It's nice to see simple wood craft by Matthias. Not everybody has all the tools and convient places to work. The sturdiness of his work is what makes a large following for his videos. Thanks Mr. Wandel.
I've watched a number of videos recently on how to build a workbench because I don't have one. Most of those videos featured the workbench being built on a......workbench! Thanks for showing us how to get started with just basic tools.
A man that wears moccasins has to be good. I wear them, and in my younger days I worked a lot like you. As a matter of fact, I enjoy watching your videos because they remind me of how I used to do woodworking in my basement using hand tools and home made table saws, jigs and fixtures. Only, I didn't have youtube at the time. I am now retired and I toned down my working to scrollsawing and sewing. Thanks for the memories!
Re-watched this today and it is still excellent. I like your simplistic approach showing newbies what can be done with very few tools. The best advice, and where most rookies would fail, is not to use screws into the end grain !
You build yours your way, I build mine my way. Strength of this bench is not an issue - it's more than strong enough. But this one is much simpler to build.
Jon thinks the methods used in this video are cutting-edge, invented and used only by Matthias. Poor Jon has never made a workbench before. He scours RU-vid to convince people they haven't built simple workbenches 20 years ago, but no one knows why for sure. But thank heavens we have people like Jon. We don't want to be led astray from people who claim to have built a workbench 20 years ago - this simply can't be true. No one made workbenches 20 years ago. Well... at least Jon can't verify this, since it was before he was born and he never saw it happen. After all, there's a lot of motivation for someone to lie about building a workbench 20 years ago, and the ramifications of someone lying about it are quite severe. I'm glad we have good ol' Jon to set the record straight. I highly suspected Kelly was lying about that workbench he built 20 years ago. Now Kelly is exposed, and we can thank Jon for this privilege.
Matthias, you are a great instructor! Thank you so much for taking the time to show how this is made and what to use. I think your projects for the "poor man carpenter" are much more appreciated. I work a a millwright shop and use your videos to assist in my learning. Never think that your videos are fallen on deaf ears or not appreciated. I appreciate your knowledge and expertise very much. Thank you again.
Cool- watched this 3 times...went and purchased 2 x 6 lumber- oak 1/2" dowels. AND 4 good heavy duty locking urethane wheels. In less than 4 hours I have a rolling frame...VERY sturdy. Adding a top soon. THANKS!
Sure did...drilling and glueing in the dowels added a lot of strength. Added a 1/2 plywood top for a base then covered that with 1/8" hardboard ( counter sunk screws) makes for a great work surface that can be easily replaced
Now see, this is actually useful for the average person. You watch some of these home improvement shows on PBS and, while entertaining, they're always using these expensive, exotic tools that the average person would never have or could never afford.
Yep I love seeing other channels with "simple" projects where they first break out their table saw, then their planer, then their band saw, then their pocket hole jig. All to make an ashtray.
Thanks for building this with minimal tools... I just built it with pretty much the same set. Much better than the screwed together abomination I had been using. The jump sit test turns out to be more painful than I had thought, but the bench didn't budge so it was worth it.
+Andey Kurniawan, -- If a person is an absolute beginner, perhaps buying a workmate type bench is a good start. There is a basic "B&D Workmate Sawhorse and Vice" that is $30.00. It is a tool just like a drill or a saw.
Hey Mattius. I know you did this video a long time ago, but wanted to say thank you. Thanks to this video I built myself my first ever woodworking project, a table for me to put in my shed. It took me way longer than I'd like to admit, and I had to borrow half the tools. But I did it! Thanks again. Love your videos. Plan on making many more of your designs!
Hi Matthias, I wanted to thank you for posting your video. I'm not much of a carpenter, but after watching this video a few times I went out and bought all the material needed to make my own workbench. After about four hours mine was a clone of the one you made except I used a counter top for the work surface. I found the project easy and lot of fun to do. Thanks for your help!
How fabulous, Matthias! You achieve the maximum with minimum resources. The dados you cut make a huge improvement to the strength of the bench. Thank you, and keep up the good work. You are an inspiration!
I have watched several of your videos. You are a smart guy, you plan it out, take your time and then put it to together. And when you do something you do it very well.This is a Great Video. I liked the saw guide you made that was cool.
JDWoodworks its a quote from pulp fiction, samuel l jackson. and he said this part of the dialogue after his victim said "what" a few times. so did you say what on purpose, knowing the scene? if not you must watch it!
I love how you start from scratch with an idea and then work us through the problems and adjustments. You have a brilliant mind, that can communicate at all levels a natural educator!
Great editing! I love how you pack so much technique - presented with camera angles and lighting that make the point of activity clear and visible. Great simple design as well.
I find it cool these videos that show that you can build stuff without having to have big machines like table saws an stuff, I have just a circular saw and a hand drill, so I think I can build this! Especially cool was the technique you used to make the dado cut, that was nice! gonna try it
@@jonhohensee3258 A table saw is bigger than a circular saw that fits in a milk crate on a shelf. And decent table saws cost more and take more time to set up if you don't have a shop. Some of us do construction outside or in our kitchens.
Thank you for showing how you did this. For a women who knows nothing I am learning how to build a table. Thanks for expaining this and showing how to use the equipment.
I looked at a multitude of workbench videos on You Tube and decided to give yours a try, Matthias. Looked easy to build and yet strong. Had a few problems with clamping but in the end I produced a very respectable product. I had a warped piece of 3/4 inch plywood for the top surface and so I had to use a liittle more hardware to secure it. I don't have great carpentry skills and regret not having had some training in this area, but I admire your abilities and respect your honesty in your videos. So pleased with my efforts I built a smaller table of the same design at 31 x 31 inches (top measure with 2 inch overhang) as a portable unit for grinding and sanding outside. Thank You, Matthias for posting this and your other videos. Dennis OB. PA, USA.
Someone in my neighborhood dumped an old door along with some old cedar fence posts and 2 (2 x 4) s with screws in them. I turned it all into a secondary work bench using this design. Just wanted to thank you . FYI my primary work bench is Paul Sellers design which I made 3 years ago .
I used your plans to make a workbench. I didn't have an old door, so I used a sheet of OSB cut to size. My dad liked it so much that I made one for him. Thanks for all your videos and info!
I absolutely give you thumbs up for this one ! It's interesting to see that something practical can be made without access to huge and expensive machinery like table saws, router tables, band saws etc. And with tools that look like my dad's anno 1982. Well done! Hope to see other "make it simple" projects from your side (or your colleagues')
now, this is something worth watching. don't get me wrong, i love to watch videos using their thousand dollars machinery to achieve results -- but not all of us can afford those ;) but this one, this is something friendly to watch kudos and keep up.
Hi Matthias thank you for sharing this work piece with us. I love the jig you made to guide the circular saw for cutting it is clever and yet so simple to make. A very handy hint for us newbies, thank you again.
Thank you for your instructional video and your great website too. I chose this plan to follow, after scouring YT for workbench builds. I just got done building this yesterday and it is certainly a very solid workbench. I couldn't find a door to use for the top, so I just used 3/4" plywood. I am very pleased with the results. Thank you again.
Matthias, I just want to say thanks for uploading these videos, I am not a woodworker myself, but it is nice to see videos like these that shows you little tricks here and there to get the project when it comes down to diy.
$15? I wish I lived in America. I just bought the wood for my version of this workbench, which is basically the same only smaller and shorter, and it cost me about $60 if calculated in American currency (I live in South Africa)...Matthias, thank you for these awesome videos, as a beginner I am learning a lot about woodworking from you. I bought a Makita table saw and I am going to modify this design of yours to become my saw's bench.
Just a heads up to the subscribers on Matt's site here, if you see spam, just report the F%#ckers annoys me to no end. I like reading people's views / comments out of interest because most people have something interesting to say. BUT spammers I hate with a passion.
Lex Rex Yes! For those who don't know, just click on the little circle icon to the right of the comment and select "Report spam or abuse." Keep those useless, no good, bass tards off this site.
Great simple design, and the basic tool set is a nice refreshing change. Sometimes you will come across a video about a "simple wood working project" and the simplicity is demonstrated on $15,000 of power tools and custom jigs. Thank you for wearing safety glasses while using the saw, also a nice touch.
I like the step-by-step discussion, including the thoughts that go into the construction. Makers are thinkers, with skills in their hands, eyes, and minds. Thanks!
I love the cutting guide Idea, Thanks for the safety tip! Also, could you show more small tips like that to help keep hands free, or clear of blades? Those would be videos I would enjoy watching.
Great "How To" video of a workbench. I had been looking for something like this for months to do an industrial type desk for my hobby room, and this fit perfectly due to the open front. Thanks!!!
I just made two 2'x8' benches using this design, and they turned out great! Thank you very much for the detailed video. Now, on to the cabinet for drawers!
I found some doors off Craigslist last night and started building an extended version of this table for my mitre saw today. This is amazing! Thanks, Matthias, I really dig your work. ✌
I have watched quite a few workbench builds on youtube and every single one makes use of a fully kitted out workshop with every power tool available, Pretty useless for most beginners. So thankyou for this one
@@wiscgaloot It all depends on what you plan to use the table for. For most diyers work you don't need a flat top and that's why I recommend 2x6. However, if you are looking for a semi flat top, I would recommend you go with plywood. 1/2 plywood at home depot cost around $25 for a 4x8. If you want a perfectly flat top you'll need to fabricate.
@@qzetu Yes, I need a flat top. In the past I used solid-core doors, they work great. I do only hand-tool woodworking so my bench needs to be quite flat.
@@wiscgaloot I would make a perfectly level base with support going across the middle and then drop some nice flat plywood on top. Home depot sales plywood with a smooth vineer on top. Some guys use 1 inch fiber board because it's flat and square and then they place a thin sheet of 1/8 thick veneer over it that is slick. There are a lot of option.
Thanks for this. I finished building mine today (except final fastening of top to leg assembly). I was careful with measurements and cuts to have perfectly symmetrical pieces. What I didn't account for was the twist in one of my 2x6's. It pulls the legs out of parallel so badly that one leg sits more than a 1/4" off the floor. When I added the weight of the heavy door I found (more than 90 lbs) and then a further 90 lbs of softener salt bags on each of 2 opposite corners, it finally sits square with no rocking, but I guess that won't help once the salt bags are removed. I guess I shouldn't have used old lumber that was out in the weather for years (old picnic table) and I didn't think to test out its twist factor ahead of time. I guess I can shim one of the legs or replace the 2 x 6. Advice welcome. Thanks again for the really good design and the door suggestion.
Thank you for showing how to build things with simple tools and equipment. This is a great design, very sturdy, which I'm thinking of adapting to be a captain's bed. But I'm a real newbie, very few tools yet, no workshop available, and I desperately needed a project where buying both the materials AND tools to make it with wouldn't break me. Hoping for more such gems!
Thank you sooo much!! I had absolutely no woodworking experience. after shopping for the right drill and circular saw, clamps and chisel, my boyfriend and I made this workbench, we made it smaller to fit my workshop space, but it is wonderful. I have to say though, you definitely made it look easy, specially the indentation in the wood that you made with the saw, hammer and chisel, I don't know if our chisel was cheap but it was not clean at all! lol.. it was a lot of fun, thanks!!!
Mattias, like your cutting jig of scrap wood idea. I agree, we do not always need fancy tools for every project, they help, but not everybody can afford them. Yet with good technique, it is possible to make a solid bench. Always enjoy your videos!
Frank III Augustine Manuel ; Joint where side rails connect to the leg is side grain to side grain where screws can hold well. Glue and dowels are needed where side grain of leg connects to END grain of horizontal part. Screws into end grain do not form a robust connection, so the dowels and glue are needed to enhance the joint.
Matthias what would you recommend using for a top if one does not have an old door laying about? Get a door from the lumber store? Or build a top using MDF and maybe hardboard?
In the past, I've wound up ripping 2x3s and 2x4s in half vertically, to make a 3/4" thick planked tabletop, which is fine if you don't mind not having a perfectly smooth surface.
I respect this video a lot. Too many workbench build videos include extremely expensive equipment like planers, jointers, or tablesaws (especially cabinet saws). It's nice to see a video detailing work that can be done with simple tools, show some neat tricks (like dado cutting with a circular saw) and make it approachable without being overwhelming in price.
Great Job Matthias! It's your own design (unlike some copycats I have seen), using simple hand and power tools along with a great circular saw jig to make a perfectly square cut. Most people don't know that it's not all that easy for a beginner or experienced woodworker for that mater to make square cut with a circular saw. I loved the "old school" joinery, and use of dowels.
IMO so far this is the best design for a simple workbench, yes it could be simpler but then you lose rigidity this strikes the right balance between ease of construction and overall strength of the finished product, great job.
I have a few panels of plywood in my garage that I want to use up for my work bench top. I'm just not sure if they're thick enough. What's the minimum/ ideal thickness of a workbench top?
Got some the other day at Bunnings. $46.70 for 10.2 meters of untreated 2x4. You get what you pay for of course, it's not as nice as the stuff from the local specialist timber supplier, but it's good for functional stuff that's going to get beat up anyway. Oh, and I couldn't find any untreated 2x6, and it's a pretty big Bunnings. Didn't ask them about it either though, maybe they can get it.
You're a great engineer. Your ideas and constructions show how much you have it in your blood: to build, to create and contribute to a better world. Thanks for your lessons.
I'm still beginning with woodworking, but have my mind set on building my own first workbench (call it a fool's challenge on myself, hahahaha) But I don't have the drill bit for the dowel inserts, would this project still be sturdy enough using only screws and glue? What size screws would you recommend I use?
Use a good construction grade screw, and you'll be fine. I usually keep a box of #9x2.5" around just for this purpose. I've built 3 different rolling workbenches for my shop using this screws, and haven't had a single issue.
OMG I have that same workmate. It is one of my favorite things in my shop. Right now I use it to put power tools on top of until I can make permanent stands for each of them. It's one of the most versatile things in my whole shop.
The manner in which you would have done different from the technical style of your work in terms of equipment and tools used, and this is the humility with high self-confidence on the ability to work in all conditions and the simplest tools, respect and appreciation to you on this Matthias creativity at work.
That's a proper simple workbench build. I've checked out so many videos claiming to be cheap builds, but they all use a couple thousand dollars worth of tools...
I liked the way you used in-place dowel drilling to blast through the end-grain fastening problem without all the usual fuss/expense of mortise-and-tenon joinery or Kreg jigs and whatnot. Very straightforward in execution but extremely well thought-out. Thanks!
@0:50 thank so much for this tip. I feel like in most hand made projects the little jigs and gadgets that get built to serve a purpose are as much a part of the building presses as the tooling required to make the project. ...and they are the most fun to make.
So far the best video i have ever watched. simple and not so fancy tools. just perfect planning and execution..more projects please! Thanks for this upload! two thumbs UP!
Im planning on putting together my next workbench in a few days from a plan i found on *mysecretblueprints. com* they have tons of awesome workbench and deck plans Im working with.
Awesome. Another feature that I think does not get mentioned enough: this table is easily moveable by the modular concept of assembly and using screws only for the last two steps. It is a very sturdy design for a rather light table - but you can disassemble it into 5 flat pieces for transport in 10 minutes. Much different to most other workbenches that can only be moved as a whole after glue-up. Chapeau.
I saw you cutting out the notched piece with the saw and chisel, and I thought, 'Wow, a poor man's dado!'. Well done, sir. I'm thinking of using this workbench design only smaller to make a stand for my microwave oven.
I never think to dado, dowel or glue my projects together. I always end up taking things apart and using them later but I'm thinking for items I know I'll be using for a long time I should consider adding these elements as well. Thanks to this video I see how easy it can be!
