Woodworker's Journal 1993-17-1, страница 44

The $30 Workbench

Have you checked ihe prices of workbenches in any of those fancy woodworking catalogs lhat regularly fill your mailbox? Like most woodworkers, you probably lust after thai luscious-looking bench of Burmese Teak or Khodesian Muninga. but blanch at the price—typically well over $500. But then, are you buying the bench to admire or to work on? If your answer is the latier. then you may just decide lo build this utilitarian bench, by Ed Speas, Ed, who hails from Ball-ground. Georgia, has been touting the advantages of—and selling plans for— this bench for some lime now. If you've any doubi as to w hy this bench is—from a craftsman's standpoint—better than benches costing 10 times as much, ihen be sure to read Ed's "Is a Big Ticket Bench Belter?" sidebar (page 47). Obviously. our S30 materials estimate covers 44

only the sheet slock and the hardware, and does not include- the vise.

Incredibly, the bench shown is made from just two 4 by 8 sheets of ^l/2 in. thick Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF). The two sheets are cut (see Culling Diagram) lo yield pans for three torsion boxes—or T-boxes, for short. One T-box is the workbench lop. the remaining two T-boxes serve as pedestals. If you've never iried T-box construction before, it's really quite easy. To help you. we've detailed the process in a series of step-bv-step illustrations (see Make A Torsion Box, page 29).

Workbench How-To

Before you mart: Make your decision regarding the workbench height before you lay oui your parts on the two sheets of MDF. 11 you want a lower height, just reduce the length of the various pedestal

parts. However, to increase the working height, don't increase the lengths of the pedestal parts, since there isn't much room to do this on the 4 by 8 MDF panels. Instead, just cut a few spacer strips from the scrap MDF and glue these under the pedestals lo raise the height. Fach layer of MDF w ill raise the Ivnchiop heighl '/- in. Lay out and cut parts: Using the Culling Diagram as a visual guide, along with the dimensions listed in the Bill of Materials, lay out the various parts on the two sheets of MDF, As indicated, the various core pans (B. C. D. F. G. H) plus the plate pans (1. K) can be cut lo exact length and width. However, both the bench top and the pedestal skins (A. E) and the stretcher and bench slop parts < J, Li must he cut oversize to start. The skins are trimmed flush with their respective T-box assemblies, and the

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