Work bench

[Ronaldlee]

I need to build a good work bench to build a bow. Would like to get ideas on some of the things that make up a good Bowyer's bench . Thanks for any advice. Ron

[bjansen]

-I like the height of the bench to be right at where my wrist is when my arm hangs down by the side.  
-It is really nice to have an even lip on the underside of the front 4" all the way accross so you can easily clamp things down.
-A place for a vice is nice, I prefer a woodworkers vice
-If your using epoxy a built in roll of butchers paper, wax paper or similar would be good to have on one side (on a pipe so you can stretch it across the bench prior to glue up)

[Dublin Joe]

You want it RIGID for rasping, scraping, etc.

You want it the right height for rasping, scraping, planing, sanding, etc.

You want at least one woodworker's vise.

You might could incorporate the tillering tree somehow.

I may have to do one of my own because I'm having crazy ideas I'd have to try before recommending.

[jess stuart]

The right height, I hate to have to bend down to work on bows.  Makes it much less fatiguing to rasp, sand etc.

[Goose Gossett]

A good question to ask is if you want it portable or not.  I know I worked on a few at MOJam and it was essentially a bench to sit on with a woodworkers vice.  If your looking for something more at home the options are nearly endless.  

Here is the pdf file I found here that was helpful for me.

 www.tradgang.com/pdf-files/bowhorse.pdf

[walkabout]

i think my bench is roughly 37" tall, by about 7' long, framed with 2x4. i didnt plan ahead so i dont have much clamping edge, so i reccomend like brad said about 4 inches all the way around for that. as far as everything else, just rigid enough to be able to clamp a stave up and rasp without the bench wobbling or moving, and a good vise incorporated into it. from there the other options are really up to you. i googled "woodworkers bench plans" and found a bunch of styles, gonna add all the features i like eventually. oh and dont forget a place to have a little light close, sometimes when you are huddled over your work even 20 shop lights on the ceiling wont help. mine is a cheapo flourescent from wally world thats attached to the front of a shelf.

[Eric Krewson]

My work bench is 42" tall so one doesn't have to bend over to work on a bow.

 

[GREG IN MALAD]

Make it the right height for you, use good lighting, and make it BIG.

[Dick in Seattle]

I built mine out of a section of bowling alley many years ago.  It has served as a base to build rifles, carousel horses, ventriloquist figures, knives and now bows.  It's pretty thoroughly covered in my web pages on my shop:


 http://dickwightman.com/archeryactivity/environment/shop/shoppix.html

[walkabout]

very cool Dick, thanks for the peek into your shop you certainly have got a fine setup there. love the collection of books you have too, nice to see in this"information age" when almost everything can be found on a computer screen.

[Dublin Joe]

OK, here's my shop in 7 pics:

01
 

02
 

03
 

04
 

05
 

06
 

07
 

It's only 24' square so to maximize floor space I went with a lofted design on three sides to give me some above-head storage.  I keep finished pieces, lumber, and misc. stuff up there.

05 shows my most used hand tools ready to go.

06 shows my "bench" built with its mitered tenon base, stacked 1/2 sheet of plywood top, and clamping edges all around.

07 shows how I combined my benchtop tablesaw with my router and tool chest.  I can lift out the router top, secure it vertically, and do horizontal routing.

What I need now is a heating/cooling solution and a dust collection system.  It goes without saying I'd like a bigger bandsaw and tablesaw.

Joel

[Dublin Joe]

Oops, replied to wrong post.  Oh, well, it's got my bench in it.

Joel

[limbcracker]

I built my bowyers bench (for makine fiberglass lam bows) 76" long with a bow oven in the bottom powered by 3 lightbulbs and the inside lined with aluminum sheeting. I do my glue up's on the top, which is covered with a sheet of replaceable plastic tacked down. The front door is bottom hinged so I con drop it on the floor, take the bow press off the top and just pop it in the oven below. Saves a lot of space in a small shop and it's easier on the back than wrestling a 50lb bow press into a traditional top loading oven. For making self bows I think a shaving horse is handier than a bench and vise for most operations,and the bodgers horse is easier to make, more portable and more versatile than the solid headed shaving horse.

[Adam Keiper]

I like to stand to work on bows.  (Selfbows here.)  I made a shaving horse once, but didn't like working on my butt.  So, I have two vise setups.  One is a pedestal deal lagged into my basement floor.  The other is a takedown arrangement made from lumber scraps that I keep outside in the warmer months.  I never use an actual bench, per se, except for the rare occassion when I'm hand planing stock for a wood laminated bow.  
   
   
 

2-Click for video: