For the convenience of processing wood, stone, plastic and metal, for finishing and assembly manipulations, a carpentry workbench is often needed. To make it yourself, you don’t need drawings - they are needed for desktops complex design, which are also described in this article.

Purpose and typical structure of a workbench

Any workbench is a massive and necessarily stable work table for processing products of various sizes. The larger its dimensions, the larger and heavier the parts that can be processed on it. Moreover, the work itself is performed as hand tools(hacksaw, brace, etc.), and mechanized - for example, using electric drill or electric planer. A carpentry workbench has the following typical layout:

• Working surface - made of solid board, thickness not less than 60 mm. It is advisable to use wood for the workbench cover hard rocks– beech, hornbeam or oak, otherwise it will have to be changed periodically due to rapid wear. The lid can be put together from separate dry boards and treated with drying oil before installation;
• A vice is “hung” on the front (front) part of the top cover for fastening the workpieces. If the linear size of the workbench exceeds 1 meter, you can install two vices - separately for large and small parts. Large vices should be made of wood, small ones are acceptable in the “steel version”;
• Bench supports are made of soft wood - pine or linden. The wooden workbench supports are necessarily interconnected by longitudinal strips for overall stability of the structure;
• Retractable or tightly fixed shelves for tools can be located on supports in the underbench space.

A series of holes are drilled in the front of the top cover to install clamps, wedges and other parts for fastening large parts. There is a recess in the back of the working surface - it is intended for small parts and accessories. You can replace the difficult-to-make recess with a perimeter made of wooden slats.

A homemade workbench can have three types of design:

• Mobile. A small table measuring approximately 70 by 80 cm in length and width, with one vice and weighing up to 30 kg. The lower parts of the supports are made of metal for additional stability. Designed for minor repairs and work with light wood products;
• A stationary workbench of simple design - easy to manufacture, but firmly “tied” to one place. Used for processing heavy boards and massive wooden pieces;
• Composite with bolted connections. Convenient due to its “disassembly” and ease of replacement individual parts, but more difficult to manufacture than others.

Photo gallery: drawings with dimensions and designations

Methodology self-made We will consider stationary and adjustable workbenches in more detail. Stationary is dug into the ground on own plot, in the country or in the yard. If it is installed inside a garage or other work space, it is recommended to secure it well to the floor so that the workbench does not rock during operation.

The installation sequence is as follows:

1. Base - frame made of wooden beams, which is fastened so that the resulting structure is as reliable as possible. To do this, you need to place a jumper between the legs and install a drawer in the middle. They are best placed at a distance of about 40 cm from the floor level. By the way, they are also useful for creating additional shelves. The beams are combined using construction glue. Where it is impossible to carry out such work, you need to use self-tapping screws. If you are going to make a disassembling tool, it is best to connect the supports with metal corners. In any case, first all the grooves are prepared, then the structure is assembled, the joints are treated with glue, and we secure them with clamps. The best option When setting up a stationary workbench, it is considered possible to attach part of the tool to the wall for reliability.

   The base is a frame made of beams

2. If you are constructing a tabletop from several boards, then it is important to knock them down as efficiently as possible so that no debris or sawdust gets into the gaps. The dimensions should exceed the width and length of the base by 3-5 cm - this will allow you to clean the instrument with all convenience.
3. The tabletop is screwed and nailed to several boards, which are located on the other side of the working surface, and grooves must be placed in the base for mounting the bars.

   The boards are attached to a stable frame

4. The work table needs to be tidied up using a grinder, covered with drying oil to reduce the risk of injury from splinters, and metal corners are bolted to its base.
5. We attach a vice to the already made working surface, under which we should create recesses in the working surface, this will allow the vertical plate to be positioned in the same plane as the tabletop. We install a plywood spacer on the bottom side; it is important to ensure that the lips of the vice are flush with the surface. Using a vice, mark the area where the holes will be drilled and attach them using nuts. We mill the holes in advance so that the bolts “sink” into them. It is best to install the vice not in the corners, which will make them reliable even under heavy loads.

   You can attach a vice or saw to the surface of the workbench

6. In addition to the vice, you should also make stops. Of course, you can make them yourself, but it’s better to buy ready-made ones. However, if you decide to create them yourself, prepare rectangular stops that can be adjusted in height. Bolts should not be used, as they can damage the workpiece during operation. We make holes on the working surface for the stops, preferably placing them at a distance of up to 50% of the vice stroke - this will allow you to securely fasten any workpieces.

Video: workbench with a vice

Video: workbench with saw

How to make a simple carpentry workbench with your own hands

1. The top cover is knocked together from thick boards, which should form a massive shield with a width of 70 cm and a length of up to 2 meters. For fastening, long nails are used, driven into the boards from the “front” side and carefully bent onto the backside of the wooden crosspieces. The working surface of the workbench must be made of solid wood; fiberboard, chipboard and other materials made from pressed shavings are absolutely not suitable for it.
2. good constructive solution the lid will be covered along the lower perimeter with a 5 by 5 cm beam - subsequently it is convenient to attach vertical supports to it. The increased weight of the lid will only add additional stability to the entire structure.
3. The location of the vertical supports depends on the size of the top cover of our workbench. It is advisable to make them from rectangular timber measuring 120 by 120 mm. You can also use round timber as supports, but its fastening is not as reliable as that of square (rectangular) bars. Great value has the height of the working surface, the convenience of carpentry manipulations depends on it.
4. It is optimal to install the upper cut of the supports at the level of the hand lowered down - by installing the cover overall height the workbench will “grow” by 7-10 cm and working on it will become quite convenient. On the ground, we mark holes for vertical supports and dig them to a depth of 25-30 cm. Accordingly, total length of dug bars is 1.2-1.3 meters.
5. Vertical bars are installed in the dug holes exactly, strictly along construction level. The installed supports are connected in pairs using wide boards at a height of 20-40 cm. Transverse boards are attached to vertical bars using long self-tapping screws. After which the working surface is mounted on the ends of the supports. For its installation, self-tapping screws are used, since hammer blows on nails can move the frame of our structure.
6. When the top cover is securely fastened, vices, clamps and other devices can be “hung” on it for the convenience of carpentry.

If the design is more complex

In the manufacture of composite carpentry workbench Do-it-yourself drawings will definitely be required, although the manufacturing procedure itself is in many ways similar to that described above. The main differences are related to the use of bolted connections instead of self-tapping screws and the installation of tool boxes in the underbench space.

When the installation of vertical supports is completed, they are connected to each other by horizontal jumpers. First, in each jumper, using a chisel and a hammer, grooves are hollowed out for a nut with a washer (you can use special furniture bolts with C-shaped nuts). Having set the jumper beam to the required height, in a vertical support and horizontal bar a through hole is drilled into which a long bolt is inserted. From the side of the prepared groove, a nut and washer are “attached” to the bolt and carefully tightened along the thread.

You will need two horizontal jumpers for the frame of a collapsible workbench on all four sides. In addition, it is necessary to install 1-2 jumpers in the middle of the tabletop, directly below it. Horizontal slats are attached to these additional jumpers using small self-tapping screws, along which they will slide drawers for the tool. The boxes themselves are made “on site”, that is, depending on the size of the mounting clearance between the jumpers.

The working cover of the collapsible workbench is also bolted. Using a chisel, a mounting recess is hollowed out in the upper part of the vertical supports, and holes for bolts are drilled in the cover. Because a flat working surface is required, the bolt heads are “recessed” into the cover by drilling them seats drills of the appropriate diameter.

Video: how to make your own milling table

The undeniable advantage of a collapsible workbench lies not only in the easy replacement of parts and the tabletop itself. As you know, under the load from planing, drilling, and other mechanical processing, the most durable workbench becomes loose. It is much safer and easier to re-tighten the mounting bolts than to drive new nails or screws into the wood - so collapsible models last much longer than their knocked-together counterparts.

Video: folding workbench

The design of your woodworking bench will depend on your needs. In order to make it yourself, minimal knowledge and skills are enough.

It is not difficult to assemble a carpentry workbench with your own hands.

A good workbench should be in the household of everyone who works with wood or performs carpentry work.

Before we look at the drawings and start assembling the workbench, let’s get acquainted with its structure and manufacturing nuances.

The workbench consists of a workbench board and a base (underbench).

The board has a vice - one or two, in which the master clamps the parts with screws.

You can place the emphasis directly on the working board of the workbench using wedges that are inserted into holes in the board itself, thereby you can adjust the length of the emphasis in accordance with the length of the workpiece.

The bench board is made of dry wood or plywood up to 8 cm thick. The bench board is made of bars with a thickness of 6 cm.

The underbench is supported by 2 racks, which are transversely fastened together by beams with screws/wedges.

This is necessary so that the workbench does not “move” from side to side when planing and sawing.

Workbench structure in detail:

• The worktop is made of solid wood/plywood with a thickness of 6 to 8 cm;
• Vise on the front of the table top;
• Workbench supports are made of solid wood/plywood, connected by cross bars for stabilization;
• You can install shelves and a tool box on the supports;
• Holes for wedges are drilled in the tabletop to support the workpieces;
• You can make a recess on the side or back of the work board to store tools.

The complete structure of the workbench is shown in the photo below.

1 - cover; 2 - subsurface; 3 - tray; 4 - front clamp; 5 - rear clamp; 6 - sockets; 7 - adjustable wedges (combs)

Workbench dimensions

Here we meet the first important nuance, which cannot be ignored when making a workbench with your own hands - its height and length.

The minimum permissible height of the workbench is 130 cm, length is no more than 260 cm.

The height of the workbench is adjusted to the height of the person working on it:

• too high will not allow you to push hard, which is important when planing;
• a low workbench will force you to constantly hunch over, which will have a bad effect on your back health after just a couple of months;
• the height will be normal if you stand straight, have your back straight and can place your hands on the board without bending your elbows.

Manufacturing nuances

Making a workbench has its own nuances, the observance of which guarantees the production of a workbench that will perform its functions flawlessly.

There are a lot of nuances, so we structure them in relation to each stage of the future assembly process:

1. Initial stage of work. You need to start with a working board. Someone will rush to look for an expensive solid wood, and not just any kind, but according to science - oak, beech or ash. Experts will advise you to take a ready-made wooden tabletop, which will cost an order of magnitude less;
2. Working with the future working surface of the workbench. The surface must be made smooth, therefore any wood prepared for the role of a workbench board must be properly sanded. To varnish or not is up to you;
3. An important point is that a workbench is a type of table. Your task, in essence, is to make a table on which they cut not sausage, but wood. Therefore, having assembled the workbench, fasten it thoroughly on four legs and then connect them with transverse slats to each other for stability;
4. Drawers – important element comfort. Take the drawer out of the bedside table and pay attention to how it is installed: there are a pair of guides in the shape of the letter “P” along which the side slats of the drawer slide. Nail two guide rails at a distance from each other equal to the width of the drawer and you’re done;
5. You will need a sawing table if you will be sawing. The table is placed 20-30 cm beyond the board itself. It is a small board that is attached to the desktop with screws (see photo);
6. The bench board should be straight. Planing, sawing, burning, carving and other manipulations can be carried out strictly on a flat surface and nothing else;
7. Don't forget the wedges! Wedges are needed to provide emphasis when planing the workpiece. In the table, at a certain step (10-15 cm), you need to drill a row of holes (several rows in a row), into which you will then insert rounded wedges. If possible, use a drill bit square holes– square wedges hold the stop better due to their shape than rounded ones, which are prone to deflecting the vector of the applied load - the workpiece will fly out of the stop every now and then.

Practical instructions for creating a workbench

So, it's time to make your own carpentry workbench. Each stage of assembly is accompanied by a description and photo of the process.

At the end practical instructions Watch the video summarizing the assembly process step by step. We do not provide drawings of the folding version, since it is much more difficult to manufacture.

Let's look at the assembly step by step.

Step 1 – take measurements

Is your back very tense or not? If everything suits you, measure the distance from your palm to the floor - this will be the total height of the workbench.

Step 2 - making the legs

Take ready-made bars of the required height, or purchase plywood and cut the sheets into strips of the required width.

Now they need to be glued together: take wood glue or powerful epoxy, put several layers on top of each other, simultaneously gluing them together.

You may need 10 of these strips of plywood for each leg. It is better to glue together 10 sheets of plywood at once and, after drying, cut them into 4 parts.

Step 3 - making the frame of the workbench

Let's take it already finished board, with a thickness of 4 cm - 4 pieces, which will be the sides of the frame-box and assemble the box, placing the sides on the screws.

In another case, you can also take several sheets of plywood, glue them together and then saw them evenly.

But in order to properly connect them together later, it is better to use a router and lamellas.

Having drilled the necessary holes, we assemble the wooden box: we place it on PVA glue using the dowels of the board, and clamp it with clamps. After drying, we attach the legs to the box with self-tapping screws.

Step 3 – assembling the tool shelf

From glued plywood (5-6 sheets) we cut out a shelf that is placed in the grooves.

The shelf needs to be secured with confirmations: use a special drill (see photo), which simultaneously chamfers and drills.

The confirmation must be recessed, since this part of the shelf will be used as a guide for the drawer. Now the base of the table is ready.

Step 4 – making a drawer for the countertop

We take a sheet for the bottom and again 4 strips of plywood from several glued layers. By internal parties We will make grooves on two side walls for the bottom of the box.

And on the outside of these walls we make grooves by milling so that the box can move freely on the shelves. We select the cutters as follows: the smaller one is the thickness of the bottom, the larger one is the thickness of the side strips + 1-2 mm.

To secure the side wall, we install dowels: drill holes for the dowels at the ends of the walls, mark a point for drilling on the adjacent wall with a pencil and drill to a small depth.

Then we place the dowels in both holes using PVA glue. For final assembly When installing a drawer, you should use countersunk screws that will not interfere with the opening and closing of the drawer.

Step 5 - making the tabletop itself

Again we cut strips of plywood glued together in several layers for the base of the table top. We connect the strips into a box using dowels and PVA.

If you use round dowels, then you need to take at least 4 of them for each connection.

While the tabletop box is drying, we assemble its working board: we take wide sheets of plywood and glue them together in several layers.

You can also pick up a tabletop from an old desk and then simply adjust it to size. We glue the tabletop onto a box reinforced with dowels.

Step 6 - install the vise

As soon as the glue has set and the tabletop is ready, we drill holes in it for wedges for stops and for attaching a vice.

Typically, the vice is placed on 3 holes: two for fastening with bolts, one for the screw that imparts pressure when the handle rotates.

The vice can be taken from an old workbench or purchased ready-made and then simply adjusted to the tabletop by drilling holes of the required pitch.

A bench vise is a metal screw with guides and a wood clamp.

You can take several layers of plywood about 5-7 cm thick and simply drill holes in it and put it on a screw - you will get a stop, then put snap brackets so that the vice does not fall out and you're done.

You can drill holes in the stop according to the size of the dowel large diameter, then attach it with a screw to a square of plywood, having previously drilled a recess in the square.

Make 4 such stops and place them all over the tabletop to fix the workpieces with the stop in a vice.

Our workbench is ready!

(All the above steps are shown separately in the video of the assembly process)

Rules of care and use

There are a number of rules that must be strictly followed in order for the workbench to last as long as possible:

• Clean the surface from dust and glue after each use;
• Wipe the surface once a month with hot drying oil;
• Do not flood the workbench with water or place anything adhesive on it, including parts to be glued.
• The chopping workbench is not used under any circumstances;
• Place a board or plywood under the workpiece if you want to use a cutting tool.
• Do not over-tighten the vice screws;
• When the screws are tightened, do not hit the vice;
• The workbench is attached to its permanent location using strips with screws or nails;
• The bench board should not move. Otherwise, strengthen all its connection points;
• Wipe wooden screws with dry soap, paraffin or graphite, and metal screws only with machine oil.

A good workbench in the garage allows you to make various types metal and wood work in a short period of time. Stored here various instruments and small details. In simple terms, it is a special table on which you can do turning and metalwork.

In addition to the tabletop, there may be multi-layer structures of shelves and hanging containers for storing nails, screws and nuts.

Making a universal workbench is quite simple. The main thing in this matter is to prepare a project and detailed drawings of the future product. During the creation process, it is necessary to observe the order of each action.

Self-manufacturing of such a structure will save a decent amount. Besides this, individual project helps you make a design based on the parameters of your room.

Types of workbench

There are several types of workbench. Each of them has some characteristic features. In turn, they are divided into:

Locksmith. It is intended for metal work. The tabletop of this product is made of a high-strength metal alloy. This is necessary for safety. While working on iron, sparks may be present.

In addition, the use lubricants may leave marks on wooden surface. The iron base does not require special care.

Carpentry. Its surface is made of solid wood. A carpenter's workbench is used for woodworking. These products do not have high strength and versatility, unlike metalwork.

The universal table has a metal and wooden tabletop in its design. The drawing of the workbench shows the structure of the carpentry work area.

What is included in the design of the workbench?

If the product is made independently, then it is important to think through every little detail. Additional shelves and spacious hanging containers will help you use this product efficiently. Standard model contains many drawers for storing large tools.

A homemade table can have both metal and wooden system storage An additional metal shield allows you to store small hanging tools here. Now the hacksaws and hammers will be located in one place.

How to make a workbench with your own hands?

We present to your attention detailed instructions how to make a workbench. Manufacturing carpenter's table takes place in several stages. First of all, you need to prepare all the tools and materials.

For this you will need:

• hacksaw;
• a screwdriver or a set of screwdrivers of different diameters;
• carpenter's square;
• level;
• bolts;
• nuts;
• self-tapping screws;
• detailed drawing of the product;
• spanner.

From the materials you need to prepare:

• bars for support. The size of each element should be 110 x 110 mm. During the selection process, you need to pay attention special attention condition of the wood. There should be no cracks or knots here;
• plywood sheets 30 mm thick;
• boards for the frame.

When all the necessary items are prepared, you can proceed to the work process. It includes the following steps:

The initial step will be to construct a lower frame in which the tools and metalworking machine. To do this, the boards are sawn off to the required level. Next, they are connected to each other using self-tapping screws. The end result should be a rectangular shape.

A spacer bar is installed in the middle. In the future it will reduce resistance finished product During the work process you will need a small wooden board.

The supporting legs of the table are fixed with bolts. To do this, through holes are made in the plane of the frame. For reliability, it is recommended to make 6 to 8 legs around the entire perimeter.

To give rigidity to the product, it is necessary to make a bottom shelf. At the bottom of each leg, 25 cm are marked. Next, long wooden planks are attached here. Subsequently, they will be fixed on their surface. Chipboard panel. It will act as a base.

When the main part of the frame is completed, begin installing the top tabletop. You will need a hacksaw here. She removes excess parts of the board.

Protect the surface wooden table top hardboard will help. This is a durable material that is designed for the work area.

You can increase the storage system using an additional metal shield, which is attached to the back of the carpentry table. Through holes are made in the support boards. After this, the metal base is secured with bolts. The photo of the do-it-yourself workbench shows the sequence of each action.

Photos of DIY workbenches

Most home craftsmen, who comprise the bulk of subscribers and visitors to our site, have, to one degree or another, already solved the problem of organizing their workplace by arranging comfortable workbenches in their workshops and on the balcony.

But there are also those who are interested in home handicrafts and are trying out this universal profession, which includes many specialties and is becoming a very useful hobby for the family.

First of all, this article is for them, but perhaps it will also be useful for those who have already found themselves in the role of a DIYer and, having decided on the main types of work, can competently start arranging home workbench for a DIY workshop.

Types of workbenches for the workshop

A workbench is a table for carrying out various specialized processing works. different materials. Accordingly, depending on what material you have to work with and what operations to carry out, workbenches differ from each other in size, configuration and material of manufacture. Based on the type of materials processed, workbenches are divided into:

• carpentry;
• metalwork;
• combined.

Based on design features, the following types are added to them:

• universal;
• folding.

Folding universal workbenches are produced by different companies with different lists of functions, and distinctive feature, first of all, is their mobility. Therefore, if you convert your experience as a home craftsman into banknotes outside your apartment or the yard of your house, you can either choose a universal factory-made folding workbench for yourself, or, after analyzing a number of design features of a particular model, make it yourself.

But for a home workshop, more massive workbenches are suitable, and here there are three options:

• carpentry workbench with the ability to perform a number of metalwork operations;
• a metalworking workbench with the ability to perform a number of carpentry operations;
• combined workbench.

Let us immediately note that the last option is not the best solution, since it does not allow full high-quality performance of both carpentry and plumbing types of work, but is only relatively adapted for their production, therefore the first 2 options, in our opinion, are preferable. It is these options that we will consider in examples for self-production.

Making a simple DIY garage workbench

The simplest workbench for a home workshop will be a fairly powerful table with a small set of additional functions: drawers, shelves, etc. for storing tools and remanent.

It’s good if it is possible to slightly transform it to perform metal or wood work, but more on that below.

To create such a workbench we will take wooden blocks 40x80 and cut out 4 legs: 2 pcs. 700 mm long, 2 pcs. 750 mm long and 2 lower jumpers 500 mm long. For the 2 upper jumpers of the same length, we used a 40x100 block available on the farm.

It will also be used for the top trim of the base of our workbench at the front, with a length of 1400 mm at the bottom and 1600 mm at the top. And at the back we use edged board 40x150x1600, but we will need all the long pieces later.

If you have a tenoning tool, use it like we did.

If not, make them by hand or you can butt the pieces together using overhead metal fasteners.

Assemble the side posts as shown in the photo below.

After this, you can begin assembling the entire frame.

The central jumper inside the frame, made from the same 40x80 block, mounted on small wooden brackets 40x40x180, in addition to strengthening the structure, serves as a stop for two bedside tables with drawers from the old ones desks, which we decided to use in our workbench.

For the working surface of the workbench, we also used our existing laminated fiberboard surface. We screwed to the leading edge metal plates a board that will protect its edge from peeling during use. It will also serve as the basis for attaching a small bench vice with a clamp.

We attached the working surface to the frame using metal corners and got a fairly powerful workbench general purpose for our home workshop.

Manufacturing of a carpentry workbench with modifications for performing metalwork work

If you primarily work with wood, then the logical thing to do would be to build a woodworking bench and make some modifications to the design for metalworking operations.

The traditional carpentry workbench for the workshop has a design that has been proven over centuries, which has undergone virtually no significant changes until the present day. Its basis is a massive frame with tenon joints, using wedges for tightening in case of drying out, a powerful (often stacked) tabletop with a recessed tray for collecting chips and tools, and two vice-clamps for fastening workpieces.

The dimensions of such a workbench are selected depending on the maximum length of the workpieces that will be processed on it. If you are going to make wooden doors yourself, then the length of the workbench must be at least 2.5 m and the width at least 0.8 m, otherwise your work on it will turn into hard labor. The workbench of my grandfather - the best carpenter in the area for at least 50 km in all directions - was 3000x1000 and he said that to make large frames for verandas he was missing 20 centimeters in width.

The dimensions of the school carpentry workbench are 1200 x 500 x 750. If the plan dimensions suit you and you are willing to spend about 13 thousand rubles on it, then the height can be adjusted by screwing bars of appropriate sizes to the legs. But you can also consider alternative options.

As a matter of fact, these are variations on the theme of the same carpentry workbench for a workshop with various materials for the countertop, the presence or absence of drawers, shelves and different vice mechanisms. Now in order:

1. We make the bed from dry pine lumber 40-50 x 80-100 mm, calculating the height according to your height. If your workbench will be installed in a room where there will be no sudden changes in humidity, then the connection of its elements can be done in any way in a convenient way, albeit end-to-end using fixing metal plates and corners.

2. The tabletop can be made from ready-made glued wooden shields, sold in most construction supermarkets, or glue them together from planed bars with a thickness of at least 50 mm yourself using PVA glue, constructing a simple clamping device. It is important to remember that the top side of the future workbench should be as flat as possible. You can also use thick-layer plywood for the tabletop, but it is still advisable to paste over its ends wooden slats made of oak, beech or ash.

3. To fasten the clamping mechanisms, the bottom of the workbench table top is extended with bars of appropriate sizes. The most popular clamping devices are:

— carpentry lead screw with two guides made in Czech Republic Tr 24*5, 390/205 at a price of about 3 thousand rubles.

Spanish Piher carpentry vice, 150 mm, costing approx. 2 thousand rubles;

You can also make something similar yourself, using a pin with a diameter of 14 - 16 mm, which, of course, will not transfer the same forces as a vice, but will make your clamp extremely economical and repairable, due to its low cost;

Or make an even simpler clamping device from the same pins, but due to the lack of guides, put 2 of these clamps on one vice.

4. Make holes for stop pegs in two directions opposite the vice lead screw. It is also useful to make them across the entire surface of the tabletop parallel to each other for secure fastening of large products.

5. Attach the workbench tabletop to the base using strong metal corners and, if you do not plan to move it, use them to secure it to the floor.

And you have successfully completed the first task of the workbench version described in this section of the article.

Now, several options for devices for performing metalwork work on such a workbench.

1. The simplest of them is to make a plate of steel 3–5 mm thick with a frame of steel angle, stored separately from the workbench or attached to it on hinges and lowered onto the tabletop if necessary.
2. The main attribute of a metalworking workbench is a metalworking vice. In this case, we recommend using a vice with fasteners that do not require going through the workbench top.

You can, of course, adjust the holes for the stops to fit the vice fasteners, but with a thick pad you can do without it. Also interesting is the option of attaching a bench vice directly to the tabletop of a carpenter's workbench using an adapter bar-stand and a powerful clamp.

And the overlay should not cover the entire area of ​​the workbench. There are a lot of options, the choice is yours.

Modification of a metalwork bench for carpentry work

Often, especially if the household has a car and a garage, the main workbench is a metalworker's.

We will not consider the process of its manufacture in this article, but about simple ways We’ll tell you how to adapt it for carpentry work, especially since it’s not at all difficult. To fully use your bench as a carpenter's bench, you will need to dismantle the bench vice and make several simple devices.

Let's take a closer look at them.

1. From the first picture below, when modifying a bench, we will be interested primarily in the side stop (1), which is not difficult to make removable. And together with the holes for the dowels (14) along the front end of the workbench (and this can be a one-piece removable structure) and a suitable wedge, we get a simple and reliable device for attaching the board to the workbench. You can simply make a wooden plate secured with recessed clamps, with the entire set of workpiece fastenings shown, and understand that the level of the working surface will rise by its thickness, which can be compensated for by the corresponding height with a ladder at the workbench.

There is nothing to say about the back stop; it simply performs a supporting function for long workpieces.

2. You can make an overhead planing board with universal stop shown in the second figure. By increasing the height of the stop (or changing it depending on the height of the bar being processed) and screwing the bar from the bottom to the right edge of the workbench, we get the simplest device that turns a metalworker's workbench into a carpenter's workbench.

3. A slightly more complex overlay with quite powerful option securing the workpiece also allows you to solve this problem. The only thing we would recommend in this case is to also screw the stop on the right side and choose a thickness of at least 50-70 mm for more reliable fastening of the front pegs and sufficient depth of the lock and clamp.

The method of installing the last two planing devices on the workbench is shown in the diagram:

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Every home handyman knows that a well-equipped workshop with a stable and reliable carpentry workbench, equipped with all kinds of devices for processing parts, is half the success in the manufacture of wood products. Of course, the desktop can be purchased at trading network. However, we recommend making it yourself. Firstly, this will allow you to get a product of the desired size and functionality. Secondly, when building a workbench additional equipment can be placed in the most rational way. Thirdly, the cost of the machine will be much lower than the factory version, which will allow you to buy a high-quality tool with the money saved. If these arguments have given you a reason to think about making a workbench with your own hands, then our drawings, instructions and recommendations will help you build a good-quality, reliable and functional carpentry workbench.

Purpose and design of a typical carpentry workbench

A durable and reliable carpentry workbench will provide convenience and comfort during prolonged work with wooden parts.

The carpentry workbench is essentially massive, reliable table for processing wooden products any size. The main requirements for equipment of this type are strength and stability. In addition, the machine must be equipped with at least a minimum set of devices for securing and holding workpieces. The dimensions of the workbench are selected depending on the size and weight of the parts being processed, as well as the available space in the workshop or garage. By the way, there are designs of compact workbenches that can even be placed on a balcony.

The design of a carpentry workbench with a stacked tabletop. In the figure: 1 - base or underbench; 2 - bench board; 3 - miter box; 4 - screed; 5 - vice; 6 - support beam

Since the work carried out on a carpentry machine is carried out using manual and electric tool, the workbench is made of solid timber and thick boards. By the way, the work surface, or in other words the workbench board, is assembled only from hard wood. When making countertops, dry oak, beech or hornbeam boards with a thickness of at least 60 mm are used. If the tabletop is made of pine, alder or linden, then its surface will wear out quickly and will require periodic updating. Often, a workbench cover is assembled from several narrow and thick boards, placing them on an edge.

A series of holes made on the working surface of the table allows you to install thrust elements for easy processing of long wooden workpieces.

In order to facilitate the design, the supporting legs of the desktop, on the contrary, are made of soft wood. The vertical supports are connected to each other by a longitudinally installed beam to increase the stability of the product.

Typical diagram of a carpentry workbench

A vice is hung on the front and side of the workbench special design for fastening workpieces. In addition, on large-scale machines install separate clamping devices for large and small parts. Optimal place The location of the carpenter's vice is the left side of the front apron and the near part of the right side panel.

In the underbench - the space between the supports, under the table top, convenient shelves and drawers are often installed for storing tools and accessories.

For convenience, a recess is made in the back of the tabletop for fittings and small parts. Often, a difficult-to-manufacture recess is replaced with a frame made of wooden slats.

Types and design

All homemade work tables for carpentry work can be divided into three types:

1. Mobile workbenches have a weight of up to 30 kg, dimensions of less than 1 m in length and up to 70 cm in width, are equipped with only a vice and are made partly from metal elements. Such machines are intended for working with small, lightweight workpieces or minor repairs of wooden products. A mobile desktop is an excellent option if there is a lack of space and can be installed in any room in the country house or on the balcony. Often, mobile workbenches have a folding design.

   Homemade carpentry workbench with mobile design

   
   

   If there is no need for a stationary, professional workbench, then for small repair work or making small parts, you can refurbish an old desk.

2. A stationary carpentry workbench is made with reference to a specific location and is not intended to be moved during operation. Equipment of this type allows you to process parts of any size and weight.

   A stationary carpentry workbench is a reliable, stable structure, arranged in accordance with the preferences of the owner and the characteristics of the room

3. Machine composite type- the most difficult to manufacture. However, this design, due to its variability, is the most practical and functional building. If necessary, individual parts of the workbench can be easily replaced, since the elements of the workbench are connected to each other by bolted joints.

   A composite workbench is a structure that can be adjusted to any requirement

Project and drawings

When developing the design of a carpentry workbench the most important criteria are height, configuration and equipment. In addition, it is necessary to take into account who will use the desktop - left-handed or right-handed.

Considering that you will have to work at a carpentry bench for a long time, the height of the future structure should be given the most close attention. For people of average height, experts recommend making a table no higher than 90 cm.

Drawing of a carpentry workbench

When determining the distance from the floor to the tabletop, it is best to focus not on average parameters, but on the features of your own anatomy. It is optimal if the upper cut of the legs is at the same level as the hands. If you calculate this parameter taking into account the thickness of the tabletop, then you will be able to work tirelessly at such a workbench for several hours.

The machine cover can be made of boards, solid wood or plywood and is a composite structure. It is not recommended to use chipboard or OSB for these purposes. Professional carpenters have long ago determined optimal size tabletops - maximum 2 m in length and 0.7 m in width. On such a workbench, you can equally easily make a prefabricated wooden door, and a small window.

When designing a structure, do not forget about the strength of the supporting frame. For supporting elements of the structure, timber with a cross-section of at least 100x100 mm is used. As longitudinal and transverse reinforcing elements, it is allowed to use slats and beams with a smaller cross-section - from 50 - 60 mm or more. The joints of the parts are mounted on tenons or dowels; furniture corners and other fittings are used for strength, and all connections are made using bolts and self-tapping screws. Nails will not be able to provide the required stability and fundamentality of the structure.

Carpentry workbench. Top view

Often the frame, or otherwise the workbench frame, is made of metal. Despite the fact that this material makes it possible to create a height-adjustable structure with less labor, professional carpenters prefer all-wood structures.

Next, let's look at a project for a carpentry table made from plywood, or more precisely from two plywood sheets 1.8 mm thick glued together. The dimensions of the lid are 150x60 cm. The edges of the tabletop are reinforced with plywood strips, which increases its thickness to 72 mm. By the way, the presented dimensions are not a dogma and can, if necessary, be adjusted in accordance with the needs and characteristics of the specific room used as a workshop.

Required tools and materials

Plywood 18 mm thick is sufficient expensive material(the price of one sheet measuring 1.5x1.5 m is more than 700 rubles, excluding delivery costs). Our project will require at least two sheets of this material. You can save a little if you buy one, larger sheet measuring 2500x1250 mm. Additionally, if possible, try to purchase scraps of plywood at least 300 mm wide, which will be used to reinforce the workbench cover around the perimeter.

Additional for construction carpentry machine you will need:

• wooden beam with a cross-section of at least 100x100 mm - for supports;
• timber or slats with a cross-section of at least 60x60 mm - for frame reinforcement elements;
  When choosing lumber for a carpentry workbench, carefully inspect the workpieces for the absence of knots and cracks. Remember that these parts will be subject to prolonged load;
• electric drill with a set of regular and feather drills;
• pieces of boards at least 1.5 m long for placing under clamps;
• wood glue. Good result can be obtained using the domestic adhesive composition “Moment Joiner”;
• furniture bolts with nuts and self-tapping screws;
• circular saw;
• carpenter's square;
• long rule (at least 2 m);
• construction level;
• a notched spatula with the size of the cut sectors not less than 3 mm;
• carpentry clamps.

The clamps needed to compress plywood sheets when gluing must be strong and reliable. If you are a non-professional carpenter and do not have quality instrument, then you can get by inexpensively clamping devices made in China. Of course, the number of such devices should be doubled.

Manufacturing instructions

1. To make the tabletop, cut two pieces with a circular saw. If you managed to purchase a plywood sheet of maximum length, then you need to saw off one piece 1520 mm long from it. By cutting it in half, you will get two parts 1520x610 mm. After this, use the rule to check the concave and convex sides of each sheet. This will make it possible to correctly orient the sheets when gluing.

   High-quality gluing ensures clamping of tabletop parts with clamps

   
   

   To properly glue plywood sheets, they are folded with their convex sides facing each other.

2. Having laid one workpiece on three parallel boards, apply wood glue to its surface. To do this, use straight and notched spatulas. Remember that the work must be carried out very quickly, otherwise the composition will begin to set prematurely. The manufacturer of Moment Joiner glue recommends joining the parts no later than two minutes after the start of applying the composition. Therefore, if you are not confident in the speed of your work, use wood glue, which has no time restrictions. Of course, the strength of the connection will be slightly reduced, but even the PVA furniture mixture good quality will provide an acceptable degree of adhesion.

   To avoid damage to the workpiece, support boards are placed under the clamps

3. Having laid the second blank on top of the first, place support boards around the perimeter of the future table top and begin to tighten the tabletop with clamps. At the same time, do not forget to control the flatness of the part using a rule. It will not be possible to tighten the center of the workpiece with clamps, so in this part you can install a load weighing at least 15 - 20 kg.
   

   You can glue plywood sheets into a board without clamps, if you can find the perfect one flat surface for their stowage, as well as a load of sufficient weight.

4. After the glue has dried, the clamps are removed and they begin to strengthen the side surfaces of the tabletop. To do this, strips of plywood 15 cm wide are glued around the entire perimeter of the lid in two layers. When performing this work, be sure to ensure that top layer completely covered the joints.

   Reinforcing the side parts of the workbench with additional plywood strips

5. For trimming the side surfaces of the table, use circular saw. The parquet is driven smoothly, slowly. It is convenient to use the same rule as a guide. The tabletop is given a size of 1500x600 mm, observing right angles, for which they use a carpenter's square or a factory corner of a plywood sheet.
6. The workbench supports are made of timber with a cross-section of 100x100 mm, connecting them with legs and drawers, for which lumber with a cross-section of at least 60x60 mm is used. In our case, the height of the machine is 900 mm, however, you can adjust this size to suit your height.

   Making a carpentry workbench frame

7. The legs are assembled “in a tenon” or using dowels, making sure to apply wood glue to the parts to be joined.
8. When assembling the upper and lower frames of the subframe, scrupulously maintain 90-degree angles between the parts. It will be easier to fulfill this requirement if, even at the stage of preparing the parts, their edges are trimmed correctly. The width of the frame of our structure is 900 mm, and the height of the frame is 830 mm, taking into account the distance from the floor to the bottom rung of 150 mm.

   Holes made in the parts with a feather drill will help to hide the bolt heads and washers.

If desired, you can build a shelf in the bench. To do this, a plywood panel is cut to the size of the lower space, in the corners of which rectangular cutouts are made for the legs of the machine.

Installation of additional equipment

It is impossible to imagine a real carpentry workbench without devices designed for fastening the workpieces being processed. For these purposes, a vice is attached to the finished tabletop in such a way that its jaws are flush with the surface of the lid. To correctly install the device on the workbench, apply a vice to the machine and mark the fastening points. After this, holes with a diameter of 12 mm are drilled and the tool is installed on the machine using a bolted connection with an M12 thread. When performing this operation, be sure to mill holes for the washers and bolt heads.

View of the finished product with a vice installed

If it is not possible to install a stationary vice, you can do without them by using bench clamps or clamps.

In addition to the vice, there are stops on the work table. To do this, a series of holes are drilled in the tabletop. The best stops are considered to be parts made of wood, since metal devices can damage the workpiece. The sockets for the supporting elements are located at a distance equal to half the stroke of the vice. This will allow you to securely secure a workpiece of any size.

Video: Do-it-yourself carpentry workbench

Building a carpentry workbench is quite a difficult task. However, a self-assembled machine will allow you to work in a convenient, comfortable environment. This requires not only to think through the ergonomics of the workspace and correctly prepare a construction project, but also to carry out the work in full accordance with the recommendations of professional carpenters. Only then will the resulting product be durable and stable, pleasing its owner throughout many years services.