Whatever the activity or craft, you need a surface to work on. For some lighter crafts, you can manage with a normal table. For others, such as basket making in the traditional way, you can work on the floor. However, for most crafts you need a substantial working surface, much stouter and more rigid than a common table, if you are to do the work successfully. This is particularly the case with woodwork and metalwork.
The most important piece of equipment in a workshop used for working wood or metal is a bench that can stand up to all the pressures and strains you are likely to put on it. It should be of adequate size and the right height for comfortable working. If you try to work on an unsteady, weak surface that is at the wrong height, you will find it very difficult to get good results.
It is possible to buy benches, some of which are equipped with vises and other holding equipment, for which you might pay a considerable price. You have to accept the bench as it is. It might not be quite the size or height to suit you and might include gadgets that you will never use.
If you make your own bench, it can be individually tailored to suit your needs. It can make the best use of available space. Its height can be arranged to suit you. It can be equipped with just what you require. Most important, the fact that it is one of your own products should inspire you to do better work on it.
A bench might be regarded as just a stronger table, but starting with that definition, you have to do what is necessary to design it to suit your needs. The top has to be stout enough to stand up to the work. Flexing under hammering leads to poor work. If you want it to stand up to the inevitable cuts and scratches, it must have a tough surface, which means choosing a close-grained hardwood. Hardwood also resists flexing better than softwood of the same thickness.
The under-framing must also contribute to the rigidity of the top by being stiff enough to take sideways loads as well as downward blows. Within reason, the stouter you make all parts of a bench, the better it will do its job.
Having satisfied these requirements of a bench, you can consider additional uses. Space underneath invites use as storage for tools or materials, but consider the implications. Fitting drawers and compartments might increase rigidity. The more you build in, the stiffer the whole assembly will be. Be careful, however, that storage arrangements do not interfere with the main use of the bench. If something has to go through the bench on occasions, there cannot be drawers below that position. Handles that project forward of the line of the bench top might interfere with a wide piece of work held down in the front. It might be better to make a chest or a block of drawers as a separate unit that fits under the bench but can be taken out.
A bench in a shop is a tool, not a piece of furniture. As such, it can be expected to suffer from wear and hard use while you concentrate on the job being worked on it. There is no need for cabinetmaking standards, but careful jointing is important. You do not want slackness developing in joints, which will reduce the rigidity of the bench. It does not matter, for instance, if joints show through where they will be cut back in furniture or if plywood edges show where they will be hidden in furniture.
TRADITIONAL BENCH
Over the centuries carpenters, cabinetmakers, and other woodworkers have developed remarkably similar benches in many different countries. The requirements are much the same, of course, whatever the place. If these benches evolved over a very long time to provide the best possible service to their users, it is probable that such a bench with very little alteration will suit your needs today.
Until quite recent times, most woodworking processes were carried out by hand. The bench had to stand up to hand work of many types, with some of it imposing heavy and directional loads. It needed to be heavy; even if it was not fixed down, its sheer bulk resisted movement. Its weight and bulk gave a good resistance and reaction to heavy pounding loads, so such things as driving joints together did not lose some of their effect because of the springing of the bench top.
Although machine tools can do many things, there is still hand work to be done. If you want the best results, many things are better done by hand completely or finished by hand after machining. If you have a fairly comprehensively equipped shop, much of the heavy work will be done away from the bench. There are occasions though, such as assembling a frame, when you will be glad of all the rigidity and bulk the bench can offer.
The bench in Graphic 2-1 can be made as long as the type of work justifies or space in the shop dictates but should not be less than 6 feet. The top has two large and thick boards for a working surface and a well between them. The well is a safe place to put tools, but it is removable and can be taken out to allow parts to hang through or clamps to be used. Pieces across the well end allow planes to be put down with the cutting edges clear of anything that might blunt them.
A freestanding bench is made to be used from either side. At each side under the bench-top boards are stout aprons, close up and securely joined to the tops. These are important parts. They give support to the tops and brace the legs. They are square to the top and provide supports for boards on edge, today with one or more vises, but traditionally with pegs and wedging devices.
A bench to be used permanently against a wall might have a narrower and lighter back part on the top but at the same level, and the bench could be stiffened by fixing to the wall. If a bench is to be used against a wall, though it might be used elsewhere at some time in the future, make both sides the same so it can be used as a freestanding bench later.
The traditional bench was usually open between the legs. The craftsman kept his tools in a chest underneath, rather than in built-in storage compartments in the bench. This was because he was a journeyman, meaning that he moved between employers and took his kit of tools with him, but the bench belonged to his employer. There could be a shelf between the legs, but if you make a bench and want the facility of clamping through the bench after the well has been opened, do not obstruct the space below with tool drawers or racks.
Graphic 2-1. A bench should be solidly built. This one has a well for toots.
The bench shown in Graphic 2-2A follows traditional lines. Modify the sizes to suit your needs or space. Relate the height to your own height so that you can comfortably work on top. No vises, dogs, stops, or other additions are shown, but the bench will take any of these, as described later.
Make the working surfaces of top and aprons of close-gained hardwood. Beech is the traditional choice. Ideally, all of the under-framing can also be hardwood, but softwood free of large knots and other flaws could be used and would be much cheaper. Strong joints are at least as important as the type of wood.
Start by making the two leg assemblies (Graphic 2-2B). The legs are notched to half the thickness of the apron pieces. Check the widths of the actual pieces you will use for the top and well and arrange the rail lengths to suit.
Corner joints are shown halved (Graphic 2-3A and B), but you could use mortise-and- tenon joints or overlap the parts and bolt them together. Whatever joints you use, glue them as well. Modern glues can contribute a considerable amount of strength. They are something the old-time bench maker did not have. Reinforce halved joints with dowels through them—three ¾-inch dowels at each corner would be appropriate. See that the finished assemblies are square and match each other.
Graphic 2-2. Bench sizes and suggested construction with dowels and screws.
Graphic 2-3. The parts of a bench with end frames linked with halving joints.
Make the two aprons (Figs. 2-2C and 2-3C). Fit them to the legs with their tops level with the top rails. They can be attached in several ways. Stopped dowels are shown (Graphic 2-2D). It would be simpler to take the dowels right through the aprons, but for the smoothest finish, they are better stopped. You could screw the joints. Counterbore deeply, so there will be no metal near the surface, then plug over the screws (Graphic 2-2E). If possible, make plugs with the grain across, otherwise, use dowel rod. Screws allow you to pull the joints really tight, which is an advantage if you do not have suitable damps to close up dowel joints.
At this stage, be very careful of squaring in all directions. Assemble on a flat surface. See that the legs are truly square to the aprons and that the assembly is square when viewed from above. Compare diagonal measurements.
Fit the two working surface boards over the rails and the aprons, in any of the ways described for the aprons. Sight along and across the assembly to check for twist. Slight errors can be corrected by trimming the bottom of one or more of the legs.
To support the well piece, put strips underneath (Figs. 2-2F and 2-3D) between the rails. Make the well a push fit between the tops (Graphic 2-3E). Dowel strips across the ends to prevent things from falling off and to act as rests for planes. Put strips underneath to fit loosely between the rails to keep the well in place lengthways.
If you want a shelf underneath, rest two or three boards on the lower rails (Figs. 2-2G and 2-3F). Either screw them down or leave them loose to lift off.
For general purposes, the bench is now ready for use. For precision cabinetmaking or other exact woodworking, however, you might wish to check overall flatness and level the two working surfaces to provide a true datum when you layout and assemble pieces of furniture.
You could paint the lower parts of the bench, but the top and aprons are working surfaces and are better left untreated. Some commercially produced benches are oiled or even varnished on top, which make them look good in a showroom. If your bench is to get the amount of use you anticipate over many years, there will be times when you need to plane or scrape the top, and this is no place for varnish.
Materials List for Traditional Bench
- 4 legs 3x 4x32
- 4 rails 3x 4x33
- 2 aprons 2x 7x74
- 2 tops 2x12x74
- 1 well 1 x 9x74
- 2 well supports 1 x 2 x 60
METALWORK BENCH
Although a bench of the traditional woodworking type could also be used for metalwork, there is generally no need for the well and, for many purposes, no need for the length unless part of the bench will be used to mount a machine. A basic metalworking bench is intended for setting out, handwork, testing, and assembly. A vise is the only item mounted on it. It is helpful if the top presents a broad smooth expanse. Metal parts spread on the top then will be level, easy to manipulate, all in the same plane, and less likely to snag on anything.
The bench in Graphic 2-4 is drawn 24 inches x 48 inches (Graphic 2-5A), but the same method of construction could be used for other sizes. The top is made of several solid wood boards about 2 inches thick (Graphic 2-5B). Over this goes a piece of ½-inch plywood (Graphic 2-5C). That might be all you require, but you can obtain a good working surface by adding a piece of tempered hardboard (Graphic 2-5D), which can be lightly tacked down and renewed when it becomes worn. Tempered hardboard, however, is surprisingly hard wearing when treated with oil. Ordinary hardboard would require more frequent renewal.
Graphic 2-4. This bench has a level top. There are drawers and storage space below.
The bench is shown with three trays fitted as drawers. They are intended to pull out for use on the bench or elsewhere. The top one could be fitted to take gauges, micrometers, and other instruments. The lower ones will take tools and materials. The open part could be enclosed with a door, but the open shelf can take larger items. This model allows a normal engineer’s vise to be mounted towards the right-hand end. The whole thing could be made the opposite way around, if that would suit you better.
Make all of the under-framing from 2-inch- x -3-inch wood. Joints could be mortise and tenon (Graphic 2-6A) or dowels, but dowels should be at least ¾-inch diameter and taken as deep as possible into the legs (Graphic 2-6B). Make the two end assemblies (Graphic 2-5E). The top overhangs 1 inch at the front and far enough at the back to cover the plywood.
Make the four lengthwise rails. Mark the positions of the 2-inch square uprights (Graphic 2-5F), which are tenoned or doweled. At the lower rails, the uprights can go into the rails directly and the shelf plywood cut around them or taken through the plywood (Graphic 2-6C).
Graphic 2-5. Sizes of the bench with drawers and how to bolt on a vise.
Assemble the framing, including the shelf, which will help to keep the assembly square. Cut it around the legs and glue and screw or nail to the rails. Assemble on a level surface and check squareness in all directions. Fit the plywood back securely as this plays a major part in providing stiffness, besides its use in closing the back of the bench.
Graphic 2-6. The parts of the under-framing of a bench with drawers.
Fit plywood panels to the legs and the upright strips (Figs. 2-5G and 2-6D). Stiffen the unsupported edges with 1-inch- x -2-inch strips. Inside the plywood pieces, attach 1-inch square strips to act as runners for the trays (Figs. 2-5H and 2-6E). Arrange the depths of the trays to suit your needs, but they look best if depths are graduated. Be careful to get the strips square to the front and parallel to the bottom shelf, if the trays are to slide easily.
Trays could be made in several ways. Simplest is a box with nailed corners and a plywood bottom nailed on (Graphic 2-7A). It would be better to let the bottom into rabbets (Graphic 2-7B) or even better to let it into plowed grooves (Graphic 2-7C). A stronger nailed corner has rabbets that allow nailing both ways (Graphic 2-7D). You could use finger joints (Graphic 2-7E), or you might want to try dovetails (Graphic 2-7F). You could use handles at the fronts of the trays, but you can avoid projections by cutting hollows to put your hand in (Graphic 2-7G). Round the top edges of the fronts.
Graphic 2-7. The drawers or trays can be made in several ways, depending on your choice of joints.
Make the bench top with three, 8-inch boards or any pieces that will make up the width. Edges could be glued together, but when the bench is assembled, other parts will secure the boards. Glue the plywood to the boards and trim the edges level. Cut the tempered hardboard panels to match and lightly nail them in place.
It is advisable to fit the bolts for the vise before attaching the top to the underframing because they might be inaccessible after assembly. Position the vise so the inner jaw comes a short distance forward of the edge of the bench top (Graphic 2-5J). Drill for bolts as large as the holes in the vise base will allow. Counterbore underneath to allow coach bolts to pull into the wood (Graphic 2-5K). Put the bolts in place permanently before the final assembly of the bench.
Invert the underframing on the underside of the top and join these parts with screws through 4-inch lengths of angle iron. Any available material can be used, but anything between 1 inch and 1½ inches each way and up to ¼ inch thick is suitable (Graphic 2-6F). Two angle brackets at each end and three along each side should be adequate.
You could paint or varnish everything except the hardboard top. This will limit the amount of absorption of dirt and oil. Even if you do not treat the main parts, the trays will be better varnished or painted a light color inside.
Materials List for Metalwork Bench
- 4 legs 2 x 3x28
- 4 rails 2 x 3x24
- 4 rails 2 x 3x42
- 2 uprights 2 x 2 x 18
- 3 strips 1 x 2 x 18
- 4 runners x 1 x 24
- 1 shelf 24 x 44 x ½ plywood
- 2 panels 20 x 24 x ½ plywood
- 1 top 24 x 50 x ½ plywood
- 1 back 24 x 44 x ½ plywood
- 1 top 24 x 50 x hard-board
- 3 top boards 2 x 8 x 50
- 2 tray ends /s x 3 x 18
- 2 tray sides ¾ x 3 x 24
- 2 tray ends ¾ x 5 x 18
- 2 tray sides 5/ x 5 x 24
- 2 tray ends ¼ x 6 x 18
- 2 tray sides ¼ x 6 x 24
- 3 tray bottoms 18 x 24 x ¼ plywood
BUTCHER BLOCK BENCH
If you need a bench with a top that has overall bulk and stiffness, one way of making it is to use wide, thick boards. They might not be easy to obtain, however, and there is a risk of shrinking, splitting, or warping in use.
Until the coming of modern synthetic glues of considerable strength, gluing was the only way of making such a top. It is now possible to laminate narrower strips in what has become known as butcher block construction, from the similarity to the way some butchers’ chopping blocks have been made.
The advantage of this method is in using readily available wood, with the different grains canceling out any tendency to warp or suffer appreciably from other defects. This top is more stable, and its surface is likely to stand up to wear better than broad, flat boards.
The butcher block method can be used for bench tops of any size. A large one would be suitable for general engineering or heavy metalwork. One of lighter construction would provide a good working surface for leatherwork, jewelry, or any craft where most work needs a broad, truly flat surface that can take occasional hitting or other heavy use.
The bench used as an example in Graphic 2-8 is intended as a stand for a fairly heavy machine, such as a band saw, but the same method of construction is suitable for benches of many other sizes. For a machine, the top area has to be arranged to allow for bolting the machine down, usually with some space around the base for putting down work or accessories. The bench height must be arranged to put the working surface of the ma chine at a convenient height.
Graphic 2-8. The top of a butcher block bench is made by gluing many strips together.
The whole of the specimen bench is made of 2-inch- x -3-inch softwood, which is about 1¾ inches x 2¾ inches when planed. Joints could be mortise and tenon, but ¾- inch hardwood dowels are suggested.
For the bench shown in Graphic 2-9A, start by making the two end frames to match each other and with two dowels in each joint (Graphic 2-9B). Make the two lengthwise top rails (Graphic 2-9C) with dowel joints prepared in the same way but do not join them yet.
Set out a side view to obtain the sizes and angles of the diagonal braces (Graphic 2-9D). They cross each other and fit into the angles at the top and to the rails at the bottom (Graphic 2-9E).
Mark the rails in the end frames where the braces will come and drill through for two dowels at each place (Graphic 2-9F). Glue the doweled top rails to the legs and position the diagonal braces so you can drill through the rail holes into them. Glue where the braces cross and hold them together with a clamp while dealing with their end joints. When the assembly is satisfactory, drill through the crossing for a dowel or a bolt. Check that the assembly stands level and that the top surfaces are level. Sight across in both directions to test for twist. Correct any errors by planing.
The top is made of whatever number of strips are needed to make up the width with about 1-inch overhang on the underframing. Although it is possible to glue together all the pieces in one operation, there is a risk of movement when clamping; then parts will not match, and you will have to do some heavy planing to get the surfaces level. It is better to glue strips in pairs first (Graphic 2-10A), followed by gluing pair to pair before joining the whole width. In this way you reduce the risk of unevenness and will only have to do a little planing and scraping to finish the surfaces. Leave some excess length so you can level the ends and round the corners (Figs. 2-9G and 2-lOB).
The top could be held down with blocks screwed to the rails and more screws up into the top. You could use metal angle brackets in the same way. However, doweling downwards (Graphic 2-bC) is simplest. Exposed dowel ends on top do not matter for such a functional thing as a workshop bench, but even if you are considering it as furniture, the pattern of dowels complement the strip appearance of butcher block construction.
Materials List for Butcher Block Bench (all 2-inch- x -3-inch softwood strips)
Graphic 2-9. Sizes and dowel construction of a butcher block bench.
Graphic 2-10. How to form a butcher block top and join it to the supporting legs and framing.
FOLDING WALL TABLE
For many lights craft, there is no need for a substantial bench. A worktable can be large enough for spreading tools and materials, although pressures and loads are not expected to be great. In a shop mainly devoted to heavier work, there can also be a use for such a light working surface. It can be used as a drawing board, for laying out assemblies, or as somewhere away from the jumble of tools and equipment for studying plans and books.
There might not be the constant need for such a table or bench, however. Space might be too valuable, and a lighter working surface might only be justified if it can be folded out of the way.
The table or light bench in Graphic 2-hA will fold flat against the wall, only projecting a few inches. How far it projects depends on what you wish to store when the tabletop and its legs are folded. When the assembly is opened, it offers a good working area that is sufficiently supported and access to tools, drawings, or whatever you wish to store.
Arrange the assembly so the length will accommodate two folded legs that will swing out to support the greater part of the top when it is lowered. For the wall table in Graphic 2-12A, the tabletop is 22 inches x 44 inches, and the legs swing out to within 1 inch of the front edge. With a 30-inch working height, this gives a wall area coverage of 46 inches x 54 inches. If you need a different size, experiment with leg widths to match the size top you want.
Graphic 2-11. This worktable’s top and supports fold against the wall to occupy minimum space.
The suggested design is intended to have ¾-inch or 1-inch plywood for the tabletop and legs. Most other parts are softwood. The back can be ½-inch plywood, which can be fitted with tool racks or other storage above the table level. There is a removable rail that notches into the legs below the top to hold the assembly in shape when in use. The rail stows in the lower part behind the folded doors.
Graphic 2-12. Sizes and layout of the folding wall table.
Start by making the pair of ends (Graphic 2-13A) with the positions of the lengthwise parts shown. At the top, position a 1-inch- x -2-inch strip in front of a wider piece (Graphic 2-13B). At table level, set back a shelf by the thickness of the folded tabletop, with a stiffening strip below it (Graphic 2-13C). A 1-inch- x -2-inch strip on edge forms the side support for a leg (Graphic 2-13D). At the bottom, a piece goes across behind the thickness of the folded legs (Graphic 2-13E). There has to be a gap at the edge of the shelf to let the tabletop swing down (Graphic 2-13F). Its under surface will rest on the opened legs (Graphic 2-13G).
Graphic 2-13. Details of the back part of the folding wall table and how the parts are hinged.
Make all the lengthwise pieces and join them to the ends with glue and screws. For a more advanced construction, you could use dovetails at the corners and dado joints at the shelf. Add the strips to which the legs will be hinged. Nail or screw on the back to keep the whole assembly square.
If you want to fit racks for tools and other things, add them now. You could fit narrow shelves for equipment needed for your hobby or craft. You might prefer to provide racks for folded drawings or for your reference books. Details of many sorts of racks are given in later sections.
Make the tabletop to fit above the top of the shelf and inside the sides and top strip with sufficient clearance for easy working. Hinge it to the shelf so that it will lower to a level position (Graphic 2-13H). Put small stop blocks inside the top corners of the framing to prevent the tabletop from swinging in too far. There can be a handle across the center. For the sizes suggested, use four 2-inch hinges and two spring catches to hold the assembly closed.
Make the legs to fit like doors between the side strips. You could put hinges on the surfaces, but they will look neater within the thickness of the wood (Graphic 2-13J).
Try the doors and tabletop to see that they fit together in the opened position. If this is satisfactory, make a 1-inch- x -4-inch rail as long as the tabletop. Notch this and the legs so that it can be dropped in (Figs. 2-11B and 2-12B) to hold the legs at the correct distance and provide some support for the top. The notches in the doors will then serve as handles for pulling them open. When out of use, the rail will rest diagonally behind the closed legs.
Materials List for Folding Wall Table
- 2 sides 1x 5x56
- 1 top 1 x 4x48
- 1 shelf 1 x 4x48
- 1 bottom 1 x 4 x 48
- 2 cross pieces 1 x 2 x 48
- 2 leg sides 1 x 2 x 32
- 1 rail 4x48
- 1 back 47 x 55 x ½ plywood
- 1 table top 22 x 48 x ¾ or 1 plywood
2 legs 21 x 31 x ¾ or 1 plywood
MOBILE UNIT
If you want to work away from the bench, you have the problem of transporting tools and finding a surface to work on. The mobile unit in Graphic 2-14 can be loaded with the tools and materials you need and wheeled to where it has to be used. Its top is at bench height and can be used with clamps or a portable vise at the edge. There is a secondary use, ii you make it exactly the same height as your normal bench—it can be positioned to support long material you are working on. You might prefer to make it the same height as your table saw; then it will support sheet or long material being sawn.
Graphic 2-14. A mobile unit allows you to take tools about and provides a top to work on.
As shown, the top is hinged at the back and can be opened to expose a box that will hold all the small things, such as nails and screws. The shelves will take hand or portable power tools. It is possible to add hooks, racks, and tool holders to the outside. What you put there depends on the sort of work you do. One or more large hooks will hold coiled cables. You might find it worthwhile wiring the unit with outlets; then one cable from the source can bring power, and you can plug in several portable tools, thus avoiding a multiplicity of wires from the shop points.
Construction is mostly of strip wood on ½-inch plywood, with joints glued and nailed or screwed. Dowels are needed in a few places. The hinged top is drawn as thicker plywood, but if you need a top to stand up to heavier work, you could make a butcher block top at least 1 inch thick. You could replace a worn top after long use without affecting the rest of the unit.
Graphic 2-15. Sizes and constructional details of the mobile unit.
The unit is mounted on heavy industrial casters, which will probably be about 3 inches high. Get them before starting construction so you can measure the heights of the wood parts correctly if you want to match existing benches.
The drawing (Graphic 2-15A) shows convenient sizes, but you might wish to alter them to suit where the unit has to be stored. The mobile unit might make a place to put tools and materials if it can be located at the end of the bench. Be careful not to make it too narrow, or it will become unsteady.
Start by making the pair of sides (Graphic 2-15B). The 1-inch- x -2-inch strips are the full height, and another goes across the bottom. The other crosswise strips are 1-inch square. Glue and nail or screw all these parts. The back is plywood with strips across to match those on the sides. Make the top outside strip long enough to overlap the side strips.
At the front, fit a piece of plywood (Graphic 2-15C) over the box with a supporting strip inside and a 2-inch wide piece outside (Graphic 2-15D). This extra width allows for a clamp- on vise or similar item.
Put a plywood bottom in the box and another similar piece at the bottom of the unit. Cut them around the uprights. With these and the back and front fitted, the unit should be square all around. Check that it stands level without twist.
The shelves could also be screwed in, although you might prefer that they lift out. They fit around the uprights (Graphic 2-15E) and need stiffening across their fronts. To avoid exposed edges of plywood, which might get damaged, arrange the stiffening pieces to lip over the plywood (Graphic 2-15F).
Underneath the bottom corners you might have to increase the area for the caster fixing plates by adding blocks (Graphic 2-15G). Arrange the casters as near the edges as possible for stability.
Make the top to the same size as the outline of the unit framing. Use two 3-inch hinges at the back edge. Let them in until the top bears tightly on the framing all around. There is no need for a fastener as the weight of the top will keep it closed.
Materials List for Mobile Unit
- 4 uprights 1 x 2 x 28
- 10 rails 1 x 2x21
- 8 rails 1 x 1x21
- 3 top edges 1 x 1x24
- 1 top edge 1 x 2x24
- 2 sides 21 x 27 x ½ plywood
- 1 back 21 x 27 x ½ plywood
- 1 front 6x21 x ½ plywood
- 4 shelves 21 x 21 x ½ plywood
- 1 top 24 x 24 x ¾ plywood
TRESTLE
The traditional sawing trestle has developed over the years and is difficult to improve. There are many occasions when you need to work on something at about knee height, and a trestle provides the support. If it is a large assembly or long piece of wood, you need two trestles. The standard trestle has a rather narrow top, which does not matter if you are using it with another one, but it might be difficult to steady some pieces of wood on a single trestle.
The trestle in Graphic 2-16 follows traditional construction, but there is an additional broad top to give better support when used alone. The top can be replaced after it has become worn and damaged. You could make just a single trestle or a pair, but the folding steps described next will serve as a second trestle when you have to deal will full sheets of plywood or anything else that is big.
All parts could be softwood, although hardwood for the top will have a longer life. Assembly is with glue and screws. Tightness of joints is important to prevent the legs becoming shaky or loose in use.
Graphic 2-16. This shop trestle is of traditional form and suitable for any work at knee height.
The size suggested (Graphic 2-17A) should suit most needs. The height allows for sitting when that is the best posture for work at the bench. Start by setting out the end view (Graphic 2-17B), using the sizes of the wood as a guide. If the legs meet under the top, their outsides should finish about 1 inch each side of the top. Allow for the legs going into notches ½ inch deep in the top (Graphic 2-17C).
Graphic 2-17. Sizes and construction of the trestle.
Make the top with notches a close fit on the thickness of the legs. With your setting out as a guide, cut the four legs to shape. Use clamps to pull the legs tightly in as you glue them in place. Sight along to see that the leg angles match. Glue and screw on the braces (Graphic 2-lW) close under the top. If they are too long, trim them after the glue has set.
If necessary, trim one or more legs until the trestle stands without wobbling. Bevel around the ends to reduce the risk of splitting. Level the top surfaces. In particular, make sure the tops of the legs are level across because they will support the broad top.
Make the broad top (Graphic 2-17E) large enough to overhang 1 inch all around. If you either counterbore or deeply countersink for fixing screws, the heads cannot come into contact with saws or other cutting tools, but you will be able to withdraw them later if the board has to be turned over or replaced.
If you wish to make a pair of trestles, it is advisable to make all the parts for both at the same time so they match.
Materials List for Trestle
- 1 top 2x3x30
- 1 broad top 1x7x32
- 4 legs 2x3x22
- 4 braces 1x5x
FOLDING STEPS
Because in most shops and at many jobs there are places too high to be reached while standing on the ground, step ladders of moderate height are always worth having. Low folding steps are useful also as alternative trestles, and they make suitable seats when working at a bench. The folding steps in Graphic 2-18 are intended to have the same overall height as the trestle in Graphic 2-16. With the two, you can support a full sheet of plywood or other large piece of wood parallel with the floor and at a convenient height for sawing or doing other work.
The two levels are 10-inch steps. It is always wise to make any ladder or steps with exactly the same spacing all the way to avoid stumbling due to different heights. If you make the steps to other heights, keep to an even spacing.
The steps can be made from softwood, all 1 inch thick. The joints shown are ½-inch hardwood dowels, but mortise-and-tenon joints could be used.
The steps are shown sloping at a 25-degree angle. The rear legs close level with the bottoms of the main sides and are held in the open position with rope (Graphic 2-19A). The side are parallel. Be careful when making the parts not to let the bottoms come closer than the tops. An error the other way does not matter.
Cut a pair of sides (Graphic 2-20A). Cut dadoes about one-third the thickness of the wood (Graphic 2-20B).
Round the forward edge of the step. Prepare its ends with dowels to go through the sides. Round the forward edge of the top in the same way and prepare dowel joints into the sides (Graphic 2-20C). In both cases the dowels go through, so you can drill from outside into both parts of each joint.
Graphic 2-18. Folding steps at trestle height can be used to climb on or to support work.
Make the back (Figs. 2-19B and 2-20D) with its top beveled to match the sides. This could be doweled, but it is more satisfactory to screw it to the sides and drive a few screws downwards into it from the top.
Glue together all the parts made so far. Make the lengths of the rear legs (Graphic 2-19C) to fill the space between the back and the bottoms of the sides but with the ends beveled the other way to rest on the floor. Assemble the legs with rails doweled on (Graphic 2-19D). Join the legs to the back with T hinges (Graphic 2-20E).
Drill the legs centrally opposite the lower rails for rope and put holes in the centers of the sides at the same level. Knot rope through these holes with its length adjusted to keep the treads level when the steps are pulled open (Graphic 2-20F).
Materials List for Folding Steps
- 2 sides 1x4x25
- 1 step 1x6x19
- 1 top 1x7x22
- 1 back 1x5x22
- 2 legs 1x3x18
- 2 rails 1x3x15
TAKE-DOWN FRAME
Separate trestles will take care of many needs, and a pair will support large work, but they have to be positioned and can move in use. If they can be linked together, you have a much more rigid support under the work. You will know that neither end will move, possibly as just the wrong time during a crucial operation. In most shops, there is insufficient space for such an arrangement to be permanently assembled, especially when it is only needed for occasional use.
Graphic 2-19. Suggested sizes for the folding steps and the method of hinging and joining the legs.
The take-down frame in Graphic 2-21 consists of two end frames and two pairs of lengthwise braces to bolt on when you need the frame. With the sizes suggested (Graphic 2-22A), the assembly will hold a full-size plywood sheet. It is at a suitable height for working on large pieces of wood and, with stout boards on top, for standing on to reach ceilings or other high places. When disassembled, the braces fold and all parts take up only a few inches against a wall or under a bench.
All parts can be softwood, but hardwood tops will be more durable. Construction is shown with mortise-and-tenon joints, but you could use dowels.
Mark out the four legs (Graphic 2-22B). Leave a little extra length at the tops until after the frames have been assembled. Make the rails (Graphic 2-22C) and cut and fit the joints. See that opposite frames match and are without twist. Level the tops of the legs, then add the flat tops, which can have dowels through or be screwed on. The tops overhang about 1 inch all around and can have rounded edges and corners.
Fit the legs with permanently fixed projecting screws to take the braces. There are two possible ways of doing this. You could use ¾-inch hanger screws (Graphic 2-22D), if these can be obtained with sufficient projection. The alternative is to use ¾-inch carriage or coach bolts (Graphic 2-22E). The square neck will lock the bolt in the wood and prevent turning.
Graphic 2-20. Folding step side details and how the parts are joined.
Graphic 2-21. A take-down frame is more rigid than trestles and will support large work.
You can make the braces to lengths to suit your needs, but making them 60 inches between end holes will give an overall length about the same (Graphic 2-22F). Do not cut the ends too close to the holes, or the short end grain might break out. Pivot each pair of braces together at their centers. As it is unlikely that you will want to separate them, use carriage bolts with locknuts.
Use large washers for the end bolts, to reduce wear on the wood, and wing nuts (Graphic 2-22G) or knurled nuts (Graphic 2-2211). You could use plain nuts, but the other types avoid having to find a wrench.
Materials List for Take-down Frame
- 4 legs 2x2x24
- 4 rails 2x3x21
- 2 tops 1x4x25
- 4 braces 1x2x66
Graphic 2-22. Sizes and construction of the take-down frame.
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Considerations