In the life of every person, sooner or later, such a need arises when you urgently need to fix something, solder it, make it yourself. Usually men do this, women are more suited to cook food or do other household chores. But it is possible that women can also try on the difficult profession of a carpenter or woodworker, even at home.
Be that as it may, the master definitely needs a tool. But no less important to him is the place for which he will work. The desktop is necessary in order to make it more convenient to grind wooden products, cut out parts from metal, assemble electrical circuits, and so on. This article will cover a guide to making a carpentry table, a photo of the process and much more.
Make your own or buy ready-made?
Many people think it's better to rent a carpenter's table than to make it yourself. On one hand, there is a rational grain in this reasoning. The workbench is taken only for as long as it is needed in the family, then it returns to its formerowners.
But if you look at this question from the other side, then money loves an account and respect for them, so it is much more profitable to make a universal carpentry table with your own hands and save some money. In addition, the workbench will always be at hand and, therefore, it will be possible to get it again if necessary. And if you make a folding carpentry table with your own hands, then you won’t have to worry about the place: such a thing won’t take much of it in the house.
Pros of creating your own workplace
So what are the benefits of making your own workbench?
- This will save you a significant amount.
- You can use the carpenter's table at your convenience.
- You will have a full-fledged workplace that will be useful both for professional work as a carpenter and for honing your skills in woodcarving, assembling devices and more.
- You will get the necessary work experience in creating things with your own hands and, perhaps, in the future you will begin to make such tables to order.
Varieties of carpentry tables
Before starting work, it is worth deciding what kind of workbench you need for further work. There are several types of carpentry tables:
- Workbench for the manufacture and processing of parts made of wood. Of course, it cannot be adapted for the initial processing of wood, however, such a workbench will be very useful when working with small products. To fix the parts on such a table, use wood clips, which can be vertical and horizontal. In advance, you need to take care of the length of the countertop: it should be three meters, while the required width of the board is only a meter.
- It is also easy to make a universal carpentry table with your own hands. Such a workbench allows you to work with different types of products both from wood and from metal or plastic. Its tabletop must be reinforced with metal tape. There should also be wooden or metal clips. It's better if they are together.
- And there is also a table called a carpenter's. Professional carpenters work on such a workbench: they cut timber, boards, make blanks from wood and iron. This workbench is much larger and heavier than regular carpentry tables.
We figured out the varieties of workbenches for work. But, in addition to the division by type of tables, they are also distinguished by mobility. The more mobile this or that workbench, the more convenient it is to work with it. Before you get started, take a look at the photo of the carpentry table below. To make such a product with your own hands, you see, it is quite within the power of a home master.
Types of workbenches
Here are the main types of carpentry tables according to the degree of mobility:
- Portable workbench. Such a desktop is completely mobile, it can be moved from place to place. It is not heavy and compact in size. Comes with small and medium sized vise. TableDesigned for small plumbing work, such as carving wood figures, turning parts, etc.
- Prefabricated workbench. This view is based on connections using fixing bolts. Such a table can also be called a "transformer" due to the fact that it easily folds and unfolds, and also allows you to make any additions to your design, depending on what goals and tasks the master sets.
- Stationary workbench. This is the heaviest and largest table of all the other varieties. The carpenter's workbench refers specifically to stationary types of jobs. Such a carpentry table is very stable, it can perform the most complex work on wood and metal. However, this type of table is more common in workshops; it is not very well suited for homework. An exception may be if the craftsman works mostly at home or often needs a workbench for home use.
Selection of materials for work
In order to make a carpentry table out of wood with your own hands, you only need two materials: wood and metal. If you plan to create a small workbench, then you need to choose a suitable base made of wood.
If the table is not too large in size, then choose laminated chipboard, pressed plywood as a tabletop. But if it is stationary, then you need to use planed boards tightly fitted to each other and, in part, metal parts.
Also look around at home:perhaps you have an unwanted old desk? In this case, it is perfect as the basis for a carpentry or joinery table. And the boxes for storing papers and stationery in it can be successfully adapted for tools and other accessories that a locksmith may need.
If there is an unnecessary old door, then the manual for making a carpentry table also provides for its use as countertops for future workpieces.
What materials to prepare
To work on creating a carpentry table with your own hands, you will need a lot of available tools. Here is a list of the things you will need at work:
- Steel strip.
- Galvanized iron sheet.
- Plywood.
- Metal corner.
- Metal screws.
- Anchor bolts.
- Screws.
- Square pipe.
- Wooden boards.
- Dye for a fresh look.
List of tools needed for work
And you will also need hand tools to work on the carpentry table. Here is a list of things you can't live without:
- Hammer.
- Building level.
- Screwdriver.
- Roulette.
- Bulgarian.
- Hand saw or jigsaw.
Of course, it all depends on the purpose for which you are making the table. If you plan to make a universal carpentry table for power tools with your own hands, then without electrodes,welding tools and a soldering iron are indispensable. So, add these items to this list as well.
Safety
Before you start creating a carpentry table with your own hands, it will not be superfluous to familiarize yourself with safety precautions:
- Each tool must be in its place. It is unacceptable that in the process of work the master was looking for the device he needed so much, but the lost device.
- Before starting work, you must make sure that all tools are in good condition. Each item must be used strictly for its intended purpose.
- All cutting and piercing objects must be well sharpened. You need to work with them as carefully as possible, direct the tool in the direction “away from you”. The hand during operation should be below the cutting blade.
- When working with a hacksaw, you can’t rush, perform actions “in jerks”. You need to work smoothly, but confidently, never sawing on any surface other than the workplace. It is necessary to start sawing with light, leisurely movements so as not to injure your hands.
- Never handle power tools with wet hands. Follow the instructions for use of the device, and also make sure that the cords and sockets in the house are working.
Basic assembly principles for assembling a workbench
A brief summary of the work will be described here to make the overall scope of the work clearer.
- The basis for the workbench should be a frame fastened in such a way that the whole structure is as strong and reliable as possible. For thisit is necessary to place a jumper between the table supports.
- The side should be in the middle of the table.
- Beams can be aligned using self-tapping screws or construction adhesive. If you plan to make a collapsible carpentry table, then the supports can be connected with metal corners.
- It is necessary to prepare all the grooves, assemble the structure, glue all the joints of the elements with glue and fix them with clamps.
- If you are making a table cover not from a single solid wood or slab, but from several downed boards, then the process of their connection should be approached with all responsibility and accuracy. Nothing superfluous, no debris or sawdust should get into the cracks.
- The tabletop needs to be screwed and nailed to several boards. They should be on the back side of the surface. At the base of the table, you need to arrange the grooves in order to mount the bars.
- Sand the desktop properly, screw the metal corners to the base. Coat the surface of the table with drying oil to prevent cuts and splinters.
- The working surface is already ready for us - it remains to attach a vise to it. Do not forget to create recesses for them on the work surface, then the vertical plate will lie on the same plane as the tabletop. On the bottom side, install a plywood gasket so that the "lips" of the vise are flush with the surface. Mark the place where the holes will be drilled and attach a vise there whenthe help of nuts. Do not forget to make deep holes for the bolts in advance so that the latter seem to “drown” in them.
- In addition to the vise, the workbench should also have stops, under which it is also necessary to prepare holes in advance. Their location should be approximately at a distance of about 50% of the vise travel. Thus, all workpieces will be securely fixed in their grooves.
These are the main nuances to consider if you decide to make a carpentry table with your own hands. The photo below also shows an approximate drawing of a workbench, which can be used if necessary.
Start to assemble the workbench
Next, we offer instructions on how to make a carpentry table with your own hands step by step. But before starting work, thoroughly wash and degrease your hands. Make sure all materials and tools for the job are in place. After that, you can start creating a workbench.
- First you need to put together the table top. This must be done like this: take thick boards and nail them to each other with long nails. The result should be some kind of "shield". It must be quite massive. As fasteners, you can use all the same long nails that need to be driven into the boards from the front side, and carefully bend them on the inside of the tabletop.
- If you want to give the structure additional strength and stability, sheathe the countertop with a beam of five by five centimeters along the lower perimeter. This will be a good solution also because later it will be convenient to attach to the beamwooden poles.
- How the table legs will be positioned depends on the size of the workbench top. The legs are best made from a rectangular bar, the size of which will be from 120 x 120 mm. How strong and wide the beam will be, the future workbench will be so strong and stable.
- The upper cut of wooden supports is best set at the level of your lowered hand. Thanks to the installation of the tabletop, the overall height of the workbench will increase and it will be much more convenient to work behind it. On the ground, it is necessary to mark the holes for the vertical supports of the workbench. Then the legs must be dug to a depth of 25–30 centimeters. Based on this, you can find out the total length of the dug-in bars - approximately 1.3 meters.
- Take a building level - it will help you install the tabletop legs neatly and evenly. After you make sure that all the supports are firmly fixed in the ground, connect them in pairs using long self-tapping screws. Wide boards will help you with this. It is necessary to connect the legs of the workbench at a height of about 20–40 centimeters.
- After the legs of the workbench are securely dug into the ground, it's time to attach the table top. Here it should be noted that it is not necessary to nail it, since hammer blows on a hard surface can damage it and move it from its intended position. It is best to attach the table top with self-tapping screws.
- After the main part of the work is completed, it's time to attach additional devices to facilitate carpentry work. It can be a vise, clamps and other items.
That's it, work on the workbench is finished. You have read the instructions on how to make a carpentry table with your own hands, and now you can imagine the approximate course of the process. If you are working on something like this for the first time, then it would be useful to enlist the support of an experienced craftsman who can help and suggest if an error creeps in somewhere or the labor process turns out to be difficult.
Have a nice job!
