Rob Cosman Bench

[CEPenworks]

Has anyone built or used the bench Rob Cosman has on his web site? Link. I do mostly power tool work but would like to do some more hand tool work. I have been making due with an old dining room table I put caster on. I need something more solid and that I can hold and clamp things too. He used to sell a kit with the casters and vise which is nice. It doesn't appear on the site anymore because I think the vise is hard to get right now. I am thinking maybe buying the plans will get me over the hump to actually build something since i have needed a better bench for years now.

[Bill Holt]

To answer your questions, I have not used anyone's plans to build a bench.

About the time I joined WN there were frequent workbench discussions.  Like you, I had some intrest in hand tools.  I looked at the commerical benches, several home made benches on WN and paid attention to style, size, and joinery.  In the end, I decided to do my own thing and draw my own plans.  It is larger than most, 32" X 80".  I thought this will be my first one; I can use less expensive materials.  The top is old SYP (I am surprised how hard it became).  It is not perfect, should have used 4" instead of 6" on spacing the dog holes.  Wish I had spent the money for one twin vise.  But it has been 13 years and without a doubt, it is the most important tool in the shop!!!!!!!!!  I am a hobbiest so the things I learned are countless.

I wish you all the luck possible in chooseing your bench style, size, and material.

[tablesawtom]

I thought Rob used a shoulder vise and if so, Lee Valley has it for about $35 . I am not sure if he uses a tail vise or a wagon vise. If a wagon vise, I built mine from a shoulder vise screw and if a tail vise they have the hardware for $88. They have a $350 tail vise that has a quick release on it. But it makes the tail vise look big and blocky. I prefer the traditional look, so I used the less expensive one. That is just what I like. It has no bearing on anything. You should be able to get one from  about any where. And if it is moxon hardware check with me.

Pictures of my vises,

[attachment=33482]

[attachment=33483]

Tom

[barryvabeach]

Tom,  that is one seriously good looking bench.   Just sayin.

[CEPenworks]

Thanks for all the feedback.
Tom, That is one impressive bench. I could only wish for something that nice. Yes Rob uses a shoulder and wagon vise on his personal bench. His "student" bench only uses a Sjoberg vise. I would like to do more hand tool work to compliment power tools but I don't think I will get into hard core hand tool work so something like the Sjorberg vise that resists racking I think would work well for me.

I cut up sheet goods fairly often so that isn't a big concern of mine. I also want casters on mine. Rob claims he was unable to find casters that were beefy enough so he added some plate to the ones he sells. With the price of casters I am willing to pay a little more for something that will work than have to deal with something that is a little sketchy. If there are other casters out there that can take the weight of a bench like this I am willing to look at them.

When I stumbled on Rob's videos and web site a couple weeks ago I was not looking for a bench. But when I saw his bench video he did do a good job of selling.

[tablesawtom]

Thanks for all the feedback.
Tom, That is one impressive bench. I could only wish for something that nice. Yes Rob uses a shoulder and wagon vise on his personal bench. His "student" bench only uses a Sjoberg vise. I would like to do more hand tool work to compliment power tools but I don't think I will get into hard core hand tool work so something like the Sjorberg vise that resists racking I think would work well for me.

I cut up sheet goods fairly often so that isn't a big concern of mine. I also want casters on mine. Rob claims he was unable to find casters that were beefy enough so he added some plate to the ones he sells. With the price of casters I am willing to pay a little more for something that will work than have to deal with something that is a little sketchy. If there are other casters out there that can take the weight of a bench like this I am willing to look at them.

When I stumbled on Rob's videos and web site a couple weeks ago I was not looking for a bench. But when I saw his bench video he did do a good job of selling.

I am more of a machine wood worker than a hand tool woodworker but there needs to be a balance someplace. Sometimes it is easier to use a bench hook and a hand saw. I definitely prefer a tail vise over a wagon vise. If you look closely one side is left handed and one side is right handed. I am ambidextrous so there are times when working left handed pays off.

Shoulder vises do not rack. So I seriously doubt that I have $500 in the whole bench except for the Blum soft closing drawer slides.  But I encourage you to build your own bench you will not believe how much skill and knowledge you will pick up. I will give you all the information you need. $35 for a shoulder screw is a lot easier to digest than a Sjoberg bench vise 

Tom

[rwe2156]

His bench is a Scandinavian cabinetmakers style bench except for the tail vice. It is a great bench for hand tool work, not so much power tools. I prefer a traditional tail vise because the extra clamping ability beyond just the dogs. I use it all the time.

Rather than a dead man, I use a bench slave.

Probably not what you want, but we all like to show off our benches :-D.

Sounds like a good sized assembly table with some clamping options might work best for you.

[CEPenworks]

Thanks for the information. I looked more into shoulder vises and they don't look that hard to make and are a lot cheaper.

Tom, if that $500 includes lumber I want to know who is your supplier.

[tablesawtom]

In Iowa, auctions are a great source for lumber. I bought the whole pile of Hickory for not to much at the end of the Auction. I know I didn't pay more than $100. The legs are Cherry and I bought 2 pieces that were 90 some pound apiece for the legs for $60 and the cabinets in the middle (plywood) came out of the dumpster at the local cabinet shop.

  I am going to finish a Moravian work bench when it warms up enough to get into the shop. I am going to do the top out of Ash. The last time I checked on price from the local saw mill ( 3-3-20) it was  $1.35  for 4/4  a bf for ash. 8/4 red oak was $3.15 and 4/4 hard maple was $1.85. I am taking it right off his price sheet. With covid I do not expect the prices to change much.

I offered to build a work bench for a person a while back.  I didn't like the way things were going down and I backed out. But I had the local cabinet shop check with his supplier and I could have bought 8/4 hard maple for $4 a Bf.  If you made the top 4 inches thick and 24 inches wide and 96 inches long you would have 64 board feet in the top. Even with a 20 percent scrap rate, one should be able to do  the bench with 100 BF for $400.

Personally ash is a better wood for a bench than hard maple. Ash, Douglas fir, and southern yellow pine are considered good wood because they absorb blows.  Bats are made out of Ash even to today. The force of the ball hitting the bad doesn't transmit the hands of the batter. Hard Maple ,red oak and some others bounce back the blows  The 64 Bd Ft of ash works out to $86.40, I will buy around 100 Bd Ft. And that doesn't include 7 % sales tax. I bought a Lake Erie wooden screw for a person on the Saw Mill Creek forum for a hundred dollars . The tail vise is a shoulder vise screw for $35, although I will probably check into a wooden screw for wagon vise.

Why not check with your local cabinet shop. Ask if they will order it for you when they put in an order for themselves. When they put in an order for themselves is important because if enough wood is delivered there isn't a delivery fee for them, so you might even help them out. And be prepared to pay the sales tax up front also. They have to charge it to balance there books.

There is a company in Cedar Falls Iowa, it used to be Waterloo Wood Bearing. Moved and now besides wood bearings they also make architectural mill work. Curved glass windows and such. They buy wood by the semi load. They were tickled to help out and sell it at cost.   

One doesn't have to buy every thing at once to build a bench. Buy the screws or at least decide what hardware you are going to use first. If you go with shoulder vise screws you will have to turn the handle a few more time for about $70. If you want a leg vise, which I don't care for, go with Bench Crafted His hardware is nice but to pricy for me, at about $1000. 

It is all in what you want.

Tom

[CEPenworks]

I wish I lived near you. My ash prices for 4/4 is $4.85. Maple is about $4.50/bf.