Popular Woodworking 2003-06 № 134, страница 46

From the Bench

CHOOSING A PROPER BENCH FOR WOODWORKING

A suitable workbench is key to satisfactory hand-tool woodworking.While each person can best determine the most suitable bench for their needs, I thought it might be useful to outline a few basic considerations.

Fundamentally, the purpose of a workbench is to support and/or immobilize the wood in a comfortable and accessible position for whatever work is being done.

Height, length, weight and rigidity are general characteristics that play a role in meeting this purpose.

Not surprisingly, the height of a bench depends on the woodworker as well as the nature of the work. For example, a bench that is low enough for heavy planing will be too low for extended periods of carving. This can be addressed with the use of more than one bench, but most woodworkers settle for a compromise if they are not specializing.

There are various methods to determine this compromise - the aim being to account for the person's height and arm length. One method is to hold your straightened arms downward, at a slight forward angle, allowing you to comfortably stretch your hands forward with level palms.The height of the palms determines the bench height.

A bench length of 6' is a generally accepted minimum for most work. Though more length can be useful if the shop space allows. A bench width of approximately 2' (often, including a 6" to 8" tool tray at the rear) is usually adequate. You can reach only so far over the bench, in any event, and additional width can limit access from the "off" side.

The benchtop needs to be thick enough to resist deflection under planing pressure as well as undue vibration from hammer or mallet blows.This tends to depend on the material used, but it can be about 1¹/2" to 2", minimum, for the moderately hard woods, such as beech, birch and maple, which have traditionally been preferred bench woods.

The undercarriage of the bench needs to be rigid enough to resist racking pressures from planing. The illustrations show two of the traditional approaches used to achieve this. The Joiner's bench is easier to construct in the absence of a suitable workbench, though the upper skirt can sometimes become an obstacle.

Finally, there is the question of holding the work itself. Surprisingly, this can be accomplished with a few clamps and battens, though this can require inordinate set-up time. For that reason, a face vise, planing stop and possibly a holdfast,

could be considered a minimum arrangement. The Continental-style cabinetmakers bench, with its face vise, tail vise, bench dogs, etc., adds a great deal of convenience.

Much additional information is available, and it's worth consulting if you are considering building or buying a workbench. It can become very confusing, though, so having a grasp of some fundamentals, and a realization that no single bench is ideal for every purpose, can help sort things out. PW

— Don McConnell

MORE INFORMATION ON WORKBENCHES

Two excellent books on workbenches include "Making Workbenches" (Sterling) by Sam Allen and "The Workbench Book" (Taunton) by Scott Landis. While both books offer a dose of history, plans and construction information,Allen's book focuses more on step-by-step instruction while the Landis book has more information about history and use. Both books are worth owning as you decide what kind of bench you need for your woodworking.

Another excellent resource is the Internet. I like two sites in particular:

• Building a Traditional Workbench pages.friendlycity.net/~krucker/ Bench/index.htm

Keith Rucker walks you through the entire process of building a Continental-style workbench.The site includes construction drawings, a cutting list and step photos of the entire process.You can even download the entire bench plan in pdf format that is printer-friendly. Rucker covers the topic thoroughly with more than 60 pages of information.

• Bob's Bench Pages terraclavis.com/bws/benches.htm#intro Bob Key's web site is another essential waypoint as you design your own bench. Key's site includes plans for a basic beginner's bench and an advanced model. Plus there's lots of good information about all the "accessories" that help your work at the bench: bench hooks, bench slaves, shooting boards and the like. Plus, Key keeps an eye on other workbench-related sites on the Internet and has a list of good links for you to explore.