The incredible English Joiner's Bench

Make a full-size, hand-tool work bench that's also fast, easy, and cheap.

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Tools in this build (affiliate):

Wood Work for Humans Tool List (affiliate):

Follow me on Instagram: @rexkrueger

[MyFilmfan]

Hi Im a retired English Joiner sometimes called a time served (Bench) Carpenter, starting an apprentership in 1975, my first job at 15 was to make a complete bench in this style for my employer, from the start I worked at that bench for the next 48 years, making and assembling bespoke windows and doors for old English houses, "Never is your work a better lesson than surviving to the day you retire". I had to perchase my tools with my wages each week more than 50%, I retired after my employer his son gave me the bench now more than 50 odd years later I still have it and use it regularly.

[jug]

From aged just 15 years, then for the next 5, I was apprentice in a traditional English joiners shop, with no power, and only GAS lighting... The three benches, were circa 12 feet long, with wooden, screw vices on opposite ends. Two joiners worked on each one, they could construct a standard door each without hindering each other. Each bench had a deep central well for tools etc, including a linseed oil pot for making the wooden planes slide like silk. ALL sawn joinery timber was strapped square, straight and out of winding using looong Jack Planes... The sounds of singing super-sharp blades, plus the smell of freshly cut finest Red Deal stays with me today. ....I very pleased to see that you have bedn taught to point your finger whilst using a I was a professional jobbing joiner and then an exhibition joiner for over 25 at 82 I still use my tools and lathe in my tiny 8ft by 12ft workshop.

[zacfeno]

Everything about the video is great and all, but has anyone ever told you that your enunciation is impeccable.

[philipgrice]

While living in California many years ago my then 70 year old father, a retired English cabinet maker, came for a two week vacation. I took the two weeks off so we could spend the time together. I got a panic call from a client and had to spend a day sorting out their problem so my Dad said he'd be happy reading while I was gone.

I returned that evening to find a joinery bench in my garage, made from some 1" plywood and a few 2x4s that had been up in the rafters. Using my carpentry hand tools and fasteners from the bottom of my hessian carpenters bag and a tube of builders adhesive off my shelf he had built a sturdy bench for me complete with saw holding slots and a trough for larger tools. He'd also sharpened my blocking plane as well as oiled my Yankee screwdrivers and ratcheting brace, all of which he'd given me over the years. He's passed now, but, thanks Dad.

That bench lasted me until I retired and moved north to build a new home. I built furniture, a shed and many, many shelves on that bench. I also rebuilt several car and motorcycle engines and gearboxes on it. When we packed up and moved north I planned to bring it with me but realized I could easily build a new one so it was donated to a local HS carpentry shop. I heard that several replicas were built there soon after. You can't beat a good bench, and an English framing bench is like grandpa's shovel. It may have had all the parts replaced more than once but it's still a terrific framing bench.

[PaulMann]

My Dad was a very skillful "hobby" carpenter (machine toolmaker by trade) and built himself a bench like this in our outhouse - shed for Americans, except that our northern English outhouse was solid bricks and mortar on a thick reinforced concrete base with a thick reinforced concrete roof. WWII had only recently ended. I also had six years' "woodwork" lessons at school, with a great Scottish teacher-carpenter, Mr Goggins. Another kind and gently strict inspiring man, like my Dad. When you got it wrong, they made you believe you could do it better, and showed you how to find out how. Good men for a boy to look up to. The bench at home, and the benches in the school woodwork shop all had the well in the middle, which your, Rex's, one doesn't have here. That well is very useful for not losing tools, but also for squaring things up. Thank you for the inspiring video. You do a grand job.

Oh boy did this ever bring back memories. I was an apprentice in Liverpool in the 1960's and as was usual in large company settings we had an engineering workshop. We just did 'everything' in house. Woodwork, welding, electrics [me] painting. It. Was. Glorious. Honestly. I went to university much later but my real education was with a mixed group of tradesmen and a gang of labourers who were mainly ex-merchant seamen. The first thing I learned was respect. Be polite. Or get slapped upside the head. I spent hours at one of these benches. I enjoyed your video so much, it brought back wonderful memories.. Thank you.

[larryschweitzer]

I've got a very old, German made bench that I've had for 40+ years. It was old when I got it. I like the design. Heavy beech construction. Wooden side & end vices with steel hardware. Square holes run the length of the bench with spring loaded bench dogs. Tool tray along the back edge with sloping internal ends to allow easy sweep out. I've added supports on the legs so long parts can be clamped in the side vice, on edge, and be solidly supported. The key to its usefulness are the vices and bench dogs. Nice video!

[rorychallands]

"And carefully remove the waste..."
*smacks it with a large hammer*
I love your builds, Rex. They're always refreshingly honest and informative and a wonderful antidote to the Perfectly Inlaid Dovetail Brigade.

[flite]

This reminds me so much of my granfather's work bench. He was a cabinet maker, he started his apprenticeship when he was 12 or 13 in the 1930s - trained here in Adelaide South Australia.
Not sure if he was born in England or here in Australia but in that time and place he was definatley trained in the English tradition.
His bench was about 3.5-4 metres long and had a leg in the middle front and back for a total of 6 legs.
He didn't have diagonal braces accross the front, but he had a shelf about 6inches off the floor, that was built on a frame that was lap jointed to the legs.
He kept his long clamps a tool box and some hand held power tools on that. He also had a rough set of drawers between that shelf and the bottom of the front apron, where he kept hardware - nails, brads, screws, bolts, hooks, latches and the like, to the left of the vice.
That thing was sturdy.
I was forever spoilt by that man.
I can never look at a piece of stapled together craftboard "furniture" and be happy with the slop, and the flex in it.
Seeing those old benches at the start of this video really bought back some memories of being covered in saw dust and shavings, planing, cutting and hamering away at that bench.
Thanks.

[valcouren]

Watching your videos humbles me. The fact that I got to help you learn the basics of smithing when you had such a deep understanding of woodworking; something I find difficult, if not abhorrent; makes me feel so small. This encourages me to begin again in smithing and I have you to thank for it. My name is Robert Volanski. I was the guy with long hair and a longer beard
If that isn't enough I was the guy with a broad, happy face that tried to help anyone with an interest in learning. I will be back in Burton and I hope to see you again. My absence has been far too long. Hope I didn't ramble to much.

[dworkeen]

Like this guy, he has respect for old style carpentry but he's not burdened by obsessive ways. And this is one of the few times I've seen a brace being use - it all makes sense

[PerfectPencil]

As someone who is building their own workshop from scratch, i really appreciate your videos, Rex. Every other video I see on youtube requires an already set up workshop to build this stuff, which is frustrating because if I had it, i wouldn't need it!

[billythemav]

I built this bench and am very happy with how it turned out. Very functional and a good project to learn on. 10/10 will continue to build Rex’ projects and watch every video.

[mckmn]

I've just bought a work bench off ebay that is very similar to the ones mentioned in this video. I feel honoured to have bought it. The old boy must have spent many decades using it. He was a professional cabinet maker and carried on well into retirement. honoured to have it.
Edit. I'm in England BTW.

[Doc-Holliday]

Just finished my own version of this bench today. I put a recess down the middle of the bench so I can place my tools down without risking them being knocked off. This thing is a beast of a bench. It easily weighs 200+ lbs, and is crazy secure. Very glad you brought this bench to my attention. I was literally working off an old kitchen table before.

[jubilantyogurt]

I circulate a lot of DYI and especially wood working channels and it's such a delight to see how down to earth you make things. You dont use tools regular people dont have and you even make it a point that everything doesnt have to be perfect. Perfect stops a lot of people getting starting doing instead of worrying thinking.

[_H_]

0:28 It's a school woodwork bench, we had these in school in the 70s. Our teachers taught woodwork and metal work and we spent a lot of time perfecting different ways to join various pieces of wood. The first thing you made was a teapot stand : ) No screws or nails where allowed in the lesson every thing had to be dowelled or with the correct joint. Those lessons are now consigned to the history bin as health and safety would not allow a pupil to hold a chisel or mallet now.

[laikatravels]

Very interesting. My late father was a joiner here in Newcastle on Tyne UK. He made a bench similar to some of the images you showed of ‘old English joiners benches’ in that it had a recessed/lower plank in the middle. I often wondered why he made it like this and just assumed it was down to the timber he had available at the time although the recess was handy to rest/steady something like a 2x4 when sawing. The bench used to sit out in our back yard and was exposed to all weathers but it still lasted for years. I often wish I’d thought to ask my father about it but he sadly passed away when I was 15 in the mid 70’s. Lovely to watch your video it brought back loads to great memories of making various projects when I was a kid with my dear old Pa. 👍

[jasonclarke]

forgot to leave a comment. i made this bench for myself back when you posted this video. with very little adjustments, and i added the big leg vice to it. stable AF. doesn't move a bit, sturdy, great design. AND, it was an early project to get comfortable with wood working. so thanks for that.

[johnfarinelli]

I made this bench over the holiday. I'm slow, and I only took about 1-2 hrs at most each day. I already owned a small vise that I incorporated it into one end. I still plan to make the foot vice for the front in the coming weeks, add the bench dogs, make some dogs out of 3/4" dowel. Experimented with different (cheap) materials as well. Local lumber yard had canadian pine 2x10, while the big box stores have southern yellow pine. Local lumber yard was more expensive, but lumber had a lower moisture content.

I added a 3/4in sheet of MDF under the pine boards ( the pine boards I also planned down the edges and edge-glued together) for the top to give me a 2 1/4" thick top ( worked better with my vise). Also, I could not find 4x4 other than pressure treaded, so just glued up 2x4.

Thanks Rex. Learning much from you.