| Traditional Bench - The Design | |||
After many years of using a totally inadequate bench for hand tools, I finally decided that the time had come to build a "real" bench. After no telling how many hours of thinking and sketching, I finally decided on a pretty traditional design. My bench, will basically be pretty close in design to the Frank Klausz bench that has been well documented in both "The Workbench Book" by Scott Landis as well as in Fine Woodworking issue 53 (July/August 1985).
The main difference between my bench and Franks is the front vise. Everything I have ever read that Frank has written about his bench as well as what he told me while personally talking with him about it at a weekend workshop, Frank is adamant that the front vise should be of the "Dog-Leg" style. While it may work great for Frank, I just do not like that kind of vise. I have had the opportunity to work on one for a while and it just did not suite my work habits. Perhaps that greatest thing I do not like about the Dog-Leg vise is that it sticks out of the front of the bench, always getting in the way. It is also weaker by design. I decided instead to go with a plain front vise, where the front of the bench actually serves as the back of the vise. The only other differences in my bench and Franks is the dimensions. The only reason I changed them was to better fit my shop. While I would love to have a bench that is 7' or 8' long, 6' was the maximum length that would work in my space. I also made my bench a little wider than Frank's, about three inches wider - not sure if this is good or bad, only time will tell.
Use the following links to see the plans for the top and base:
e-mail: krucker@friendlycity.net
Copyright © 2000 by Keith S. Rucker,
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