23
votes
Accepted
How do bench dogs work?
Bench dogs allow you to clamp a long workpiece that wouldn't normally fit in the jaws of the bench vise. There's a set of dogs that attach to the vise, and a set that attach on the table, essentially ...
- 4,338
16
votes
How do bench dogs work?
In addition to bench dogs (explained well by Doresoom above), there are other devices that use the same holes. A holdfast uses the thickness of the bench to hold down a piece of wood with no ...
- 8,036
12
votes
Accepted
How do I secure wheels to a workbench?
One of the problems with putting wheels on a work bench, is it often isn't stable enough for some of the stuff we do on the bench (hand planing for instance). Rockler has a set of workbench casters ...
- 8,036
11
votes
Is there a recommended distance between dog holes on a work bench?
is there a general recommended distance between dog holes in both directions?
Common sense says that the holes should be spaced from the vice in increments that are less than or equal to the maximum ...
- 8,921
11
votes
Accepted
How do I treat MDF?
What should I apply to seal the edges from leaking and seal the top from absorbing? Indoor use, subject to humidity.
Technically you don't have to do anything to it, many people have MDF benchtops ...
- 61.8k
11
votes
Accepted
How can I fix wood to some metal in a neither destructive nor permanent way
I'd add four simple blocks of wood to the underside of your work surface. I made this out of 2x4x6" long scrap. Drill hole in center with fostner bit, then use jig saw to cut access groove. With ...
- 361
10
votes
Accepted
Design considerations for a machinist's work bench
and would like to know the key design considerations and recommended jointing options for such a project
Unfortunately there isn't any easy answer to this.
As with many woodworkers when I was ...
- 61.8k
9
votes
Accepted
Using softwoods for bench tops
So a good question for here would be are softwoods suitable or practicable for use as bench tops?
Yes. Obviously softwoods are generally fairly soft and a bench made from softwood is going to be ...
- 61.8k
9
votes
What are the holes on the skirts and legs of benches for?
The holes in a workbench skirt are usually used for pegs. They're used to prop one end of a long board up while the other end is clamped in a vise or held to the face of the bench with a clamp or ...
- 12.1k
8
votes
Small, Lightweight woodworking bench Styles
Tusk tenons, as you mentioned, would be good for disassembly, allowing you to make a larger workbench that can be easily moved in parts. Probably the biggest single piece would be the work surface ...
- 3,335
8
votes
Accepted
Finish raised the "grain"?
Can I treat this like regular wood and just sand it back down before applying another coat of the water-based polyurethane
Yes.
The finish swelled the wood fibres in the particleboard/chipboard. So ...
- 61.8k
8
votes
How can I fix wood to some metal in a neither destructive nor permanent way
Conceptually similar to zipzit's answer, another thing you can do is just mount some 1x2 strips or whatever to the underside of your surface, hugging the bars (you may want to mount one, then place it ...
- 5,541
8
votes
Accepted
Is there a workbench "type" reference?
If you read the woodworking forums there are two classic books on the subject of workbench design in English and I think both compare features and usefulness a you're hoping. The first is by Scott ...
- 61.8k
7
votes
Accepted
Can one install bench dog holes in soft surfaces like MDF or softwoods?
My bench top is made of 2 half inch pieces of MDF that I laminated together with wood glue and screws. I drilled about 8 holes for my brass bench dogs. I have used those bench dogs for over a year now,...
- 86
7
votes
Accepted
Laminating 2x4s - brush on the glue?
I have several suggestions for gluing this type of slab.
The glue does not spread itself. Always distribute it evenly before making contact between pieces. You can do this using a brush or a roller....
- 7,964
7
votes
Garage work bench compound miter saw position
Why do people position the saw in the middle why not at one end with a small overlap on the short side?
Part of the reason people put the saw in the middle is so that they can cut miters from both ...
- 12.1k
6
votes
What is the functional purpose(s) of a central insert in a workbench?
It functions as a plane stop, for planing cross grain with hand planes. If you don't plan on using hand planes extensively, it isn't necessary. If you do decide to use hand planes, you can get the ...
- 8,036
6
votes
Finish raised the "grain"?
You could probably go through a few cycles of sanding/water-based finish and eventually get a flat and sealed surface, but if it was me, I'd sand flat and apply an oil-based primer (and follow with ...
- 3,481
6
votes
Accepted
Front and Leg vise
What are the functional differences between a leg and front vise?
I think you've already hit on them pretty well in your Question.
Leg vise can be built from solely wood components and has a deep ...
- 12.1k
6
votes
Mounting the top for a new workbench
There are more elaborate answers to be sure but tusk and tenon and rising dovetail joinery would lend very well to such a design. I found a perfect image of what I was thinking.
Image from ...
- 20.1k
6
votes
Mounting the top for a new workbench
A workbench top doesn't actually need to be fixed to the legs or leg assembly. As Andy Rae shows in his book Choosing & Using Hand Tools the top can simply sit on round-nosed dowels that project ...
- 61.8k
6
votes
Are some workbench features not suitable for a softwood workbench?
Should I not bother with these workbench features as they might not be suited for softwood? Example being I can see a holdfast wearing out a dog hole fairly quickly if used regularly. To clarify I am ...
- 12.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Garage work bench compound miter saw position
Putting the saw in the middle maximizes the size of the pieces you can create from your offcut. Say you put the saw 1m from the end of your shop. Now you've got a 4m board and you need to create 2m ...
- 5,460
6
votes
Accepted
Securing long boards for edge jointing
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like your bench has any provision for a deadman. This would allow you to clamp one end of the board in the face vise and support the other end with the deadman.
I ...
- 5,460
5
votes
How do I secure wheels to a workbench?
I would use bolts, if I remember correctly I used bolts to attach wheels to my table/cart that I made, 12-14 years ago and they are still going fine. I attached them to 2x4's that were a part of the ...
- 15.4k
5
votes
Would sandwiching MDF between two layers of hardwood make an acceptable workbench table?
Exterior doors for homes are made out of MDF with a lot less than a one inch hard wood veneer. It is reasonable to expect your table design would hold up to normal work bench usage.
A better choice ...
- 1,159
5
votes
Mounting the top for a new workbench
In Paul Sellers' blog he describes Building a Workbench which uses a drop-in wedge to make it possible to separate worktop from legs for transportation
image by permission from paulsellers.com. Paul ...
- 1,834
5
votes
Accepted
Using 1x4 instead of 2x4 for laminated workbench top?
Yes you can absolutely do this. It's just more glue joints to do but it's not really that much more work than if you were using 2x4s.
Because of the number of glue joints you might want to subdivide ...
- 61.8k
5
votes
Garage work bench compound miter saw position
I'm in a similar situation with a 14' (4,25m) wall. I don't recommend setting up your miter saw in the middle.
I believe it depends on your usual stock length. For me, it's 8' (2,5m), so I have it ...
- 2,400
5
votes
What are the pros and cons of MDF as a workbench top?
What are the pros and cons of MDF as a workbench top?
Pros:
Relatively cheap.
Is already a flat sheet ready to use as a work surface, saving much time and effort.
Fairly flat to dead flat right from ...
- 61.8k
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