Mother's Woodshop Workbench

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STEP 3: THE BENCH TOP

If your interior is complete, you can attach the plywood top with screws and glue. It serves as a structural subsurface, to which the finished top is attached (see illustration ). Also, the top has been measured to overhang the rest of the workbench to facilitate easy attachment of a vice.

Cut the 2x2s to the required length (there will be two extra inches for trimming). For strength, you'll want to join all of the 2x2s together using glue and three 3' lengths of 3/8" all thread (with their accompanying nuts and washers). Make a master boring guide by boring 1/2" holes in one of the 2x2s (we recommend using Brad Point wood bits). Try to keep the bore exactly level.

By marking the center on both sides of the 2x2, you'll be able to see how accurate your bore is when the bit comes out the other side (too high, too low, too far left or too far right). Affix the C-clamp to the guide and another 2x2 and bore away; the "good" holes will guide the drill bit, giving you consistent results. Bore all of the remaining 2x2s.

To line up the holes of the outer rim pieces with those of the 2x2, use your master boring guide to mark the outer rim pieces (clamp the guide to the top of each rim piece). Remove the guide. If you want a recessed hole for the washer and nut of the all thread use a 1" spade bit to bore 3/4" into the side of the 2x4 rim piece. (If you don't have a 1" spade bit use a wood chisel and make a square recessed hole.) Then use your 1/2" bit and bore all the way through.

When you're done, run three lengths of all thread through one of the 2x4 outer-rim pieces and put on its nuts and washers. With the threaded rods sticking up apply glue to the upside of the 2x4 and slide on the first bored 2x2. Continue this process until all of the 2x2s are in place. Slide on the remaining outer-rim 2x4. Note that the 1/2" hole and 3/8" rod give you a 1/8" tolerance for adjustment. With the top upside down, take a hammer and tap the 2x2s until the whole surface is uniformly flat. Next, tap fore and aft to get the ends as square as possible. Gradually tighten all of the nuts using uniform pressure - take up a bit, tap a bit until the whole thing is compressed. Scrape off all excess glue and move the top into its final position on top of the plywood subsurface. From inside the cabinet, run four screws through the 3/4" plywood and into the 2x2s but do not use glue. This will allow you to remove the top later if you want to. Finally, saw both ends of the bench top off square, remove excess material and bolt on the end pieces. After the glue has dried, sand flat. Good luck, have fun and see you next time!

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