This Workbench is deceptively EASY to make!

[@crazyjazz222]

I love when people paint their shop furniture. Feels like a complete idea, and a way of honoring your time and the materials used.

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

I was inspired by the shaker workbench that fine woodworking made a long time ago.

[@researchandbuild1751]

Yep too many people build stuff but never put finish on it. In my opinion they never complete the build because of that

[@fiveduckstudio]

This is a very nice workbench, and I think painting it was a great addition as well.

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

Thank so much! Cheers!

[@inmyimage1081]

Best youtube woodworker statement ever “An influencer amount of clamps”. For the amount of clamps most influencers have, I bet I could buy a Festool track saw, possibly even a domino… neither of which do I plan to buy anytime in the near future and Harbor Freight clamps are fine for now.

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

I'm still waiting for a dump truck full of jorgenson clamps to show up

[@CrazyManwich]

Harbor Freight clamps are surprisingly good

[@joshua_lee732]

​@@CrazyManwich Yo be fair vlamps are pretty simplistic and the hatbor frieght price point is just high enough to get around the Chinese garbage they could be selling.

[@branchandfoundry560]

Try yard sales & estate sales. I never pay more than $3ea, usually $1-2ea. I learned the trick is buy all of them when I find them for a "Combined Lot" super cheap price. Now with over 400 clamps, I may be the one guy who actually has enough clamps 😊

[@inmyimage1081]

@ Agreed. After buying my initial 4 from Rockler and another 4 from HF when I first got started I started getting them from auctions and doubled my collection for just a few dollars.

[@nathanw.5367]

This was great, Scott . I already have a workbench but this video makes me want to build this one. Really like how you painted it. Certainly adds something extra. Great job!

[@RenegadesGarage]

Scott Walsh.. Another awesome build. I don't know if I can pull it off but I might try it. I definitely need a good work/assembly bench.

[@ThisRandomGuyYouDidntNotice]

3:15 tbh in places you intend to do some cutting later, you can still remove the screw. just have to wait for the glue to dry. but yeah if you have em, clamps are easier :)

[@keithnsearle7393]

A very nice work bench. I had built a small work bench myself similar to your way of thinking, though I built it out of old bed frames. I took ALL of the staples out of the bed frames and built the small work bench from the design I had that were in my mind. Measure TWICE cut once was all I needed to remember and it worked out really good. And yes the small work bench does have a shelf.

[@claudestewart5465]

That's nice looking bench.

[@barix9495]

Always a big fan of your content Scott - You've billed this as a more "beginner" workbench but I think it also goes a long way to reminding us veterans of the hobby that sometimes it's good to take a step back and re-evaluate what's actually important. I like your ultra simple design and the fact that it's a reasonable/cheap option. I'm building a new bench here in a few weeks and while it'll be a fair bit larger than this one, there are a lot of good takeaways from this video I'll keep note of for that build!

[@SillyVehicleEnjoyer_]

I like how there's so many ways to make this your own, by even painting it differently, chiseling designs into the legs, all kinds of cool stuff

[@jasperrodrigues7026]

Seriously appreciate the thought and effort that went into making this an affordable and approachable workbench. I remember when I was new to woodworking and thought I HAD to make a solid wood bench top, such a needless use of money and time. And I used crappy lumber so mine twisted like a piece of licorice. To this day I use plywood/mdf with about 2 inches of wood around the edge for everything I make from fine furniture to abused workbenches.

[@squalazzo]

seen others putting small drawers in the top part, below the holed top, so they can easily grab back nails and nuts and washers falling in the holes, and easily clean up the dust and wood shavings falling down

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

That's a great idea. I wanted to keep the cost as low as possible, and that would've needed another sheet of plywood.

[@squalazzo]

@ScottWalshWoodworking even cardboard would do the job, just anything helping collecting everything falls down, needed or not... Sure better than now, all free, how do you plan to clean there? 😅

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

@@squalazzo Very true. I have long gangly arms that can reach many places that lesser people cannot 😂

[@dbf1dware]

@@squalazzo Or 1/4" luan. Slides right into the same size grooves cut for the drawers. Great idea!

[@simonhall2682]

Just about build my own workbench and had settled on a simliar design so this is great timing. Thanks for the great content!

[@rmfberry261]

the bees wax tip for the drawers is a great one.

[@GlorifiedG-z9c]

Thumb tacks where the drawer runs on will make them slick as ice.

[@am2dan]

I made my drawer bottoms to long sticking a couple inches behind the box which helps them extend farther without falling out. Not for this build, but same idea.

[@Tim0987FREEDOM]

This is the best functional work bench I've seen on the internet!!!

[@Reprint001]

There should be an award for the millionth KZbin workbench build video.

[@TheHezakiya]

I haven’t seen plans I’m willing to pay for, until now. What makes it seem worth it is learning how to build decent drawers without hardware. Thanks for this!

[@petrsidlo7614]

I havent finished the whole video yet, but when you talk about not having enough clamps for assembly at around 3 min mark, how about dry fitting with trough dowels? Then apply the glue and in the dowels to force the joint shut.

[@billymurphy3]

I may need to make something similar for my outfeed table. Modified to be significantly smaller. I like the drawer slide choice. Looks nice!

[@tealkerberus748]

It's going to be a while before I have somewhere to build a work bench, and when I do I'll be building in metric .. but this is very nice and direct for someone who mostly knows how to build house frames. Thank you.

[@WoodcraftBySuman]

Ah shoot. This one caught me off guard. I have nothing mean to say. Congrats on the hard launch of the soft bench!

[@ZacBuilds]

I know. I'm trying to write a pithy little comment... but all I can think is "that's a nice bench" 😔

[@todddammit4628]

One cool mod to this would be to have those dust collectors pull out. I know you mentioned not making them full drawers, which I agree with. But having three walls instead of four would keep them from becoming junk drawers, but allow you to pull them out to clean or use as a quick shelf. The three walls would just help to keep the dust out of your actual drawers.

[@dbf1dware]

With regard to cutting those additional half-laps (starting near 4 min)... first, great idea, clamping the two end segments to cut at the same time, very smart. But I think what might work well is to do the kerf cutting, then knock out the stuff, then use the router for the final clean-out (instead of chisel). Best of both worlds, I think.

[@roryconiglione9486]

I love your design, simple and functional. It's a thing of beauty.

[@therick0996]

I LOVE using this non-hardware method of drawers. Particularly for shop furniture

[@alastairdonaldson-jj9vh]

Talc or french chalk is excellent for easing drawers. Been using it for years on all types of furniture. Best wishes. Al.

[@Dr.ChrisThompson]

This is perfect timing. I am just getting into woodworking and built my first bookcase a couple of weeks ago. But doing it on a plastic folding table was maddening, and I knew that my first project should have been to build a workbench. Now I know which one I am gonna build as my next project! BTW, your videos are excellent. They really helped with my bookcase project!

[@JoshD4PREZ]

Love this! I wish I found your channel b4 I built my own! I built mine off the floor (which sucked) and also went all-out with a flip-top miter station, built in jobsite table saw, and complicated joinery like castle joints, with all hidden hardware.. It took me almost 3 months to figure it all out. It was my first real build and probably one of the nicest things I’ve ever made with construction lumber Looking back, I would build something nowhere near as big, that I wouldn’t care about getting messed up. I’d also use MDF for the top like you did, and definitely add drawers like yours too I will say being able to lay a 4x8 sheet of plywood on my bench is nice tho, plus everyone is in awe when they see the miter saw flip underneath for storage lol

[@hansangb]

I used the parf guide to make very accurate dog holes. And I use it as a giant square rail with tracksaw. Or use it to push work items in to perfect square. It's actually been an incredible addition to my tiny little shop. In fact, I used the parfguide to make my sled. Lining up everything to be square was effortless. I should make a video on that. One of these days. But @13:23 that is such a time saving idea. LOVE IT. I'll have to incorporate that in my next build.

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

Hey Hansang! I actually had written a little bit about that application but I had to cut it because it didn't fit into the video length, but yes, that is a good application for accurate dog holes.

[@matreyia]

Great work Scott. Just ordered the plans. Looking forward to learning under your guidance on my journey in woodworking.

[@AlmondCreekWoodshop]

Getting ready to rebuild my workbench this winter. A lot of great points I will definitely use in my bench.

[@Squish82]

Well communicated, Well presented, and relaxing to watch! Keep up the great work sir.

[@KimHarderFog]

Awesome table - gonna for sure make it when I get my "outhouse workshop" in the spring! Great plans as well!

[@eitantal726]

I was planning on using your old design, but I might use this one instead. I built 2 tables (1 Workbench, 1 CNC table). My 3rd one is a plaining/jointing table combo

[@macsmith2092]

Very nice. Thanks for sharing. I will likely be buying your plans and building this this summer. I appreciate the affordable option.

[@seanbrotherton542]

I must say that's a pretty nice bench!

[@NWGR]

Great video Scott, nicely done. That's a beautiful workbench. 🍻 I will say in regards to dog holes, if you'll be using the holes to align cuts square and use the table as a tracksaw cutting station, it's worth investing in one of the solutions like the parf guide (the one I use and love) or trend router template. If all you'll use the holes for is workholding, laying out by hand with a ruler is just fine. I've been seeing that drawer system pop up quite a bit lately. I plan on building a small bank of drawers using that system for under my workbench to see if I'm ok with it vs drawer slides. Looks decent enough.

[@SaltyWoodworking]

Another awesome video Scott. You have such a unique way of presenting things in comparison to other KZbinrs, it's refreshing.

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@jeffjohnson2792]

Thanks for sharing. Your TS really needs a riving knife. Sooo dangerous without one. Also, I hope you enjoy those knobs. I hate that style as they tend to be "cord grabbers" I prefer to have handles that have a recess underneath to grab and in a form that the cables can't get snagged. I know your drawers are recessed, but cables still bend and get caught, or at least it does for me.

[@panos3051]

"Your TS really needs a riving knife. Sooo dangerous without one": Not when you mill MDF or plywood.

[@jeffjohnson2792]

@@panos3051 Respectfully, I (and I believe most experts would) disagree. I know dado's preclude that logic however.

[@Bluuuz]

Really useful video. Thanks, Scott. I’m in the process of building my own (first) workbench right now and have already cut most things to size (d-oh!). Still, I could lose a cm off each end to give me a bit of wiggle room and allow a smarter finish. Your drawers, too, were brilliantly simple. I’m going to be nicking that. 😊

[@colemine7008]

Nice looking build. Great video as always.

[@DirkieB]

I love that table saw sled being only one-sided!

[@DirkieB]

And see you have plans, of course! The short and mighty crosscut sled looks great too so bought the bundle :)

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

You’re awesome!

[@MrBigMalT]

Nice! I would have made a very slim top drawer, purely as a catcher for sawdust and things that fall through the dog holes. Very easy to then pull the drawer out and empty it, rather than reaching into the small gap with your hand.

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

That's a great idea. I wanted to keep the cost as low as possible, and that would've needed another sheet of plywood.

[@Pete_76]

If I build one, I'll have an influencer amount of workbenches. But one can never have enough workbenches. So I might as well give it a shot. Thanks, Scott! And congratulations on the leap into online-course-land.

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

Thanks so much Pete! As this is my fourth workbench build, I am definitely guilty of an influencer amount of workbenches. And, judging by my early success with this course, I'm definitely going to have more than an influencer amount of workbenches in the distant future.

[@fitmadefun]

This is great, the only suggestion I have would be to double up the top, yes it's an extra 40-80 dollars depending on your material, but you're dog holes will last longer

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

The original design (my first workbench video on YT) has a doubled up MDF top, and while definitely a bit more solid, it's not _that_ much different, and also gets in the way of some dog hole accessories like track clamps.

[@kestreljc1559]

I thought the same, in addition to formica and a wood edge - mdf is fragile at the edges. Great design, though. Thanks!

[@TheRealCAPerry]

I had the same thought here too.

[@alexandererichen9353]

Hey Scott, having a question I did not find much information about and maybe it is interesting for you also and your channel: How much pressure does one need, gluing wood. Taking the instructions from the supplier it is quite much like hundreds of pounds for dome moderate sized pice of wood. But how much does one really need? Is more pressure always better? Do I need just as much to squeeze the glue and air out? Love your work and really liked your videos about testing different joints.

[@robertvandalsem94]

This is a great bench. The only changes I'm making are using laminate on the MDF top. Plastic laminate is cheap and very easy to clean. I'm also using 1" water resistant MDF. It's stronger and along with the laminate and hardwood edge it will last many years. Lastly, don't skimp on the vise you buy, many benches are scarred with the bolt holes of failed vise choices.

[@jewdd1989]

Yes!!! It’s beautiful, my kind of blue and I already love your mitre station probably more than most. I would love to see any shop build you come up with

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

Thanks for your kind words! That means a lot!

[@Lucsueus]

I've been browsing for workbench ideas and this one popped up last week and I can't put it out of my head. I'm in the EU, so everything is VERY metric. I might give the plans a shot anyway.. the workbench just looks too nice and a perfect match between sturdy quality and budget friendly! As a VERY beginner woodworker, I recently acquired a table saw (foldable, tiny workshop) and I don't yet have a handheld circular saw, but I'll probably manage.

[@ghostshadow1]

Oh dang! I have been fitting out / repainting some of my shop with a very similar color! I found a color match for the Ikea Gray-turquoise (it's what I based mine off of) and it looks so similar. Absolutely dig it!

[@theglowcloud2215]

I hope your channel has explosive growth this year, because unlike a lot of other woodworkers on KZbin, you actually know what you're doing

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

Thank you very much!

[@mitchellsmith9289]

Thank you for providing a hardwareless solution for drawers. That might be the straw to get the camel to buy the plans, lol. Either way, great design and build!

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

Thank you very much!

[@jsimes1]

Nice, I'm building the 💩 out of this workbench! 😁 I did notice if not an influencer amount of clamps certainly more than a hobbyist amount of clamps for the legs ... I might need to hit Harbor Freight tomorrow! $56 is a steal for the quality of this project too, by the way!

[@WoodshopMike]

Great job on the bench and video Scott!

[@researchandbuild1751]

0:49 is exactly why you should not use a table saw without a riving knife... It just makes things easy and safe without having to even think about it

[@williamtilton8138]

I like. it, I even liked that you painted it. Give it a nice touch

[@Hambone4life]

so i actually learned today that those fine saws if you just put the force into pulling intead of pushing and pulling it actually cuts faster. food for thought.

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

yep, they call them japanese pull saws

[@mm9773]

It’s also somewhat pointless to push them down into the wood: just a little pressure is needed. You can mainly concentrate on keeping it straight.

[@MattMurphyWoodworking]

that looks really great man! clearly very well thought through.

[@SpencleyDesignCo]

the real star of the video are those brown leather dress crocs. nice flex scott

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

excuse me, they are faux suede thank you very much

[@MiguelAngel-ec7fi]

En orabuena Scott me suscribo a tu canal el trabajo del banco sin errajes en los cajones sencillo y practico, un saludo desde Alicante España.

[@stevecheek6978]

Great video and will be getting the plans thumbs up😊

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rodpotts2666]

Your web site looks very nice!

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

Thank you! I appreciate it. It was a #collab between my wife and I.

[@EricPhillips-bk8ix]

As I was watching you round over your drawer fronts I thought that maybe if you put a port for a vacuum on the area you closed off under the top you could have a nice sanding station that would control some of the dust blowing around.

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

Nice job on the workbench Scott! Thanks for sharing the video with us!💖👍😎JP

[@B_COOPER]

Brilliant idea for small shops.

[@derpderp112]

Looks great - if I have a big pile of yet-to-be-squared, rough cut 4/4 pine (that can be squared prior to building) do you think that could sub for the 2x4s? Mostly trying to avoid a trip to the ol' big box and sorting through piles of spaghetti shaped 2x4!

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

If you have a way to mill rough cut lumber with a jointer and planer, then yeah for sure. You'd just have more work laminating 1" thick boards, but it's still a good option.

[@hunterholley7708]

I think you’re my new favorite KZbin woodworker tbh.

[@you_are_kidding_me_right]

I would have gone with a higher grit sandpaper on the vice. The 60 grit will leave impressions in finer surfaces.

[@embwee]

Nice! The piece deserves a little edge banding or hardwood trim on the edges of those clean out spaces on top of the drawers to finish things off.

[@woodgnomebambi]

Great, simple and well presented video and the course looks excellent... It would be great if the measurements were in metric as well though, as those of us in Europe don't really work well in feet and inches 😬

[@grahamwhitmore286]

Just found your site thanks...love it (Graham, UK).

[@LucBeauregard-u5z]

Great job looks like my next project.

[@oldman6714]

I had a nice laugh at "three inches square, which is a nice round number".

[@jimclasquin]

Pegboard makes a great template for dog holes!

[@David.M.]

Thanks Scott, I just signed up. It looks like a good course, the plans are very detailed and east to understand. Cheers

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

Thanks so much David! Looking forward to hearing more of what you think.

[@TomChampion-d4h]

Well explained. Made a lot of sense.

[@bubbasgarage3586]

only thing you should've included, the diagonal braces from one of your past builds. they work insanely well for how easy they are to do

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

The plywood back and panels add bracing against racking, like the diagonal braces did on my other bench.

[@fantinwoodworking]

Nicely done Scotty!!!

[@renaissancewoodworking]

Plywood is so expensive, I made my CNC work station out of 2x4's and cedar pickets. Looks much nicer than ply anyway! LOL I used half lap joints on my miter saw station.

[@phantom715]

Love the workbench. Nice job! I miss Rachel and your zany humor though. Bring them back! :)

[@eckhardreich4715]

Great inspiration, thank's a lot

[@marcelocelo7133]

A bancada ficou ótima. Que belo trabalho. Pessoalmente prefiro gavetas. Evita um pouco ficar se abaixando pra pegar as coisa. 👏👏👏👍👍👍🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷.

[@camwmilner]

You literally just built my workbench, instead I spent a month of spare time here and there designing and planning before I started building it, so would have bought this course

[@scar02face]

Sadly falls into several pitfalls commonly seen by influencers making work benches. The top is too thin to assure it won't bend under load. The vise is too far from the front end of the top. Ideally you want the work piece to be pressed flush against the front of the bench by the vise when working long pieces. If you want to use bench hooks, the dog holes do not have enough clearance.

[@michael-f6w7c]

Is this workbench not for traditional hand tool woodworking? Because it was my understanding that the top should be flush with the front when it comes to using a bench for joinery with hand tools

[@tarantulasuit]

Wouldn't 60 grit put noticeable dents in your pieces, especially softer woods?

[@justincargo7350]

I have to ask, did Ron Paulk influence your drawer slide design at all? Love the bench! Great work!

[@robertberger8642]

You’ve got some good ideas here.

[@thisswanwearssocks]

nice blunnies mate. cheers from tasmania

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

I’ve been wearing blunnies for over a decade now and I love them. Although, if you notice, I’m wearing my faux suede crocs in the shop for the most part 😂

[@dogedogego]

0:49 accidental kickback rocket 🪵🚀

[@ScottMiller-l3y]

That was so casual, I guess you don't have to worry about kickback if you just plan for it. Differently a questionable strategy but effective.

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

That wasn't a kickback. That thin, wispy off-cut was just blown off the table saw by the wind created by the blade. A true kick back where it gets caught on the blade and shot like a rocket travels much, much faster.

[@mr.dovahkiin5335]

Nice work. Subscribed.

[@vaultman88]

well good thing I never built the LAST bench you made and I bought plans for! Now I can buy new plans for the bench I'll eventually never make!

[@MrMNRichardWright]

One great benefit of an under bench cabinet is weight. Weight is critical for overall stability. Its no fun when your bench starts to tip while planing or sawing. So I’m told😂

[@michaelinmotion]

Can you sell just the 30 page PDF plans and not the whole video/plans course?

[@MrJbalmer]

I second this

[@davidrynning8211]

I've been enjoying your channel while researching workbench ideas for my shop/garage and I'm considering buying the course and plans for building this one, especially at your sale price this month. I appreciate your comments on dog-hole layout for our purposes not really needing what I'd call "aerospace accuracy" and expensive jigs, and I'd like to avoid using T-track for my bench. Question: Is the single-thickness top (3/4"?) of sufficient depth for the various dog-hole accessories available? I've seen other MDF top designs made with doubled panels for 1-1/2" thickness. (Or perhaps the plans spec 1" MDF?)

[@twelthstring]

0:48 Why not using a riving knife?

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

My saw doesn't have one

[@Spifferson]

Would you consider selling the plans separately?

[@Hibbo89]

Does the following quantity of clamps currently in my possession qualify as 'influencer' amounts? I have 37x 150mm F-clamps, 4x Irwin 300mm quick grips, 6x 900mm aluminium clamps, 6x 1200mm aluminium clamps and 1x vice grip pocket hole type clamp.

[@RobbieBolog]

That is a really well thought out bench. I started with a Paulk style bench top a few years ago and have since added all of the features you have here (a sturdy base, drawers, vice, etc). I would totally use this design if I were starting fresh. Side note: are those dog hole plugs 3/4”? If so, where did you source them? I’ve only been able to find 20mm versions of the magnetic ones, or some cheap looking 3d printed ones on Etsy.