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Once I get my shop clean and somewhat organized, I want to build an assembly table that I can walk around and I have the plans for the Fleishman binding jig and I'm going to build both of these. For the assembly table, I can't decide on 2x4 or 4x4'. 2x4' is enough to hold 1 guitar and that's all I'll ever work on at once I think, I only have 2 hands. I want to mount my luthier vise on it as well. I may put I regular vise on it to hold the different vises I have as needed. I like to do nut work in that vise so that needs to be there. Is there any reason to go larger?

There need to be space for the Fleishman jig as well. This also will be held in that woodworkers vise and stored underneath when I'm not using it.

Is there any reason to double top it for 1 1/2" thickness. Never mind, I just thought of one. I also want to use this same bench as go-bar deck with plywood attached to the joists above it. I may decide to use a different bench for this, I'm not sure yet but it sounds like this assembly table is getting a lot of use. If I don't use it for that than 3/4" inch will probably be enough.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

Hutch--

Personally, I work on a freestanding workbench that is 2.5' wide and 5' long. It has a 2.25" thick laminated maple top with 0.75" diameter round dog holes at regular intervals all around the perimeter and up the middle. It is one of the best tools I have in my workshop. I can set up an operation on one half and leave that going while I have something completely different going on at the other end. Except for a twin screw end vise, nothing is permanently attached to the workbench. All other vises, etc., get bolted on through the dogholes as needed, and removed as needed. Everybody has their preferences, so you are likely to get lots of different opinions, but these are mine. I love my workbench.

I have a nice 7' bench that I built many years ago. It has a 2x4 laminated top with a front and tail vise on it. That's my work bench, my new bench will be leaning towards a place to assemble and do setups on. No tools hanging on a wall to fall down on my guitars and 360 degree access.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

I have a traditional woodworking bench but do a lot of my work on a 4' x 4' "L" shaped bench. I believe I got the idea from Alan Carruth way back when. It has four different vises on it. Two of which are removeable. The archtop carving fixture is easily removable as well. Two layers of 3/4" plywood and a layer of replaceable 1/4" masonite on top and poplar trim around the edges. I had a bunch of 3" x 3" square maple baseball bat blanks I picked up in the bargain bin at LeeValley years ago that made great legs for it.

Darrel that looks like a seriously tidy and organised work space. I would be ashamed to put up a photo of mine! But my main workbench and tools on the walls is pretty efficient with only a couple of steps to reach most tools.

Dave

I don't understand the L shape. What are the benefits?

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

My workbench described above:

I like that it takes up less space than a 6' or 8' bench would take up There's also one more corner to add a vise or whatever.
This is my traditional bench with a 3" maple top where I can really pound on a guitar. Ha!

Looks great Don. Mine is similar although only 2' wide. The extra dog holes really help with complex clamping operations. I love Veritas bench pups and hold downs for simplifying clamping tasks that would otherwise cause me to work way too hard to figure out.

Amen to all of that, Darrel. My bench is a clamping problem solver, for sure.

Finally got some time in the shop yesterday. I started building my assembly table out of a miss cut maple Butcher block counter top. I was given this after taking the job over and cutting the new one right. It's been sitting for a few years now and I finally decided to use it.

Well, after moving it I hurt my knee that is recovering from meniscus surgery. Nothing to do but sit around and practice my flatpicking. I'm determined to learn to pick fast and clean. That said, I'm practicing super slow and coming up with better ways to play the standard fiddle tunes.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

I have a couple of workbenches in my small shop, but my assembly table is a Rockler T Slot table clamped to the top of my tablesaw. I don't use the tablesaw all that often (or the router table that's attached to it), but I use it too frequently to get rid of it. It actually makes a great assembly table that I can walk all the way around, and the T Slot table makes clamping things a breeze.

Dave

Just a couple thoughts and ideas -

As others have posted shop pictures of small shops. My tools are along the walls on wheels. A walk around bench in the middle, if you have a table saw that can make a very useful second work area. Last year a friend stopped by and asked if I wanted an oak table top - it was a perfect fit for the table saw and is fairly easy on and off.

Oak top on Table Saw -



Main work bench 40"X96". I went to a stone dealer and they gave me a 2'X2'X1 1/2" slab of granite ( I was looking for a luthier grade surface plate). When I checked it out the top was w/in 0.002" good enough for woodworking and sharpening and other layout work. I inset it into the bench top and can raise or lower it with some hand wheels under the bench. Also made the bench about 1/2" lower than my table saw so it serves to catch long boards being cut. There are 7 vises on the bench from typical woodworking, 2 like StewMac neck vises (sorry Hesh, I LOVE their versatility over a leg vise in spite of hard edges that can be "softened" to protect work. And one mechanics vise for metal stuff. Shelves under the bench top hold 8' wood and radius dishes. Bench is on steel wheels (heavy) so it can move out of the way if I have to work on a tractor or something!



The last suggestion is mounting the top half of a go bar deck to the ceiling out of the way over the workbench. I made mine from 1/2" Lexan so no shadows from ceiling lights.



Setting up a new shop is such fun.

Brian

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

I like your ideas a lot Brian. Rather than granite, I might ligh plexiglass inset with a light underneath.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

My first go-bar deck was a piece of plywood screwed to the low ceiling above a bench. When I moved shops I made a box to preserve the ceiling height above that bench, and it's a handy place to stow the go-bars when I'm not using them.

After taking the C Fox course I copied his benches. Basically 2’ X whatever 3/4” particle board boxes that are bolted together with carriage bolts in whatever configuration needed. The bottoms have 3/8” carriage bolts threaded into T-nuts for leveling. The final configuration is topped with two 3/4” layers. I chose melamine as it is flat and smooth. The entire construct is very solid and rigid. You can add shelves and drawers.

I have holes drilled all over them for placing lights, vises, etc.

I have an L main bench and a two section rectangular one. My go bar deck also hangs from the ceiling.

IMG_7509 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

IMG_6866 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I like this idea.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!