heavy use, I splined the miter joints and glued a full 3⁄4-in.-thick panel into a rabbet in the back of each carcase. On the front and back edges of each box, I glued solid edge-banding to cover the plywood edges and splines.

I measured the heights of the tools I wanted to keep in the cabinet and dis-covered I needed more small drawers than large ones. I standardized the drawer

Photos: Asa Christiana

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81T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 6

BUILD T WO OF THESE

The fact that this is a shop cabinet influenced many of the construction choices. Two separate boxes are easier to make than one big one. Plywood cabinets are joined with miters and splines and dressed up with solid-wood edge-banding and drawer fronts. Plywood drawer boxes get quick box joints, applied fronts, and commercial slides.

3⁄4-in. plywood

Groove, 1⁄8 in. thick by 3⁄8 in. deep

Spline, 1⁄8-in. plywood, 5⁄8 in. wide

Back panel, 3⁄4-in. plywood, 211⁄4 in. wide by 151⁄4 in. tall

Rabbet, 3⁄8 in. deep by 3⁄4 in. wide

Edge-banding, 1⁄4 in. thick by 3⁄4 in. wide

Inset brass ring pull

Screws attach drawer front.

Drawer front, 1⁄2-in. plywood, 19 1/2 in. long

Drawer bottom, 1⁄4-in. plywood, 211⁄2 in. deep by 19 in. wide

Groove, 1⁄4 in. deep by 1⁄4 in. wide, 1⁄4 in. from bottom edge

16 in.

22 in. 241⁄4 in.

23⁄8 in.

23⁄8 in.

31⁄4 in.

61⁄2 in.

Gap for drawer slides, 1⁄2 in.

17⁄8 in.

17⁄8 in.

23⁄4 in.

57⁄8 in.

Heavy-duty, full-extension drawer slide

Applied drawer front, 3⁄4-in.-thick hardwood

Mitered corner joint

Box joint

Drawer side, 1⁄2-in. plywood, 22 in. long

Rabbet for back panel, 3⁄8 in. deep by 3⁄4 in. wide

Drawer depth, 22 in.

Drawings: Bob La Pointe

FRONT VIEW SIDE VIEW

Screw temporarily holds drawer front.

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F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G82

M I T E R E D P LY W O O D M A K E S F O R Q U I C K C O N S T R U C T I O NThe joinery is cut on the tablesaw, and packing tape draws the joints together tightly. For a utility cabinet like this, it is quicker to apply edge-banding after assembly.

it fits loosely into a single blade kerf. A loose fit, with glue, is enough to provide some insurance for the miter joints. If the fit is too tight, the splines will bind when inserted in the already-assembled box (see photo, facing page). Angle the tablesaw blade at exactly 45° for the spline cuts. When ripping the spline material to width, leave plenty of clearance in the slots.

edging afterward. This let me cut rabbets and spline slots all the way through on the tablesaw, because the front and back edges would be covered later. Also, the long miters had to be perfect only at their outermost edges.

The first step is to cut all the carcase pieces about 1 in. oversize, making sure the pieces are perfectly square. Next, mark the edges that get the miter cuts and rab-bets: It is awfully easy to miter or rabbet the wrong edges.

Angle the tablesaw blade just a bit be-yond 45° to ensure that the outside, vis-ible edges will be tight. If you cut four small sample pieces, you can use tape to wrap them into a box to check your miter angles. Use very flat plywood for all of the cabinet parts; if it is bowed it might lift off the saw’s table near the blade and the miters won’t be accurate. Last, cut the rabbets for the backs.

Splines reinforce the miters—I used 1⁄8-in. plywood for the spline material, as

Miter the edges of the panels. Angle the saw-blade just beyond 45° to ensure tight corners. Sneak up on the final width, and then cut the rest of the parts to size.

Slot the edges for splines. Angle the saw-blade at exactly 45° and locate the grooves toward the fat corner of the edge.

sizes as much as I could so that I could make several parts of the same size. Your tools differ from mine, so size the drawers accordingly.

One sheet of 3⁄4-in. maple plywood is plenty for the carcases. I used three 5x5 sheets of Baltic-birch plywood for the drawers, one 1⁄2 in. thick for the drawer sides and two 1⁄4 in. thick for the bottoms.

Heavy-duty, ball-bearing drawer slides offer smooth action and full extension, so they were an easy choice. I used Accuride 3832 slides rated at 100 lb., which should be plenty strong, even when I pull out a drawer slightly to help support a wide board or panel held on edge in the front vise.

For drawer pulls, I chose inset brass ring pulls, which match the brass benchdogs and won’t catch on cords.

Miter and spline the cabinet partsSome folks might prefer to edge-band the plywood before cutting the miters and as-sembling the boxes, but I chose to do the

Cabinet boxesCABINET JOINERY

3⁄4-in. plywood

Grooves, 1⁄8 in. thick by 3⁄8 in. deep

1⁄4 in. from inside corner

Spline, 1⁄8-in. plywood (less than 1⁄8 in. thick), 5⁄8 in. wide

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T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 6 83

Apply thin banding cut to exact width, using your fingers to align it. Dry-fit each piece first to fit the mitered ends. A 23-ga. micro-pinner leaves almost invisible holes.

Tape is a great clamp for mitered boxesYou will insert the splines from the front and back after the boxes have been taped up, so cut the spline stock into halves lengthwise. A benefit of inserting the splines this way is that they force the ex-cess glue into the center of the joint in-stead of out the front and back.

I assemble mitered boxes with stranded packing tape. Normally, I lay down the pieces in a line, outside face up, and run continuous strips of tape across all four sides, leaving a 4-in. or 5-in. tab at the end. When glue is applied and the pieces are wrapped up into a box, the tape puts firm, equalized pressure at the joints. In this case, however, I found the pieces too large to handle all at once, so I taped two panels at a time and assembled the box from there.

While the glue is wet, insert the splines and the back panels, which will square up the assemblies.

Edge-band the casesBecause you will apply the banding after these utility cabinets have been assembled, the easiest method is to make the edge-banding exactly as wide as the plywood is thick. It’s not hard to apply it perfectly aligned with the edges.

Use the surface planer to bring the band-ing down to a final thickness of 1⁄4 in. Take some pressure off yourself by mak-ing extra pieces. I used a nail gun to apply

Packing tape will be your clamps. For these large boxes, it is easiest to tape up pairs of panels at a time. To close the joints, pull on the tape as you apply it.

Two pairs of panels make a box. After spread-ing glue on the miters, stand up the panel assem-blies and draw the last two joints together with more tape (above). Apply glue to the spline stock and insert pieces roughly halfway into the joint (left), working from both ends. Nail and glue the back panel into its rabbet, and trim the splines flush.

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F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G84

The ends of each piece are identical. For the first cut, butt the top edge of the workpiece against the key.

slides to work properly, it’s important to have exactly 1⁄2 in. of space on either side of the drawer box. That’s one reason to build the cabinet boxes first. Then, when cutting the drawer box joints, you must realize that raising or lowering the dado blade on the tablesaw will affect the size of the finished drawer box. Once you have set the blade height correctly, don’t move it.

I run the box-joint fingers 1⁄16 in. extralong so that I can sand them flush after the draw-er box is glued up. This means cutting the box parts 1⁄8 in. longer than I need them and carefully adjusting the blade height 1⁄16 in. above the thickness of the parts.

Install the drawer slidesBecause these heavy-duty slides can be mounted anywhere on the drawer side, I was able to place them at the center and work from centerlines, which is my pref-

erence. After attaching the drawer slides to the drawer boxes, align and mount the other half of the slides inside the cases. To align the slides front to back, use a scrap of material equal to the thickness of the drawer fronts plus the recommended offset. To align the slides top to bottom, use a spacer panel placed under the slides, inside the cases, to be sure they are in-stalled uniformly.

Initially, I installed the slides with only two screws. I got all the drawers installed and adjusted so that they worked properly, and then I inserted the rest of the screws.

Applied drawer fronts are easier to fitNow comes the fun part: installing the solid-wood drawer fronts. The challenge is to have as fine and even a gap as possible around each drawer front, while allow-ing for some shrinking and swelling with

A L E S S O N I N B O X J O I N T SMade quickly on the tablesaw using a dado blade and crosscut jig, these finger joints create quick and sturdy drawer boxes. The drawer slides require an exact 1⁄2-in. gap on each side, so build a test drawer to dial in the final dimensions.

the edge-banding, using my fingertips to align it flush with the sides as I glued each piece. A 23-ga. micro-pinner leaves almost invisible holes. Clamps or strips of mask-ing tape can replace the nails, but you will need lots of them. Work your way around the edges of the cabinets, fitting and miter-ing each piece as you attach it.

Size the drawers carefullyIn keeping with the practical nature of this project, I chose box-jointed (also called finger-jointed) drawer boxes with applied fronts. Box joints are strong, attractive, and easy to cut using a sled on the tablesaw. (For more information on cutting these joints, see photos, above, and FWW #148 pp. 60-63).

The applied drawer fronts go on after the boxes are in place, making the fitting pro-cess much easier. In order for the drawer

SIZING THE FINGERS

Drawer boxes

Start the 1⁄2-in.-wide fingers at the top edge and let them fall randomly at the bottom.

SUB-FENCE/JIGBlade height equals thickness of drawer sides + 1⁄16 in.

1⁄2 in.

Drawer side

Jig

Key

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T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 6 85

Locating the mating side. Flip the first side, put its first notch on the key, and clamp it. Butt the mating side against the first side (above). Cut the first notch on the mating side (right). The dado blade should just clear the first side.

Fit and attach the drawer fronts. Drill a slightly oversize hole in the round mortise for a pan-head screw. Use credit cards to set the gaps, and use the screw to lock the drawer front in place. Then screw the front permanently from the inside, remove the temporary screw, and install the pull.

A trick for installing slides. Working off the centerlines of the drawers and slides, Schleining uses a spacer panel to set the distance between the slides and the cabinet bottom. A small block sets the distance from the front edge.

Make the second cut. To cut the second notch, just place the first notch on the key. The final notch on this drawer will be partial.

changes in humidity. First, cut the drawer fronts to length and width so that they all fit together into the opening, with no gaps. With all of them in place, mark a centerline for the finger pulls, remove the fronts, and mortise for the pulls. All of the mortising is done easily on the drill press, with just a bit of chisel work afterward.

The mortises for these pulls allow a neat trick for attaching the fronts. Drill a clear-ance hole in the recess, through which you can loosely insert a pan-head screw. Now you can fit the drawer fronts one at a time,

with the pan-head screws allowing some adjustment in all directions as you take light trimming cuts from the edges.

Once the fronts are in position, drive some screws into them from inside the drawer boxes to lock them in place. Then remove the pan-head screws and install the finger pulls.

Finishing upFor these cabinets I applied the same fin-ish I used on the bench: a few coats of varnish thinned about 50% with turpen-

tine, applied with a rag and rubbed off before it dried. Last, I added a few thin cleats to the bottoms of the boxes, to keep them in place on the lower stretchers of the workbench.

Now everything is in its place. Sure, I can’t remember which drawer my mortis-ing chisel is in, but I know it’s in there somewhere.

Lon Schleining makes furniture and stairs in Long Beach, Calif., and teaches woodworking throughout the United States.

I N S TA L L T H E D R AW E R S The drawer fronts are fit and applied after the slides and boxes are in place, making it easier to achieve fine, uniform gaps and a neat appearance.

H A R D WA R E

S O U R C E S

ACCURIDE FULL EXTENSION BOX DRAWER SLIDE

Series 3832 www.rockler.com

LEE VALLEY 11⁄2-IN. ROUND RING PULL

Product #00L01.01 www.leevalley.com

Page 79: Workbench e

Fine Woodworking’s editors evaluated a bench’s appearance and how well the vises worked. They also brought in their tools and gave each bench a good workout. As they planed, sawed, and chopped, they noted the sturdiness and rigidity of each bench, and how comfortable they found the working height.

Editors get a feel for each bench

COPYRIGHT 2006 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.

F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G58 Photos, except where noted: Mark Schofield; this page (top): Michael Pekovich

Page 80: Workbench e

59T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 7

The best are rock solid, dead flat, and a joy to use

B Y M A R K S C H O F I E L D

At the heart of any woodworking shop is a solid workbench, but there has long been a debate over whether it’s better to build your

bench or buy it. Then there is the conundrum that you need a bench in order to build a bench. And if you think you can make a bench for a fraction of the cost of buying one, you may want to rerun the numbers: Remember that you can’t buy 12/4 maple in bulk like a manufacturer can, and even if you hand-pick your boards, you’ll have to cut away some knots, swirly grain, or checking. Add in the cost of some high-quality hardware and you’ll find the savings melting away fast.

However, buying a workbench is rather like shop-ping for shoes: A single brand can have numerous models; the pros and cons of different features are not obvious without trying them out; and one size definitely doesn’t fit all.

To help simplify the process of buying a bench, Fine Woodworking decided to test some models head-to-head. Because personal preference plays such a large role when selecting a workbench, rather than use a single author, we decided to let all the editors have their say. Sure enough, opinions varied widely on some benches, but overall there was a consensus on the winners. If you are in the market for a workbench, this survey should help you pick one that suits you.

How the benches were selected and testedWe chose benches approximately 6 ft. long by 2 ft. wide, with both a front and a tail vise, that were robust enough to stand up to the rigors of planing, chopping, and sawing by hand.

Eight manufacturers or retailers supplied benches that met these criteria. Nearly all of them make or sell benches of different sizes and with other features than the ones we tested, so if you like the brand but not the bench, check their Web sites for alternatives.

For the more subjective part of the test, the editors recorded how stable the bench felt, how well the vises worked, and how easy the dogs were to use. They also noted the general appearance of each bench; the quality of the finish; and the utility of any storage shelves, cabinets, or tool trays.

When we were done, John White, our shop man-ager, moved in with his straightedge, feeler gauges, combination square, and scales to objectively measure each bench.

Workbenches vary enormously. You really do have a wide choice when it comes to price, quality, and con-figuration. More than any other tool in your shop, a good workbench should last you a lifetime, so choose wisely.

Mark Schofield is the managing editor.

Ready-Made Workbenches

T O O L T E S T

COPYRIGHT 2006 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.

www.F ineWoodwork i n g.comwww.F ineWoodwork i n g.com

Page 81: Workbench e

Order one of these benches and

you’re unlikely to see its identi-

cal twin: Like a bespoke suit from

Savile Row, each product is custom

built to fit the owner’s needs and

desires. The owner can specify a

top up to 8 ft. 4 in. long and 24 in.

wide, with or without a tool tray,

and any height. The tail vise can be

positioned at either end, or you can

specify a twin-screw tail vise at one or both ends with a double row

of dog holes.

We ordered a traditional style of bench that was higher than

most. Not surprisingly, 6-ft. 3-in. Rodney Diaz, an associate art di-

rector, loved the height, but a surprising number of sub-6-ft. editors

also found this height more relaxing to work at. Both vises earned

high marks for their German hardware and their beautiful handles,

which come complete with rubber O-rings to stop the turned cherry

knobs from banging against the metal. The 50/50 boiled linseed

oil and turpentine satin finish achieved the right balance of pro-

tecting the wood and being renewable.

This bench felt like it had been designed and built by a wood-

worker, and I think we’d all love to be able to boast that we’d made

it ourselves. I suspect that this reason as well as the quality and

the features made it our choice as best overall.

The smallest, lightest, and cheap-

est of the benches we looked at,

Hoffman & Hammer’s medium bench

could have been overshadowed by

the heavyweight competition, but

it stood its ground and earned the

best-value award. The front vise in

particular had very little racking.

The main criticism was the lightness

of the bench, particularly the base,

which made the bench unstable when pushed from front to back

(end-to-end planing pressure was no problem). A solution would be

to install a tool cabinet in the base, although the elevated stretch-

ers don’t leave much

room. The dogs and

vises were small but

worked smoothly,

although the tail vise

gradually increased

in height as it was

extended. This would

be an ideal choice

for someone looking

for an economical,

well-made workbench

but without the

physical mass.

Dog vs. drawer. When a dog is deployed in the central holes of the bench, it prevents the drawer from opening.

One nice vise. The tail vise’s stiffness can be adjusted using a pair of bolts. The vise handles, with their black rubber O-rings to protect the turned cherry knobs from hit-ting the metal, earned unani-mous praise.

Hoffman & Hammer11410 2www.highlandwoodworking.com

Price: $800

Length: 71 in.

Width: 22 in.

Height: 34 in.

Weight: 162 lb.

Wood: European beech

Editors’ score: 5.6

Lie-NielsenC U S T O M M A D Ewww.lie-nielsen.com

Price: $1,800

Length: 84 in.

Width: 24 in.

Height: 38 in.

Weight: 281 lb.

Wood: Maple

Editors’ score: 8.5

Solid vise. The front vise displayed almost no rack-ing when the workpiece was clamped at one end.

C H O I C E C H O I C E

COPYRIGHT 2006 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.

F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G60 Photo, facing page (bottom left): Rodney Diaz

Page 82: Workbench e

Vise stays parallel. By spinning the metal wheel until the distance between it and the vise jaw is slightly smaller than the thickness of the workpiece, the piece can be clamped securely without racking or twisting.

Editor Matt Berger’s comment,

“When I think of a workbench

this is it,” was typical of the initial

favorable views of this workbench.

The shelves and lockable cupboard

under the bench were welcome, as

was the nonmarring felt on the jaws

of the tail vise. When planing and

sawing, the bench was rigid and

stable, but extended use exposed

some problems. Most editors found the low 333⁄4 in. height back-

breaking, and the dog holes were too close to the front of the

bench to grip wide boards securely. When combined with the loose

dogs and the poorly aligned top of the front vise, this bench left

editors disappointed, a reaction

reflected in its sixth-place ranking.

Like Mercedes-Benz cars, Diefen-

bach benches have long been

symbols of German engineering

prowess. A few years ago, however,

Mercedes cars began being recalled

for design faults and the marque

slipped down the rankings in custom-

er satisfaction. Based on the bench

we looked at, Diefenbach’s halo may

also have slipped. There were several

examples of poor quality control: Only two of the four screw holes

for attaching the top to the base were aligned properly, and the

threaded rod on the front vise had to be bent slightly to fit it into

its hole in the bench. The spring clips on all four metal dogs were

so poorly riveted that they wouldn’t fit into the holes, although

after being pounded on an anvil and then filed, they worked fine.

Examples of poor design include the protrusion of the finger-

jointed end into the front vise area. Because the dog holes were

spaced wider than the end vise’s travel, there was a 3⁄4-in. dead

zone when clamping certain length workpieces (the Laguna bench

also had this problem; see p. 62).

In other respects, this was a great workbench with stout legs

and a thick top, giving a

very solid feel. The vises

were, as associate art

director Kelly Dunton put

it, “nicely massive,” and

the anti-racking wheels

on both vises were a

standout feature.

Dog gone. Because the dogs were too loose, they slipped down when positioned about 1⁄2 in. or less above the surface.

Front vise too low. The top of the front vise is about 1⁄8 in. below the benchtop.

DiefenbachGB 16-43 V/3S/4Rwww.workbenches.com

Price: $1,600

Length: 63 in.

Width: 243⁄8 in.

Height: 351⁄2 in.

Weight: 271.5 lb.

Wood: European beech

Editors’ score: 7.6

Garrett Wade8 8 A 0 2 . 01www.garrettwade.com

Price: $1,100

Length: 741⁄2 in.

Width: 24 in.

Height: 333⁄4 in.

Weight: 242 lb.

Wood: European beech

Editors’ score: 6.1

COPYRIGHT 2006 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.

T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 7 61www.F ineWoodwork i n g.com

Page 83: Workbench e

The largest of the benches we

tested, the Laguna also was the

shortest. The overall appearance was

pleasing and the bench had good

stability, but on closer inspection

the construction and the vises left

something to be desired. The top was

visibly wavy and dished 0.030 in.

in several places including the

critical right-front corner near the

tail vise, suggesting the top had been poorly wide-belt sanded.

Also, the top of the trestle base protrudes beyond the front of the

top, interfering when edge-planing a long board.

The dogs and dog holes got mixed reviews. Some editors

described the fit as just right, while others found the dogs’ flat

spot too small to locate without a second glance. With some

modest redesign and better quality control, this could become a

much better bench.

This bench certainly looked differ-

ent from all the rest. Instead of

being made from large chunks

of beech or maple, Grizzly’s bench

is made from thousands of strips

of birch, most no larger than 3⁄4 in.

sq., laminated together. The top was

relatively flat, and this method of

construction should, in theory, make

it the most stable of all the benches.

That’s where the good news ends: Despite being the heaviest

bench, when given a jolt it wobbled several times from end to end,

probably due to the small stretchers and the undersize nuts and

bolts that attach them to the legs. The front vise racked alarm-

ingly, while the tail vise climbed 1⁄8 in. when tightened. When

combined with the fact that the dogs leaned backward under

pressure in their oversize holes, the effect was to raise the

workpiece into the air.

The other trouble spot is the massive drawer in the base. Heavy

even when empty, it is difficult to open when storing anything but

bulky, light objects.

Good and bad dogs. The Laguna dogs slid in and out of the holes with the right amount of resistance, but editors disliked the small flat spot.

Unsteady workpieces. A combination of slop in the tail vise and dogs that angle backward under pressure causes the workpiece to rise off the bench when clamped.

GrizzlyH 77 2 5www.grizzly.com

Price: $850

Length: 84 in.

Width: 243⁄4 in.

Height: 341⁄4 in.

Weight: 299.5 lb.

Wood: Birch

Editors’ score: 4.4

Laguna7 - F T. W O R K B E N C Hwww.lagunatools.com

Price: $1,365

Length: 891⁄2 in.

Width: 261⁄2 in.

Height: 33 in.

Weight: 242.5 lb.

Wood: European beech

Editors’ score: 6.5

COPYRIGHT 2006 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.

F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G62

Page 84: Workbench e

The Sjoberg only just missed the

best-overall award. Initial com-

ments were “handsome,” “beautiful,”

“massive,” and “well made,” and

closer inspection revealed a number

of unique and useful features: The

front vise can be switched to the

opposite side of the bench and the

bench rotated 180° for left-handed

use; square vise runners almost

eliminated racking despite the nearly 2-ft. width of each vise; the

legs are flush with the top and fitted with dog holes to allow wide

boards to be supported when edge-planing. A heavy bench, the top

is 3 in. thick with a 4-in.-thick apron, giving it a very sturdy feel.

Uniquely, the front vise was also fitted with a pair of dog holes,

which, combined with the holes running the length of the front and

back sides, gives great clamping flexibility.

The dogs were round with a large, flat clamping spot, but a

little stiff and hard

to remove when low

in the hole. The only

other complaint was

the slightly rough and

low-luster oil-finished

surface, a minor blem-

ish on an otherwise

excellent bench.

Opinions differed sharply on this

bench, with nearly half the edi-

tors picking it as best value while

others considered it overpriced. The

most debated feature was the twin-

screw tail vise—a Veritas exclusive.

Proponents cited its lack of racking

and ability to clamp a 151⁄2-in.-wide

board between the guides, and pro-

claimed it the best end vise on any

bench. Skeptics called it weird, stiff, and jerky. The vise arrived

unable to turn using one handle. Shop manager John White spent a

few hours trying to tune it up and eventually reached a compromise

between operating and not being too slack. The troubleshooting de-

tails in the manual suggest that our experience is not unique.

The center tool tray impressed some editors, but the design

may be responsible for the bench being dished by 0.016 in. around

the center. The dogs come with slip-on plastic tool protectors,

but these prevented the dogs from being lowered less than an

inch above the bench and must be removed when planing thinner

stock. Finally, the shiny

wipe-clean finish at-

tracted some editors,

but others wondered

how it would look after

a few years of use with

no easy way to renew

it. More than any other

bench, this is probably

one to try before you

buy; you’ll love it or

leave it.

Edge-plane wide pieces. The legs are flush with the sides of the benchtop and con-tain dog holes so they can support long boards.

SjobergE L I T E 2 0 0 0www.woodcraft.com

Price: $1,500

Length: 761⁄2 in.

Width: 235⁄8 in.

Height: 351⁄2 in.

Weight: 279 lb.

Wood: European beech

Editors’ score: 8.3

Veritas0 5 A 01. 01www.leevalley.com

Price: $995

Length: 723⁄4 in.

Width: 26 in.

Height: 35 in.

Weight: 187 lb.

Wood: Maple

Editors’ score: 6.8

Wide clamping ability. The large distance be-tween the guides in the tail vise allow wide boards to be clamped securely.

COPYRIGHT 2006 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.

T O O L S & S H O P S 2 0 0 7 63www.F ineWoodwork i n g.com

Page 85: Workbench e

A good bench vise is nearly as useful as a shop apprentice. On my bench I have a front vise and a large tail vise—I call them my right- and left-hand men. It’s hard to imagine

woodworking without them; they hold my work firmly so that I can concentrate fully on powering and controlling the tool I’m using.

In general, you’ll find vises at two locations on a woodworker’s bench: one on the long side of the bench, typically at the left-hand corner for right-handed woodworkers, and another on the short side at the opposite end.

The first, known variously as a side vise or front vise, matches the mental picture that most people have of a vise, with a movable jaw capturing work between it and the edge of the bench.

The second, called an end vise or tail vise, can clamp work like a front vise, but is more often used to hold boards flat on the bench, pinched between a pin or dog in the vise and another in one of the many holes along the benchtop. Together, these two vises can

Making Sense of VisesA user’s guide to the heart of the workbench

B y G a r r e t t H a c k

Usually found at the end of the bench, opposite the front vise, it is used with benchdogs to hold work flat for tasks like surface planing or chopping mortises.

End visE

It typically occupies the left-front corner of the bench and is used to hold stock upright for sawing or for working edges.

Front visE

M Ay / J u n e 2 0 0 7 49www.finewoodworking.com

COPYRIGHT 2007 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.

Page 86: Workbench e

Hold wide workpieces on edge. The vise screw prevents a wide piece from going all the way through the vise (right). A clamp seated in a dog hole provides extra support (above).

Hold work vertically for sawing dovetails or planing end grain. A scrap piece of similar thickness, clamped in the opposite side of the vise, prevents the vise from racking.

meet all of a woodworker’s basic needs when it comes to holding work firmly and within reach.

Up front: a vise to clamp work vertically or on edge A front vise, typically found on the bench’s left-front corner, is ideal when you need to clamp a board to plane an edge, hold a chair leg while shaping it, or hold a board upright for sawing dovetails. The most common design is quite simple: a jaw of wood, or cast iron lined with wood, that moves with a single screw and a T-handle. The rest of the vise is mortised into the front edge of the bench. Mine opens about 10 in. and has about 4 in. of depth.

Many of the front vises on the market are fairly easy to fit to a benchtop. Look for one that has a large screw with well-cut Acme threads. These are the same square threads found on good clamps; they can smoothly deliver lots of force over a long life.

To hold long boards, wide panels, or doors securely on edge in a front vise, you need the added support of the deep front apron of the bench. Properly installed, the fixed half of the vise should be mortised into the bench so that the movable jaw clamps against the apron. This creates a great deal of stability, making it possible to

Front vises

F I n e w O O d w O r k I n g50 Credit Here

COPYRIGHT 2007 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.

Page 87: Workbench e

Secure long boards on edge. A block clamped in the tail vise supports the opposite end.

Steady a wide panel. A sawhorse provides support under-neath, with the opposite end clamped to the bench apron.

clamp most boards on edge with no other support. For very long boards, just put one end in the front vise and rest the other on a short board clamped in the tail or end vise, much like a board jack on traditional benches. you can clamp a large tabletop vertically against the front edge of a bench, one end held in the front vise and the other held by a bar clamp across the bench.

A problem can arise, though, when clamping on just one side of the vise, such as when holding just the end of a much larger piece, clamping pieces vertically for laying out or sawing dovetails, or holding tapered or oddly shaped pieces. when one side of the jaw is applying all the pressure—or trying to—it is very hard on the screw and any alignment rods, and can even distort them. One solution is to slip a block as thick

as the workpiece into the other side

CAst ironThe most popular front vise is cast iron. A steel rod or two keep the jaw aligned. Some also have a quick-action release for faster jaw adjustments.

TYPES OF FRONT V ISE

PAttErnMAKEr’s visE A patternmaker’s vise can hold oddly shaped work at any angle. The vise body can pivot up and over the bench until the jaws are parallel to the benchtop. The jaws also can rotate 360º and angle toward one another for holding tapered work.

Build it yourself. Many compa-nies sell the hardware for these vises. Look for a large screw with square-cut threads.

WoodEn-JAWEd A wooden-jawed vise operates like its cast-iron cousin. The movable jaw is typically made from the same material as the bench. Some models offer quick-release.

ArM visE An arm vise works well on wide boards. There are no screws or rods in the way. But the right-angled arm limits clamping force, which reduces the ability to clamp long boards horizontally.

Many compa-nies sell the hardware for these

clamp long boards horizontally. clamp long boards horizontally.

M Ay / J u n e 2 0 0 7 51www.finewoodworking.com

COPYRIGHT 2007 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.

Page 88: Workbench e

An end vise holds work flat. Aligned with a row of dog holes, this vise has a wide capacity. It can hold smaller work and pieces nearly as large as the benchtop. It’s ideal for smoothing a tabletop.

A secure grip for cross-grain work. The end vise allows you to clamp a panel across its width for tasks such as planing a bevel on the end.

For chopping, a spacer keeps the work off the vise jaw. The pounding could damage the vise. The best support is on the benchtop itself, right over a leg. An end vise also handles awkward shapes. Pieces like

this curved table apron can be held securely for scraping or other tasks.

End vises

F I n e w O O d w O r k I n g52 Photos: Steve Scott; drawings: John Hartman

COPYRIGHT 2007 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.

Page 89: Workbench e

of the jaw (use a wedge for odd shapes). This keeps the jaws parallel so you can apply all the pressure you need. Some bench manufacturers equip their front vises with a threaded stop that does the same job.

At the end: a vise to hold work flat At the other end of the bench, you typically will find one of two distinct types of vises, known as end vises or tail vises. Their main purpose is to hold work flat on the surface of the bench.

A traditional tail vise, with one row of dog holes along the front edge of the bench and several more in the movable jaw, allows you to hold work flat over nearly the entire length of the bench. This is ideal for holding long boards to smooth a face, bead one edge, or hold a leg while chopping a mortise. you can also clamp across the grain to bevel a panel end or shape the skirt of a chest side. Be careful to apply only modest pressure to hold the work, or you will bow it up.

The tail vise is also great for holding long or odd pieces at any angle—there are no screws in the way and the hefty construction tends to prevent racking on odd shapes. Also, it can hold a workpiece at right angles to the bench edge, ideal for planing an end-grain edge, shooting a miter on a molding, or paring a tenon shoulder.

One drawback with this vise is that the large mov-able jaw can sag. A misaligned jaw makes it difficult to hold work flat on the benchtop. Avoid chopping or pounding over the movable jaw; it isn’t as solid as the benchtop itself. Support the work as much as possible over the bench, with the least amount of jaw open. I keep small, square blocks handy to shim my work to-ward the bench or protect it from the dogs. I shouldn’t have to say this, but never sit on your tail vise.

Another type of end vise—The other popular type of end vise looks and works like a front vise, except that the movable jaw is mounted to, and set parallel with, the end of the bench. If I had to outfit a bench with just one vise, it would be this type (see drawing, top right). My small traveling bench has an old front vise mounted on one end in line with a row of dog holes.

Some end vises of this type have a jaw that spans the entire width of the bench. equipped with a dog on each end of the jaw, and paired with a double row of dog holes down the front and back of the bench, this is a great system for holding wide parts flat on the benchtop. Several ready-made benches are built this way. Lee Valley also sells the necessary hardware for making the vise yourself. •

Garrett Hack, a professional furniture maker and woodworking instructor, is a contributing editor.

tWin-sCrEW A twin-screw model can clamp wide stock vertically. A chain connects the two screws to prevent racking.

tAiL visE The traditional end vise. The movable jaw is a thick section of the bench’s front edge, about 18 in. long. Dog holes hold work flat on the surface. The jaws also can hold work at an angle.

CAst iron Same vise, different location. The cast-iron front vise also works well as an end vise—a smart solution if you have room or money for only one vise.

FULL WidtH A modern variation spans the width of the bench. With two rows of dog holes, the wide jaw of this vise is ideal for holding wider panels.

The guts. Tail-vise hardware comes with instructions for making the wood components.

TYPES OF END V ISE

M Ay / J u n e 2 0 0 7 53www.finewoodworking.com

COPYRIGHT 2007 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.


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