Hand Tool Bench Against a Wall Yes or No

[Belle City Woodworking]

Hi Guys,

I was laid off for over a year from woodworking after having both of my shoulders replaced.  I am back in the swing of things and working on a project that is near completion.  During this project (a 9'x45" Farm Style Dining Table) I have learned that my shop space needs to be rearranged to better utilize my space.  After the project is complete a total restructuring of the shop space will take place.  I am thinking about having my hand tool bench against a wall.  Is this a good idea?  Is this ideal?   I am thinking that it might be best to have it out away from the wall but I would gain some floor space with it against the wall.   My power machinery arsenal has grown but my shop hasn't so I need to figure out a way to make better use of the space so I can be a little bit more productive!

Thanks,
John

[Strokes77]

Hi Guys,

I was laid off for over a year from woodworking after having both of my shoulders replaced.  I am back in the swing of things and working on a project that is near completion.  During this project (a 9'x45" Farm Style Dining Table) I have learned that my shop space needs to be rearranged to better utilize my space.  After the project is complete a total restructuring of the shop space will take place.  I am thinking about having my hand tool bench against a wall.  Is this a good idea?  Is this ideal?   I am thinking that it might be best to have it out away from the wall but I would gain some floor space with it against the wall.   My power machinery arsenal has grown but my shop hasn't so I need to figure out a way to make better use of the space so I can be a little bit more productive!

Thanks,
John

It would be a problem if you couldn't feasibly reach across the bench to grab tools off the wall.  Depends how wide your bench is I would guess..  If your bench is narrow enough, or you are tall enough, I don't see a reason not to.  Against a wall... but obviously, not shoved in to a corner... That would limit me alot.

[barryvabeach]

John,    For me, due to the layout of my garage area, I put it against a wall, actually a few inches out.  It allowed me to build and hang a tool cabinet directly over the bench and access my hand tools easily.   I understand the other position, though I would think you would want to build a lot of under bench storage.

[mdhills]

Mine is also against a wall, with many of my tools on a cabinet above one end of it.
In my case, this is about the only arrangement that works for my shop space.
(I can see benefits to having the bench more central and being able to access from all sides)

When I'm mid-project, I often use a temporary table set up in the middle of my shop.
This is great for laying out lumber, keeping track of my work pieces, and updating my shop notes.

My top 3 criteria for work benches:
 - having one
 - having it clear (not cluttered) <-- the temp table helps with this, too
 - convenient access to your hand tools

Matt

[Belle City Woodworking]

Thanks guys for the responses, I also should have added that I have a dedicated assembly table and that is why I think I can live with having the bench up against the wall.  In the ideal world my shop would be 30x60 and we wouldn't have to be having this discussion, but my world is not ideal yet


Thanks!
John

[GeorgeV]

My bench has been against the wall for 50 years and I have never regretted it.

[Handplanesandmore]

Yes, a bench against the wall works well for countless people. Seldom does one need to reach a work from the other side of the bench as you can turn the work around.

However, the best solution is to make the bench mobile by adding fold-up bench castors. Amazon and Rockler sell them for about $70 for a set. I got mine from Amazon during sale. Then one can use the bench as an assembly table for larger projects.

Simon

[Rob Young]

My handtool bench (basement shop) is out from the wall for two reasons. First is so I can slip a clamp back there if I need to. Second is to clear a waste pipe that runs down that wall. On that wall I have a rack/shelf for some tools and at 6'4" I have no trouble reaching over the bench (20" or so deep) to reach things.

The garage where the table saw, etc. live, the bench is double duty as the outfeed table and as auxiliary support for the router table. Built the bench 1/8" lower than the table saw and the router table is built same height as the table saw. Works great when I don't have so much crap piled up around and on things.

[Belle City Woodworking]

Thank you guys for all the responses and your experiences!

[Bruce Haugen]

I have no choice but to have my bench against the wall, wall cabinet with hand tools above it on the wall.  There is another advantage in that I can also use the wall itself as a stop to push against.