Project guide
Your first workbench should be heavy, flat, and boring.
A Roubo-style show bench is a second-year project. The bench that actually gets used is a torsion box or a 2×4 frame with a thick top, at the right height for sawing.
Three numbers that matter
- Height. About wrist height when you stand in shoes, usually 34–36 inches. Lower if you mostly hand-saw. Higher if you mostly assemble.
- Top. Two layers of 3/4-inch plywood, glued and screwed, beats a single sheet that sags. Solid wood is nicer and slower.
- Length. 5 to 6 feet if you have the wall. Under 4 feet and sheet goods live on the floor.
Skip these on bench one
Tail vise, square dog holes on a 4-inch grid, and a tool well. Add a face vise or a simple wagon vise after the bench is flat. A bench that racks when you plane is worse than a bench with no vise.
Plan libraries, including Ted’s Woodworking, include several bench drawings. Use them for dimensions and a cut list. Ignore any plan that does not say how the top is kept flat.
Tools this assumes: circular saw, drill, square, and clamps. Full list on the starter kit page. Amazon links earn a commission.