How to build a cheap workbench for woodworking using a Kreg HD jig, island workbench
Warren from One Wood Tools shows how to build a cheap and easy island woodworking workbench with dog holes, joints are made using the Kreg HD pocket hole jig.
This project cost me a little over $100 and can be made in a weekend, the joinery technique is simple and shows several options for joinery.
See the Ultimate triangle of squareness in action to easily set rails and legs at 90 degrees by just using a couple of clamps.
Download Free Sketchup Plan here Workbench Sketchup Plan
Download Free PDF Plan (METRIC) here Free Workbench Plan PDF Metric
Download Free PDF Plan (Imperial) here Free Workbench Plan PDF Imperial
Below is a Transcript from the YouTube Video.
Just like me this island style workbench is cheap and easy, Hi I’m Warren from One Wood and were going to be making this cheap island style workbench, this probably cost a little over $100 in materials and you can knock it out in a weekend
The joinery is nice and simple so a lot of the time your first project when you are a woodworker is a workbench, you might not need something as big as this probably half the size of this would do the job for most people this things got a fair amount of weight on it, its pretty big so lets hook into it.
First thing we need to do is cut 8 legs 800mm long ill setup my stop block so each cut will be exactly the same i dont have to worry about measuring each one.
for the joinery i am going to be using a Kreg HD pocket hole jig, this ones designed for using on larger lumber rather than the smaller pocket hole jigs they make its a pretty simple thing you just clamp it on clamp it on like so.
And where done 2 holes then we just get another little screw drive it in like that and all done.
to secure the top to the frame im going to use pocket holes using the normal kreg pocket hole jig.so well just put a few holes in along these pieces here.
next were going to use the table saw to cut some slots in the timbers for our little dividing wall the end were going to cut towards the end so if i want to clamp ive got a little bit of real estate for the centre dividers we will just cut down the middle, so adjust this in case im not exactly in the middle what were going to do put a little cross on the side that goes against the fence so if im a little bit out at least we will be a little bit out all in one direction.
now were read to start assembly, because we have used pocket holes this will come together really really quickly if you haven’t used a Kreg pocket hole jig before there highly recommended so all we need to do that you can see we have got our holes here we just need to clamp here clamp it together grab the screw and thats it and thats all we to do and thats a really strong joint that will last quiet well.
now who spotted what i did wrong there can you see it have a look can you see it let me show you i let the good rug get in the shot with my wood on it so i don’t scratch my wood dead man walking when the boss sees that.
um just for this workbench im building i just had trouble getting the legs perfectly square so what i did a whopping big hunk of triangle drilled a few holes in it cut some notches in it and its been able to hold things perfectly square for me all we do is just sit the leg where we want it line it up then just grab these little fence clamps they just go straight in the hole screw it in and thats perfectly square in this plane as well as this plane because its nice and thick it just there it doesn’t wobble or anything so its nice and easy to setup i think i will be using it quiet a bit and then i also cut a couple of notches so i can also you know clamp it for some extra support or if i’ve got to inset it theres a little bit more reach then we can just reach around the back knock it in and its done, what can we call it it needs a name the ultimate triangle of squareness that will do.
Im just going to add some soft feet so we slide it around on the floor just like a nylon thing that make it easier just need a T nut and thats it.
So I’ve made 2 boxes here so um with larger projects its normally easier to do it in like a modular design so if you even look at your kitchen cupboards and big things like that there just a series of little boxes and you put them all together so all done we’ve go 2 boxes and we will just put these in and screw the top on and we’ll be done in about 10 minutes.
You don’t have to use pocket holes to build this bench you can use use simple joinery like I’ve done with this bench here i built this years ago still going really strong its never moved and i don’t think it ever will all you do is just have your upright place your rail across there 4 screws just drill and the wood doesn’t split ad then for your side pieces just place that along there same again 4 screws and you can see you secured in lots of different spots and that will never move.
Okay the next thing is i’ve drawn a grid over the whole table which is 150mm spacings you can do whatever yo want that what i like and then were going to drill some 19mm holes the the dog holes push devices like this in clamp various things to the surface of the table makes your life very easy.
You ever hear that expression a good lure catches more fisherman then fish well for woodworkers its these things router bits i have more router bits than i know what to do with but um when you are first starting out you don’t need to many i think these three bits will get you through most of what ever you need to do and i probably still do 80% of what i do the first one is a um flush trim bit which use which has a little ball bearing there and this ball bearing will ride along a pattern or edge of a workbench and trim it flush with anything so its good if you are making patterns stuff like that. The next one is a chamfer bit which will just put a 45 degree chamfer around your edge and thats all you need for that one and then a round over bit which is the same sort of thing it will just put a round over edge across your workbench or whatever you are doing so I’m just going to use this to soften the edge of the workbench.
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