AmericanWoodworker-ProjectPlan-TheBest250WorkbenchOctober2001.pdf

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PROJECT PLAN
The Best $250
Workbench
This project originally appeared in
American Woodworker
magazine.
For subscription information, visit www.americanwoodworker.com
Please note that pages that appeared in the magazine as advertisements will not be included with this pdf. Page numbering may be
interrupted if an advertisement ran within the original story. Addresses, phone numbers, prices, part numbers and other information
may have changed since original publication
Copyright© 2006 Home Service Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, in any manner, is prohibited. American Woodworker is a registered trademark and
Workshop Tips is a trademark of RD Publications, Inc.
Build a master’s
bench from plain old
2x4s and plywood.
ART DIRECTION: VERN STREETS • PHOTOGRAPHY: RAMON MORENO • ILLUSTRATION: FRANK ROHRBACH
A m e r i c a n Wo o d w o r k e r
OCTOBER 2001
33
W
orkbench
The Best $250
By Tom Caspar
Thrifty Construction
Rugged boxes made of nothing
but 2x4s and plywood add up to
a high-performance bench that
costs peanuts to build.
This rock-solid workhorse is simply four
easy-to-build 2x4-and-plywood boxes.
Q
EXTRA-LARGE
TOOL WELL
uick, cheap, solid. You can’t ask
much more from a workbench,
and this one delivers it all. Made
of out nothing more than ordinary
construction lumber, this durable, 250-lb.
heavyweight has all the features of a master
cabinetmaker’s bench: a gigantic face vise,
a slick tail vise and a rock-solid base.
You’ll spend a measly $150 at a home
center on lumber and hardware. Add $70
to $150 for a face vise (see Sources, page
43). We used a cool-looking, top-notch
model, but any big vise will do.
SIX-FOOT TOP
BENCH DOG
Ingenious Tail Vise
Hold any project with no awkward
clamps to get in the way.
LOW-COST
TAIL VISE
Tools and Materials
If you have limited tools, don’t worry. It’s
perfectly possible to build this bench using
nothing but a pair of sawhorses, a circular
saw, hammer, drill, combination drill bit,
router and flush-trim bit, hacksaw and
socket set. That’s it. A few more power
tools (a miter saw, drill press, tablesaw
and belt sander) make the job a lot easier,
though.
The materials are nothing special, just
2x4s, 2x6s and two sheets of ordinary
underlayment plywood (the kind with
1/8-in.-thick face veneer). Be picky when
choosing your solid lumber. Look for
boards that are straight, free of large knots
and have full-width edges. Reserve your
straightest boards for the top frame.
Preparing the Plywood
Start by cutting out the plywood panels.
Factory edges are good enough, so you
don’t have many cuts to make. The few
corners that have to be absolutely square
are already done!
1. Draw the outlines of all the plywood
35
A m e r i c a n Wo o d w o r k e r
HUGE FACE
VISE
FLEXIBLE
STORAGE
SPACE
RIGID BASE
You Don’t Have
to Be an Expert
Got a hammer, drill and circular saw?
That’s virtually all it takes to build this
awesome workbench.
panels (A1, B1, C1 and C2) on two sheets
of plywood (see Fig. C, page 41 and the
Cutting List, page 43).
2. Build a temporary cutting guide to fit
your circular saw (Photo 1). It’s easy to
make by nailing together two overlapping
1x6s cut just over 6 ft. long (you’ll use
these boards later as parts of the bench).
The edge of the bottom board shows you
exactly where the saw will cut, so you
don’t have to do any complicated
measuring. The top board guides the saw.
Nail some extra pieces of 1x6 under the
overhang of the top board for balance.
3. Place the cutting guide directly on the
lines and cut all the panels.
4. Mark the screw holes (see Fig. D, page
41) on one side of an end panel (A1) and
a center-section panel (B1).
5. Stack all four end panels on top of each
other and drill 5/32-in.-diameter pilot
holes all the way through them (Photo 2).
Gang up the center-section panels and
drill through them, too.
6. Countersink
both
sides of all the screw
holes. (The countersink on the back side
removes torn fibers, so you get a tight glue
joint.)
7. Paint one side and all four edges of the
panels black. This covers up the crazy figure
and disguises the screws. A roller works
great.
Building the End 2x4 Frame
The method for building each section is
basically the same; you glue and screw
plywood panels to a 2x4 frame. Once you get
in gear, you’ll bang out your
bench in no
time at all.
OCTOBER 2001
A m e r i c a n Wo o d w o r k e r
OCTOBER 2001
36
Workbench
DRYWALL
SCREW
1X6
CUTTING
GUIDE
LEG
FOAM
INSULATION
SUPPORT
FLUSH
TO EDGE
END
SECTION
CENTER
SECTION
THREADED
ROD
4 PANELS
END
PANEL
PREDRILLED
HOLE
Cut panels from construction-
grade plywood
with a quickie
shop-made cutting guide. Even if
you’re off by a bit, these cuts are going to
be accurate enough to build the bench.
1
Drill pilot holes
through a stack of
four panels at once.This is much
faster than laying out and drilling
one panel at a time.
2
Measure the lengths of 2x4s
directly from the plywood panels.The
2x4s should be fairly straight, but you
don’t have to machine them any further.All
you do is crosscut.
3
Nail the 2x4s together
with a
single nail at each joint.The joints
don’t have to be super tight or
perfectly fitted.The strength of the box
doesn’t depend on complicated joinery.
4
5
Screw and glue plywood panels
to the 2x4 frame. You won’t need
dozens of clamps because the screws
do all the work. Painting the plywood black
disguises all the ugly screw heads.
Join the knockdown base
with
humongous threaded rod. Nuts pull
the sections so tight that the base is
solid as the Rock of Gibraltar. After all, a
workbench base can’t be too strong, can it?
6
FIG. A
Exploded View
C
7
C
3
D
1
C
6
C
1
D
3
D
2
C
3
C
4
D
6
C
2
D
5
D
8
FASTENING
SCREW
SHIM
Detail 1
Spacing of Blocks
2-1/2" DECK
SCREWS
1" SPACE
(TYP.)
6-1/2"
3/4"
FIG. B
A Rock-Solid
Foundation
A workbench that
shimmies and shakes
is a giant headache,
especially when you
use hand tools. It’s
supposed to stay still!
The solution is having
a heavy base that won’t
budge or twist out of
shape when you push
against it. Our hefty
base weighs 125 lbs.
and doesn’t give an
inch in any direction.
NARROW
BEARING
NARROW
SURFACE
BEARING
SURFACE
C
5
D
4
3/16" DIA.
PILOT HOLE
(TYP.)
D
4
D
3
D
2
A solid-wood base can
distort under pressure.
5/8" BEVEL
HANDSCREW
3/8" DIA.
PILOT
HOLE
(TYP.)
WIDE
BEARING
WIDE
SURFACE
BEARING
SURFACE
D
6
1" DIA., 3/8"
DEEP RECESS
D
7
SCREW
THROUGH
TOOL WELL
A plywood base isn’t going anywhere.
B
2
A
2
B
3
A
1
FACTORY
EDGE
Detail 2
Tight Connection Between Base Sections
B
1
LAG BOLT
TO FASTEN
TOP
A
5
The 2x4 frame of the center section is slightly
undersized to guarantee a tight fit between the
bearing surfaces and the end section.
5/8" OFFFSET
5/8" DIA.
HOLES
(TYP.)
COUPLER
1/4" BEVEL
(TYP.)
A
5
1/8" GAP
CENTER
SECTION
BEARING
SURFACE
END
SECTION
A
4
7-1/2"
1/2" DIA. THREADED ROD,
B
5
B
4
A
3
A cinch to assemble
and built like a tank!
A
6
Here’s a goof that’s
really no big deal.
In the rush to glue the plywood panels
on the 2x4 frames, one of the joints
opened up.After all, it’s only held
together by a single nail. But the
strength of the box isn’t
compromised at all, because
its incredible rigidity
comes from gluing
plywood to the 2x4s,
not the tightness of
these joints.
No sweat.
GAP
37
A m e r i c a n Wo o d w o r k e r
OCTOBER 2001
38
Workbench
DECK
SCREWS
EXTRA-LONG
DRILL BIT
FLUSH
EDGE
HANDSCREW
FRONT
RAIL
Rout the plywood top
flush with
the frame to make a large, even
surface for the 1x6 rail. Select your
best 2x4 for this front piece. It’s one of the
few in the bench that must be perfectly
straight. It pays to dig through a large stack
of 2x4s to find this gem.
7
Assemble the front rail
one
block at a time.Two outer blocks
trap one angled jaw of a wooden
handscrew: the bench’s tail vise. Each
succeeding block is spaced 1-in. apart,
exactly the width of a combination
square blade.These spaces become
mortises for the bench dog.
8
Clamp the front rail
to the
benchtop and drill pilot holes for
the lag bolts.The bolt heads are
recessed so you have a completely
smooth bench front.
9
2x4s that you can’t afford to forget!
Second, the frame is slightly shorter than
the panels. When you assemble the whole
base, any warp or twist in the center
frame’s end 2x4s won’t affect the tightness
of the joints (see Detail 2, page 37).
1. Cut the rails (B2) 1/4 in. shorter than
the width of the plywood panels. Then cut
the stiles (B3).
2. Drill 1-in.-diameter holes in all the
stiles. The holes are oversized to allow a
threaded rod coupler to pass through
(Fig. D, below right).
3. Nail the frame together, then tack a
panel to it. Check your alignment. The
frame’s top and bottom edges are flush to
the panel, but the ends of the frame are
inset by 1/8 in. on both sides. Glue both
panels, one at a time, as you did with the
end sections. Attach the feet.
Assembling the Base
Two lengths of threaded rod (B5) bind the
three base sections together with
tremendous pressure. This large-diameter
rod is surprisingly inexpensive, easy to
disassemble and can’t possibly come
loose.
1. Cut the threaded rod with a hacksaw
(see Cutting List, page 43). File a small
bevel on the cut ends to enable the nuts to
thread easier. Join two pieces of threaded
rod together with a coupler and slide the
long rod through the holes in the center
section.
2. Stand the center section on a level
surface. Slip the end sections over the
threaded rod and slide on two washers
(Photo 6). Tighten the nuts.
Assembling the Top
Select your straightest 2x4s for this frame
so you’ll get a relatively flat top. Put the
best of the best in the front.
1. Predrill the pilot holes in the top and
bottom panels (C1 and C2). Note that the
holes in the upper surface of the top
aren’t simply countersunk, but
counterbored deep enough to accept
wood plugs (the plugs cover all the
unsightly screw heads). The easiest way to
do this is to use a combination bit made
FIG. C
Plywood Cutting Diagram
Using factory edges for many of the plywood parts means fewer cuts and
guaranteed square corners. All you need to cut out the parts is a portable
circular saw and a shop-made cutting guide.
D
7
C
1
C
6
D
7
C
2
A
1
FACTORY
EDGES
A
1
D
7
B
1
A
1
B
1
D
7
D
7
1. Cut the top and bottom 2x4s (A2).
Measure the length of the legs (A3)
directly from the plywood panel
(Photo 3). Gang the top and bottom
2x4s at one end of the panel. The
remaining distance from the 2x4s
to the end of the panel gives you the
exact length of the legs. Measure the
spacers (A4) by the same method.
2. Cut the legs and spacers. Select
the best looking wood for the face of
the front legs. Mark “Front” clearly
on the good face so you won’t be
confused in the heat of assembly!
3. Select one leg for the middle. With
a combination square set to 3/4 in.,
draw a centerline down the length of
its narrow edge, on both sides. Draw
a centerline all the way around the
middle of each top and bottom piece
(see Fig. D, page 41). Line up the
centerlines when assembling the
frame.
4. Nail the frame together on a flat
surface (Photo 4). The floor will do.
Make sure all the top edges are as
flush as possible, so you have an
even surface all around to glue the
panels on. One nail at each joint is
enough. (The nails only serve to
keep the frame together long enough
40
A m e r i c a n Wo o d w o r k e r
to glue on the panels.) Predrilling the
nail holes through the outer
members makes alignment much
easier.
Assembling the Ends
It’s time to get out the glue and go to
town. You’ve got a lot of screws to
drive, but there’s no need to feel
rushed. Once the panel is positioned
the glue will stay wet long enough to
run in all the screws.
1. Place one end panel on top of the
frame. Nudge the frame square so it
lines up with all four edges of the
panel.
2. Tack down the panel to the frame
with 4d nails at each corner. Turn the
assembly over.
3. Run a large bead of glue along all
the exposed edges of the 2x4s.
4. Place the other panel on top of the
frame, align its edges with the frame
and screw it down (Photo 5).
5. Turn the assembly over again, pry
off the tacked-down piece of
plywood with a hammer and pull
out the nails. Then glue and screw
the plywood back in place. Scrape off
the glue squeeze-out before it
hardens.
6. Make the braces (A5) and drill
5/8-in.-diameter holes for the
threaded rod (Fig. A, page 37). The
thick braces spread out the
enormous pressure of the nuts over
a large surface.
7. Drill holes for the threaded rod
through the plywood panels (see Fig.
A, page 38). Rather than drill all the
way through from one side, drill
from both sides using the brace as a
guide. This ensures that both holes
are aligned so the rod will slip right
through. Offset the brace 5/8 in.
from the panel’s edge (Detail 2, page
37).
8. Cut all the feet (A6 and B4). Bevel
the bottom edges to protect them
from splintering. Drill deeply
countersunk pilot holes for the
screws so the screw heads can’t
scratch your floor. Screw two feet
onto the bottom of each end section.
Building and Assembling
the Center Frame
A
1
FIG. D
Construction Details
The plywood panels are glued and fastened to 2x4 frames with drywall screws.
Predrill the screw holes as shown below, nail the frame together with a single
nail at each joint, and you’re set.
TOP
8-3/4"
3/8" DIA.
WOOD
PLUGS
8-3/4"
6-1/2"
3/8" DIA.
WOOD
8-1/2" SPACE (TYP.)
PLUGS
3" (TYP.)
8-1/2" SPACE (TYP.)
1-1/2"
3"
(TYP.)
(TYP.)
6-1/2"
6"
1" DIA. HOLE (TYP.)
CENTER
6"
1" DIA. HOLE (TYP.)
THREADED
ROD
CENTERLINE
1-1/2"
(TYP.)
5/32" DIA.
PILOT
HOLES
(TYP.)
5/32" DIA.
PILOT
END
HOLES
(TYP.)
6"
SPAC
(TYP.
6"
SPACE
(TYP.)
THREADED
ROD
CENTERLINE
12"
7" SPACE (TYP.)
11-1/2"
This frame has two important
differences from the end frames you
just made. First, it’s got holes for the
threaded rod running through the
11-1/2"
11-3/4"
4-3/4"
12"
7" SPACE (TYP.)
11-3/4"
4-3/4"
OCTOBER 2001
A m e r i c a n Wo o d w o r k e r
OCTOBER 2001
41

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