New-Fangled Workbench: With Six Pipe Clamps and Some Dressed Framing Lumber
New-Fangled Workbench: With Six Pipe Clamps and Some Dressed Framing Lumber
New-Fangled Workbench: With Six Pipe Clamps and Some Dressed Framing Lumber
F
or five years I worked as a cabinetmaker in a shop that used
only hand tools for the simple reason that electricity wasn't
available that far back in the woods. One lesson that I came
away with was the importance of a good workbench—and lots of
windows. I now work in a shop that is, if anything, overelectrified,
but a functional workbench is still important. Just because you're
driving a car instead of a buggy doesn't mean you don't need a
good road to get where you're going.
On a perfect bench, the various vises and stops would hold any
size workpiece in the most convenient position for the job at
hand. Traditional workbenches are adequate for clamping small-
er pieces, a table leg or frame rail for instance, but most benches
can't handle wide boards for edge- and face-planing or frame-
and-panel assemblies.
Recently, I moved my shop and needed to build a new bench. I
began by researching traditional American and European designs.
I found that although our predecessors had many clever solutions
to the problems of holding down a piece of wood, no one bench
D O U G L A S FIR
WORKBENCH
To minimize costs, the author
milled workbench stock from
Douglas fir framing lumber,
sawing clear sections from the
center of 2xlOs and 2xl2s.
The bench is fastened with
drywall screws and lag bolts.
Six pipe clamps in different
configurations are used as vises.