First Workbench Advice Please

[Braidsta]

Afternoon all,

I'm tired of working on my projects kneeling on my bedroom floor! (yep, for the time being, this is my situation!)
I want a bench. It'll need to be self assembled as I have to get it up 2 flights of stairs to my loft room - the weight isn't an issue, just the size getting through the turns in my house.

Looking around and finding plenty lovely benches with vices and drawers, all around 300-500 for the ones I'm checking out. Though I'm a firm believer in paying good money for solid objects, for this first one I'm after something less lifelong, but more "benchy" than a foldup workmate. I'm also not TOO fussed on a vice as I can add one at a later date, and I have access to them anyway if need be.

I've seen MDF ones on ebay,
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HEAVY-DUTY-WOODEN-WORK-BENCH-VERY-STURDY-WORKSHOP-JOINERS-GARAGE-STRONG-/161628503663?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

Really, I'm asking if MDF is any good for this kind of thing? I carve by hand, it's more so I can have a bench / table for stuff to sit on and be at a decent height. I know what MDF is, just not sure if my love of wood is skewing my thoughts on a worktable made out of it, because rar those oak ones are lovely! Aesthetics are being pushed aside on this one, I just don't want to be breathing killer dust or have it fall apart. No experience working with MDF, forgive my weird questions.

Any experiences shared or advice would be much appreciated

Thanks

Brady

 

[Mike313]

Have you considered making one yourself? Might be worth thinking about, probably the cheapest way of getting exactly what you want right now ...

 

[twyforge]

Would you be interested in making this yourself? If so, PM me the dims you want and I'll send you a sketchup model or something, resized from the plans I made whilst making my benches.

I made them using construction lumber, screws & glue, no joinery at all really. They're rock solid, very inexpensive, and my last set lasted me a good 4 years.

 

[WoodGnome]

I'd personally go for something like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Heavy-Duty-Black-Steel-Garage-Workbench-Workshop-Tool-Box-With-Pegboard-Drawers-/261335390694?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cd8cd99e6

You've got drawers integrated and room to hang tools. Doesn't cost a fortune more...
The actual boards (chipboards I suppose in that case) can be replaced by either metal or some other wooden solution quite easily - while wood is better to put vices on. On top of that you need a vice and you're ready to rock. To work with wood I'd also use the metal vice but would make myself two little boards to clamp between the jaws of the vice.

Hope this helped.

Regards,
Marc

 

[Tony]

I made my last one, it's straight forward, 2x4's and 3 layers of 18mm mdf on top, two would probably be enough and a good surface is oil rolled hardboard, it's a lot harder to get than it used to be but it's good.

A lot depends now what you want to use it for, how much it's going to get rocked about working on it, lots of work with the plane is a lot different than carving a wood sprite.

ultimately a top that's appropriate for your projects and then a frame that can be bolted together, then you can make all the bits, carry them up and put it together... if you want a vice you need to make sure your frame will accommodate it and the weight isn't something that will destabilise it.

 

[Tony]

Would you be interested in making this yourself? If so, PM me the dims you want and I'll send you a sketchup model or something, resized from the plans I made whilst making my benches.

I made them using construction lumber, screws & glue, no joinery at all really. They're rock solid, very inexpensive, and my last set lasted me a good 4 years.

Good offer

 

[Robson Valley]

Stability goes a long way in wood carving success.
I suggest that you cobble something together with only height, weight and stability in mind.
Lug the thing up in pieces and assemble. I never understood what I really wanted in a carving bench
until I worked at a general purpose bench for a couple of years.

 

[Gary Elson]

Hi
For something different how about a shave horse - very moveable very versatile and somewhere to sit !!
I made one two years ago and have used it for all sorts of stuff
Check out Mike Abbott he has based on stock timber

Good luck
Gaz

 

[tim_n]

http://www.instructables.com/howto/workbench/

Loads of ideas - I made one of the really cheap ones on there and it'd lasted a long time!

 

[sunndog]

1/2" or so MDF will be strong enough for a woodworker's bench as long as its got a bit of support on the underside.

 

[Braidsta]

Thanks everyone! Especially for the kind offers of plans to build one! This time round I think I'll buy one and strengthen it if I need to, though I will build my own when I'm in a better situation - it just works out that the easy route is best for me right now.
Now I know MDF is going to be ok for the job I can sort this soon. Thanks again!

 

[nephilim]

I work on my dining room table. Put a craft mat down and off I go.