I needed a functional workbench, not a work of art that I would be afraid to dent or stain. Besides, I did not have the money to invest in an all hardwood construction. In short, I needed a cheaper and faster solution than offered by the traditional "ornate" WorkBench. I found the inspiration for what I needed when I came across a plan in ShopNotes Magazine. It provided a clever way to use regular "Two-by" stock and MDF to build a sturdy base.  I did not follow the plan from the magazine so I cannot really comment on it. If you are interested, the plan is available at http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/089/extras/heavy-duty-workbench/

The Workbench Base

I flattened the "two-by" stock on the jointer, then planed to 1.25 thickness to ensure straight, flush, and rigid assemblies.

The following pictures show the base assembly.




























I then chamferred the edges so they would be less aggressive on the hands and a bit more pleasing for the eyes. I decided to not chamfer the top edge of the shelf should I ever decide to build a drawer/shelf insert. I still have no plans to build such an insert since I find that space very useful to tuck away my small Wood Lathe.

The Bench Top

Unfortunately, I do not have a picture for the BenchTop assembly. It has an MDF sub-base (2 Layers of 3/4" MDF, 69.5" X 29.5"), slabs (8.25" wide) of Yellow Birch strips on each side (11 strips of 2.25" X .75"), and the center is filled with MDF (3 layers of 3/4"). The edge of the BenchTop is dressed with solid Yellow Birch (3.75" X 1.5").

One of the Yellow Birch Slab ready for glue-up after a quick dry fit test.

Here is the final assembly ready for a coat of Danish Oil.

Having never used Bench Dogs before, I was not sure if I needed them or would use them. I am glad I did drill the 3/4" holes to accommodate for various clamping patterns. Now that I know what Bench Dogs can do and how fast they are to setup, I would not go without them. There is probably not a single project where I do not use them now. I have even drilled holes in the Front Vise external jaw to make use of the Bench Dog in combination with it.

I keep the Bench Dogs neatly stored at one end of the workbench, while the other end provides just the right space to keep a few clamps close to where I need them and out of way.