Master Cabinetmaker's Bench
A proven design
that will last a lifetime.
By Alan Turner
Purchase the complete version of this woodworking project story from AWBookstore.com.
I have many fine tools in my shop, but the most important one is my bench. It has a classic design,
favored by cabinetmakers for generations.
I've spent a long time refining the details of this bench. I've built 15 of them over the years, simplifying
and improving the design each time. At Philadelphia Furniture Workshop, where I teach, I've helped students
build dozens more.
The materials are top-notch. I've used the best wood (3" thick hard maple), the best tail vise hardware
(imported from Germany), and made the bench plenty big and very heavy (it's 7' long and weighs 250 lbs).
The materials aren't cheap, but for a lifetime of service, they're worth every penny.
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1. Start with the
base. The legs are
joined to the feet
with large, through
mortises (see Fig. A,
p. 41). Each foot is
composed of two
pieces, which will
be glued together
later on. Begin making
the mortises by
dadoing each half of
the feet.
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Click any image to view a larger version.
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2. Angle a portion
of each dado
using the bandsaw.
This creates a flared
opening for the leg's
tenon, which will be
secured by wedges.
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3. Glue together
the two pieces of
each foot. Insert a
mock tenon, covered
with clear cellophane
packing tape,
into the dadoes.
Clamp small, taped
blocks above and
below the feet to
align the pieces.
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4. Cut tenons on
the legs using a
tenoning jig. Using
the bandsaw, cut
two slots in each
tenon to receive
the wedges.
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5. Add stretchers
across the top of
the legs, then glue
the feet to the legs.
Drive wedges into
the slots to flare the
ends of the tenons.
These joints will
never come loose!
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6. Bolt the base
together. The bolts
engage square nuts
inside the rails.
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7. The benchtop is
made from 3" thick
hard maple. Glue
the top in two sections.
Run each half
of the top through
the planer to even
the glue joints.
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8. Glue the top.
Support it on
straight, wooden
bars. Clamp the
ends to help align
the two halves.
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9. Rough-cut the
ends of the top. Use
a guided circular
saw or a standard
circular saw following
the edge of
a board. Cut from
both sides.
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10. To make the
ends square and
smooth, follow up
with a router and
straight bit. Use a
board to guide the
cut, which only goes
halfway deep. Flip
the top and finish the
process with a long
bottom-bearing bit.
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11. Using a slotcutting
bit with a
long arbor, make
a series of passes
to cut a 3/4" slot
in each end of the
benchtop. Then
make end caps to
fit the slots. The
end caps keep the
top flat, and are
attached with bolts.
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12. Move on to
mounting the tail
vise, whose metal
parts are available as
a kit. The vise travels
on a steel guide
plate, which must
be precisely located
using a shop-made
gauge block.
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13. Glue together
the top, ends and
short dog block of
the tail vise. Use a
spacer between the
ends to ensure that
they're the correct
distance apart.
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14. Cut dadoes,
angled at 2°, in the
tail vise's dog block
and top. Use a long
wedge to create the
angle. These dadoes
will become holes
for the bench dogs.
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15. Fasten the
mating part of the
guide plate inside
the tail vise, then
mount the assembly
on the bench.
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16. Cut dog-hole
dadoes in a long
block, leaning the
opposite way from
the dadoes in the tail
vise. Glue the block
to the benchtop.
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17. Complete the
benchtop by gluing
a face piece on top
of the dog block.
Glue a similar piece
to the front of the
tail-vise assembly.
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18. Glue an additional
piece below
the top in order to
mount the face vise.
Plane the piece so
it’s level with the
edge of the bench.
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19. Make the
front of the face
vise. Use a sled and
shim to taper its
inside surface. This
2° taper ensures that
the vise will pinch
at the top when it is
fully tightened.
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20. Install the
front vise. You can
use any kind of vise
here–I’m using the
Veritas Twin Screw.
Its unique design
minimizes the
amount that the vise
will rack from side
to side.
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