I am in the decision making process. I would like to build a workbench but I am uncertain of the configuration, especially the vise arraignment. I have never worked at a true woodworking bench. I know I want to be able to load a long board edgewise along the length, with a floor vise and adjustable pin (not sure of the correct terminology for this set up). The end vise is where I really need advice. How does one use a tail vise as compared to a dual screw end vise? Materials? I assume beach top on a hardwood base.
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Hi Jay,
I am a newbie so I can't offer a lot of experience except that I have been doing similar research for the past several months. Due to cost considerations I will be making my bench out of Ash. Maple was my first choice but a bit over my budget. Beech is also a good alternative. I highly recommend "The Workbench Book" by Scott Landis. Though the font he chose is a bit "wiggy on my eyes" it is nonetheless well written and contains a lot of very good information which will make some of your decisions easier but some more difficult. I re-read the chapter called "A Modern Hybrid" last night. That chapter takes you through some of the thought processes the author and Michael Fortune went through to come up with a viable bench for mass-marketing. There is a good discussion of a tail vise versus an end vise. I bought the Veritas twin-screw end vise and the large quick release (all metal) vise from Veritas for the front of the bench. I decided (as did Landis and Fortune) that the metal vise might require less maintenance than a mostly wooden vise. That said, Woodcraft and Lee Valley sell some very good hardware if you want to go in that direction.
Other literature that may interest you:
FWW #167 p38 describes Lon Schleining's fantastic bench and shows how he made it. He also has a formal workbench book on the market.
Popular Woodworking #138, p36. This article is called the "24-hour bench".
Poplular Woodworking #139, p70. "Upgrade Your Workbench". This is definitely worth reading before you start your design - great ideas. It may answer your vise question.
Woodwork magazine, August 2004, p48 "The Heart of My Shop - Building a Workbench to Last a Lifetime" This is Michael Cullen's very sturdy bench with a single-screw end vise and looks great, too. There are detailed drawings here as well as in most of the above articles/book.
I hope this information helps. I'm still not completely sure of the design I will use despite having dimensioned a lot of Ash already. What I am hung up on a bit is how I want to connect the top to the base. Cullen's bench may be the way I go on this. I'm trying to avoid putting too many features into my first bench. It is very tempting to keep designing but at some point I have to cut wood, and very soon.
Regards,
Andy
I’m on my third bench. The end vice I have used on all of them is the design by John Nyquist that is both in the Workbench book and the new one by Lon Schleining. It is a great vice, not to hard to build and does everything great. Building benches is a lot of fun and you’ll always look forward to the next one.
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