The foundation piece of any well-equipped shop, a handcrafted woodworking bench is much more than a simple work surface. A well-made workbench is also a fine measuring tool, incorporating precise angles and a level top that serve as gauges for other projects. In fact, the accuracy of your workbench can be a determining factor in the success of any given project.

Featuring a heavy laminated top mounted on a solid trestle-style base, this do-it-yourself version will become the heart of your own woodworking shop. It includes a convenient storage bin underneath, and a spot for a precision woodworking vise and bench stop on top.

How to build it

Although the project demands careful measuring and finishing (especially of the top), the simplicity of the design allows even amateurs to achieve professional results. The bench utilizes all straight cuts and basic construction techniques, so construction is mostly a matter of cutting out the pieces, laminating the top and assembling with screws and carriage bolts.

The completed woodworking bench measures about 36 inches tall by 26 inches wide by 60 inches long. It’s designed to accommodate a vise with a four- by seven-inch jaw.

How to order the plan

The Woodworking Bench plan, No. 866, is $9.95 and includes step-by-step directions with photos, full-size traceable patterns, assembly diagrams, a materials list and cutting schedule, a toll-free help line for project questions and a mail-order source for a woodworking vise.

A package of workbench projects, No. C150, is $16.95 and includes this plan plus a plan for a wall-mounted, folding workbench. A free catalog picturing dozens of do-it-yourself projects is also available. Please include $4.00 for postage and handling and allow about two weeks for delivery.

To order by mail, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o The Spokesman-Review, 3800 Oceanic Drive, Suite 107, Oceanside, CA 92056. To order by credit card, call (800) 828-2453. Visit U-Bild on the Web at u-bild.com.