Paulk bench build 

Thank you Ron, great plans. I’m glad you developed such a bench. This will be coming with me to my on site work, as well as being used in the shop also. I can’t wait to build the saw horses. I’m honored you were able to watch the video.

When I filmed this video, I purchased the plans for the price I stated. I’m sure he must have raised the price since then if you are seeing $20 or $50.

@@AnthonyScolaro1 sort of figured that, probably went up the first of the year. I found most of the old videos so I shouldn’t have a problem adapting to my size requirements. I have the same workhorses you do and I use them for an infeed and assembly table so I’ll have to maintain the same height and adjust the height of the legs to accommodate the height of the Paulk style workbench.

I use the 30 most often but the 20’s are also a size that would be used frequently. I’ve been in contact with TSO about the 20’s and I am trying to acquire them for a video showing how beneficial those are for a variety of reasons. If you’re looking for your first ones, then the 30’s will be the most Versatile. I have my affiliate links in the description.

Awesome, I really appreciate your input. I will be sure to use your link when I purchase that set of 30” rails. Thank you so much for your response. Have a great weekend.

You have a great weekend also and thank you for supporting the channel and being part of my RU-vid family!

I find table saws to just take up too much space in my small shop. Maybe when I move, I’ll have a shop big enough to get another one.

@@danthechippie4439 I do not plan to build one because I now have a big shop where I can leave all my tools in a dedicated location without losing any space. If you head to my channel, you will see a new shop tour and a few videos in the new shop with many more videos ready to be edited. I really don’t have a need for the smart bench, however if you are tight on space or do a lot of jobsite work, it may be worth it for you. I like the Paulk bench but I never felt the need for a smart bench on jobsites because I had my miter saw and table saw on wheeled folding stands.

Hi again. Just thought id say i received the smart bench from Ron and for some reason i thought they be in metric but instead they are in imperial with some metric drawings. Did you find that with yours? I also noticed on page one you can click on a toll list but mine were emailed so i can't click on anything ​@AnthonyScolaro1

About as much as one full sheet of plywood

It would take over 20 years to have to replace the top. This is only a work table that will not be cut into with any saw, it will not be drilled into at all because I will be using either foam boards under the piece that is being cut or scrap strips of plywood supports. Not to mention you can flip it over and make dog holes on the bottom and then use that for a top as well, adding another 20 plus years of use. I’m sure Ron Paulk himself can attest to that as well, he’s proven it over many years of use and abuse.

@@Sam.147 festool stm1800. Usually on backorder, but if you can find it, it’s great for sheet goods.

@@danthechippie4439 there are no written instructions, just the parts list, materials needed and the measurements with drawings.

Years ago I made a video showing how to use pegboard to make bench dog holes. You can find it on my channel.

@@AnthonyScolaro1 thank you. Enjoy your channel very much. I’m not a Fesstool guy but am very I,pressed with how you have put together a shop with the Fesstool product line. Thanks again.

@@flexmasterson4297 glad to hear your enjoying the content!

It’s actually Maple plywood, but birch would be just as good.

Using 9mm ply would make the bench very weak. I don’t cut into the bench with a track saw, I use sacrificial strips or rigid foam board on top if I’m cutting on it, which eliminates any damage to the bench top or hitting any screws. Most of the time I use the mft’s or stm1800 when using my track saw anyway.

​@AnthonyScolaro1 hi, I get what you are saying about using a foam pad on top of the table for ripping and so avoiding the screws but as the bottom is resting on saw horses why do you believe a sheet of 9mm is insufficient? I love your videos.

@@danthechippie4439 9mm is less than half an inch thick and just 3mm thicker than 1/4 inch. Ron Paulk himself (the inventor of this design) doesn’t even recommend using something as thin as half inch on it. The bottom will bend and possibly break with any downward pressure from heavy materials or you working on it. I can stand on this bench and jump up and down on it and it doesn’t even budge. I’ve stacked multiple cabinets and cabinet parts on it with no movement whatsoever. I would say 9mm is equivalent to roughly 3/8” which may seem strong as a small panel but a large surface that thin will have many weak points. I just don’t want to see you waste your money on it and it fails.

​@@AnthonyScolaro1hi, thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I take on board what you have said and I appreciate your advice. I will forget about the 9mm and use 18mm as directed. I was just pitching an idea see if I could save some weight

I’m using the 3000mm rail. One piece. The 3000 rail is roughly 119 inches long. Just under 10 feet.

Prius? That definitely wasn’t me, I’ve owned Silverado pickup trucks for the last 12 years, and muscle cars before that. Never had a Prius in my life.

Maple, cabinet/furniture grade

I say the top weighs roughly about 60 pounds. In another video, I make the matching foldable legs, they only weigh about 3-5 pounds each. Don’t forget to watch that video. I use a router with a pattern bit to make them

Tool storage, keeps the workbench clear

Absolutely

I didn’t have to rip them stacked up at the same time because the parallel guides give you repeatability like a table saw.

It’s a very clean cut on top and through but on plywood, you need something underneath to combat tear out on the opposite side. I don’t care about the tear out on the bottom because these are workbenches.

@@AnthonyScolaro1 Good to know that works well. Thanks very much for the quick response and ATB.

I explained it to you thoroughly at the 2:00 minute mark of the video. I hope that helps.

@@AnthonyScolaro1 Nope. At 4:10 you cut the bottom separately from the top. Why not cut them together?

@@bobfre1 once again, pay attention to what I said at around the 2:00 minute mark, because I have the parallel guides, cutting the width separately is repeatable but the width of these are too wide to set up a stop block on the MFT at that point to have repeatability for cutting the length. That’s why I cut them together for the length, so there’s no chance of human error when cutting without some sort of stop block. And there’s no reason why you can’t cut both piece at the same time for length and width, I just find it easier to handle and break down one sheet at a time. Smaller pieces are easier to work with.

@@AnthonyScolaro1 No, I get it.... the parallel guides are great, but why not cut them together for exactly the same reasons.... eliminate a cut, eliminate possible error, and save some time and effort removing and replacing the top board?

@bobfre1 either way would be correct. honestly I’ve tried that before but lining up two full sheets is very difficult and you still have to straight line rip one edge to have a good reference side. It can be done but it’s harder to keep full multiple sheets lined up.

MDF is heavy and since this is being transported back and forth to job sites, mdf would damage way too easily. I didn’t use a finish on it because then the surface gets slippery and when you are trying to work on something, it slides all over the table. No need for a finish here.

You can, but for this length it would be more work. You would have to square one side, then square the opposite side off of the same reference edge, then measure off of the original square edge, then use the 30” parallel guides on the opposite edge to get to your line but you have to also account for the 2mm thickness of the blade. In my opinion, the easiest thing to do is rip your top to width using the parallel guides and then to cut it to length, square one edge with the guide rail square, then measure off that edge and cut the opposite end to length using a guide rail square again, then cut the bottom piece of the workbench a little oversized, lay the top on it and use a router with a flush trim bit to make them exact to each other. I hope this makes sense to you.

@@AnthonyScolaro1 thanks

I use FastCap metric/standard tape measure. Been using them for two years now. Very accurate and reliable, here’s my associate link- amzn.to/3Jwqfef

Sure do, here’s the link- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LcFoh95oqfw.html

I did cut both sheets at the same time on the long crosscut. However if you’re trying to make all the cuts on both sheets all at once, you still need to align them or you’re wasting material and you run the risk of one of the sheets moving, especially when these sheets are not straight and have warping. That method is fine if you’re doing rough work but not for precise cuts. You can do that on smaller pieces on the MFT.

Glad to hear it!

18mm maple ply, about 45 pounds

@@AnthonyScolaro1 awesome ! was that a HD , lowes, or other brand ply?

HD

It’s actually maple plywood. Quality was Just as good

18mm furniture/cabinet grade maple from the big box store.

@@AnthonyScolaro1 Thanks

In my opinion, it would be to weak and flexible to maintain flatness, and make it unbalanced to carry and lift in place because it would be more top heavy. You also don’t have the option to flip it over and use the other side if you damage the top. 1/2” does not do well as a stabilizer or work surface. But no one says you can’t do it. It’s all up to you. Things like this are customizable to your liking.

@@AnthonyScolaro1 Ah...good points. Thanks, Anthony!

I do a lot of on site work, so instead of lugging the bench around, I put it on a dolly and roll it everywhere. I might even install some small detachable casters on one side

U used to bring my MFT tables for on site work but I use this Paulk bench now and I made the foldable sawhorses that go with it. I have a video where I show how I made them, it’s my “template routing” video.

@@AnthonyScolaro1 Thx so much. Will check it out.

Awesome, Ron is a great craftsman and one of RU-vid’s carpentry pioneers. even though anyone can build this bench, he took the time to develop it, work out the kinks and share the plans for a such a low price, so I’m happy to direct people to his site.

@@AnthonyScolaro1 absolutely agree. You’re a good man Anthony.

It’s part of the Parf guide system. I have a whole video on it. I show you all the parts and how the system works completely. Make sure you check that out and you will see the difference bits that make the holes.

@@AnthonyScolaro1 Hey thx for the reply.....love your stuff Caribbean viewer locked on!

That would be good for alignment purposes, and you really wouldn’t be adding much extra glue surface at all but for a quick build like this and it’s only a workbench, it’s much easier and faster to do it the way I did here. That’s not to say if you wanted to you couldn’t, I just couldn’t waste that much time because I’ve already been using it on job sites. Strength wise, the glue and screws are more than enough.

That comment is childish, the person who writes these plans sells them. I’m not authorized to give them out and yet I still get people emailing and asking me for the Measurements, so yes I have to treat some of you like children because you do not pay attention.

@@AnthonyScolaro1Totally agree with you Anthony. For this person to post such a ridiculous (and nonsensical) comment is just sad. And all because you demonstrated class and respect for Paulk and wanted him to get credit for his work? Very unfortunate. Keep up the great work Anthony! Onward and upward sir!! 👊🏼