Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi
I am moving most of my guitar building into the garage and I need a good
bench that had the appropriate vises to hold a guitar neck while stringing
etc.   I have built one of Sylvan's clamps to add to this bench for holding a
guitar body. Any suggestions, photos, advice.

Thanks

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Come on now guys... we know you have workbenches!!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Andy,

LMI have the Asian knock off of the versa-vise they call the "parrot vise", these would be pretty handy for the guitar builders bench, in fact some would say they should be standard fettle in any instrument makers shop.

Cheers

Kim larkim39017.9548148148

I have that vise. I am looking for a good bench etc to attach it too.
Or some multifunctional sturdy bench. I would also like to attach Sylvan's
guitar holder to it

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

I built mine from 2X4's and MDF. A little taller and wider than most so that I don't have to bend over to work at the bench.

Al

http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/070061.asp

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Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

My bench came from a relatice - 4x4 legs, 2x6 frame and the top is an old door. I put plywood or mdf on top of that for a nice replaceable surface...

Andy, if you're looking to buy one very nice and sturdy bench, check out Lee Valley's, they got a dream of a bench there!

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=31152&cat=1,41 637Serge Poirier39018.0138078704

Thanks

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Andy, check my link, i think we replied at the same time with me editing the link, sorry!

Andy,

If you live in the vicinity of a Harbor Freight retail outlet they list several workbench, and some are on sale for considerable savings. No idea regarding quality, so I'd want to see before buying.

CrowDuck

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

I second Chas's advice on "The Workbench Book". It's excellent, I've got my Hard Maple acclimating and I'm starting my bench soon!

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nay

My blogs
Hand Made Gutar
Woodworker++

Andy
go to www.landcoarchitecturalmillworks.com , I be in the blue shirt, come on by and I'll show you a couple of over- the-top work benches and some suggestions on how to make them easily height adjustable and great clamping systems to go with it.
pm me and I'll give you the address in Carlsbad.

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Dean

If you intend to build the workbench yourself, I would suggest going to your local public library first. Review the stuff they have before buying anything. If nothing else, you will gain the benefit of seeing some excellent traditional and contemporary workbench designs that will give you ideas for yours - free.

Andy, one of the problems with using "typical" woodworking benches is that our needs are much different. You don't spend a great deal of time with a heavy jointing plane on the edge of a board, therefore lower benches that are in some of those books are less than ideal.
My advice: don't rush into anything. Use 2x4s and mdf to find the perfect bench for you. Height, layout of vices, drawers, etc. Then when you figure it out, pull out the stops and do it up.
when the time comes to make it final, my recomendation is to build it HEAVY. I used Hickory. It isn't very pleasant to work but it's rock hard and weighs a ton. I inset an MDF top that can be replaced if I muck it up too bad. It's 3 layers of 3/4" MDF. I can bang on it all day long and never feel a vibration. One of my benches has lots of storage below and the other stores my vacuum pump and clamping drawer. Little things like that will become aparent when you build your temporary bench(s) to find out your specific needs.
Good luck. Paul

I can sure vouch for what Paul says about his bench. It is heavy and everything is tailored for his systematic approach to building. The vacuum clamp drawer is a "work of art".

I think the emphasis on heavy, flat and level are the keys to having a successful work bench. Last winter, I took 3 months off from guitar-building to build a solid and heavy maple cabinetmakers workbench from the plans that Lee Valley sells. The humidity is always too low for building in my house so I find other diversions. I also included 2 of their fabulous vises. It was one of my best learning experiences in my young woodworking obsession. Since completing the bench I now have access to all sides and it has made guitar-making so much easier and even more fun. I have a solid surface for planing, thicknessing, sanding, etc. and it provides for lots of clamping options. This winter, I plan to build cabinets underneath with places for all of my tools. Who knows...I may even one day copy Paul's vacuum drawer.

While it's not necessary to go as over-board as I chose to do, I'd keep in mind to make it heavy, flat and level.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I have build various benches out of construction grade lumber, but the one that is the sturdiest and best looking is patterned after the "Kirby Bench" in Scott Landis' "The Workbench Book"

I built it using douglas fir 4 x 4s planed down to size. The bench is put together with mortise & wedged tenon joints. I built the top from massive 6" x 8" timbers laminated together that were purchased from a post and beam home construction outfit. It is solid!

You can build an inexpensive yet very serviceable solid bench using doubled-up 2 x 4s and two layers of 3/4" plywood with a hardboard layer on top. I have one I built like this for electronics work. It was patterned after one in an old Woodsmith magazine.

I too suggest you checkout the "Workbench book" ... lots of great pictures.

MattMatt H39020.5774074074

Don't do what I did. I used metal legs and two layers of 3/4" plywood for the top. It's got a stretcher on the back and front, and a ply and 2"X4" shelf, and it was still not sturdy enough for sanding and planing without racking. It's now got another layer of ply and a layer of MDF, and it still racks. Gotta use all wood and solid joinery.

I may be in the minority, but I've never met a piece of plywood that was flat. Never. If you don't use a traditional solid wood top, go with MDF. It's alway flat if it's stored anywhere near properly. I think particle board is too soft and rough, and laminate overlays are too slippery. Trust me, you will curse a top that isn't flat.

Also, I dimensioned my top to fit those metal legs, and it's too wide and too short. For my purposes, I think 24"X60" would be about ideal. Others may disagree.

Thanks
Andy

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Andy,

Pick up "The Workbench Book" by Scott Landis. It's a fantastic book. It gives plenty of plans for different styles of bench, but more importantly gives design principles and construction techniques that will allow you to build (or, ugggghhh, buy) a bench that suits your needs.

I think the thing most people miss out on when they buy or build a bench is making it sufficiently sturdy. Woodworking of any kind is so much easier when the bench stays put without shifting or vibrating under any circumstances. For a modest sum, you can build an outstanding, immovable and very rewarding bench that your grandchildren will someday cherish. Here's mine:



I think incorporating appropriate vices, etc. is easy once you have a good bench design to start with.

I'm too new at this to offer advice, but Paul Woolson makes a lot of sense, especially as I'd hate to tie up my main joiner's bench (see below), so I'm thinking of building a a bench or two dedicated to lutherie and am attracted to T or L-shaped examples (such as TJK's setup). Like Paul, I tend to build heavy, with torsion rod construction to keep things very tight. Although I've seen the parrot and the Stew-Mac modified carver's vises, I'd really love to see homebuilt vises (I can cut my own maple screws to 1 1/2" diameter).

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These are photos are from my '02 to '06 shop. I just moved to my new wikiup and now have even more space and better task segregation, so I'll post newer pics when I get settled.

Bench
http://www.vautrin.com/Atelier-2.jpg

Shop (handtools venue)
http://www.vautrin.com/Atelier-1.jpg

Small bench for detail work (next to goldsmith's bench)
http://www.vautrin.com/Atelier-3.jpg


David Barnett (beginning first build)
Venice, FL

Holy Smokes, David!!!

Looks like you could do surgery in that shop.

Those work benches are stunning!

You most definitely have the OC mindset necessary to build guitars.

Welcome to our obsession

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Very beautiful atelier David, really neat, thanks for sharing the pics!

Thanks JJ, Serge...

I do try to keep things 'tidy', heh.

Yeah, I suppose lutherie is a socially acceptable 'proclivity' for those of us with full-blown OCD (I try to hide the incessant zoot fondling, though). As one who sets stones and performs Hellenic gold granulation under microscopes, it's not surprising my woodworking jones would migrate similarly.

I had my first purfling dream last night.

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David Barnett
SW Florida