Mike Dunbar’s Workbench
Heavy-duty bench has a wide top, knockdown base and large vises

Synopsis: This workbench was styled after one built 200 years ago; it’s heavy, solid, and doesn’t wobble, though the joints are easy to adjust for seasonal movement. It’s equipped with two wooden vises with ample space between their jaws. It does not have a tool tray, so the top is available for assembly as well as woodworking. Building it borders on timber framing, so it’s useful to have help nearby for some stages. You’ll get dimensioned drawings and clear explanations to help you build the knockdown base, the plank top, and the front and tail vises.
This is my workbench. Two friends and I each made one like it in the mid-1970s, copying a 200-year-old original we found in the basement of an 18th-century mansion. I prefer it to any other design, for several reasons. The bench is a heavy, solid structure. No matter how hard…
Start your 14-day FREE trial to continue reading this story.
Plus, access more than 1,900 in-depth articles and more when you become a member.
Start Your Free Trial NowAlready a member? Log In
Log in or become a member to post a comment.
Sign up Log in