Adjustable Height Workbench Design w/ Built in Mobile Base

[@testuser3167]

Rather brilliant! This may be the beginning of a solution to my/our workbench quandary. Since the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantine/stay-at-home mandate, my wife got a lot of (thankfully paid) time off from work, and chose to take up the hobby of woodworking, because they wouldn't allow girls to take wood shop back when she went to high school nearly 40 years ago... She's 5'3" and I'm 6'6", and she wants to build a bench, but we don't really have room for a bench for both of us, and she doesn't want to build a bench that is too low for me to use, or too high for her to use comfortably. She's already started buying hand tools off of Craig's list, and a new band saw, but the lack of a bench is causing a bottleneck in her progress. Initially, she was going to just make an English jointer's bench, ala Paul Sellers or Rex Krueger, but stopped shy of building because of the bench height question/issue... I'm leaning more toward hydraulics for the jacks, but the concepts as you've laid them out, clarify a possible path forward that shows much promise, and for that, I thank you! (Happy wife, happy life!)

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

The Jack Bench would be perfect for you and your wife, and you're so, so right, happy wife, happy life!

[@ragtie6177]

You are an amazingly gifted Maker, Craftsman & designer Charlie. This work bench is by far one of the best design ideas & builds I've ever seen. Your various talents in the diverse categories is truly appreciated.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Wow, that's quite a compliment! Thanks man.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks, you're too kind.

[@davem5116]

Thanks I used this system to make the sink bench in my poptop caravan lift up to a usable height when opened up Makes a huge difference thanks.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Great minds think alike! :)

[@timthomas9105]

Went looking for an alternative to saw stands, outfeed rollers, and other workbench ideas. Have a workbench from Home Depot. Added casters and now it's pretty tall. I'm 6'2" so it's usable for me. But like you said, that height is too tall for certain things. So the EBAY and AMAZON search went on. One of my arms is damaged, usable but kinda weak from a Navy accident in '84. What popped up on my radar was a 12v 15 amp powered scissor lift. As it happens, I bought 4- 30 amp power supplies, 2 for internal and external LED lights and 2 spares. Just because. So instead of bending over to raise and lower, plug in and it's moving. I am really impressed by your design. As an EE and a lifetime wood hobbyist. You really did a great job. My younger son is a WELDER in everything but underwater. So He can add fixing plates to the tops and bottoms of the jacks. Just wanted to let you know that you helped a Disabled Veteran today. The less pain I have the more I can do.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Tim, I'm glad the video was helpful to you!

[@timthomas9105]

@@JackbenchWoodworking Thank you. I really meant what I said. Just received notice from Amazon that the jacks were shipped. After I help my Son with a window motor assembly in his truck it's off to get some lumber.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Fantastic! Let me know how it turns out.

[@kevincoates1597]

I had this same idea one night, but wrote it off as being too complicated and outlandish. Love the secondary jack that allows for easy mobility. Subscribed

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Kevin, great minds think alike!

[@Eveningkiss]

this would be great. Ive been wanting one that goes all the way to the ground so i can mount and store some of my heavier tools easier. (wheel it as low as possible to slide it under my other desks when not in use)

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks! Too bad it doesn't go down that far

[@alanh2920]

Fantastic build! I noticed your bench is made out of what appear to be very nice hardwoods. I am a beginner and looking to make my first bench, likely out of MDF and ply. Would your design work well with those materials? Again, beautiful and practical. Hoping i can build something similar soon.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks! I'm glad that you like my bench design. Yes, you can absolutely use plywood and mdf to build the Jack Bench.

[@lloydbrock6806]

Hey Jack that things too nice to do work on. Lol, seriously though that boy sweet!.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks, Lloyd! I've been using it for many years now, and it's not as pristine as it used to be. 😀

[@plainnpretty]

I like your bench I hate that I can’t adjust mine until now thanks for sharing

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks!

[@MRrwmac]

Good to see your nice Jack Bench explained again Charlie! Looks as good as the day she was built! Strong and versatile but still mobile when needed! Thanks for sharing!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks man!!

[@08c6vette]

Awesome! I’ve been wanting to build a nice workbench for years (always just used a couple saw horses) but was always worried about the height issue for the very reasons you described.I’ve been researching designs and KZbin videos for height adjustable workbenches for quite a while now and I have to say yours is the best I’ve found for ease of adjustability. Trouble is, I’ll have to build a workbench to build your work bench. Lol

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

LOL! Thanks, I'm glad you like my bench design. One thing I can say is that the plans for this bench are very good and come with step by step instructions that include drawings, photos, and links to websites where you can buy the needed parts. All the best! Charlie

[@clarenicholson1328]

Wow! This is such a simple and yet awesome design!! Thanks so much for sharing- it's exactly the sort of mechanism I need to create a carving desk. Much appreciated.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks so much, Clare! I'm glad that you like my design!

[@partytempo]

The idea of two jacks stacked between the structure is beautifully simple. I have wanted to make a light duty scissor lift from repurposed scissor jacks but the total "stroke" always seemed a little short. This solution could address that quite nicely

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks, Chris. That's one of the nicest comments that I've ever received.

[@jamesfox8930]

beautiful looking bench and I love all the attention to fine details. excellent quality and execution.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Bradley!!

[@ToolMetrix]

That is the coolest bench on the planet, Charlie!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

ToolMetrix Thanks Paul!

[@thebobloblawshow8832]

Great bench. Here’s the problem, it’s too beautiful to work on. Its too damn nice. That’s a piece of furniture not a work bench. Love it.👍🔥

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Bob! Making it "pretty" was an afterthought, but I'm glad that I did it.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Oh, and I use the heck out of it!

[@TheEveryMaker]

I've seen desks that have a similar design, but nothing that is as solid as this bench. Very well done!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thank You!

[@Woodtoolsworkshop]

This is really great. I can see applications beyond the workbench. Like, an outfeed table.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks! Some people have used it for an outfeed table.

[@johnalbrecht3831]

I have been trying to watch videos of people with adjustable benches and come up with my own design But I think you have covered everything I was looking to add . Nice job Now I have to decide if I’m going to be creative and build it by site or if I’m gonna buy your plans

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

john albrecht Thanks John! You can probably build one from watching the video, but I think you'll save a lot of time and possibly get a better result with the plans. Either way, I would love to see how it turns out for you!

[@Bigrigjeff]

Nice! A must have for Woodworking!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

I agree, thanks!!

[@jpwoodwork]

Incredible Charlie!! You are the man!!!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Jamie!!

[@williamclark9743]

Wow. I just found your channel and am a new subscriber. VERY cool. Nice work.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks William!!

[@blueblur6447]

Now your channel name makes sense. Long time subscriber but I just now saw this video/bench/plans. Awesome, might just build it!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Cool! Let me know if you decide to go forward with the build.

[@SlowandExpensive]

Hey Charlie, This bench design of yours is fantastic! 👍

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks!!!!!!!!!

[@SlowandExpensive]

A lot of thought went into that bench for sure!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

I thought about the design for over a year before I started building.

[@SlowandExpensive]

Dang! That's a long time Charlie! I hope you built it perfect the first time! I've got a mobile tool shelf I've been thinking about for two years but I'm just procrastinating! I'll probably have to build it a couple times to get it right! I do like your thinking on that bench! Have you made any improvements to the original design?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Originally, I built it just for myself, but lot of people asked me for plans after I was done. The first version required some welding. Before I started selling plans I modified the design to eliminate the need for welding and to make it easier to build. The second design is essentially the same, but if you compare the original to the ones that people have made from my plans you will see a difference with the stretchers and the pipe clamps. There are lots of photos on my website: www.jack-bench.com/photo-gallery/

[@MonacoMike]

Great looking bench and great engineering. 1.) What do you estimate the total material cost to be? 2.) About how long do you estimate to fabricate it? 3.) Can it be completely constructed by one person?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks! 1: Most people can build the bench for about $600 plus the cost of the vises. 2: It's hard to say how long it would take because people work so differently. My best guess is that it would take a few weeks. 3: One person can definitely build one by themselves.

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

Is there any issues with racking while lifting?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

@liquidrockaquatics3900 No issues with that. The recommended motorcycle jack has a large surface area, and there are guides to help keep everything in line while adjusting the height. So, it is not sensitive to minor imbalances. Of course, it's rock solid once it is locked in position.

[@paulangeli9710]

Wow! That's awesome! I definitely want to make this work bench. Thanks so much for sharing this.

[@crazyrussianwoodshop3957]

Always loved your bench Charlie!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks man!

[@grandmastermicochero]

great bench,, question.. how did you drill out square holes for your bench dogs?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

HI Gregg, using a template, I routed the profile of the holes before I assembled the bench top.

[@grandmastermicochero]

thanks for the reply,, anyway you could give us a little more info on the template design? metal, wood?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

@@grandmastermicochero I decided what I wanted the bench dogs to look like and then I made a wooden template to cut holes so that the dogs would just fit into the holes.

[@grandmastermicochero]

thanks my friend,,best workbench on youtube! :) and there are some good ones out there too!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Gregg!!

[@kevincz99]

Love the bench! Shows what a little woodworking combined with engineering can do! What are the length and width of the bench in the plans?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Kevin! The bench in the plans is about 32"x 62", but you can easily modify that. The hard copy version of the plans is printed on 11"x 17" paper.

[@kevincz99]

Awesome! Just ordered the plans, looking forward to the build! Thank you

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Kevin!! I hope you like the plans. Seriously, don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions while building your bench.

[@bnssoftware3292]

Brilliant!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thank You!

[@topsaw]

Beautiful Bench, love it!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thank you so much!

[@KSFWG]

Wow! Nice bench!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Dave!

[@skipanardoross6805]

Brilliant.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thank you!!

[@MIHEAWATR]

clever table. Solid work.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks!

[@pixxelkick5305]

Hey Jack Bench! I love the approach using jacks for lifting, but an interesting thing I am worried about when considering this approach is that the jack has to bear the brunt of any shocks or hits applied to the work surface, IE if you do any hammering, all that force is going to travel down into the jack and through its mechanisms. Have you considered a means to "Clamp" the top into place to sturdy wood struts, perhaps one on each corner, such that once clamped you can ease off on the upper jack ("disconnecting" it from the surface now), such that the struts are now bearing all the weight and abuse. Since they would just be thick pieces of wood, they could take a fair bit more of abuse and shock than the jack would I suspect, yeah? I just get the feeling that jacks are just not designed to be taking shock forces, and were meant for more static weight lifting. I worry about the long term years down the road on how the jack would hold up after several years of hammering and vibrations from tools, it would be pretty bad if the jack gave out in the middle of a job, especially if using a power tool, could result in serious injury yeah? Thoughts on some form of transfer of lifting over to wood struts? Basically, the jacks only job would just be to change the height, not to do /any/ resisting against shocks/vibrations. Id expect a substantial increase to the lifespan of the workbench perhaps.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

HI, thanks for your thoughtful comment! I 100% agree with you about the jacks and using clamps to hold the top in place. My bench design incorporates pipe clamps for jus this purpose. I can't believe that I didn't point that out in my video!! But, if you look at the video again at about the 33 second point you will see the pipe clamps. Thanks again, Charlie.

[@eichoevers4199]

@@JackbenchWoodworking Can you elaborate on the pipe clamps and how they function with the wood? Building a desk for audio production that I want to be able to convert into a standing desk, so I’m worried about putting all the weight on just a jack. Clamps or pins would make for a good safety net, but I am wondering about the pipe clamps and how they function in this case.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

@@eichoevers4199 The clamps simply push the upper (moving) section against the lower (stationary) section. It's important to have a good surface(s) where the two sections come together, but the clamps work extremely well.

[@chuckhart8970]

Charlie you have no idea how your bench impacts me. I am currently in a power wheelchair and that would help me raise the bench for my chair. Now I have to figure out how to get my chair under the bench to work. It would then work as a bench for me when I get out of this chair (some day soon) If you have an idea about adapting it to use with a wheelchair I am all ears. So are a bunch other handicapped guys.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

HI Chuck, as you said, the main issue is having enough room under the bench for a chair. The first thing that I think of is widening the bench top to increase the overhang. I "think" this would work, but I have not tested it. My concern is that it might put excess weight on one side of the bench. I'm confident that it would be solid once the top is adjusted and locked in place. The imbalance would be exasperated because the face vise is on the side that would require the extra overhang. I used a 9" metal Record style vise which is fairly heavy. With extra overhang I would recommend using something that weighed less. Maybe something like a regular front vise: www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?c=&p=31137&cat=1 Or, maybe a lighter face vise like this: www.amazon.com/Irwin-226361-Woodworkers-Vise-Inch/dp/B0001LQY4E/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_469_bs_lp_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VSYDDFFJJY4KZY0WDZPH&dpID=414TqYn05SL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail Feel free to email me if you would like to discuss it further. www.jack-bench.com/contact/ Thanks! Charlie

[@jeremyspecce]

Chuck Hart Charlie, I feel like you might have better luck if you abandon the mechanism the lowers the bench onto the casters, which would free up a lot of room underneath. If you don't need the bench to mobile then you're all set. If you still need it to be mobile I think rockler makes a lot of wheels that retract and can mounted on the face of a leg.

[@TheTimeDetective42]

BLOOMIN ECK!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

One of the best comments that I've received, thanks!!

[@TheTimeDetective42]

@@JackbenchWoodworking Haha you're welcome.

[@normanboyes4983]

Very innovative and looks absolutely solid and very scalable if you know what I mean.👍

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Yes it is, thanks!

[@stevenowen9279]

Do you provide plans for your bench please?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks for asking. Yes, plans are available at: jack-bench.com/shop-plans/

[@dusbus2384]

It is hard to say what the cost of materials would be. how about how many board feet it is?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Great question, thanks. The bench requires about about 110 board feet of lumber, two sheets of ½” plywood and one sheet of ¾” plywood.

[@adamquincey4371]

That’s an awesome bench...!! Cheers...

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Adam!!

[@kwestels]

Great design!! Did your consider using an automotive jack for the bottom section as well? Or would it not be as strong as the motorcycle jack to lift the entire bench?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Good question! Originally, I used a jack from a Honda Civic because it doesn't have to move very far to lift the bench off of the floor and because small scissors jacks have more mechanical advantage than large ones do. A motorcycle jack still has plenty of mechanical advantage and the bench is more stable with one of them than it is with an automotive jack.

[@hotmanmogayakinsitompul6805]

Amazing...good job

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks!

[@robertevans6481]

Like it no,love it yes...👍

[@danielsolowiej]

Nice remake Charlie :)

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Daniel!

[@felixfromnebraska8648]

Ingenious!!!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Felix!

[@StavrosGakos]

Wow!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks man!!

[@keithfjelsted1441]

how much for all the materials to build?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Hi Keith, you should be able to build the bench for $600-$700 plus the vises. Let me know if you need any other information. Thanks!

[@bobbg9041]

Clever.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thank You!

[@matterickjames]

thats awsome

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks man! I really appreciate that.

[@MDFRESCUER]

Good video.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks!!!

[@FranksDIY]

That is an amazing workbench. how much time did you put into this. I'm sure it did not come together the way you wanted the first time lol. Great stuff.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks man! The design had to meet several criteria and it took a long time to figure out how to meet all of them.

[@bahoz6310]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thank You, I'm glad that you like it!!

[@RudimirB]

...nice, nice, but... if you are building workbench for yourself then there is no point to make it adjustable! a lot of effort for nothing..

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

I work alone and I adjust the height on my bench all the time. I lower it way down for assembly work, high for detail work, and regular for regular work! :)

[@RudimirB]

:-) now, after putting so much effort in it, not using it would be the the ultimate stupidity. You are using it because you have it, I just wanted to say that it is on the list among first few things that you probably don't need... nice work anyway..

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

I get it, thanks!