The Minimum Timber Bench // Start woodworking for less!

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Wood Work for Humans Tool List (affiliate):
*Cutting*
(Winner of the affordable dovetail-saw shootout.)
(Needs tune-up to work well.)
(Works out of the box)
(My favorite affordable new chisels.)
(I use these to make the DIY specialty planes, but I also like them for general work.)

*Sharpening*

*Marking and Measuring*
(For marking and the built-in awl).
(Excellent, inexpensive marking knife.)

*Drilling*

*Work-Holding*

Follow me on Instagram: @rexkrueger

0:00 Intro
0:33 Too Much Wood?
1:02 The NEW Bench!
2:30 Features
4:34 Using the Bench
6:07 DIY
7:15 TAKE THE COURSE!
7:57 Outro

[RexKrueger]

All of my plans (including this one) are HALF OFF right now...but only until Christmas!

[ColbyClinePenholders]

I need an april fools video from you with the title "No Material Workbench" and it's just you working while sitting on the floor struggling to hold things for 20 minutes.

[cdavie]

I love how my procrastination keeps getting rewarded with new workbench options.

I guess I struck a nerve! I bet Rex wouldn't encourage anyone to sit around not making stuff, waiting for the perfect design, and that's not what I'm doing (I promise). I just love making things of all sorts and woodworking is sadly a little ways down the list of what I'm currently set up to tackle. My grandfather was accomplished in this, though, and I've inherited some of his tools and some of his attitudes, and I do very much appreciate this easier entry into what I'm sure will become a consuming, lifelong pursuit.

[joeleonetti]

Thanks Rex. I was all set to build your English Jointers Bench as a second bench in the workshop. To the point that I had gone to the local big box store with my moisture meter just to see how wet the material was. As soon as my next paycheck hit I was going to buy the lumber. Then, my cousin called me. My grandfather was his godparent. My cousin was cleaning out his garage and wanted to know if I wanted to have the workbench my grandpa had built him. Do I want it?!?!?! Of course, I was grateful and excited. Don't have a lot of things from my grandpa. All I would need was a vise and I would be set. When I got there to pick it up, I saw it already had a vise. Best. Workbench. Ever. Free and my grandpa made it 50+ years ago.

[MissionZer]

When I built your original jointer's bench I opted to go tool tray down the middle and loved it.

When I sold my house the buyer asked for it (which felt good!), so I said goodbye to it. But absolutely going to build another and excited to implement some aspects of this lighter version!

[genem]

You've put more thought and effort into getting folks "benched up" at a very reasonable cost than just about any other woodworker out there. Thanks for all the work.

[aball]

My 2 cents. If you are on a super tight budget look around your area for someone giving away a wood kitchen table and cut the top down for the top of your workbench. I got a square solid oak table for free and reshaped the top into a rectangle. So now I have a workbench with a solid 1-1/2" thick top. I look around for free wood and free furniture like dressers and nightstands to get a lot of my wood for free. I use drawer sides to make nice little boxes and you can do all kinds of stuff for a low cost.
PS I absolutely love this channel!
GO REX

[skilarbabcock]

I just came across this channel today, and I've been binging. The format, the editing, the cheesy jokes, all remind me of the wood working shows I watched as a kid with my grand father. I miss him dearly and your channel makes him feel closer.

[edwardgurney]

You're not kidding about Britain having less readily available timber than the US. I've literally never seen a 2x12 in a wood yard or DIY store here, and 2x10s can be hard to find. I literally laughed out loud when Rex said "You'll just need one 12ft 2x10", I've never seen a 12ft anything for sale.

[cujero]

A great tip i use is to buy 2 bags of play-sand and put one on the left and right cross beams between the legs. I saw another YouTuber do this and it makes the bench incredibly stable and each bag is less than $5 and they weight 75lb each.

[BigBlack]

All right, Krueger. You've thrown down the gauntlet.

This is an AMAZING piece of furniture, not just because of what you achieved but because of the audacity of what you tried to solve. For me, this is why I harp that lack of options is what fuels creativity and NOT abundance. You have just shown it.

[AncoraImparoPiper]

I'm a DIY woodworker but do not have a bandsaw, jointer, or table saw 🤣 Looks like a fun project so I might just build it using my tracks saw, circular saw and hand planer.

[jacktackett]

Made this today, first time building anything like this and it took me from 12pm to 8pm with a few breaks. Only used a circular saw, mallet, chisels, glue, impact driver and screws. You can definitely tell I’m a beginner from the craftsmanship but I was able to get some really tight cuts with the chisels. Thanks 👍🏼

[nicholasdavis]

I’m at the store looking at wood, and I realize how many workbench videos you have because I spent about 20 minutes going through all your videos looking for how much wood this takes. Honestly, I wish I had this problem with more projects.

[microwave]

I think a general vibe works best for benches, just a few points about support and cross bracing to fit whatever material you got to work with. I raided the scratch and dent lumber at a big box store to get a few split 2X4s, the widest chunk they had in the pile for an apron and sides, and some simple hardware. Dirt cheap, ugly as sin, and sturdy enough for everything I've thrown at it so far.

[chucktheobald]

I've got the lumber in the basement acclimating. We are fortunate here in north America, especially east and west coasts, to have a ready supply of lumber.

The bench looks like it measures 34-1/2" tall. I checked Paul Sellers's opinion, and he says 38" is his choice. Looking at the plans again, and it looks like the Krueger Bench can be built to 36" tall with the same plans and parts. Just cut all leg pieces 1-1/2" longer and take care of the cuts you make in the rear leg pieces in boards D and E.

Oh, and patrons get the plans without charge. Did Rex mention that? Well worth it!

[tbone]

I bought the plans and built the bench in a weekend. I did change the tool tray. I put it in the middle of the bench and made it 2 inches wider. It came out nice. I'm very happy with it.

[SB-ynmj]

Rex you absolute tease! I lept out of bed this morning so pumped up to make this bad boy in my basement and it's just an announcement xD

[billboy]

Very simple and inexpensive. Perfect for most newbies and someone with tight budgets. I just bought enough poplar to build 3 of these benches for $360. Hard woods haven’t gone up that much like construction lumber did accept walnut and exotic woods.

[yomomz]

2:08 - Can vouch for that. I started woodworking with a background in unrelated factory work. So naturally, I envisioned assembly line processes. I had to also become a process engineer. And that is totally doable... but on a small scale, it's terribly inefficient. I was spending so much time designing and building jigs (designing takes valuable time), and I thought to myself "There's gotta be a better way".

In the course of my YouTube education, I found myself amazed at hand tool woodworkers. I'd see what needed done in their project, ponder the jigs and setup required... and then be stunned when they just picked a saw and made their cut. 🤦🏻‍♂️

So now, I'm buying lots of hand tools. 😆 I find that practice is a necessity, in order to do what the old-timers easily manage, but it can be done. And it's much quicker than I would've previously imagined. 🫡🍻