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The Beginner Workbench

8 comments
7 years ago
Shop Updates     Videos

Construction Lumber and Just a Few Tools

What is the best beginner workbench? Wow, that’s a loaded question! Its one I get all the time. Usually I tell beginning woodworkers to hold off on building a bench right away because they don’t know what they don’t know yet and a workbench isn’t actually needed to get started.

For example, I’ve built a few things in the garage of my in law’s place in Maine using a sawhorse and a rickety table. But the time has come to build a proper workbench in that space. This workbench is designed to be possibly the first bench that a new woodworker would build. Though it could also end up being the workbench you use for many years as it is rock solid and highly functional. It is built using just construction lumber, 7 boards to be exact, and just 4 tools.

The beginner’s workbench should be simple to build, yet highly customizable for the future. It should be a rock solid, blank chassis that doesn’t require a lot of lumber or tools to build.

Its a straightforward built that introduces the new woodworker to some key concepts while not sweating the details that could make this project drag on for months and months. While hardly a new design, I think the approach I took to it could enable the brand new woodworker with no tools and no bench to actually get started building and come out of this experience a better woodworker

Full Build Coming Soon...

Semester .5 at The Hand Tool School will be a back to basics course designed to speak to the brand new woodworker who has no tools and has possibly never picked up a saw or plane.
It will consist of a few introductory lessons and then many applied lessons in the course of building 3 essential projects for their shop. Its in production now and scheduled to be released this Fall. Watch this space or subscribe to my email list to be the first to hear about it when it become available.

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SmokyRick Crawford

I really like that. The main thing that always turned me off about the English style benches is that it looks like they are only 1-1/2 inches thick. I didn’t know they were thicker “behind the scenes”. I always thought you would have trouble with using the holdfasts in the 1-1/2 thick lumber. With those doubled up, that should make a huge difference. Nice video, too.

    Shannon

    I don’t know that they are all thicker, this was just something I did with all the 8-12″ offcuts from the lumber. Seemed like a good use. Though I will say that with the cross braces I bored most of my holdfast holes through them and the additional blocking merely added mass. Not an insubstantial thing mind you but the holdfast issue isn’t the reason I did it.

Todd Griner

Thank you for producing this video. I’m someone who has been wanting to start woodworking, primarily hand tool woodworking, and this bench may just be what I’m looking for. I have thought of building the Moravian workbench but this looks to be a better starter bench.
Where might I purchase plans for building her? I assume your web site may have the information I need. I’ll take a look.

Again, thank you.

    Shannon

    I will be publishing plans with the release of Semester .5 in the fall.

      Peter Smith

      Nice bench Shannon, very “Seller-esque” in approach. I’d love to purchase the plans, any update on when that might be this fall?
      Many thanks,
      Peter

        Shannon

        I released this workbench a few weeks ago over Labor Day weekend. You can find all the details at https://www.handtoolschool.net/products/orientation-semester/

          Peter Smith

          Thanks for the reply Shannon, I followed the link to the course info and payment page but did not see anywhere to buy just the plans. Since I’m not a beginner I’m not really interested in the full course (thought I’m sure I would learn something!), just the plans for this bench. Are they available? Did I miss something?
          Thanks for your time, looking forward to building this.
          Peter

Connie

I am anxiously waiting for this project. Trying to figure out beginning woodworking without a bench is a doubles the learning curve. Gathering tools and getting ready.