Traditional Woodworking Bench Plans

Vises

• Most traditional woodworking benches feature two vises, one on the face of the bench and the other on the end. The face vise is smaller and used for securing small handwork that needs planing, drilling or sanding. The large vise on the end of the bench often features an enormous vise screw that can be up to 24 inches long. These large vises are used for larger work.

Sliding Panel Holder

• Many traditional woodworking benches are built with an ingenious feature that allows large wooden panels to be secured against the front face of the bench. A sliding panel holder is made by attaching two vertical boards on runners to the front of the bench. These boards have holes drilled into them, and a lipped peg can be placed into any of the holes. The pegs are put at the proper height for the panel being worked on, and the panel is held in place by sliding its end into the face vise. The result is a secure and immobile panel that is ready to have its edge planed with a hand plane.

Bench Dogs

• The top of a traditional woodworking bench is usually made out of butcher-block maple, sometimes 3 or 4 inches thick. There are two rows of holes drilled into the maple top, and the bench is equipped with L-shaped iron pegs known as bench dogs. You can secure a panel on the bench by laying it flat, placing the shaft of a bench dog into one of the holes with its extension resting on top of the panel, then tapping the top of the bench dog with a hammer or mallet. The shaft of the bench dog jams in the hole and its top presses down on the panel. To release the bench dog, tap its side and it comes loose.

Materials

• In addition to the maple top, the frame of a woodworking bench may also be made of solid maple. Some benches are made of softwood, cherry or walnut as well. Because many craftspeople build their own workbenches, they tend to exist in a wide variety of styles and materials, based largely on what the woodworker had available. A solid maple workbench that is properly built is sturdy enough to outlast its owner.

Bench Plans

• While a master craftsman might build a workbench based on his expertise, a home hobbyist might prefer the guidance of a plan. You can find ads for plans that will help you to build a traditional woodworking bench in the back of many popular woodworking magazines such as Fine Woodworking and Popular Woodworking. The cost of a bench plan can range from a free download off a website to an elaborate set of blueprints that could cost $50 or more. The cost of the bench itself can range widely as well, depending on whether you build it from leftover 2-by-4s or rock maple. Budget at least $400 for a top quality bench, including several hundred for the bench vises, which can be costly.