Ken:
In a small shop you'll need to preserve as much floorspace as practical.
That involves making use of the walls as much as floors. Have you
considered a folding bench that allows bench space; or freed-up floor space
when needed. I built a folding bench a couple of years ago that
incorporated a home made end vice for clamping large stock. I use this in
conjunction with a framed plywood panel that I can place on sawhorses for
assembly work. When I don't need as much (or any) bench space both can
disappear onto the wall.
I'll post a pic on abpw for your info.
RonB
"Ken McIsaac" wrote in message
news:4602D99B.AE37424F@cyg.net...
>I have checked google groups, and now own a copy of The Workbench Book,
> but I can't find exactly the answer I'm looking for. I will have the
> chance this summer (finally) to renovate my shop, which is a 12'x12'
> space with about 7' celings. One of my plans is to install a real
> bench, to replace the 9/16" piece of melamine covered particle board
> sitting on rickety sawhorses that I am currently using.
>
> What I would like to do is build a run of plywood cabinets, just like
> you would use in a kitchen. I am planning to set them a few inches off
> the floor to make a toe-kick area. My idea is to have about five feet
> of 24" deep cabinets on the left and three feet of 36" deep cabinets on
> the right. The top will thus give me an L-shaped work surface. For a
> top, I had been thinking two pieces of 1" plywood one on top of the
> other, but some reading on the group has convinced me that a solid core
> door might be an easier idea.
>
> I want to do this because it will kill several birds with one stone. I
> will get a decent bench out of it. I will also get lots of under-bench
> storage space, which is at a premium in my 12'x12' shop. I will also
> get practice in building plywood cabinets, which is good since items on
> my Real Soon Now list include a new vanity for our bathroom and a new
> island for our kitchen.
>
> Okay, so the question is will this work? My gut is telling me that if I
> build the cabinets in a modular way, from 3/4" plywood with 16" wide
> modules and screw them together, loads on the top will see 1.5" of wood
> every 16", which is roughly the same support structure as a 2x4 wall.
> If I also screw them into a cleat on the wall, I think the structure
> won't be likely to move. My gut tells me surely this will be strong
> enough to use as a workbench, but every bench I see in books includes
> massive 4x4 posts and gigantic mortise and tenon joints.
>
> I expect to use the bench for joint making, assembly and finishing. I
> expect the most rigourous things it will have to stand up to are
> chopping hand-cut dovetails and planing nearly-finished stock (I have a
> jointer and thicknesser for the rough stuff).
>
> One final question... Assuming I do this, and use a solid core door as
> the top, I will also want to put a 2x4 skirt around the top so I will
> have a place to install a vise. Do I then need a solid wood door, so
> I'll have something to fix the skirt to? I think if the door is
> particle board or plywood on the inside, once I do my L-shaped cut out,
> the inside of the door won't hold screws, or glue, or anything.
>
> Ken