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Workbenches

Woodworking Workbenches – Design, Building & Use

The workbench really is the heart of your workshop.
If you plan on doing your woodworking with hand tools, then you need a bench that’s stout and won’t wobble about or require chasing around the workshop every time you take a shaving.

And if you plan on building your own workbench (and you should), then don’t get wrapped up in any fancy designs that cost the earth or take all year to build.

The best thing about a good woodworking workbench is that it’s simple.

Simple to build, simple to maintain, and simple to use.
Throughout our blog you’ll find guides to help you plan your workbench build, from choosing wood to picking the best vice. Browse the posts below.

Or follow us with a step-by-step video series, where we build an English style workbench.
It’s an accessible build, using just basic hand tools to complete your life time bench – you can watch online & download the PDF workbench plans.


Simple Work Holding For Ploughing Grooves [Without a Tail Vice]

July 29, 2022 By Richard Maguire 5 Comments

Simple work holding without a tail vice

Sometimes the biggest challenge of a project can just be getting the wood to stay put while we try to work on it. I suppose it's why it's so easy for us to get lost in the hunt for a perfect workbench design. And drawn in towards all kinds of vice bling and fancy work holding … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hand Tool Approach, Vices & Work Holding

Gluing Up A Workbench Leg [VIDEO]

June 4, 2022 By Richard Maguire 16 Comments

gluing up a workbench leg video

Right then, I finally got round to starting some of these question and answers. This is a bit of an odd ball, but it's something that’s asked a lot. I also see this issue happening a lot… sadly. The problem is delamination. An issue where a big face to face glue line starts to fail or peel … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Free Videos, Tips, Workbenches

Slightly Over The Top… Top

January 31, 2020 By Richard Maguire 9 Comments

beech laminates Maguire Workbench top

I was having a good old rummage through the timber store the other day and found an old off cut from a workbench top. It's from one that I made when I was building them for a living. I used to keep these off cuts and put them to the test. Sun exposure, damp, all that to see how the laminates held … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Workbench Designs, Workbenches

The Most Stable Workbench Top

November 15, 2019 By Richard Maguire 12 Comments

12' english workbench

This surprised me. After tarting up some benches recently I had to check and flatten the tops. They all needed just a little skim, which is what I'd expected.What I didn't expect though, was just how stable my 12ft English bench top was. This is a big bench, and the thing has been stored in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Workbench Designs, Workbenches

Selling My Workbench

September 25, 2019 By Richard Maguire 13 Comments

maguire workbench for sale

Finally… after taking a bit of a handful on, I've now got my old workbench ready for sale. Most of you will know this bench well. It's been used in most of the videos and has also been the bench that I built 99% of Maguire Workbenches on. It's the bench that built benches. I first … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Workbenches

Workbenches For Sale!

July 10, 2019 By Richard Maguire 10 Comments

Maguire Workbenches for sale

The workshop stinks of nuts at the moment. I'm also tripping over big wooden vice screws and having to breath in to squeeze by the massive slabs of ash that are sitting there on my trestles. This all feels familiar. It's because I've just finished tarting up some workbenches ready to sell. I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Workbenches

Build A French Workbench – New Video Series!

May 2, 2019 By Richard Maguire 25 Comments

how to build a french workbench video

https://youtu.be/P4mwbEpTKr8   Follow Step-by-Step with our French Workbench Video Build This Series Is Now Complete! The series can be purchased by Clicking Here If you're already a Member then you may need to Login first The Bench Design The French workbench is simple and strong - just how … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Premium Videos, Workbenches

Giving Birth To Rough Sawn Wood

April 18, 2019 By Richard Maguire 36 Comments

french workbench with leg vice

When owt gets born there's blood, sweat and faecal matter. That's just a fact. Giving birth to a workbench is the same. It's been a while since I've built a bench and I have to say I've been twitching for quite some time to do one. Building this hasn’t scratched that itch, actually this has … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Premium Videos, Workbench Designs, Workbenches

Building A Workbench For ‘That’ Screw

April 1, 2019 By Richard Maguire 18 Comments

I’ve been having a good old tidy up and done that thing where you stumble upon a great big sod off vice. Now, if you've been lingering around from our old days you may remember this thing. It was rather nicely given to me by my good friend Richard Arnold. He mentioned he’d had it for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Vices & Work Holding, Workbench Designs

Timber Movement & Workbench Design

March 15, 2019 By Richard Maguire 4 Comments

designing for timber movement

If you know anything about the way that I work then you'll know that I don't like to faff. I will always do a proper job though, in fact I tend to do things somewhat overkill. But when it comes to the tools and techniques used I'll always find the most basic and simple route. I'm no different … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Designing Furniture, Timber, Workbench Designs

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