Bench Tools

The workshop

Whatever your hobby or craft a good set of bench tools is a requirement. It will make you work much more enjoyable if your workshop is neatly set out and every tool is immediately to hand.

The work bench

A good idea for your workshop is to have a complete wall to store your tools. You may attach a peg board to the wall from which to hang your tools or you may wish to fasten hooks to the wall itself. A shadow board where each tool has its shape drawn onto the wall behind it enables you to see instantly should any tool be missing. Your workshop should have excellent lighting both natural and artificial. It should have good heating and ventilation and enough space to meet your needs.

Work bench

The most important piece of equipment for you workshop is the work bench. You may build it yourself as your first project, buy one from a good retailer or alternatively order one from a good carpenter to your own design and specifications. The bench should be sufficiently large for your needs and equipped with adequate holding mechanisms. Usually in the US the top will be made from 2-4” maple, but any close grained, hard timber is suitable. Benches that are jointed and bolted together can be tightened with a wrench / spanner as necessary to take up the slack. The height of the bench should be able to be adjusted as necessary.

Space permitting it is extremely useful to have a side bench to hold your oilstones, which you will be using fairly consistently also a bench grindstone and pedestal drill. This bench does not have to be of the same quality materials as your work bench and any timber may be used for the surface.

Bench saw

A bench tool that will reduce a lot of effort and expended energy is the bench saw; it is used for cutting large pieces of timber and reduces the need for a rip saw. It is a large purchase and requires a lot of space so not one to be entered into without thought. This saw will require specific saw blades to suit the material being cut.

Chop saw

A chop saw is an excellent piece of equipment used for cutting mitres and cross cutting timber. It can also cut picture frames and angles. It is a useful piece of equipment and can be easily stored when not in use. A very powerful saw, unlike a common hand saw, so great care is required when you use it. Specialist hand saws like a coping saw or jig saw are required for intricate carpentry work.

Wood lathe

Wood turning lathe

A wood lathe is a great asset to any workshop and is a most enjoyable craft it allows the wood worker to be completely creative, using woods of all types both local and exotic. Lathes can be placed into three categories.

1. The industrial type lathe for production (possibly computer programmed)

2. Lathes for schools and colleges which are sturdily built but lighter than the industrial version

3. Lathes for the home crafts person which may often can turn into multi-purpose machines, circular sawing, band sawing, planing and sanding.

Bench vices

Bench tools for the workshop often incorporate a vice. The tail vice is at one end of the bench, this vice has holes set equally along one side into which a stop or dog can be place enabling any length of timber to be held securely. The side vice is usually made of metal and may have a quick release lever. To hold timber for carving or sculpting requires a ‘holdfast’ or carpenters screw, the holdfast is fixed into a hole on the top of the bench and the carpenters screw is screwed into the bottom of the piece to be held and then passed through a hole in the top of the bench where a nut is tightened onto it. If the vice is not enough to hold your timber then it is probably a good idea to have a selection of G (C) clamps that can be used to clamp virtually anything to your bench.

These are a few of the carpentry bench tools that are available to the home wood worker, as your skills increase then you may wish to purchase other machines for your enjoyment of your craft.