A bench for woodworking on the floor…
I know this probably sounds insane, but I love sitting on the floor while making stuff, apparently this is common in folk with ADHD (which I have).
I have benches. Two of them! 😅 But I find myself gravitating to working on the living room floor, and I’ve decided not to fight it any more. I find it’s really easy for me to get into flow here and it’s comfy and good.
The only problem is that without proper workholding I end up with all kinds of silly injuries.
Hence, I’m debating building a bench specifically designed for sitting on the floor. I’m thinking at a height that’s comfortable for most chiseling and fiddling when I’m sitting on my butt, and for planing when I’m on my knees. Probably with storage underneath.
This will also be helpful as I renovate my house, as it will be more portable than traditional benches.
I’ve started looking at benchtop benches for inspiration, and Roman style benches, but has anyone seen a set up that was designed for sitting on the floor and took into account all the standard tasks of a full height bench?
I’m looking for inspiration that I could draw from.
I’m aware that woodworkers in a lot of Asian cultures often work from the floor. Does anyone know of any good resources about their workshop set ups in particular?
Replies
The Asian tradition of working low also comes with the tools and teqhniques that developed with it. Many operations are pulled rather than pushed, allowing for leverage. I would not want to try a western bench plane seated or from my knees.
Check out this guy's low bench:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_MiykC0V2g
Honestly, I'm a woman so I'm not very strong to begin with, and I also work on Australian timbers which are insanely hard... For those overseas: hard maple has a Janka hardness of 6400n, white oak 6000, Ironbark (common here in Aus) has a Janka hardness of 16300 😳, more than 2.5x the common hardwoods elsewhere.
So pulling makes a lot more sense to me, I've already got a couple of Japanese pull saws and I have a pull plane in my cart! So this is only a good thing, for me. ☺️
Thank you for that video! I will study up. ☺️☺️
God bless you, but I go to great lengths to raise things up. I'm not going on the floor unless I'm prepared to stay there.
Look at books on Japanese woodworking. Much of that is done while sitting on the floor. They have unique methods of workholding. It might be useful to think along those lines, rather than adapting Western workholding to the floor.
Haha! Yeahhh I know I'm weird...
But that's the beauty of our craft, right? We can all make what works for us. ☺️☺️
Thank you! Are there any particular ones you recommend?
Here's a small bench that might work or can be adapted.
Mini Workbench Works Wonders
This benchtop model has all the features of a full-size bench.
By Steve Latta #244–Tools & Shops 2015 Issue
https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/shop-projects/mini-workbench-works-wonders
Thank you! This is great! ☺️☺️
If you Google Roman workbench you will likely find articles by Chris Shwartz. He has something not quite on the floor but it an bench you can sit on. Lost Art press has a book dealing with Roman workbenches called Ingenious Mekanics that is probably worth purchasing. It gives lots of info on how to make a Roman workbench, which can also double as a bench in your hallway for sitting on while you tie your shoes. The book also goes through the history of workbenches which makes for a nice read. Related to this, there is YouTube video series by Stumpy Nubs that has a sawbench that has been streched out some to act like a Roman workbench. I have oak drying in my garage to make two of these with the thought being they can also double as seats when we have a large party at the home.
Thing is, and I know I'm really really crazy, even a Roman bench isn't close enough to the ground to satisfy my goblin-brain. 😅 I've tried working from a sitting bench before, but nope. I still ended up on the floor next to it. 😅😅😅
Got it. We want what we want. Lots of Japanese woodworking videos on YouTube and that should really help get you started in terms of how to do it and what fixtures to use.
Yeah I might just do a little binge watch of Japanese craftspeople and take notes. ☺️☺️ Thank you!
YouTube, for better or worse, has really changed what we can learn by ourselves. The only challenge is being able to sort out who knows what they are doing vs. those doing it for the first or second time. I once watched a 40 minute video on French polishing only to have the individual at the end mention it was his first time doing it after having watched videos on how to do it. I was annoyed. The one perk of books and magazines is that there was a level of gatekeeping so that what was presented was probably not complete junk. If I need to do something new and want a solid source, I use FWW and search their archives online for an article. Really can't go wrong with that and justifies the unlimited membership. Oh, FWW has a video series on French polishing from someone who knows what they are doing. Was much more helpful.
My suggestion would be,
Get a stool for your existing benches first before you try and change everything.
I love your thinking but unfortunately it's really not about comfort. For example I have a Herman Miller chair at my computer desk and I still end up using my laptop on the living-room floor. It's really an ADHD thing, I think, floortime.
I understand that comfort might not be the main factor in your preference for using your laptop on the living-room floor. Since you mentioned it could be related to ADHD, it's possible that the change in environment or position helps you concentrate better. To accommodate your needs, consider creating a designated floor workspace with a cushion or mat for added support, and ensure that the space has adequate lighting and minimal distractions. This way, you can embrace your preferred working style while maintaining a comfortable and productive setting.
That's exactly my purpose here.
Have a squizz at Rex Krueger's youtube channel.
I'm not sure it's quite what you're after, but it's another direction to go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rOHuC_yuV4
Also check out Grandpa Amu - the content has gone downhill since he got success, but his early stuff is pretty good.
https://www.youtube.com/@GrandpaAmu
I've been spamming Rex! I had seen grandpa in the past but had forgotten about him, thank you for the reminder!!
I have several work benches. My main bench is 30" wide × 7' long . 2x+ Beech ,vises attached and drawers and bins for tool storage and all full of tools. All together the thing must be 500 lbs. It's on casters and does get moved regularly. What makes it work is the weight ,it stays stable even thought there is some movement inherent in the casters. There are probably many versions of Japanese work benches that are designed for use from a sitting position. A images search on the internet would probably show you many examples. My guess is that in most cases those examples are permanently in place. Some are simply a beam. The problem is maybe for you is--can you fasten it to the floor? Can it be permanently in place so that it does not move? I consider movement and vibration to be the enemy and stability of the work surface to have a big influence for accuracy in almost anything you do. Your probably better off just working off of the floor itself than having a work bench that can move about when your planing, chiseling,sawing etc.
A vise is a pretty handy thing. Sjobergs makes a "workstation " that is a workbench / vise arrangement that is designed to sit on top of a bench or table top and you might want to look at that to buy or just to give you some ideas. Depending on what you do and if portability is an issue something like a Black and Decker workmate in its folded position might be a cheap way out.
I'm planning on making it out of ironbark with us extremely dense. It feels comparable to the weight of a bricks, so I'm hoping that will be enough to stop it shifting, perhaps if I use some cross-shaped or splayed out legs (like rex Kruger's Roman bench). 🤞🤞🤞 Time will tell! Else maybe I can be rig some way that it leverages nearby walls as stops.