The wired workbench Readers help us design the perfect power-tool workstation BY JOHN WHITE n a modern shop, a lot of work gets done with pow- Ier tools such as routers, biscuit joiners, and random- orbit sanders. But most of us use them on benches de- signed around handplaning, which means everything from the height to the mass to the vises and benchdogs is geared toward hand-tool use. So the editors at Fine Woodworking decided to build a bench de- signed for power tools. They posted a blog on Finewood- working.com, asking readers what they thought a “wired workbench” should be. A lot of great suggestions came in, and being a veteran of the FWW shop and an inveter- ate inventor (see my “New- Fangled workbench,” FWW #139), I was given the task of distilling readers’ ideas into a user-friendly whole. power tools need electric- ity to run and they make dust by the fistful. So most people 62 FINE woodworkINg photos: Matt kenney; drawings: John hartman COPYRIGHT 2011 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted. Collect the dust, forget the fuss imagine locking down your workpieces quickly, sMARt vAlEt FoR and using your portable power tools without any CoRds And hosEs dust or distractions. ClEvER ClAMpinG is bUilt in A simple hanger system manages these necessary evils, so they don’t drag and disrupt your work. Pipe clamps apply the pressure, and low-profile dogs stay out of the way of your tools. shop vAC hiGhER thAn A At thE REAdy hAnd-tool bEnCh Put a small vacuum in the cabinet and leave Traditional benches it there, ready to work. are lower, so you can That way you won’t bear down on your forget to hook it up bench planes. But or be tempted to do power-tool tasks like without. routing and sanding are better at belly height. dUst EMptiEs EAsily onboARd powER The Dust Deputy grabs Plug your power tools into 99% of the chips and an automated vacuum dust, dropping them switch that turns on the into a box that’s easy to vacuum when you turn on empty and keeping the the tool. It also runs the vacuum filter clean. vacuum for a few seconds after the tool powers off. ToolS & ShopS 2012 63 COPYRIGHT 2011 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted. Build the base first Rather than fill the interior with drawers, we designed it to hide and muffle a shop Cleat, 2 in. wide by vacuum and hold a dust separator. Construction is simple and solid: 3/4-in. plywood 251/2 in. long Door latch, and drywall screws. End apron, 2 in. wide by 6 in. wide by 3 in. long End apron, Front and back, 27 in. long S o u r c e S 12 in. wide by 28 in. wide by o f S u p p ly 27 in. long 44 in. long dust-deputy miniature cyclone Oneida-air.com, No. AXD001004, Hole for dust- (90° elbow, collection hose, No. AHA000004) 41/2 in. dia. ivac switch Side cleats, 2 in. ivacswitch.com wide, also serve as door stops. Hole for power cord, 2 in. dia. Door, 22 in. wide by 27 in. long Door stop, 2 in. wide by 3 in. long Ventilation hole, 21/4 in. dia. Foot, 2 in. wide by 103⁄8 in. long 3-in. locking Finger hole, Door stops, Bottom, 32 in. wide swivel caster 2 in. dia. 2 in. wide by 3-in. fixed Interior divider, by 471/2 in. long 3 in. long caster 22 in. wide by Door, 16 in. wide 27 in. long by 27 in. long End ApRon holE locations 113/4 in. 7 in. 3 in. 5 in. Add aprons for stiffness. Screw through the face into the cleats. On the cyclone end, pre-drill holes for the vacuum hose and power cords with a Get a third hand for assembly. White used a simple plywood corner block to hold circle cutter. parts still and square to one another while he drove in screws. 64 FINE woodwork in g COPYRIGHT 2011 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted. FinE-tUnE thE AiR sEAl mini-cyclone A door on the cabinet presses tightly 90° elbow drops dust against weather stripping on the dust bin, so the inner bin can be loose. into a Bin Stops at the bottom and latches at the A mini-cyclone separates Oneida Dust Deputy top of the door create even pressure. chips and dust out of the mini-cyclone vacuum’s airflow, dropping them into an easy-to-empty Outer dust bin, dust bin below. 91/2 in. wide by 211/2 in. long by 91/2 in. tall Side inset 1/4 in. Inner dust bin, 91/4 in. from back and top wide by 191/2 in. long by 73/4 in. tall Base, 91/2 in. wide by 27 in. long Use drywall screws on the back of the dust bin to push it back and forth 1/4 -in.-thick weather to fine-tune how much the weather stripping is compressed by the door. stripping around opening Front and back panels, of outer dust bin 1/4 -in.-thick plywood agreed that the first thing this bench need- ed was a built-in source of electricity and dust collection. I kept things simple by attaching a commercially available auto- mated vacuum outlet, the iVAC switch box, that turns on the dust collection when you power up the tool. And I made room in the base for both a shop vacuum and an oneida dust deputy, a miniature cyclone that has proven its value (see “A revolu- tion in dust Collection,” p. 52-59) trapping the fine dust (and all of the chips) before it gets to the vacuum and clogs the filter. Weather stripping makes an airtight seal. Put the Deputy on the case. To create an Miter the corners with a chisel after you apply airtight seal, apply a bead of acrylic caulk to This wired workbench also is taller the stripping, and glue the corners together with the mini-cyclone’s flange before putting it on (38 in. total) than traditional benches, mov- cyanoacrylate glue. the bin. ing the tool and the workpiece up to a height where you have better vision and control. It’s wider, too, but not as long. I Connect the vac- got rid of the traditional front and tail vises, uum to the mini- opting for a simple but effective clamping cyclone. A 90° system made from two pipe clamps. The elbow makes the benchdogs have soft heads that hold work- tight turn under the pieces firmly, but won’t dent or mar them. bench’s top without And there are locking casters underneath restricting airflow to make the bench mobile. like a crimped hose would. Finally, the wired workbench is much easier to make than a big, heavy traditional bench. Because it won’t take the forces a hand-tool bench does, the entire bench is made from plywood. And there is no complicated joinery, just butt joints held www.finewoodworking.com ToolS & ShopS 2012 65 COPYRIGHT 2011 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted. Sliding benchdog Removable block spacer Layered top has room for clamps this plywood top assembly has a clamping system built into it. the layered construction makes it easy to create tongued channels for the sliding benchdog blocks and a cavity for the pipe clamps. Sliding benchdog block is sandwiched Hole for pipe clamp, around middle layer. 11⁄8 in dia., centered 11/2 in. from top of riser Top layer Middle layer Riser layer Pipe clamp screwed to edge 32 in. Bottom layer End viEw Middle strip, 8 in. wide by 391/2 in. long top lAyer Dog hole, 3/4 in. dia., Rear strip, 14 in. centered on channel, End cap, 4 in. wide by 391/2 in. long 7⁄8 in. from inside edge wide by 32 in. long Front strip, 3 in. wide Space between top by 391/2 in. long panels, 31/2 in. Middle strip, 9 in. wide by 471/2 in. long Spacer, 21/2 in. wide by 4 in. long MiddlE lAyer Front strip, 31/2 in. wide by 471/2 in. long Rear strip, 141/2 in. wide by 471/2 in. long Riser lAyer End riser, 23/4 in. wide by 291/4 in. long Interior riser, 23/4 in. wide by 421/2 in. long Bottom panel, 32 in. bottoM lAyer wide by 471/2 in. long 66 FINE woodwork in g COPYRIGHT 2011 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted. Build the top two layers first Connect the top and middle layers. Pre-drill and Use spacers to locate slots for clamps. Drill for the stationary benchdogs. countersink for the screws and use an offcut from the Make sure they’re dimensioned and placed Leave the spacers attached and drill plywood to keep the edges aligned as you drive the accurately, because they determine where through both pieces at once. Use scraps to screws. you drill holes for the stationary benchdogs. support the far end of the assembly. together by screws. where they show, I’ve add the riser used stainless-steel deck screws and finish frame and washers for a clean, modern look.