Title: Build the 21st Century Workbench
Run Time: 56 Minutes
Production Date: 2008
Produced By: Popular Woodworking
Price: $19.99 US (Buy Now)

From the Back of the Case:

This new workbench from Robert W. Lang combines the best workholding devices and ideas from a number of historic bench forms, along with a few design twists of his own. Whether you use power tools or hand tools (or both), this knockdown bench design is perfectly suited for the modern workshop.
This DVD contains everything you need:
• Hour-long video details the bench construction process
• 3D SketchUp model shows bench components from every angle
• Complete printable construction drawings
• PDF slide show of entire construction process
• Enhanced PDF of magazine article, with step-by-step construction instruction.

Our Thoughts:

Bob Lang shows us how to build his 21st Century Workbench, a sturdy and practical design that should suit just about any woodworking style. The bench can be knocked down and employs wedged dovetail joints to hold everything together. Bob confidently guides us through his building process at a reasonable pace. Unfortunately, there are a few significant details left out of the demonstrations or a shortcut is taken by showing the finished product and simply stating what was done. However, this is counter-balanced by a nice package of DVD ROM extras including PDF plans, a SketchUp plan, and slideshows. A guest appearance by Chris Schwarz was nice and the subsequent vise discussion was a welcome surprise. But the time spent on this “extra” might have been better spent on elaborating on more project details. Given the total package though, just about anyone should be able to build this bench successfully with this DVD.

Planing to Thickness

After the tops were glued up, it was a pretty simple affair bringing them to final thickness. Thanks to careful milling and a few Dominos, things were already pretty darn flat. A few passes through the planer were all that were needed to bring the tops to a final thickness of 4″. Since both top slabs are under 12″ in width, this is an operation that can be done with pretty much any planer, which I think is pretty cool. But a word to the wise: if you ever build a workbench, be prepared to ask for help. I DO NOT recommend trying to move slabs of this size by yourself. Seriously, unless you want to blow a gasket or wind up with a hernia.

Trimming to Length

Once the thickness was established, I needed to trim the rough ends of the slabs. Seems simple enough, but at 4″ thick, this operation required a little extra planning. The Benchcrafted plan mentions that they use their miter saw for this task, making a pass on one side and then flipping the slab to make a pass on the other side. That’s defintely one way to go about it, but for slabs of this size, I prefer to bring the tool to the wood. Out comes my trusty Festool TS75! Since this was a two-part cut, I wanted to make sure I had an accurate knife-line all the way around the slab. With any luck, I would be able to line up my circular saw and guide with the knife line for both cuts and end up with a nearly flat surface. The end result was almost perfect! The small bit of offset material was easily removed with a block plane and a little sanding. And before you give me crap about how it must be nice to have a tracksaw (which it is), this same operation can be done using a piece of MDF as a guide with a standard circular saw.

The Tenon

The right side of the front slab will receive an end cap as part of the vise installation, and as a result it requires a big fat honkin’ tenon. The tenon is cut using a similar technique as the previous trimming operation. The big difference is instead of cleaving off the entire end, we are setting the saw’s depth so that it leaves a centered “tongue” on the slab. Once the shoulders were established, I simply made a series of kerf cuts to remove the bulk of the waste. The tenon doesn’t run the full length of the slab, so I used a handsaw to trim a portion of the tenon away. Chisels and a rabbeting block plane did the rest of the cleanup work and finessing.

The Stopped Rabbet

The screw of the Benchcrafted tail vise needs a place to live, so the next step was to cut a huge stopped rabbet into the slab. Using a piece of scrap to help support my router, I took multiple passes with a 1/2″ spiral bit. Eventually, the colossal rabbet was revealed!

The End Cap

Next up was the end cap. The end cap came from a big old piece of 12/4 stock. Admittedly, this part gets a little tricky. But one step at a time, right? First up is the open mortise. The end cap needs to fit over the tenon we just cut into the slab and the router was the tool of choice. With no workbench to work on (part of my personal challenge to pretend I don’t already have a bench), I relied on the slabs and some clamps to keep the work secure. After a little finessing of the tenon, the end cap slid on with a few taps of the dead blow. Bada bing!

With the end cap in position, a paper template was used to locate several holes on the outside face. These holes are for the bench screw, the associated hardware, and the bolts that fasten the back of the end cap to the slab. The holes for the vise parts need to be drilled in just the right locations or the vise will not function correctly. Once I triple checked myself, had some coffee, then checked my marks again, I took the end cap over to the drill press for some fancy drillin’. The various through holes, elongated holes, and counterbores were made with a variety of forstner and brad point bits. You do have a set of each, don’t you?

The two bolts that hold the back of the end cap to the slab are secured using captured nuts. Basically, these are nuts that are inserted into carefully placed holes in the underside of the bench. If located properly (and with a little luck), the nut slides into the hole and interfaces perfectly with the bolt. Since the idea of a flat washer and a flat nut sitting against a curved surface just bugs the heck out of me, I decided to use my sweet LN mortise chisels to flatten one face of the hole. The hardware seems much happier now. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

Test Run

With the end cap complete, I was able to take the tail vise for a little test spin. Even without the guide rails in place and nothing screwed down, the vise operates as smooth as silk. I guess that’s why it costs so much money! But hey, you get what you pay for!

One thing I really enjoy about doing these Guild builds is the fact that we can spend so much time on all of these little details, and the various work methods available to reach our goals. As you can see, the projects employ a healthy amount of both power tools and hand tools. We become most efficient in the shop when we stop thinking about hand and power tools, and simply start thinking about tools. Corded or not, some tools are simply better, faster, or more pleasurable to use. So I encourage you to find what you like and don’t box yourself into a category. Because ultimately, other than other woodworkers, no one gives a crap what tools you used to make your projects. All they see is the end result of your craftsmanship.

Wanna build along? Sign up for the Wood Whisperer Guild today!

Since I first expressed dissatisfaction with my workbench several years ago, I have received numerous requests for a workbench project. My canned response was always, “Sure, some day!” Well, that day has finally arrived. I am proud to announce the next Wood Whisperer Guild Build: The Benchcrafted Split-Top Roubo Workbench. The Roubo is a proven design that will serve as a “career workbench” and will never need to be replaced. Whether you’re into hand tools, power tools, or both, this bench will serve all of your work-holding needs.

The bench and its hardware are, without a doubt, what I would consider “top of the line”. Last year at Woodworking in America, I had a chance to use the Benchcrafted hardware and I was blown away by the quality. I knew immediately that my next and FINAL workbench would include this gear.

Pricing

Now I’m not going to kid you here folks. As presented, this is going to be a very expensive build. But we are doing everything we can to keep the costs down and the value high. As part of our partnership with Benchcrafted, the hardware is being offered at a special discounted rate for Guild members. The discount is being offered immediately and will be valid up to 6 months after the build is complete. With the holidays coming, I wanted to give folks enough time before and after the build to make their purchases. My recommendation would be to buy the hardware now so that you have it on hand and ready to go for the build in January. And as a special bonus, if you do decide to purchase a hardware kit, you’ll receive a 3-month add-on to your Guild membership. Buy your Workbench Hardware Kit today!

Schedule

The build will take place in January 2012. Between now and then I plan on having some interviews and events that will help set the stage for this fundamental build. On a personal note, I would like to explain some of what is happening behind the scenes. I plan on building and filming this project well before Christmas. In January, I will release the videos to the Guild every Friday until the project is complete. The reason for this has everything to do with Nicole’s due date being Dec. 23rd. With a newborn in the house in January, I don’t plan on doing much actual woodworking. So you’ll have to forgive me for not building “in real time” on this one. :)

Join the Guild

For a limited time, you can join the Guild for 10% OFF any membership. Simply use the code BENCHCRAFTED at checkout. And if you buy the hardware, you get an additional 3 month bonus to your membership. I can’t forget to add that every new membership comes with a digital copy of my book Finishing: it ain’t over till its over for free! So if you’ve been sitting on the fence, now’s a great time to join! If you want to read more about all the features and benefits of membership, check this out!

Title: Build an 18th Century Workbench
Run Time: 38 Minutes
Production Date: 2010
Produced By: Popular Woodworking
Price: $24.99 US (Buy Now)
Marc’s Score: 3.8 Grape Sodas out of 5
Matt”s Score: 3.7 Grape Sodas out of 5

From the Back of the Case:

“One of the most important workbench plans ever published appeared in A.J. Roubo’s 18th-century masterwork “L’Art Du Menuisier” (The Art of the Craftsman). Roubo’s simple and hulking workbench offers everything that the modern woodworker needs in a bench, whether you use hand tools, power tools or both. Roubo’s bench is simpler than almost every other design out there — so it’s easy to build – yet it excels at all of the workholding tasks in a woodshop. In this DVD, Christopher Schwarz shows you how to build the Roubo workbench using only hand tools (though you can use power tools if you wish). Schwarz, the author of Workbenches: From Design & Theory to Construction & Use (Popular Woodworking Books) also shares his insights into this influential workbench form, which he has been using exclusively since 2005.”

Our Thoughts:

This DVD delivers on its promise, plain and simple. With the plans and the video content, you should have all the info you need to build an 18th century Roubo-style workbench. That is if you plan on making it 100% with hand tools. The video states this very clearly but I found myself longing for the Schwarz’s preferred power tool methods as well. After all, making massive deep mortise and tenon joints is going to be tricky, regardless of whether your tools are electrical or “alcohol-powered”.

The strong focus on hand tools and the fairly short length of the video ultimately means that you’ll need to come into this with a fairly strong working knowledge of various saws, chisels and planes. You’ll also need to have a fairly well-equipped shop. As a woodworker who has what I would call a “decent” set of hand tools, I saw numerous things I would need to acquire if I were to build this bench using hand tools alone.

In true Schwarz style, the DVD offers a nice mix of woodworking history and techniques. Something I love about Chris’s teaching style is that he not only shows you what to do, but why. He even goes so far as to explain why Roubo may have made the choices he made when designing this bench. You walk away with a great sense of history and the knowledge that this design truly stood the test of time. You’ll also walk away wanting a little bit more.

The Breakdown:

Entertainment Value: Marc 3/5 | Matt 4/5
Production Quality: Marc 3/5 | Matt 2/5
Information Quality: Marc 4/5 | Matt 4.5/5
Overall Value: Marc 4/5 | Matt 4/5
Keeps Its Promise: Marc 4.5/5 | Matt 4/5
Final Score: Marc 3.8/5 | Matt 3.7/5

Location: Poughkeepsie, NY

Amateur or Pro: Amateur

Finish Used: The Finish is something I received from Chris S. from PW. It is 1/3 BLO, 1/3 Varnish, and 1/3 Mineral Spirits and is just wiped on the freshly hand planed wood.

Wood Species: The majority of the wood is Rock Tiger Maple with Cherry Accents. The parallel guide for the leg vise is QS White Oak.

Project Description:
The was my first large project. I made one box before, a storage cabinet, and some radiator covers before diving into this project, but nothing of this magnitude. I used vise hardware from Benchcrafted.com, as well as the plans for the bench.

The inspiration came from a video I watched on The Wood Whisperer site a few years ago. Marc had mentioned it was a right of passage for woodworkers to build a bench and that stuck with me every since.

I met a man who owned a saw mill and he had hundreds of Board Feet of 8/4 Cherry and 8/4 Tiger Hard Maple. I bought hundreds of feet of both and got to it. It was all in rough form so I had to mill every single piece of lumber you see in the project. I have blogged about my building process at TalkFestool.com if anyone is interested in seeing the process in more detail.

Marc, since you have been one of the main factors in me buying the tools necessary to get my shop together, it would be an honor to have my first project shown on your site that has brought inspiration to me and so many others. I honestly watched every video on your site in November 2008. Then in December 2008, I called Grizzly and made 7K order of all the tools in your shop. Some unfortunate circumstances prevented me from even opening the crates until the end of 2009, but I have since got things rolling.

This project also helped me jump into the addiction that is Festool with the purchase of my first Festool tools: a 1400 router and Ct33 dust collection system. I LOVE Festool and will continue to purchase their tools as my budget will allow.

My love for vintage hand tools is what sparked my purchase of some new hand tools. I ordered an entire set of Veritas Bevel up planes and absolutely love them!! I have also purchased a set of Lie Nielsen chisels and a Block plane, as well as their dovetail saw.

I hope this makes it onto your site, which again would be a huge honor!

I was looking at your site and noticed the article about the workbench. I just finished the heart of my workbench and thought I would share. The bench is made from Douglas Fir and Birch Plywood. The top is layered plywood making it thick and heavy. I am going to add dog holes, vises, drawers and a cabinet door to this bench. I think of it as a craftsman meets a traditional woodsmith bench. It was not really that hard to build. If you look on the internet for a Heavy Duty Workbench you can find the pdf with the plans. The original plans called for MDF and since I don’t like MDF I used birch plywood. I also lowered the shelf to the floor which gives me more room for drawers and a cabinet door later. I used boiled linseed oil on the bench and am going to put something like poly on the top so the plywood will last for a long time. I don’t care if I have to repoly the top. its a workbench not a piece of furniture. Hope this helps someone out there looking to build a heavy workbench the easy way.

Just need a screw gun, table saw and sanding equipment (belt sander, ROS , block sander) and a hand or circular saw. No special tools for this one.

I just started out woodworking in my own little one car garage this year with my new house, though I grew up doing some of this with my dad. I love watching the videos Marc and I hope your new shop gets built soon. I have learned a lot from your show and site. Really made this project easy and fun. Thanks!

Finish Process: Boiled Linseed Oil
Wood Species: Hard Maple and Walnut

This is my first woodworking project. I built it to enter in a student competition. I placed 4th at Regional’s and 6th at International’s with students from around the world. My Inspiration for this project come from an article from issue #176 of Fine Woodworking magazine.

My choice of subject for my bench top work bench was because I wanted something useful that I knew I would use often. My project is basically a miniature work bench. Its purpose is to bring the work your doing up higher for easier accessibility and comfort. I used hard maple for my project because it is traditionally used for workbenches. It is a good hardwood and very strong. Walnut is also a good hardwood and accented the hard maple well.

I used mortise and tenon joints to attach most of my project because they are very strong and durable. I used box joints for the breadboard end to allow for expansion and contraction as the moisture of the wood changes. I used butt joints reinforced with biscuits for alignment and strength. I sanded and scrapped it with cabinet scrappers. I used a natural oil finish because it is best suited for a work bench because it protects the wood while allowing to recoat as wood is worn.

I think most people have an unhealthy addiction to tradition, old is not always best. I really like your “best tool for the job” approach, I always want to work that way. Recently I’ve been trying to trim every project down to absolute functionality, both in production and use. I’ve tried to let the use of each piece dictate everything about it (size, shape, material, finish), while also finding the quickest and cheapest way to produce whatever that thing may be (so long as all functionality is retained). The first thing I tried with this method is my latest workbench, I’ll briefly highlight the main advantages over traditional bench making methods and materials.

Cost – this bench cost me about $80 altogether.

Time – No glue ups, no material surfacing, altogether it took me around 8 hours.

Tools – No jointer, no planer, this bench can easily be made with a minimal tool set.

The top is flat and stable, never needs to be flattened. This design is extremely rigid, no chance of racking. The leg-vise chop is also a torsion box, lending the same benefits. 8/4 lumber is expensive and all solid lumber warps over time, not a torsion box. I made the chop from scrap 1/2″ and 3/8″ ply, its light and flat. I have a nice solid bench (modeled after the 21st century workbench by Bob Lang) and I can’t think of a single reason why I’d rather use it than the torsion bench. There are no drawbacks. This bench is cheaper, faster, easier, more stable, and every bit as functional.

So what do you think? Blasphemy or brilliance? Is there still a reason to labor over a solid wood bench? I think with the addition of a sacrificial/replaceable top, Bud’s bench has a lot of appeal for me, personally. And that’s the key isn’t it? A workbench is a very personal piece of functional furniture, so to each his own. But I would love to hear your opinions on this concept.

It’s just a pretty traditional cabinetmaker’s workbench. Its made of soft maple and pine for the base with big dovetails and all! The base is held together with double mortise and tenons with some bolts for the longer stretchers. The top is just a 2 1/2″ thick slab of maple with the dogholes on there. The caps around the top are all dovetailed and bolted together. The tail vise is just the screw type with the grid work of wood underneath keeping everything in line. I made my own wooden dogs out of padauk just because running into a metal dog is just something I don’t want to deal with. And here’s a link to my blog: Derrevog.Blogspot.com. Thanks and I hope you like it!