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In any private home, workshop or garage, a joiner's workbench is a very useful item. With its help, it is convenient to make or repair any things, it also combines the functions of a table and a tool shelf at the same time. It can be equipped with a bench vice, and a machine for sharpening various tools can be installed on it. If you buy a metal workbench in a store, then it will cost a considerable amount of money, but it is quite possible to make a workbench out of wood with your own hands.
Required tools and materials
So, for self-manufacture of a workbench in the garage, you will need the following tools:
- Hacksaw or electric jigsaw;
- Roulette;
- Square;
- Building level;
- Spanners;
- Drill;
- Screwdriver.
Materials:
- bars for supports;
- 2 sheets of plywood or OSB (one of the sheets is cut out for a shelf of the required size);
- frame boards;
- self-tapping screws;
- bolts;
- washers;
- nuts.
Before work, you need to make a drawing of the workbench with dimensions for ease of assembly.
Step-by-step instructions for making a workbench
To make the upper frame, it is necessary to saw off the boards based on the required size of the workbench (see photo).
Using self-tapping screws, fix 2 long and 2 short boards so that a rectangular frame is obtained. Using a tape measure, mark the distance to the middle of the frame, and perpendicularly, between two long boards, fix the remaining short board, attaching it with self-tapping screws from both ends.
To make the legs of the workbench, you will need to saw off 6 equal bars. On the inner side of the resulting base, fasten one leg to each corner of the frame using bolts, washers and nuts (see the workbench diagram).
For the rigidity of the structure, it is necessary to put additional boards, which will also serve as the basis for the lower shelf. To do this, you need to saw off 4 boards.
With a tape measure, it is necessary to measure an equal distance from each leg of 30 cm, at the obtained level, fix the board to the rear of the structure to 3 legs, and from the front, fix the board between the extreme and middle legs, in the place where the future shelf is planned.
The remaining two boards must be fixed to the legs, at the same level as the shelf boards.
From one or several sheets of plywood or OSB, using a hacksaw or an electric jigsaw, we cut out the necessary segments. We fix them to the top of the workbench flush with self-tapping screws. Additionally, you can fix a sheet of hardboard on top, because it can be easily exchanged for a new one if the old one is badly worn out. The bottom shelf is made according to the same scheme. A tape measure measures the distance between the extreme and middle legs of the workbench, according to this size a sheet of material is cut and set on the resulting base.
When attaching legs or crossbars, you must use a square to obtain an equal distance between the parts of the structure. Using a level, at the place of installation, you need to check whether the made workbench is level with your own hands. In the case of a slope, it must be leveled by means of a stand under the legs of the workbench of wooden chips.
1. Glue the front beam from several layers AND and cut to final dimensions (fig. 1and 1a).Then mill grooves in it 19 mm wide and 41 mm deep (Fig.1a, photo Aand IN).
Quick tip! Do not glue the parts of the template milling device, but fasten them only with screws. The template will again be required to cut grooves in the rear vise block that is wider than the front lid rail.
From a couple of scraps of thick board and 12 mm material, assemble a simple template tool for milling at an angle of 2 ° grooves that will become holes for the bench stops.
When milling grooves in the front bar with a 12mm helical router bit and a 19mm copying sleeve, remove the material a little at a time, gradually increasing the depth.
2. Saw out the trim IN and glue it to the front beam, aligning the right ends of the parts. Carefully remove any excess adhesive that has been squeezed out.
3. Using the template that is usually supplied with the front vise, mark and drill the holes for the rods. (photo C, fig. 1).
Position the mounting template so that the vise holes do not intersect with the bench stop holes in the front A / B rail. Mark the centers of the holes with an awl.
Note. This project uses front and rear viseLee Valley. They are of good workmanship, smooth operation and come with detailed installation instructions.
4. Now make the cover shield WITH, lower trims for front D and rear E vice, spacer F and rear beam G... Glue the strips, rear beam, spacer and front beam to the cover (fig. 1).
5. Make the left and right handpieces H, I (Fig. 2).Form dowels 36 mm wide and 57 mm deep along one edge of the ferrules and drill 12 mm holes.
Quick tip! To quickly make clean and tidy dowels, remove most of the material with a slot disc, then scrape the sides and bottom with a milling table.
6. Mill on the ends of the cover A-G rebates on both sides 57 mm wide and 36 mm deep (PhotoD), to form ridges that fit into the tongue grooves H, I.
Use the tip as a guide to mill the folds on the cover. Be careful not to hit the front trim B with the cutter.
7. Place the left tip on the comb. Hby sliding it towards the front pad IN... Right tip I align with the front edge of the shield WITH... Mark the centers of the 12mm holes (photo E).Remove the tips and use an awl to mark other centers, moving them 1.5 mm closer to the shoulder of the combs (PhotoF). Draw parallel lines, 6 mm apart on both sides of each mark left by the awl, so that the distance between the lines is 12 mm.
Use a 12mm drill point to bring the centers of the holes in the H, I tips to the ridges of the cover.
Move the centers of the holes 1.5 mm closer to the shoulders of the comb to tighten the tip with the lid while driving in the dowels.
Use a thin round rasp to cut all holes except the first. Do not go over parallel lines so that the parts fit tightly.
8. Drill 12 mm holes according to the marking. Then, starting from the second hole (counting from the front edge of the lid), increase it 2 mm in both directions, without going beyond the parallel lines, so that you get an oval 16 mm long. Do the same for the other holes, increasing the length of each next one by 1.5 mm in both directions (PhotoG, fig. 2).This will allow the lid to change its width during seasonal fluctuations in humidity. At the right tip I cut 57x165mm flush with the bottom of the spacer F and the end of the bottom lining E.
9. Put on the tips H, I on the ridges and secure with 12mm hardwood dowels, hammering them into the holes without using glue. Saw off the protruding ends of the dowels flush with the top and bottom edges of the tips.
Quick tip! To facilitate the installation of the ferrules, take dowels of increased length and make tapering at their ends.
Add a vice
1. From the scraps, assemble a frame that will limit the area of \u200b\u200bmovement of the router when cutting a recess in the bottom overlay D for front vise (photo H).Mark the recess 70 mm from the front edge of the lid, with the center aligned with the center of the large vise screw hole.
Use a 12mm upward spiral cutter to select a 57x305x406mm recess for the vise mechanism. Rearrange the trim that supports the router as needed.
Peel off the back plate to slide the vise mechanism into place. Then reinstall it and the operation is complete.
2. Cut the block J for the movable jaw of the front vise. Drill holes in the block, marking them using the template you used earlier, positioning it so that the left end of the block is aligned with the left edge of the cover.
3. Route along the ends of the movable jaw J fillets with a shoulder and attach the front vise to the cover, following the instructions in the instructions (photo I).Reinstall the standard lever handle.
4. Cut the block to the specified dimensions TO for the rear vise. Modify the milling attachment you used before and form slots 19 mm wide and 41 mm deep in the block at an angle (fig. 3and 3a).
5. Saw out the trim L for the rear vise. Drill in block TO 10mm through holes with 25mm counterbores (fig. 3and Per).Pressing the pad against the block with clamps, mark the centers of the holes on it with a 10 mm drill through the holes in the block. Then drill 16 mm holes at the marked points. Note. Our method is slightly different from that described in the instructions and requires the use of washers and plugs that are not included in the vise package. In doing so, we hid the bolt heads under the plug caps rather than leaving them in plain sight.
6. Stick the pad L to the block K (photoJ) and carefully remove any extruded adhesive from the holes for the bench stops.
Align the holes of block K exactly with the holes of the pad L. In order not to waste a lot of time removing excess adhesive, apply it evenly with a thin layer.
7. Attach the assembled block K / L together with the rear vise mechanism into place, following the instructions in the instructions. Close the bolt heads with cap plugs and install the standard lever handle.
Make bench rests
1. Cut 17 stops according to the dimensions specified in the "List of materials" M and 17 springs N... We chose cherry wood for the stops, as it retains the required strength for a long time, does not leave dents on the parts, and its color contrasts well with the white oak wood from which the workbench cover is made. For springs, dense and resilient wood, such as maple, is suitable.
2. To give the stops the desired shape, make copies of the template, enlarging them 2 times. Then glue the springs to the stops. Check how the assembled stops fit into the holes and adjust them if required. They must be removed and recessed without much effort and still remain at the correct height. To learn more about them, read the article "Bench stops" published in this issue of the magazine.
Going to the bottom
Note. Measure and note down the dimensions of the groove on the underside of the cover before starting fabrication. The top of the cabinet base should fit snugly into this recess. If you cannot insert it, you will need to adjust the dimensions to the recess or widen the edges of the recess for final assembly.
1. Cut the shelves according to the dimensions indicated in the "List of materials" ABOUT, partitions R and edging Q, R... Glue linings to shelves and partitions (fig. 4).Then glue the shelves O / Q to partitions P / R and additionally secure with screws.
2. Having cut the planks S and tsars T, glue them to the O-R shelf assembly.
3. Cut the side and back walls out of 19mm cherry veneer plywood U, V... First glue the side walls in place, securing them with additional screws, then add the back wall using only glue to secure it.
4. Note. Check the dimensions of the assembled body before cutting the rungs, struts and trims and make sure the lengths shown in the Material List are correct for your project. We advise you to cut out the detailsW— GG with a slight allowance along the length, and then adjust them in place.
Saw the top and bottom beams W, Xas well as racks Y (fig. 5).Glue the top and bottom crossbars to the base at the front, then add the uprights.
5. Now cut out the rear crossbars Z, AA, racks BB, middlemen SS and side bars DD, EE... Glue the bottom rear crossbar AA and mullions to the back wall V (photo K).Then glue the rear top crossbar and uprights in place, then the side bottom crossbars with mids to the sidewalls, and finally the top side crossbars and uprights.
Use a couple of thick, straight-edged sticks to press the CC mids tighter against the back wall.
6. At the corners of the body, mill 10 mm chamfers, ending at the joints of the crossbars with the uprights. (fig. 6).
Before connecting the plinth boards, you need to saw off the bevels on the strips glued on top. Then you can start milling the fillets.
7. Cut the side, front and rear plinths from the 19mm cherry planks FF, GG the specified length with an allowance of about 3 mm in width. Then saw off a 19 × 19 mm rail from the top edge of each plinth board and mark the parts to fit them in the future. Finally, make dovetail joints to hold the plinths together (Fig.6a).Note. If, instead of dovetail spikes, you decide to make simple connections with a mustache, cut out the base boards of the specified width (without an allowance) and do not saw off the rail from them from above.
8. Saw the bevels on the mustache only on the side plinth rails without shortening them. Glue each one to the corresponding part from which it was sawed off. Then glue the flat strips to the front and rear plinths. Bevel only the top of the front and rear plinths so that they fit snugly into the side plinths. The bevel face should be close to the scribe line, and precise mating of parts can be achieved by fitting, removing material a little (PhotoL). Then mill a 19 mm fillet with a 3 mm shoulder along the top edge of all plinths.
9. Glue the plinths to the base. You may need to use screws or nails to secure them if instead of dovetail joints you made bevels at the ends.
Add doors
1. Saw out the beams NN, racks II and panels JJ specified sizes (fig. 7).
2. Make tongue 6 mm wide and 12 mm deep centered on the inner edges of all uprights and beams. Then form spikes 6 mm thick and 12 mm long at the ends of the bars.
3. Assemble the doors by gluing the uprights, rungs and infills together. When the glue is dry, check how the doors fit into the base opening and adjust if necessary. Then mill 5 × 5 mm rebates on the upper and lower edges of the doors from the inside, as well as 10 × 5 mm rebates on uprights where there are no hinges. These folds leave enough space between the doors and the enclosure to accommodate the magnetic catches.
Attach the doors to the cabinet using the hinges and replace the magnetic catches.
Lower the cover onto the base
1. Invite three sturdy buddies to use them to lift the heavy bench cover and place it on the base. There is no need to fix it - thanks to its massiveness and precise fit, it holds well in place.
2. Once you've installed a new workbench in your workshop, jump right into your next project and now you can enjoy your time in the workshop even more!
It is customary to call a carpenter's workbench a table of a special design with a solid and durable surface that allows mounting various devices and mechanisms on it. In addition, the surface of such a table must be adapted for rigidly attaching additional stationary equipment to it (a circular saw, for example, or a small router) used to process such common materials as wood or metal.
Before making a do-it-yourself carpentry workbench, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the basic requirements for this device, as well as with some of the most popular design options.
Construction requirements
The working characteristics of the workbench table are:
- Its height, adjusted to the user's height, allows you to work in a comfortable environment without stooping, while maintaining a fairly comfortable position. For people of average height, this value can range from 70 to 90 cm.
- The dimensions of the table top, selected from considerations of the possibility of placing all the necessary tools on it, as well as taking into account the dimensions of the workpieces being processed.
- A set of fixtures mounted on a workbench, determined by the need to perform certain operations and providing for the presence of several stops and clamps (screw vices).
- Adaptability "under the arm" of its owner, who may be left-handed.
The most suitable for self-production is the option of a prefabricated workbench, consisting of a frame base with a tabletop installed on it. The length of such a structure usually does not exceed 2 meters (with a tabletop width of the order of 80-100 cm).
Before starting work, you should decide on whether your workbench will be a stationary device, or whether it should be folding (collapsible).
Material selection
The most suitable material for the construction of a stationary workbench is considered to be wood, from which the supporting base with support frames, as well as the tabletop itself, are made. For the manufacture of frames, a standard planed bar with a section of 100 × 70 mm is best suited. As auxiliary lintels that increase the rigidity of the frame base, the same beam can be used, but with a slightly smaller section (100 × 50 mm, for example).
The workbench tabletop can be made of well-planed and tightly fitted boards, at least 5 cm thick.In addition, for its manufacture, a ready-made one-piece canvas (an old solid door, for example) or a workpiece cut to the size of the table from laminated chipboard with reliable and durable coated.
When choosing a material, preference should be given to hard types of wood, such as beech, oak or maple.
Assembling the structure
The production of the workbench begins with the assembly of the frame base, on which the tabletop of the type you have chosen is subsequently installed. The order of the operations performed in this case is as follows:
- First of all, the supporting sidewalls are assembled, equipped in the form of two frame structures from a bar with a section of 100 × 70 mm.
- Then these frames are connected in the upper part by two longitudinal beams, which together with the upper crossbars of the frames serve as supports for the table top. (Note that for reliable fastening of individual elements to each other in the design we are describing, it is best to use the classic "tongue-in-groove" connection with the obligatory gluing of the joint areas).
- The lower parts of the support frames are fastened with longitudinal bridges made of 100 × 50 mm timber, which are mounted at a level of 15–20 cm from the floor. (For their fastening, it is best to use a bolted connection recessed from the body of the bar).
- In the process of manufacturing frame supports, grooves and spikes are first prepared in the blanks, after which the entire structure is assembled in one step (after applying glue to the joints).
During the assembly process, special attention must be paid to the next working moment, which determines the quality of all subsequent installation. When preparing the base of the workbench at each stage of the work performed, it is necessary to monitor the compliance of the dimensions of individual elements with the design data, as well as control the horizontal position of their installation using the building level.
In the case of making tabletops from planed boards, the latter should be tightly fitted to one another, so that no cracks are formed in which debris usually accumulates. Its dimensions should be slightly larger (by 1.5–2 cm) than the dimensions of the supporting base formed by frames and longitudinal bars, which guarantees the convenience of placing auxiliary equipment on the table.
When assembling the table top, the boards are nailed or screwed with self-tapping screws to the transverse bars located on its reverse plane. At the very base, special grooves must be prepared for these bars. The surface of the finished countertop is first carefully sanded, and then treated with a protective solution (drying oil is usually used for this purpose). To fix it on the base, special metal corners can be used additionally.
With regard to the installation of working devices and mechanisms (vice, stops, etc.) on the workbench, we can say the following:
- It is most convenient to place the working vice at the end of the tabletop, having prepared in advance a small recess for the fasteners at the installation site. On the back of the table in the attachment area, a plywood gasket must be provided to protect the surface from damage.
- In addition, special stops should be located on the surface of the tabletop, fixing the workpiece in the working area and making it easier to work with it. On a wooden tabletop, it is most convenient to mount rectangular stops (pegs), adjustable in height to the workpiece being processed and securely fixing it.
- Sometimes the stops are made by simply building up the countertop using bars of suitable thickness, fixed at its edge and closed on the back by a bounding bar.
In the event that there is not enough space in the garage or workshop, you can make a folding workbench, consisting of a table top that folds to the wall and a special folding frame.
This design is very easy to disassemble and when folded takes up very little space. When making it, you should pay attention to the fact that the width of the support legs of the folding workbench does not exceed half the length of the tabletop (so that they do not interfere with each other when folding).
You also need to make sure that the top cross member on the supports is located below the board with the fastening of the hinge of the reclining table top. The material for the manufacture of a folding workbench table can be any solid piece made of chipboard.
The supporting frames of the structure are made of 100 × 40 mm bars, the articulation of which is carried out using pre-prepared metal plates, fixed to the posts and lintels using bolts of the appropriate size.
Video
This video shows the construction process of a joinery workbench:
Photo
The carpenter's bench is the cornerstone of the woodworking workshop. It allows you to intelligently organize your workspace, increase productivity and improve the quality of work, regardless of whether you are an adherent of hand or electromechanical tools. In this article we will tell you how to make a classic wooden workbench with your own hands.
About joinery workbenches
The device and purpose of the workbench
The joiner's workbench is a work table for manual and mechanical processing of wooden products. The design and ergonomics of the classic carpentry workbench allow fixing parts in various spatial positions and with maximum convenience to perform basic carpentry operations: to make wooden parts, to assemble structures, to cover them with finishing compounds. A traditional carpentry table is designed to work with lumber up to 3-3.5 m long. For processing longer workpieces, a carpenter's workbench is used.
The table for carpentry work consists of a workbench (cover) and a pedestal (supporting frame). A traditional workbench is equipped with front (front) and rear (end) vices with which the workpieces are fixed in the required spatial positions.
There are holes in the table top and the wooden vise jaws. They are designed for installation of clamps and stops of various sections and heights.
Having placed the stops in the desired configuration, a part is placed between them and pressed with a screw mechanism of a vice. In this way, the workpiece is securely fixed in a horizontal position. Based on the thickness of the wooden part, a stop of the appropriate height is used, which will not protrude beyond the edge of the workpiece and interfere with processing.
How to find the optimal workbench height?
The height of the joinery workbenches varies between 85-95 cm. The optimal table height is selected based on the growth of the master. If, standing at the workbench, the palms rest freely against its lid, then the size is selected correctly. Behind such a workbench, it will be convenient to perform all basic operations, without frequent bending and stretching, which lead to quick fatigue.
What materials are better for making a structure?
A joiner's workbench must have sufficient strength and rigidity, since during operation it is subjected to high loads, both static, generated under the weight of massive workpieces, and dynamic, arising during sawing, drilling, impacts, etc. Sufficient strength characteristics are provided not only by the features of the fasteners, but also the type of materials used.
For the manufacture of the base, coniferous wood is traditionally used. The table top is made of durable wood: oak, beech, ash, maple, etc. The lumber used to create a bench board must be dry (moisture content of about 12%) without knots and other defects.
About making a bench cover
Experience shows that when making a carpentry workbench with your own hands, it is more expedient to purchase a ready-made glued board, which will become a blank for the cover. The effort and time spent on cutting, joining the edges, gluing the board and leveling it when creating such a massive part will be incomparable with the savings.
When performing work that increases the risk of damage to the cover: drilling, chiselling, etc., it is better to cover the working surface of the workbench with a thick plywood sheet or fiberboard cut to the shape of the cover. It is advisable to make this simple flooring immediately together with a workbench.
Sidewall fabrication and assembly
The sidewall structure consists of two legs (B), drawers and supports (A). The part is assembled on a through glued tenon.
The curly cutouts of the tsars and supports (detail A) are cut out on a band saw, followed by grinding the edges.
In accordance with the dimensions indicated in the diagram, on the legs, they mark the nests for the spikes of the prongs, after which they are selected with a chisel or milled.
On the outer side of the legs, a conical groove is counter-mounted for the head of the tie bolt. A depression with a diameter of 35 mm and a depth of 11 mm is made with a Forstner drill. A through hole with a diameter of 14 mm is drilled in the center.
Sawing out thorns and eyelets
Spikes and lugs are made on a saw machine or manually, guided by the basic principles of creating spike joints. In such a responsible design, the first option is preferable, since it allows you to minimize errors and inaccuracies, ensuring a flawless fit of the connection. The workpieces must have prepared flat surfaces and correspond to the dimensions indicated in the drawing.
The halves of parts A are glued together, having previously placed an insert in the groove, which will prevent displacement.
Sidewall assembly
Parts A and B are glued into a finished joint. After drying, the excess glue that has emerged is carefully cleaned with a chisel. The assembled sidewall is ground.
In the center of the glued drawer side, a 19x38 mm hole is drilled for the dowel (L) to fix the workbench cover.
Manufacturing of projectiles and shelf shelf
According to the dimensions indicated in the drawing, blanks for the projectors (detail C) are cut out in the amount of 4 pieces. Spikes are made at the ends of each part, adhering to the dimensions indicated in the photo. As with the sidewall, this operation is best done on a saw.
The connection of the projectors to the sidewall is made detachable on a bolted tie with a transverse nut. To do this, on the inner side of the projectiles, a recess is milled for transverse nuts d25 mm and 32 mm deep. A hole of 14X95 mm is drilled at the ends of the projections. It is best to use a drilling jig at this stage, since the holes must be made strictly at a 90 ° angle.
The support strips (details D and E) are screwed in with self-tapping screws with an indent of 22 mm from the upper edges of the projections.
According to the dimensions specified in the drawing "General detailing", the strips of the underside shelf are cut out (detail F). At the ends of each strip, holes are drilled and countersunk. The slats are ground and sequentially mounted on the assembled frame.
Installing the bench cover
On the back side of the bench board, blind holes d19 mm and 32 mm deep are drilled for dowels (L).
With a d19 mm drill on the cover, through holes are made for bench stops. Similar sockets 45 mm deep are drilled at the end of the cover. All holes are chamfered. The stops should fit easily into the slots and not play.
Advice! For all drilling operations, use a drill with a jig to ensure neat holes at a perfectly right angle. It will not be difficult to make such a guide yourself, having a piece of timber on hand.
Installation of bench vice
Having decided to make a workbench with your own hands, it is more expedient to buy a joiner's vice ready-made. In this case, you will get the most reliable and functional design, and what is important, you will get rid of unnecessary headaches during their installation.
Bench vise manufacturers strive to adhere to standards in the manufacture of their products. Here we will consider the installation diagram of typical structures. But you may well have to improvise, adapting the installation to the features of non-standard bench vice.
Vise jaws - parts H, I and J (2 pcs.) - sawn out from hardwood. After that, holes are drilled for the guide rods, the lead screw, the slots for the bench stops and the holes for the fastening screws.
The rear jaws of the front and rear vices are mounted to the workbench cover as shown in the photo.
Wooden pads (detail K) are cut out to fit the vise size. Through holes are drilled in the sidebars for the guide rods and the lead screw.
Advice! To accurately mark the holes, use the guides themselves, pieces of masking tape and a soft pencil.
For a zealous owner, a desk is an indispensable attribute of a garage, barn or an extension to the house. Of course, a joinery workbench can be purchased. But if this is a product of a well-known brand, then it is quite expensive. In addition, it is not known whether it will fully meet all the requests of the master. Cheap tables will not last long - for sure.
The most rational solution, if you really want to have the most convenient and versatile joiner's workbench, is to make it yourself. Having dealt with the optimal sizes, drawings, features of the selection of materials and a number of other issues, it will become clear that there is nothing difficult in this for any man.
Choosing a workbench project
You need to start with this. Any desktop is made for specific purposes and premises. Joiner's workbench is a generalized name. One is needed only for woodworking on a personal plot (for example, during construction or overhaul), the other is assembled for everyday work with small parts, and from different materials. Depending on the specifics of use and the place of installation, its design features, dimensions, drawing are determined.
Option A - portable workbench (mobile). Such a desktop is most often assembled by hand for small rooms (an extension, a garage), with a complex layout, and its main purpose is to perform small work with small parts. The relatively low weight of the structure makes it easy to move it, if necessary, to another segment. As a rule, the maximum that you can equip such a workbench is a medium-sized vice and emery. This will allow the carpentry table to be partially used for small locksmith work.
For household purposes, a table according to option A is best suited for a home craftsman. Mobile it is called purely conditionally, only because of its relatively low weight. If a specific place is allocated for it in a barn or garage, nothing prevents the owner from fixing his legs on the floor (pour concrete, “fasten” with large screws, and so on). With your own hands - whatever you like.
Drawing up a drawing of a joinery workbench
If the workbench is assembled for domestic use, then there are recommended linear parameters (in cm), which can be guided by. But this is not an axiom, so the master himself is free to change anything, at his own discretion.
- Length - not less than 180.
- Working surface width - 90 ± 10.
- Workbench height - 80 ± 10 (taking into account the thickness of the worktop). Determining this parameter, you need to focus on your own growth. It is unlikely that working with a tree will be effective and will bring satisfaction if you have to constantly slouch or, on the contrary, rise on tiptoe.
What to consider:
- The number and type of compartments in the table cabinet. These can be open boxes, drawers or drawers with doors, shelves. Another thing is whether the master needs them?
- To make it easier to work with samples of different lengths, it is worth drilling several "slots" in the tabletop to install the limiters.
- To fix the workpieces, it is advisable to have a couple of clamping devices (clamps or screw vices) on the workbench. The optimum width of their "jaws" is 170 ± 5 mm.
- The location of the desktop. Depending on the level of illumination, the number of fixtures fixed on the workbench (and above it) is determined. But at least a couple of pieces, on the edges of the table top, are necessary for "spot" lighting.
If the owner is left-handed, then this should also be foreseen. All typical drawings posted on the Internet are designed for craftsmen who have a right hand. Therefore, you will have to place additional equipment on the table according to the principle of "mirroring".
Workbench drawing example
Selection of materials
Sliced \u200b\u200btimber. It will go to the frame (frame) of the workbench. The section is selected in accordance with the dimensions of the structure. For a large table - not less than 100 x 100. If it is compact, for universal use, you can limit yourself to blanks 100 x 70 (50). They are also perfect for various jumpers. Board. For a tabletop, its minimum thickness is 50. Here you need to think about how to use the workbench more efficiently. For example, in order for it to become truly universal, one part of it can be specially adapted for locksmith work, that is, with metals. In this case, it is advisable to take a more massive board (for example, "sixty") and beat a small segment of the tabletop with sheet metal. This is just one of the ideas that you can implement yourself when determining the design features of the workbench.
A work table is not installed in living quarters. And in the workshop there will certainly be changes in temperature and humidity. therefore wood is recommended for making a workbench - hornbeam, beech, oak... The only drawback of this solution is the high cost of materials. You can choose a cheaper option - maple, larch. These rocks are quite hard. Although for the countertop of a homemade workbench, if it is not planned to carry out any "shock" work, sometimes plate samples (chipboard, OSV) are taken. In principle, any good owner can easily determine what suits him best.
Too porous wood should not be used. Even its high-quality treatment with antiseptics and oils will only increase the moisture-repellent properties, but will not add strength to the tree.
Fasteners
- Bolts. There are no particular difficulties with them. They should be long enough to fit the washer, spring, and nut on the back. More difficult with other types of fasteners.
- Nails. How much it is advisable to use them when assembling a workbench with your own hands (and such recommendations are quite common), everyone will determine independently. But a number of comments are worth making.
- Firstly, a nail, especially a large one, easily splits the wood, especially if it is overdried.
- Secondly, it is hardly possible to drive it strictly vertically, given the length of the leg and the strength of the wood from which the workbench is made.
- Third, the complexity of dismantling. For example, if it is necessary to repair the desktop with the replacement of a component. It is not always possible to pull out a tightly hammered "powerful" nail.
- Self-tapping screws. For a small workbench, the best choice. The most "problem" areas can be additionally strengthened with metal strips, corners, plates. The main thing is to correctly choose the length of the fastener leg. There is a rule according to which it should be at least 3 times the thickness of the part being fastened. Otherwise, the strength of the connection is in question.
Assembly instructions for joinery workbench
In the process of making a desktop with his own hands, the master must constantly, at every stage, control the angles and levels. The slightest bias even in one place - and everything will have to start over.
Manufacturing workbench parts
- This is easy to do according to the dimensions available in the drawing.
- Each sample is carefully polished.
- Depending on the type of wood, an impregnating compound is selected and the parts are processed to protect them from decay and wood-boring insects.
- Drying. It is worth focusing on this. It is impossible to initiate this process with the help of artificial heating, otherwise the workpieces will begin to deform - bend, twist. Moisture should only evaporate naturally - in a room with room temperature and good ventilation.
Assembling the base frame (workbench base)
Partly about the features of fastening has already been said - screws + reinforcement elements. But still, the main method of fixing is a thorn-groove connection with a fit on carpentry glue. But the fasteners only add strength to the entire structure of the workbench. But this is practiced only for massive tables, which are not planned to be further disassembled (stationary options).
Here you should consider the degree of maintainability of the workbench. If it is in a room with good conditions, it is unlikely that the wood will quickly begin to rot. In such cases, adhesive joints are quite justified. For work tables that are located in cold sheds, unheated boxes, and even more so under the open sky, "landing" on the glue is undesirable. Partial repairs will not work, and you will have to reassemble the frame.
Additional structural reliability can be provided by installing various bridges - diagonal, horizontal. All this is thought out even at the stage of drawing up the drawing, although it is possible to make "revision" during the installation process.
Table top
This is the most loaded part of the workbench, and it is advisable to make it removable. In this case, it is not difficult (in case of significant damage) to replace 1 - 2 boards.
- The width of the tabletop is selected so that its surface extends somewhat beyond the frame perimeter. Otherwise, it will be inconvenient to work on such a workbench. And you won't be able to fix the removable vice.
- The sides of the boards are carefully sanded. If an exact fit of the samples is not achieved, then the appearance of gaps cannot be avoided.
- The workpieces are laid face down (on a flat base) and fastened with bars. They are placed perpendicular to the center lines of the boards, and the thickness of the latter allows them to be pulled in with thick self-tapping screws. As a last resort, it is easy to drill out recessed chamfers at some points.
- To make the tabletop removable, it is fixed to the frame using metal corners.
- After its manufacture, additional grinding of the front part is performed. To extend the service life, it is advisable to treat the working surface with impregnating agents (wood oil, drying oil).
Workbench equipment
At what stage and what exactly needs to be done is decided depending on the modification of the desktop and the selected drawing. For example, the same vice. They can be purchased and can be easily attached to the edge of the workbench. People with experience in joinery make their own clamping devices.
In principle, a man who is “friends” with the simplest tool should not have any difficulties in assembling a joiner's workbench. The only recommendation is that before you start drawing up a drawing, you should carefully look through all the photos of desktops available on the Internet.
Even if they do not have dimensions, it is not difficult to decide on them. But with a high degree of probability it can be argued that new, interesting ideas will appear. After all, there is a folding workbench, which is very convenient in a small box or shed. And after getting acquainted with the complete set of the table, design features of various models, you can come up with something of your own, original. After all, the beauty of DIY assembly is in the absence of any canons. Only creativity + knowledge of the issue.