Will this workbench even be strong?
- Thread starter sscustom
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Re: will the wokbench even be strong ?
It'll hold for fairly light duty work. It's glued and screwed together and the plywood top helps hold everything together. I would have used a machine bolt and flat washers instead of carriage bolts because I've had problems with the carriage bolt shoulders turning in the wood. It's not bad at all. It's light anc can be moved easily.
KEH
It'll hold for fairly light duty work. It's glued and screwed together and the plywood top helps hold everything together. I would have used a machine bolt and flat washers instead of carriage bolts because I've had problems with the carriage bolt shoulders turning in the wood. It's not bad at all. It's light anc can be moved easily.
KEH
70redbee
Well-known member
That thing would hold about anything you could put on it.
DIRTY DEEDS
Well-known member
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- Jul 6, 2010
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- 45
looks like it would work for light duty use. to small for large work. of course, you could scale everything up to create a heavier table.
BigAl62
Well-known member
Looks sorta like mine, except I used 4X4s for the legs secured with 4 5/16" lagbolts. Also my lower bracing only goes around 3 sides leaving the front open so I could put a small tool box under it. I used Formica counter top for work surface. It has held up for over 20 years and 1 move (my buddy claimed he got a hernia from lifting it!). Sorry it's a mess and yes I know my power strip fell off the wall, damned humidity! (OK, I shouldn't have used double sided tape, but it lasted 5 years that way!) BTW, I didn't notch anything.
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The weak spot is where the 2x4s get notched at the junction point. It means the bench is about as strong as a crate made of 1x4 pine. The glue will help resist splitting -- but only to a point. It's not a bad design, but you're not going to want to keep throwing engine blocks on it either.
sams
Well-known member
why did he route out the wood for the legs? I see no logic in it?
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Not true if the joints are tight. Tight half lap joint are almost as strong as the original wood.
The weak spots are joints that rely only on screws and/or lags, especially screws going INTO end grain. Glue does not work well on end grain either.
A better solution is using 4x4 that are notched on 2 side for legs and then attaching them to the top frame with bolts. Notching the legs is important as it provides a "straight path" to the floor for weight (think of jack studs next to a window header).
bczygan
Well-known member
The easiest way to triangulate and stiffen a frame and keep it from racking is to turn it into a box by covering it's surfaces with plywood. Putting a top on a bench does that in one plane. Covering the back and sides with plywood glued and screwed would do it for the other 2 axis.
My design for a bench would combine strength with mass. It would also offer some storage. Basically it would be built like a woodworkers bench with selected hardwoods. Frame would be mortise and tenon pegged. Corner posts would be massive to support weight. It would have big locking rollers for moving that could lever up out of the way to allow the corner posts to sit on the ground. Top would be massive and made of timbers bolted together with threaded rod. It would have a replaceable wear surface on top and a steel top could be lowered onto it from a wall. Back and ends would be covered with plywood to create structure as noted above. Front would be open to allow 2 or 3 large full width drawers and a big stretcher at the front bottom with threaded rod would give strength in that plane.
A poor mans version could be built with 4x4 treated pine corner posts, 4x4 stretchers with lap joints and double lag bolt connections. Lap joints would create a smooth surface for the 1/2" plywood back and sides. The top could be 2x4's on edge bolted together with threaded rod and a hardboard wear surface.
My design for a bench would combine strength with mass. It would also offer some storage. Basically it would be built like a woodworkers bench with selected hardwoods. Frame would be mortise and tenon pegged. Corner posts would be massive to support weight. It would have big locking rollers for moving that could lever up out of the way to allow the corner posts to sit on the ground. Top would be massive and made of timbers bolted together with threaded rod. It would have a replaceable wear surface on top and a steel top could be lowered onto it from a wall. Back and ends would be covered with plywood to create structure as noted above. Front would be open to allow 2 or 3 large full width drawers and a big stretcher at the front bottom with threaded rod would give strength in that plane.
A poor mans version could be built with 4x4 treated pine corner posts, 4x4 stretchers with lap joints and double lag bolt connections. Lap joints would create a smooth surface for the 1/2" plywood back and sides. The top could be 2x4's on edge bolted together with threaded rod and a hardboard wear surface.
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GirlnAgarage
Well-known member
I think notching was unnecessary for the 2x4. I would guess the bench would be alright if you don't move it around too much.
I built a similar bench last year from this: http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/workshop/bench/below20.html Doesn't require any notching.
It is sturdy and I've loaded this thing and dragged it around the garage. I believe I'm going to put casters on it to make it easier for me to move. I've also switched the top out from 1/2" to a 1" top scavenged from a broke down office desk.
I built a similar bench last year from this: http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/workshop/bench/below20.html Doesn't require any notching.
It is sturdy and I've loaded this thing and dragged it around the garage. I believe I'm going to put casters on it to make it easier for me to move. I've also switched the top out from 1/2" to a 1" top scavenged from a broke down office desk.
I see his idea in lap-jointing the legs: the table top is now supported by the full length of the leg, rather than two bolts going through the leg.
The middle shelf also reinforced the whole assembly.
I'd have used 4x4 legs myself, and notched them on both sides of top. But then I believe there's no kill like overkill.
-Brad
The middle shelf also reinforced the whole assembly.
I'd have used 4x4 legs myself, and notched them on both sides of top. But then I believe there's no kill like overkill.
-Brad
TCAS
Member
If you have a Kreg Jig the bench built in the video listed below is a very nice, heavy duty, workbench for the garage or shop. I built a couple to match the height of my table saw and they make for great outfeed tables. If you don't have a Kreg Jig this project in itself makes it worth picking one up.
Kreg Jig® Workbench Part 1
Kreg Jig® Workbench Part 2
Kreg Jig® Workbench Part 3
Kreg Jig® Workbench Plans (.pdf file)
Kreg Jig® Workbench Part 1
Kreg Jig® Workbench Part 2
Kreg Jig® Workbench Part 3
Kreg Jig® Workbench Plans (.pdf file)