User:Lukas/Bench
From CoMakingSpace Wiki
"Private" page about my CoMaking bench - feel free to read on, but it's more of a note to myself than something I would expect to be interesting ;-)
The bench will be a Roubo style workbench and set up in the office. It will be made out of Douglas fir planks and end up about 1.5 m wide to fit into "my" corner.
Walls
- backboard: 125 × 134 × 2 cm (H × B × T) plywood, needed to hold the shelves/distribute weight over the plasterboard wall
- sideboard: ? × ? × ? for hanging tools
Top
- laminated douglas fir Glattkantbretter
- 300 × 14.5 × 1.8 cm boards cut in half two times (across & lengthwise) -> top approx. 150 cm wide and 7 cm thick
- not jointed as we didn't have the equipment yet - top planed by hand after assembly
- a biscuit joiner would have helped with the glue-up - without it, some boards slipped
- 3 sliding dovetails (Gratleisten) to prevent warping, made of oak
Understructure
- legs consist of three laminated douglas fir Glattkantbretter
- final size: 14.5 × ? × ? cm
- stretchers: need to be built next!
- at least something horizontal that will also hold a simple storage shelf
- perhaps also diagonal, depends on the stability achieved with the horizontals
Planned Features
- woodworking vise - on the right face, as tail vise? front should ideally be flush for planing
- 3/4" holes for holdfasts or bench dogs
- some in the top (one row in the woodworking vice's direction for sure), some in the legs
- exact layout TBD, can be drilled as the need becomes clear
- (sliding?) skirt with further dog holes to support large pieces that need planing on their edges
- horizontal twin screw ("Moxon") vise - non-permanent to leave room in the front?
- tool well? could fill gap on the back left (obstacle on the right that prevents the bench to be fully against the wall)
- leg vise on the right?
- would there be enough flush space left for planing?
- perhaps the vise could be screwed off whenever that much space is actually required
- plane stop on the far left
- storage options: just some "floor" for now
- perhaps (partial!) cabinet/drawers later
- or a second floor, with a cut-out to allow comfortable sitting at the bench?
Further Inspiration/Research
- Stumpy Nubs' Roubo Workbench
- similar top & leg lamination with mortises/tenons cut before the glue-up; I left out the threaded rods though (used them in my first Roubo Workbench)
- Jay Bates' southern yellow pine workbench - only found after all the main decisions where made, but luckily in agreement with my wood choice:
- "Softwood Workbench VS Hardwood Workbench"
- basic build video
- adding vises - nice DIY leg & parallel vise (although with American hardware)
- adding a storage cabinet
- upgrades after some time of using it (especially interesting part about the leg vise)
- how to flatten a workbench top with handplanes