egads!! finally a no nonsense practical workbench! while the article shows detail on the bench construction, are there any precise plans available(as i, like most, have limited time available and do not want to have to “re-invent the wheel”)?
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Replies
I regularly get requests for plans for my bench but none were created when the article originally came out. I am hoping to create a set of plans, with minor improvements, that will be available later this Spring.
If you search the Knots site for "newfangled workbench" you will find a lot of information on the bench. There is a posting to me here in this column dated Dec. 31 from Fritter, he has a set of plans that he drew that will probably help you out.
John White
if you have a paper/pencil plan, scan it, send it to me, and i will put it in a cad format for you ( i have software that can do this REAL easy , mostly cuz i am a 20 year computer "techie")
John,
Sometime back I told you that I would send pics of my version of the New Fangled Workbench. Here goes I hope I can. I am computer ignorant. I also inclosed my wifes christmas gift a seven foot tall wardrob. Let me know what you think.
Funny, I have a bench in my shop that looks just like yours. I love seeing how other craftsman have made versions of my design. I'm always open to feedback about how the bench could be improved, I'll be drawing plans for a second version of the bench this spring. Enjoy it and make lots of good furniture on it, which you already seem to have done, the cabinet is beautiful.Thanks,
John
I've had no luck locating any Doug Fir where I live (exurbs of DC). All joists are pine or hem-fir. I'm wondering what you would suggest as an alternative, keeping in mind I'm trying to keep costs down.
Except at the extremes, like balsa wood or ipe, almost all of the wood that is commercially available is more or less interchangeable for most applications. Any framing lumber that you can find that has a fair amount of straight grained, and mostly knot free, wood in it will serve for the bench. You can use any hardwood also, but unless you are buying hardwoods from a local mill it probably won't be as cheap as framing stock from a lumber yard.Try to locate kiln dried wood if possible, it will dry out to a useable moisture content sooner when stickered in your shop, and will probably have less warpage as it loses the moisture. Seal the ends of the boards with tape or paint to prevent end checking a the wood dries. The pine you are finding is almost certainly southern yellow pine, not white pine.John White
Thanks, that's helpful.
You should be able to easily find southern yellow pine around DC. Around here (southeastern Ohio), Lowe's typically does not stock it, but Home Depot typically does. The "real" lumberyards (the ones where the builders go) invariably have it. 2x12s are easy to come by, 2x10s and smaller are sometimes harder.
-Steve
It looks like you used 3/4 inch pipe? did you? I'm building another version and I curious.
I just posted my Google Sketchup file as an attachment to my posting under "Newfangled Workbench Redux". If you don't use Sketchup, I suggest you do. It's free. There are helpful tutorial videos here at Taunton, at Brightcove, on Youtube. I'd say about 4-6 hours of mimicing the videos and you're cruisin. Nice plugins on SMustard.com that let you create a parts list, explode your drawing, etc. Many more.
Where can I download the plans for the new-fangled workbench?
Thanks for the promtp response to this.
They are not plans. It is a Google Sketchup "drawing". Do an Advanced Search for messages from "Fritters" and you'll see the Sketchup as an attachment. You can easily modify that (using Free sketchup) and take off the resulting dimensions.
Yes, I've found them and I am modifying them as you have suggested. Thanks very much.
dko
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