Every amateur woodworker and every man who does much household repair or undertakes reasonably large woodworking projects needs a fairly large, rigid workbench. Wherever there is room available - in the basement, garage, or large attic - the bench illustrated in Figs. 17 and 18 will make its appeal to the worker because of its strength, durability, and simplicity of design and construction.

A bill of lumber is the first concern of anyone who wishes to construct this bench. The wood can be obtained at any lumberyard. Hard (yellow) pine can be used throughout with the exception of the leg at the vise and the vise jaw, which should be made of maple or a similar hardwood. The top also will be better if of hardwood, but the construction will be a little more difficult.

Fig. 17. - A man-size bench of the carpenter's type the amateur mechanic who does much woodworking repairing.

For convenience two separate lists are given: first, the lumber order as it may be turned over to the mill or lumberyard; second, a stock bill showing the actual widths and thicknesses of planed lumber as it comes from the mill and the finished sizes to which the material must be cut by the worker himself. The pieces may vary slightly from the dimensions stated, but the variations will not materially affect the finished workbench.

The following order of procedure is suggested:

1. Cut the four legs to the required length. (The length indicated in the drawing, 30 in., is a good, standard height.) Attach the vise-screw nut.

2. Cut the two upper cross rails for the ends to the length given.

3. Cut lower rails.

4. Hold all four legs together with a hand screw or other clamp in such a way that their outer edges are exposed. With pencil and square, draw crosslines to indicate the location of the cross rails. The upper rails act also as backs for the tool compartments.

5. Now nail up the two ends for the bench, using glue in the joints for added rigidity, and not less than three eight-penny box nails or common nails in each joint. Check for squareness with a steel square.

6. Glue and nail the piece of 13/16-in. maple on the face of the vise leg as shown in the drawing. This should not be cut to length at this time, but should be trimmed even with the surface of the top after the top is applied.

7. Cut the two aprons to the proper length (first checking the length of the pieces for the top). Cut away from one of them the part displaced by the piece of maple facing on the front leg previously mentioned; then glue and nail them in place. Use the square frequently while nailing up the frame.

8. Take the actual measurement for the stretcher or shelf that runs between the two lower cross rails. If desired, this can be made to overlap a little at each end for effect. This wide stretcher will serve as a shelf for tools and materials.

9. Cut out the place for the drawer on the front apron. This is best done by boring holes in two diagonal corners of the rectangle to be taken out and starting the cuts with a compass or keyhole saw.

10. Fit one of the 9-in. boards at each side of this opening, making them also support the top at these points. Before fastening these boards, nail on them the slats which form supports for the drawer.

11. Fit the shelves in the ends, nailing them to the under edge of the cross rails or against these rails as may be determined by the width of the boards and the distance the aprons extend.

12. Joint (plane the edges) and glue up the two planks for the top. Use four ½-in. dowels for the joint. Care must be taken to mark accurately for the dowels; use a marking gage, knife, and square.

Fig. 18. - Top, front, and end view of the heavy-duty workbench, and a detail of the stationary jaw of the carpenter's vise.

13. Trim the top to the length of the aprons and fasten it with 2½-in. No. 12 flathead screws. First bore a ½.inch hole ½ in. deep to receive each screw; then drill a hole right through into which the screw thread will slip easily. Hold the top in place, drill 3/16 in holes into the rails, drive the screws, and glue plugs into the½ -in. holes.

14. Cut the board for the bottom of the tool trough for length and also for width, if necessary. Nail this in place and nail on the strip along its outer edge.

15. Form the vise jaw to required shape, making it about 7 in. at the top and 4½ in. at the bottom. Plane a bevel on the outer edges of this, but do not attempt to finish the top end of it until after the vise screw and the follower have been fitted.

16. Clamp the vise jaw in place with the upper end protruding slightly above the top. Locate center of vise screw to coincide with the flanged nut center; bore a hole to allow screw to pass freely, and fasten collar.

17. Now tighten up the vise and bore a series of holes through both jaw and leg in one operation for the follower or "lock strip." These holes should form a slot nearly the full size of the cross section of the follower, that is, 13/16 by 3 in. Then chisel out for a tight fit in the jaw and a sliding fit in the leg.

18. Bore a series of holes ½ in. in diameter through the follower in a zigzag pattern about 1 in. apart, as shown.

19. Glue and dowel the follower into the vise jaw, being particular that it is put in square with the jaw.

20. Tighten up the vise, plane off the end of the jaw, and run a bevel on the front side of it.

21. Make the drawer as required by the size of the opening.