We all know what the most dangerous power tool in your workshop is (it’s you … so what’s the most useful/important tool? No, it’s not your table saw… it’s your WORKBENCH. Woodworkers often look at the workbench as an essential project, a core project that both teaches and creates a highly useful product. My fellow nerds in the crowd will think of it as the Jedi’s light saber

This morning I decided it was finally time to research and write our ultimate guide to workbench plans (a second in the series I started with free router table plans). How cool to check my inbox and find a note from Frank Pellow to let me know that he’d completed his workbench!

Here are a couple of quick links with pics to Frank Pellow’s super sweet workbench on wheels. So you know, his workbench would fit in the “Extreme Workbench” section below if there were plans available. I wrote about Frank originally in The Story of a “Forum Assisted” Woodworking Shop: Frank Pellow’s Shop Build Journal. Nice job on finishing the build, Frank, and thanks for the links and pics!

Frank Pellow’s Woodworking Bench Project
Frank Pellow’s Woodworking Bench Project -Phase 2

Ok, enough small talk You’re here for workbench plans. I went out to all the free workbench plan sites, gathered their links by hand and then reorganized them with the woodworker in mind. Here’s what you’ll find in this guide:

1) Space Saver Workbench Plans
2) Mobile Workbench Plans
3) Adjustable Height Workbench Plans
4) Full Size Workbench Plans
–>Basic Workbench Plans
–>Simple Woodworker Workbench Plans
–>Professional/Extreme Woodworker Workbench Plans
–>Traditional Woodworker Workbench Plans
5) Accessories, Etcetera
6) Useful Workbench Forum Threads
7) Workbench Plan Lists (resources we used)
8) Other Resources

(more…)

Now… there are no details yet if this could work, but the gamer geeks at WoodNet are wondering about creating a wooden Guitar Hero controller. As a fan of Guitar Hero (along with my wife and nephew) this topic caught my attention. I started searching around in the hopes that someone will actually make some sweet custom Guitar Hero controllers.

Here’s the thread that got me going: Wooden Guitar Hero Controller?

If you’re serious about building your own Guitar Hero controller out of wood then I suggest you check out some of these resources.

Getting Started…
For one, you’re going to have to understand the electronics side with some of these tutorials from Instructables:

>>How to make a PS2 Guitar Hero controller out of scratch
Obviously written by a non-native English speaker, this guide breaks it down with video for you so you can see every gnarly detail, and my understanding is that his method doesn’t require you to actually purchase a GH controller.

>>How to make a custom [Guitar Hero] game controller
This guide appears to be platform agnostic… and should be helpful on your quest.

>>How to Disassemble a Guitar Hero SG Controller for Painting
This one at least gives you some insight into breaking apart your controller if you’re so inclined.

Inspiration:
For inspiration you should check out these “Air Guitars” that work as Guitar Hero controllers. They cost $399, but come with really sweet artwork on the front.

Guitar Hero replicas

Also check out Kaytrim’s Kustom Joysticks, which will help you stay focused on your goal of a real wood Guitar Hero controller. And see the thread Boys and their toys for more neat custom wooden joystick pics from Kaytrim.

For inspiration on building real guitars, visit the Guitar Builders Lair. GBL is a website operated by a WoodNetter.

I love woodworking forums. The free flow of information, the friendships, the “strong discussions” about power tools… One of my favorite forums remains FamilyWoodworking.org, both for the spirit in which they built it and the friendliness of the guys posting there.

Here’s an example of what I consider to be a “gem” of a Family Woodworking post: “My Take on Wood Hinges” by Alex Reid. Reid describes and documents his process for building gorgeous wooden hinges, and then receives suggestions from forum members on alterations.

From his introduction:

“In this tutorial for making and installing wooden hinges I use ebony blanks cut and milled to a specific size related to the size of my cutting bit. I use a 3.2mm (1/8”) cutting bit mounted in my router table. The width of the blank will therefore be 3.2 multiplied by the number of fingers and slots. I want a hinge that has 4 fingers/3 slots and the mate will have 3 fingers/4 slots. So the width of my hinge will be 3.2×7=22.4. (You can also make them a little wider and cut to size on the table saw after slotting the finger joints). The length of the blanks will be any length desired but should be around 75mm (3”) for ease of clamping and cutting on the finger joint jig. The thickness of the blank will be 6mm or if you are working in inches 1/4” will work well. (Here also you can use a thicker blank and re-saw later for a production run).”

His tutorial spans several posts in the forum so he put the entire thing in a PDF file for those of you who’d like to print it out and work from home:

Wooden Hinge Making Tutorial (PDF)

Read the forum post here: My Take on Wood Hinges

Admit it - cut offs are pretty much impossible to throw away. Especially if they’re from a nice piece of maple or even an exotic. The fellas at SMC laid out their ideas for what to do with cut offs and I cherry picked the top 11 ideas to help you figure out how to handle those little pieces that won’t go away.

1) bird houses to build with the kids

2) things for the kids to play with — egg-beater drill, hammer, a few nails and a pile of off-cuts equals about 2 hours of entertainment

3) the exotics tend to get used for box handles, trim, pens

4) Give them to turners - we can always make pens, knobs and other things from cutoffs

5) make up a box full and try selling it on the classified forum

6) Slice them up into 3/4 by 3/4 by 6″ pieces and offer them to someone helping out with the Freedom Pens Project

7) Make Clocks

8) Make a trash can

9) I try to use up even the smallest bits by taking the time every now and then to have a drillpress/bandsaw session and make tapered plugs for screw holes out of as many different species as I have on hand. I end up with a ready made stock of plugs and the sad little bits that are left find their way into the woodstove.

10) I make sets of blocks.

11) I bought an electric branding iron from Rockler, that I burn my logo into scrap pieces, add a small chain, and I now have a key fob to give my prospective customers, or give along with any project I’ve finished for a customer.

Check out the whole thread by clicking here: What to do with cutoffs, etc >>

This WoodNet thread really blew my mind: WoodNetter ksquared photographed and wrote about the build process his wife went through to build a gorgeous Thomas Moser bed.

Not only is the finished bed beautiful, but there’s a fantastic write up with very clear photographs that follow along with the process… such as this one:

and this one here:

I think the most amazing thing is that this was his wife’s first woodworking project!

ksquared followed up with me in the forum and let me know that:

“this was in fact her first furniture type woodworking project but not her first excursion to the shop. We remodeled our house over the course of seven years including a lot of cabinet work and built-ins. She did her part in all that work including building and hanging raised panel doors, drawers, a nice glassware cabinet with glass doors and a set of bookcases for her study.

We pretty much shared all the work so she is not intimidated by woodworking. However, we all know there is a big difference between case goods and furniture so this project was a definitely new experience for her. She “circled” it for awhile.”

Check out the thread and appreciate the whole story of the build. It’s well told in photos and prose. Thanks for your work on this ksquared - we look forward to seeing more work from the both of you!
My Wife Finishes A Major Project (Warning: Lots of Pictures)

Frank Pellow’s a one-man publishing house in FamilyWoodworking.org.

We write about his work regularly in the ToolCrib blog because he’s so clear and specific in documenting his work, and so eager to share his ideas with other woodworkers.

Recently Frank faced a problem that many of us just shut away behind closed doors - under-sink clutter.

Here’s the situation underneath the sink in his downstairs bathroom:

He decided he didn’t want to face the same clutter under his newly remodeled master-bedroom sink…

“I came up with a design that has a sub-cabinet with drawers on each side coupled with an open area for large bottles and things like that in the middle. The cabinets as well as the top drawer were built with a cut out of the corner to accommodate the shut-off taps.”

Here are the cabinets he built:

And here they are installed:

Can you say CLUTTER BUSTER???!!! That’s AWESOME FRANK!

Apparently they were a pretty tight fit under that sink…

Visit his thread in FamilyWoodworking: Building drawers for a crowded under-sink cabinet to learn more about his technique and process. If you have any questions post them in the thread at Family Woodworking or here in this post.

And be sure to check out the other projects of Frank’s we’ve covered in ToolCrib:
Frank Pellow’s Work Bench Chronicles

The Story of a “Forum Assisted” Woodworking Shop: Frank Pellow’s Shop Build Journal

Frank Pellow’s a hardworking Canadian woodworker who tirelessly documents his projects so that others can learn little tips and tricks from him. He kindly sent over a selection of woodworking project threads he started in both FamilyWoodworking and SawmillCreek so that I could share them with my ToolCribbers.

In Frank Pellow’s Tool Cabinets Project he documents the two tool cabinets he built for his daughters.

What I find the most useful in reading this thread is that Frank’s so faithful in documenting his process - by showing his mistakes and his solutions to them we get to learn (and relearn…) right along with him.

For example - here’s Frank relearning why haste makes waste:

“Everything about this cabinet is quite straightforward and things would have gone batter if I had paid more attention. I was rushing and, as a result, had to backtrack and redo three different things. For example, here is a photo of a narrow bin stop being glued to the edge of the bottom shelf… and here it is being removed with a chisel:”

In this thread you also get to see Frank wrestle problems of space limitations:

“The second cabinet that I made (for Kathleen) has to fit into a space where the outside doors could not be open wide. In fact there will be only about 2 inches of clearance on both sides of the cabinet. This would not leave sufficient space to open the interior doors. If I tried to fit Kristel’s cabinet into that space, I would only be able to open the interior doors to a 49 degree angle.”

So go enjoy Frank’s Tool Cabinet Project thread at FamilyWoodworking!

And be sure to read The Story of a “Forum Assisted” Woodworking Shop: Frank Pellow’s Shop Build Journal if you’re designing your own shop or looking for ideas to improve your existing wood shop.

You last heard of Frank Pellow in The Story of a “Forum Assisted” Woodworking Shop: Frank Pellow’s Shop Build Journal.

His latest chronicles - which haven’t made it to book status quite yet, perhaps because he’s not finished yet - describe his new work bench.

And what a bench it’s shaping up to be!

He got the idea after observing and investigating Rick Thom’s mobile work bench (so really it’s more of a son-of-a-bench… badump ching!). He took many notes and then brought up his project at FamilyWoodworking where he began collecting more great ideas in this thread: Frank Pellow’s Woodworking Bench Project.

And here’s something of the guiding principle, in Frank’s words: “I want to build a practical and useful bench but spend as little money as necessary on it.”

Here are some of Frank’s notes on Thom’s bench that I thought might interest you:

• Bench size: 27″ by 72″
• Bench height: 33″
• Cabinet size: about 24″ by 48″
• The top is made from 2″ by 1″ maple glued together with Elmer’s Probond. It was laminated in two sections each of which was then run through a planer. The two sections were then joined together and a skirt was affixed to the edges. It was then covered all-round with two coats of shellac. Rick says that the skirt at 3/4 inch on the long sides is too narrow and he will augment it to properly support clamping.
• The cabinet support pieces are pine and are joined with mortise and tenons. The sides are 1 inch plywood. The drawers are maple with dovetail joinery and are on “standard” side drawer runners.
• The bench top just sits on the cabinet.
• The end vise is from Lee Valley (catalogue number 70G08.02) The front vise is a Record clone.
• The bench is mounted on a General International mobile base. The bench is very easy to move but, once the wheels are lowered, it is very stable.
• The 3/4 inch dog holes are spaced 6 inches apart. They are angled 2 degrees towards to vice. All holes were drilled with a auger bit in a hand held drill employing a simple shop made jig.

As of Wednesday March 28th he’d just been sanding the top:

So check out Frank’s latest project: Frank Pellow’s Woodworking Bench Project and I’ll be sure and update you when he’s gotten finished as I’m sure his thoughtful writings about it will be filled with great tips, ideas and observations.

Update - Frank wrote to me today (04-17-07) to let me know that he’s made a considerable push on his bench. He’s got some great in-progress pics up of work he’s doing on the bench.

Here are his chalkboard plans for the base:

Go check out Frank’s notes for some great ideas for your work bench!

This is the first in a series that will focus on free workshop plans. Subscribe to the ToolCrib.com email newsletter to stay up to date on ALL of our woodworking and power tool resources!

The router table is a classic wood shop project, and if you’re as thrifty as I am then there’s no question that you’re going to build your own. Though, cough cough, our associates at Amazon have a fantastic array of prebuilt router tables… like this $719.99 Jessem 02140 Mast-R-Lift, for example

Ok, enough drooling. Let’s get back to the free router table plans So I dug through free woodworking plans from sites I wrote about recently to hand pick these free router table plans for you.

This article is designed to be a great starting point for your router table project, and to get you thinking about all the possible options out there. So browse the plans, and let your imagination run wild. And check out the links to forum discussions at the end of the article for more insight

I organized the best plans I found into three lists:

1. Space Saver and Bench Top Router Tables
2. Full Size/Professional Router Tables
3. Router Table Accessories

I also indicate whether there are drawings or not, because other wise it’s kinda like telling people to turn left at the big sign with the cow on it instead of drawing them a map.

Some of the plans link directly to PDFs and those are indicated (surprise!) with the letters PDF.

If you’ve built any of these, have pictures or tips, or would like me to link to your free router table plans send me an email to GFrench@ToolCrib.com.

1) Space Saver and Bench Top Free Router Table Plans:
Are you space conscious? Ultra thrifty? Seeking portability in your router table? Check through these free router table plans and build yourself exactly what you need.

1. Minimalist Router Table - Good, small, cheap. Decent drawing but no numbers on them.

2. Bench Top Router Table - Excellent! Includes diagrams and shopping list.
3. Fold-Away Router Table (pdf) drawings. great space saver!
4. Router Table-Mate - This little beauty should give you the functionality of the full-sized tables, but will fold up quite easily… and the author made it for under $50. NICE.
5. Table Top Router Plans (PDF) HIGHLY DETAILED! These are phenomenal plans.
6. Simple Router Table (workmate topper) - Just what you’d expect. Economical in space and price. Fence plans too. Good drawings and material list.
7. Mini Router Table - Turn your dremel into a router? Forgive the pop ups on that page… neat idea, great drawings.
8. Quick and Easy Router Table - A little weak as far as plans go, but could help you round out your ideas.
9. Benchtop Router Table - Good descriptions of how to, no drawings or materials though.

2) Full Size/Professional Free Router Table Plans:
Are you ready to upgrade from your bench top model… or starting out on your very first full-size router table? Check out some of these incredible free router table plans!

1. Professional Router Table - good pictures, good descriptions, six pages but no actual detailed plans.
2. A Router Table for Woodworkers - Excellent design and plans, with complete MTO (material take off) and hook in to a dust collection unit.
3. Rolling Router Work Bench (PDF) - SWEET! The Cadillac of router tables… Great and detailed drawings.
4. Router Table - A little weak on the plan side, but good details of the build that should give you some ideas
5. Router Table - Looks like a nice, standard router table. Great descriptions.
6. Router Table - SWEET Table and Descriptions, but No DRAWINGS… DOH!
7. Floor Standing Router Table - Great Diagrams, great descriptions. NICE PLANS!
8. Mobile Router Center - They put the price of the build at $260. It’s definitely a sweet table though. No actual drawings, but great step-by-step and a complete materials list.
9. Jane’s Router Table Project - No drawings, great pictures and descriptions. More useful for ideas and tips.
10. Making Your Own Routertable, Easily! - Very basic - easy to follow descriptions and drawings.
11. The Rolling Router Table (made from big electrical wiring spool… COOL!)

3) Router Table Accessories and Router Mounting:
You’re done with your router table? Check out some of these free router table accessory plans… and the router mounting guide

1. Router Table Indexing Jig
2. Bit Box
3. “Making a Router Fence for Incra TS III”
4. Router Table Fence
5. Mounting a Router in a Bench or Table Top

Router Table Building Forum Threads to Read:
If you don’t have a forum you participate in I highly recommend WoodNet, FamilyWoodworking and LumberJocks. Here are some router table building threads I found in woodworking forums.

1. Homemade vs. store-bought router table tops Woodnetters offer advice and tips.
2. Router Table Quest Saw Mill Creek - some good nuggets buried in this thread.
3. Router Table and Lift - Designs and ideas for a smoothly functioning router workstation from WoodWeb.
4. Challenge to Create the Ideal Router Table - Australian woodworking forum - metric alert
5. What router and router table - Australian again. Good tips here too.

WoodShop Plan Ultimate Guide Series:
Do you have a request for the wood shop plan guide I put together next? Send an email to GFrench@ToolCrib.com! And be sure to sign up for the ToolCrib.com email newsletter to read about all of our great woodworking and power tool resources!

We recently posted about FreeWW.com, a site devoted to free woodworking plans. Judging from out site stats you guys ate them up.

Get great woodworking and power tool resources directly in your inbox by signing up for the ToolCrib.com email newsletter! CLICK HERE to sign up.

Also, check out our guide to free router table plans, a guide I wrote based on the great sites listed below.

We set the hounds on hunting out all the free woodworking plan sites that the web has to offer, and we think we’re getting pretty close to pointing to all of them right here.

If you’re wondering how we got the 4,000 number I’ll admit - it was a lot of guess work.

On sites like the first one, where I estimate around 2,500 plans, I counted the number of categories (180) and multiplied that by the lowest number I found in the sampling of categories I checked in (15) and rounded down.

I stayed conservative any time I couldn’t get an exact count.

Scientific? Heck no! But who cares? There’s lots and lots and lots of free plans for you to start rummaging through… so DIG IN to these plans and get your butt into the work shop!

1) Search for free woodworking plans on the sites listed below:

Yeah, we know it can be a hassle to weed through hundreds of plans - that’s why we whipped together this handy little Google tool that only searches free woodworking plans. Enjoy!

2) FreeWoodworkingPlan.com ~2500 Plans
Free Woodworking Plans, Free Woodworking Projects and Patterns (over 180 categories, from 15-100+ plans per category estimated ~2,500 plans)

3) AbsolutelyFreePlans.com 517 Plans
Absolutely Free Plans (more free plans than those listed below - these below are the most common interest)

Indoor Projects (157 Plans)

Outdoor Projects (103 Plans)

Projects for Children (105 Plans)

Workshop Projects (152 Plans)

4) Free-Woodworking-Stuff.com ~400 Free Woodworking Plans
Free Woodworking Plans from Free-Woodworking-Stuff. 10 5 categories - between 4-10 plans per category estimated ~400 plans.

5) FreeWW.com ~360 Free Woodworking Plans
http://www.freeww.com/ (featured recently in the ToolCrib blog in A List of Free Woodworking Project Plans) 119 Categories, estimate 3 plans per category ~360 plans

6) Rec.Woodworking 107 Free Woodworking Plans
Rec.Woodworking’s Free Plans List (107 Free Plan links - hard to tell what’s at the end of all of them though)

7) EP’s 98 Free Woodworking Plans
Free Woodworking Plans (98 plans and projects)

8) Lowes 56 Free Woodworking Plans
Lowes Intermediate Projects (45 free woodworking plans and projects)

Lowes Basic Woodworking Projects (11 free woodworking plans and projects)

9) Binky’s Woodworking 20 Free Woodworking Plans
Binky’s Woodworking Free Plans (~20 free woodworking plans and projects)

10) About.com’s Free Woodworking Plans 11 Plans
Free Woodworking Plans and Designs (11 plans)

Those links contain, as far as I could tell, only free woodworking plans in the sections on the pages designated “free woodworking plans.”

More Woodworking Plans - Free and Pay
I didn’t count these sites in the total 4,000 woodworking plans because they contain a mixture of paid plans in their listings. Some only a few, some a lot.

1. All Woodworking Plans - by Category The3House
2. Wood Central’s Woodworking Plan List
3. WoodWorkZone Woodworking Plans
4. Rick’s Woodshop Creations Project Plans
5. Flip’s Free Woodworking Plans (over 200 free plans, some pay)
6. AllCrafts Woodworking Plans
7. FreePlans.com (by email, you have to sign up)
8. Woodworking Plans from Rockler (all pay)

Do you have any favorite free woodworking plan resources? Comment them below or send them in an email to GFrench@ToolCrib.com!