[masraum]

Originally Posted by look 171

Here's my take on the work bench, Steve. Do you want to play and take three months to make the bench that's so nice that you are afraid to scratch it? Its a tool but a lot of real craftsmen will jump me on that. What the fook is the real need to dovetail a work bench? With just that, you will get a hundred opinions but at the end, its a flat surface used to hold up your projects. Typical boy answer "but, but it has to hold up to a category 5 typhoon just in case". Who posted that workbench that won the award? That's not a bench, its an art object.

Here's how we make them at the shop (drawing). We abuse the hell out of them and they last a very, very long time. When the top has seen better days, top get replaced only. We have the typical heavy duty solid maple top work benches too, but those were bought used and I think they must be 50 years old. They sure need new tops but I am not spending money for new Maple tops, that's for damn sure. For your house, and my own at my home, I say spend a few bucks and use a hardwood, not 2x4 like that vid. Get 8/4 Beech or Birch. Its hard enough to hold up to a lot of abuse. Its still in very , very good shape but the ones at the shops, no way. At the shop, ours are build with 1" MDF, for heft, glues and screwed to a 3/4 P lam (formica top) with oak edges for durability. Its not on casters. Those tops must be 15 years old. The reason I like Formica is very easy to clean. Wood glue doesn't stick to it and large pieces assembled can easily slide across it without scratching the finish piece. No clamps are on those. Our lower assembly bench are made the same way.

I wouldn't spend too much time with a hand plane on a work bench unless you like to play. Cut it off with a cross cutting guild and edge it with a solid piece of lumber. Screwed and glued and go make furniture on it.

Forgot to add. It dosen't have to be that big. 3.5' x 6' would ideal imo.

Lots of good info. I definitely don't want to spend crazy time or money making a workbench, but I do want a good solid workbench. I've worked on a door slung over saw horses and a couple of B&D workmates and I've also worked on a cheap workbench that was maybe 3'x5' made out of 2x6s. That last one was the nicest to work on because it was big and didn't move around much, but was still super crude.

I'm not looking to spend a ton of time with a hand plane for sure. I've got some and would like to be able to set them up and use them well, but when getting the job done is an issue, then I suspect power tools mostly rule.