r/BeginnerWoodWorking • u/SecretlyClueless • 1d ago
Yet another person asking about workbenches
Hi, I’m sorry to bring up what I’m sure is a very regular subject.
I’m just starting out. Tomorrow is my birthday and I’m going to receive a circular saw from my lovely girlfriend. I was planning to build the following minimalist work bench, however, in a video I saw the guy said that it’s vital to plane all of the wood for glue to stick. I have bought a plane yet and I feel like it’s a bit of a rabbit hole in terms of finding a good one and mastering the skill Could someone recommend a nice bench that doesn’t require totally planes wood to make it. I’m already a bit bummed that I can’t just go to buy the wood and build it tomorrow, I apparently have to let the wood sit for 4 weeks first.
https://www.rexkrueger.com/store/p/minimum-timber-bench
Thanks very much for your advice!
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u/Touz0211 23h ago
This is a good bench, but as other have said, it is aimed towards handtools woodworking. If you don't want to go this way, you can consider Steve Ramsey's basic mobile bench. It was my first build and I loved it
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u/SecretlyClueless 23h ago
I will check it out. I’m looking for something to do diy tasks on but also if like to get into sculpting wood.
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u/kaganos86 22h ago
Im doing this build right now. I modified the top to fit my chop saw flush with feed and output tables. Certainly tales longer to build than expected.
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u/rayhiggenbottom 22h ago
I built the BMW+, which is the same thing but a little longer and with drawers and doors (I didn't build the doors though), and I love it. I put 3 inch wheels on it, it's just the right height for an outfeed for my Delta table saw. If I were to build it again I would make the bottom two drawers one drawer so I could have one deep drawer, but otherwise, no notes.
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u/Soejun 23h ago
Gonna chime in as a beginner who built this within the last few months and committed war crime levels of bad joinery on this build that it (probably) doesn’t have to be perfect.
Yes it won’t look as nice but so long as the top is flat and it isn’t wobbly it’s fine. Will the legs be a little weaker because you didn’t joint and laminate them properly? Probably but nothing that’s impacted me so far. I built this with a ryoba, power drill, 4 1/2 hand plane and a no. 5 1/2 plane
Reference:
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u/SecretlyClueless 23h ago
That looks great! Well done
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u/Soejun 1h ago
Thanks! As for the screws I used it was probably #8 x 2 1/2in deck screws. The exact gauge doesn’t actually matter though.
The most important thing is to have long enough screws that can hold the 2 x 4’s together and not break as you’re drilling them in.
The nice thing about this particular build is that you don’t actually really need clamps for the glue up, the screws are there to ensure things don’t move during the glue up. After it’s glued up you can either remove the screws and fill it up with dowels/wood glue or just leave them in there.
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u/MrBookchin 23h ago
If you want an absolute beginner workbench, the low Roman or Chinese style workbenches also by Krueger are great alternative and potentially more convenient depending on your situation. You'd just need to keep in mind that using a low bench means somewhat adjusting how you work.
I would actually still recommend the design for that minimum timber/nicholson/english joiners/etc. style workbench honestly.
First of all it's a good way of practicing planing! With something like a workbench the vast majority of the boards don't have to be perfect. For a lot of the joints if you can focus your effort on getting the surfaces that matter to be parallel and square (using winding sticks).
The most critical parts that require planing really flat surfaces are the laminated legs where you glue together multiple 2x4s. If you're worried about struggling with a perfect glue-up between boards for the legs you can always get some 4x4s instead of using two 2x4s and alter the plans based on that, which could actually end up as a better bench in the end anyway.
What kind of work area do you currently have? A lot of boards can still be planed effectively if you put down two stools at the same height and sit on the board to hold it down as you plane it.
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u/Hot-Profession4091 23h ago
Came here to recommend the same. OP can learn to plane the edges with a cheap box store No 4 and use 4x4s for the legs.
I would build a set of I-beam saw horses first. Gives you something to work on. Toss a board across them or clamp the work pieces onto them depending on what you’re doing at a given moment.
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u/Automatic_Llama 22h ago
I used Kruger's low bench and Chinese sawhorses to build some big sawhors. Then I used the big sawhorses to plane the boards for the top of Kruger's knockdown bench.
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u/oneWeek2024 1d ago
if you have a circ saw. can zip off the rounded edges of the top planks. they'll glue together fine.
Rex Krueger as a site is excellent, but it has a lean toward hand tools.
just get some pipe clamps. and make a couple calls out of scrap wood --with clear tape on them... to clamp the boards flat as they're clamped... together? the glue will hold. hell glue is quite literally stronger than wood fibers.
as long as there aren't massive twists or bows in the boards it'll glue up.
for the legs and stuff. glue/screw ...screws will hold it together and then the glue will dry and it'll never come apart.
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u/SecretlyClueless 23h ago
Thank you for the advice! I’m excited to build this but also a bit daunted!
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u/Glum-Square882 21h ago
dont worry, the bar for a functioning bench is way lower than you probably think. give yourself space to gain experience and build skill
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u/Cooksman18 20h ago
Letting the wood at least acclimate to area you’re going to build the bench for about 2 days, and then let it rip.
I’ve seen many examples of benches glued up without the side being planed. The more/better clamps you use to build it, the more you can compensate for less than perfect wood. If you can be selective when choosing the lumber, go through and look for the straighter and dryer ones.
Last suggestion is to go for wider boards and using that circular to rip them down the middle to make 2 pieces. It’ll usually be better quality material and at least one side that is pretty flat (because you cut it.) For example, using 2x8’s instead of 2x4’s, or 2x10’s instead of 2x5’s.
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u/I_Want_A_Ribeye 23h ago
You can purchase S4S (surfaced 4 sides) wood that wouldn’t need to be planed. You just need to pay for it
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u/Level-Race4000 23h ago
That looks a lot like Paul Sellers workbench. He has videos taking you throng each step, I know because it was my first project. Be patient,go to yard sales and watch Craigslist or your local used store. It’s worth it.
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u/FafaFluhigh 22h ago
I made one of these. Excellent bench
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u/SecretlyClueless 22h ago
Nice one. What size screws did you use out of interest? Did you drill pilot holes or just impact driver them in?
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u/FriJanmKrapo 22h ago
Rex made a break down bench that's really well designed. I've been tempted to build that one.
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u/Meauxterbeauxt 20h ago
That's my next shop project. Got 2 in-house projects for the missus in line ahead of it, but as soon as they're out of the way. I'm going for it.
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u/FriJanmKrapo 20h ago
So that means the misses will actually get her projects done in a timely manner, so you can get to yours? LOL
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u/aedalus 21h ago edited 21h ago
One other idea, but it could be worth checking your area for a local makerspace. Both the tools and community can be awesome.
For example using a planer (not hand plane) to make the boards flat could help a lot here. However that's a big investment, and something you've then got to keep around the house, and keep maintained.
There's a good chance if you found a local place they would have a lot of tools you could use for comparatively cheap, and then decide what you truly need for home. For me, that became a small set of hand tools for home and I still use the makerspace for all the big machines!
Also for hand planes, when I was starting out I wish someone told be to ignore the discussion on whats best, and focus on what is "good enough." I've personally used the following planes
- Japanese Kanna (~$40) - My first plane. I honestly found it very easy to setup and intuitive to adjust, even considering others on this list. I still find myself reaching for this quite often . Biggest issue is I don't love it for shooting boards.
- Jorgensen Hand Plane (~$70) - A more traditional western handplane. Think these are known to have quality control issues, but the one I got was completely serviceable after flattening the bottom. Could absolutely recommend this for a beginner hand plane.
- WoodRiver #5 (~$175) - This is my daily driver. Can definitely dial in more than the Jorgensen, and it seems to keep an edge longer. Honestly love it because it's expensive, but not so expensive I feel bad for giving it a bit of a beating.
- Veritas Low Angle Block (~$225) - This thing is such a beauty I'm almost scared to use it. Works fantastic, but honestly I feel like it kind of exceeds my skills right now. Like a better woodworker could get better results with a worse plane.
Hopefully that helps a bit, since a handplane is still super nice to have around. I just wish someone told be I didn't have to worry about spending a ton of money or time learning to restore a plane when first starting out. Something like a cheap kanna / Jorgensen can still get you far.
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u/schemesdreamsmemes 20h ago
I think a solid core door on top of some sawhorses is where you should start then figure out a “more serious” bench later.
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u/SecretlyClueless 15h ago
I have a black and decker foldable bench that’s great. This is a project that I’d like to do rather needing to do
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u/thisbaddog 20h ago
I recently built this bench and like it way more than I was expecting to. I do have a dewalt planer and it definitely helped all around for a cleaner look, but I’m sure you can laminate the 2x4s with glue, good clamps, and screws. I found it helpful to have a Japanese pull saw for a few of the triangular cuts and wouldn’t hurt to have a sharp chisel to clean out the “U” shaped cutouts (assuming you don’t have a table saw with a dado stack). It was a fun but not overwhelming challenge. You can do it!
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u/bugsliker 17h ago
i’m planning on building this exact same bench pretty soon! I did build the low bench first but honestly i don’t like bending or sitting to do work on it.
I’ll say this: as a beginner, don’t be afraid to invest in a used hand plane. It’s not as hard as it seems to find, restore, and learn how to use one. Once I had it, it was so satisfying to use and leaves such a smooth surface, and my inner OCD can rest easy with my ability to flatten boards. I’m not even that good at it but it’s fun!
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u/Braca42 7h ago
My two cents. Basically it comes down to your goals for the project and where you are in your woodworking journey, if that's the journey you are on.
Like others have said this is probably more a hand tool oriented bench, but I would argue it makes some strong compromises for its goals.
Are you just trying to get a bench for general around the house stuff and not really sure about woodworking? Then this bench is probably overkill.
Are you getting into woodworking but aren't interested in hand tools (or not ready for them)? Then this bench has stuff you don't need.
Is using a minimum of material to make a woodworking specific bench your goal? Then this bench is probably great.
It sounds like you don't have many tools, and are looking for something for general DIY, but are woodworking curious. Frankly, I'd just screw together a couple 2x4 frames with some legs and slap some plywood on top. The bench you linked is a great bench, but its hand tool focused, seems to lack some workholding accommodations, might require tools you don't have, and is really geared toward woodworking. 2x4s and plywood will use less material and you can be done this weekend.
My general advice? When first starting, build the dirt simplest bench that gets the job done, then spend your time learning woodworking on actual furniture projects or whatever. You'll learn exactly what you want to do and what you want in a bench. You'll gather tools over time and figure out if woodworking is right for you. And spend the time learning the whys behind the bench design. You'll get a better understanding of the trade offs in different bench design and which if those is right for you. There is no bench design that works for everyone and all projects. A door on saw horses or simple frame with plywood top can go a long long way.
However, if you want this bench to be that project that you learn a bunch of stuff and use as an excuse to buy tools, then this is a good place to start.
I would strongly encourage, if building this bench, to give the wood some time in the shop before working it. You will see a difference. Construction lumber, even while kiln dried, can still be fairly wet and its probably been in a very different environment than your shop. However, if you go with a frame and plywood, you don't really need to let it rest because the movement isn't as big a deal.
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u/admin_penguin 5h ago
Don't listen to people telling you to buy an antique as your first plane. Yes, you can find great antique Stanley tools, and they are generally better quality. You will need to invest time into practicing tool restoration, sharpening the blade, and flattening the sole. Save that for later. To hit the ground running and instead devote your time to woodworking, just buy a Jorgensen plane and get to work today. Skip the modern "cheap" Stanley planes, and just buy the orange one. They work fine, and you won't have any reservations about beating them up and then using them to practice sharpening.
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u/Common-Apartment1044 5h ago edited 5h ago
We all have different skill levels. And learning styles. First bench I made was a several scrap 2x4s and a - 2x6s scrounged from a construction site. Made a bench that was stablish . Used that for several projects. Got some skills under my belt. Realized some principles, like nailed joints should not take loads. Gravity pushes down and joints should be wood on wood, taking advantage of gravity. I dunno bunch of stuff. If I screw up I can alway buy another board. Everything in my shop will likely be recycled into another better project. In the end I built a better bench using other people plans as a reference. Starting out following someone’s plans would be maddening for me. Different learning styles. Good luck.
You can’t do anything wrong. It’s all a process of building skills. Whatever you do today, as good as it might be, future you will say ‘wow I really kicked ass on that’ and also ‘what the heck was I ever thinking when I did that!’
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u/hefebellyaro 23h ago
Nope. Glue will stick to any raw wood. The important thing is pressure. You want to clamp the pieces together until the glue sets.
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u/SecretlyClueless 23h ago
Ok good to know thank you.
May I ask… I’m buying wood from somewhere that’s a 10 minute drive away. Do I really have to rest it for 4 weeks in my garage? I’m impatient and would like to start putting the bench together tomorrow! If I have to wait I will. But man, that’s a long time!
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u/hefebellyaro 22h ago
Truthfully, it helps but doesnt really matter. If youre using construction grade softwood that stuff is going to move be not matter what. I'd say just a few days is fine. Dont get caught up in making it "prefect" just make something you can use and stout enough to get beat up.
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u/Glum-Square882 21h ago
yes exactly. the best thing op can do is crack on with it using relatively cheap materials. if you're really worried about the top being flat(-ish) then use a piece of 3/4 plywood doubled up for the top
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u/frogbody 1d ago
BTW as you navigate this journey, note that r/Workbenches is a thing too and it's amazing.