building a work bench

[Boston Bill]

this was fun to watch:

The Ultimate Functional Workbench

 

[erhunter]

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Boston Bill]

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing.

lol, right! part 2 is even better!

 

[Doc Ivory]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

B B,
This is a nice workbench, but functional for what? No disrespect to you, I am just expressing a thought about muzzleloading rifles and smoothbores.
When working on muzzleloader rifles/smoothbores one needs to be any given section of the bench. You will need a minimum of one vice, preferably two. If a worker is at any given point on the bench seated, he/she would not be able to put their feet anywhere but the small cutout section. You did not say this was for long guns, I assumed since it was under "The Gun Builders Bench" you might think it to be a good one.
Thanks for posting.
Flintlocklar

 

[Boston Bill]

I just found it very interesting, in a craftsman sort of way. Check out part 2 and see what he does to finish it. I don't see any reason why it couldn't be used for building rifles, tho I guess it could be considered overkill.

 

[Buffaloman]

One suggestion that I have found about work tables. They need wheels!!! You never know when your space needs to change , even if its just for one project. That table as constructed probably weights over 200 pounds, Rough cut wood legs don't slice very well used the concrete floor is waxed. You might be able to lift the table and add slider pads instead of wheels. Another suggestion either add a hardwood top or stainless steel . they last longer, not mar and clean up easier.

 

[Timber Wolf]

I am almost there, I have that same stool.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
That bench would drive me nuts. The framing around the top is too thick to attach any vises that can be clamped in place. While the sides are flush fitted, he made no provisions for leg vises or any way to clamp work to the sides. Here is a work bench made for work not show and tell:

dave

 

[Eric Krewson]

I am primarily a bow maker who makes a few guns, I built my bench for making bows but it works well for guns.

 

[ZUG]

I have a workbench and a assembly table. The work bench is for heavy work and the assembly table is for light work.

The workbench in the video is fine for some but not for me for a lot of reasons some of those reasons were pointed out by others here.
I LIKE Dave's workbench a LOT but my workbench looks like Eric's but longer

 

[Sam squanch]

Dave, that’s a nice bench. I’ll be up with a u haul in about a week....

 

[dave_person]

Hi Sam,
Please wait until I croak.

dave

 

[bjmac]

Hi Sam,
Please wait until I croak.

dave

no plans yet I hope !

 

[kje54]

Hi,
That bench would drive me nuts. The framing around the top is too thick to attach any vises that can be clamped in place. While the sides are flush fitted, he made no provisions for leg vises or any way to clamp work to the sides. Here is a work bench made for work not show and tell:

dave

He's one where a guy took the French Roubo style (yours) and combined it with the English Nickleson style.

 

[John R]

I do not like the bench in the first photo but the remainder are nice. I have been working in the machinist trades since 1965 so I have been on a bench or two.

Anyway, I am scheming on a new blacksmith shop build. Will have a steel hot work bench but the remainder of benches will be wood construction with 3 inch solid Douglas Fir tops.

Finished up milling the fir 3 weeks ago. I have 24 nice slabs from 24 to 36 inches wide and up to 10 feet long. Now stacked and stickered in the dying shed.

Keep those bench photos coming guys, I am always looking for good ideas.

 

[Boston Bill]

This is turning into a very interesting thread. I posted the 1st video because it was fun watching him build the bench. I was not recommending it as a gun bench specifically. I really enjoyed the talent, knowledge and skill of the builder.

 

[kje54]

For all us cash strapped woodworkers here's a $30 "Roman" workbench.



Rex has a huge number of very helpful videos.

And his English Joiner's Bench.

 

[dave_person]

Hi kje54,
That is a nice bench and the fixed apron on the side opposite the leg vises could be very useful. I don't know how much folks know about the Nicholson benches. They are sometimes called "English" benches and were designed to be very strong and rigid but conserve wood and be fairly light in weight. The thinner tops were supported by a torsion box frame of fairly light wood that was very strong. They were a reaction to the heavy Roubos that required heavy, thick solid wood tops and legs. If you need a good woodworking bench that you also have to move around occasionally, the Nicholson design is a great choice.

In the photos of my bench the first one shows a rough stock clamped to the side of the bench for barrel inletting. I made the bench height such that when I swing my mallet to strike a gouge during barrel inletting, at the end of my stroke, my arm is still ever so slightly bent at the elbow. That completely eliminated the tendonitis I suffered as I grew older when whacking in a barrel channel, particularly in hard maple. Although I often send stocks and barrel off to Dave Keck to have him machine inlet the barrels, over the years I've had so much work that I would have a couple of projects sent to Dave while doing one from scratch in my shop. So having the bench at the right height saves me a lot of grief. Then when I put work in the pattern makers vises on the other side of the bench, that lifts it up 8" so I don't have to bend over so far. The photo of the gun in a leg vise and supported by the sliding deadman (board with all the holes in it) with the butt end tipped up shows how I position stocks when inletting butt plates. The end of the stock is right in front of my face making the job really easy. Many folks like a walk around bench for gun work. All I have to do to have that advantage is move a pattern makers vice to a hole near the end on the bench so the stock sticks out a ways from the end. Finally, the holes in the top of my bench are useful for stops and bench dogs to clamp and secure work. In addition, I've mounted my task lamp on a base that fits into those holes so I can move my lamp wherever I need it. The photos below show a chain drive my friend Jim Ritter designed and made that keeps the bottom of the wooden chop (leg vise jaw) always parallel with the top of the jaws. That prevents racking by the vice. Those leg vises are the strongest and most gentile vises you can use on wood. The guy in the video created a reinforced desk, which is not necessarily a good design for wood working.

dave

 

[kje54]

Hi kje54,
That is a nice bench and the fixed apron on the side opposite the leg vises could be very useful. I don't know how much folks know about the Nicholson benches. They are sometimes called "English" benches and were designed to be very strong and rigid but conserve wood and be fairly light in weight. The thinner tops were supported by a torsion box frame of fairly light wood that was very strong. They were a reaction to the heavy Roubos that required heavy, thick solid wood tops and legs. If you need a good woodworking bench that you also have to move around occasionally, the Nicholson design is a great choice.

In the photos of my bench the first one shows a rough stock clamped to the side of the bench for barrel inletting. I made the bench height such that when I swing my mallet to strike a gouge during barrel inletting, at the end of my stroke, my arm is still ever so slightly bent at the elbow. That completely eliminated the tendonitis I suffered as I grew older when whacking in a barrel channel, particularly in hard maple. Although I often send stocks and barrel off to Dave Keck to have him machine inlet the barrels, over the years I've had so much work that I would have a couple of projects sent to Dave while doing one from scratch in my shop. So having the bench at the right height saves me a lot of grief. Then when I put work in the pattern makers vises on the other side of the bench, that lifts it up 8" so I don't have to bend over so far. The photo of the gun in a leg vise and supported by the sliding deadman (board with all the holes in it) with the butt end tipped up shows how I position stocks when inletting butt plates. The end of the stock is right in front of my face making the job really easy. Many folks like a walk around bench for gun work. All I have to do to have that advantage is move a pattern makers vice to a hole near the end on the bench so the stock sticks out a ways from the end. Finally, the holes in the top of my bench are useful for stops and bench dogs to clamp and secure work. In addition, I've mounted my task lamp on a base that fits into those holes so I can move my lamp wherever I need it. The photos below show a chain drive my friend Jim Ritter designed and made that keeps the bottom of the wooden chop (leg vise jaw) always parallel with the top of the jaws. That prevents racking by the vice. Those leg vises are the strongest and most gentile vises you can use on wood. The guy in the video created a reinforced desk, which is not necessarily a good design for wood working.

dave

I'm considering an English Joiners bench, Nickleson or a hybrid of the two. I'm definitely going to make the Roman low bench for other applications, might even start out with that. Or not......
You have the same Minion I have.