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Hotdog I just wanted to point out the hazard of having no vacuum. It's not necessary at the start to have one but still practice body safety by having some ventilation and wear some kind of mask.
It is SO NICE finally having a beginners video. I'm just getting into woodworking, and it's frustrating when every single youtuber is like "we're making a simple workbench today that anybody can do with ease. So, grab your slab of black maple and run it through your jointer and planer. Round off the edges with your table router. Now, pull out your $1200 Festool domino joiner and--"
Pro tip - bring a cart in from the parking lot. My home centers (Lowes and Home Depot both) are horrible about rounding them up and putting them back on the shopping floor. If you don't bring one in, you'll waste a bunch of time looking for one and probably end up heading out to the parking lot to find one. Doesn't happen always, but enough that I bring one in just in case. Same thing applies to garden shopping carts.
Complete list of stuff Actually used to build this... 1. Plywood sheet 2. Circular Saw 3. Foam Board scraps 4. 1 1/2 inch screws 5. Ratchet Straps (or a pickup truck!) 6. Edge guide for Circular Saw 7. Kreg Rip guide 8. Speed Square 9. Small clamps while cutting legs 10. Tape Measure 11. Cordless Drill 12. Pocket Hole Jig (two of them actually) 13. Shop Vac for Dust collection 14. At least 4 bar clamps, about 24 inch long 15. Extension bit for Drill (appears to be 8 inch extension) WOW -- that's a lot of stuff for a bench made "with only a Circular saw and a Drill" !!!
I'm only a few minutes in and I can't tell you how much I appreciate this video (and would love to see more like it). There's a thousand videos on how to build things, but as a newbie woodworker the thing I've struggled with most is literally how do I pick out wood. Starting your video off with the whole process of what to get, and how to get it is honestly so useful.
Just remember for those who don't know, Sande plywood is from a Sande Tree which is a Central American hardwood (part of the reason it's so expensive at places like Home Depot and Lowes) it's not Sanded plywood :)
Hello Sir Jumbly! I'm nearly 52 years old, and have been working with wood for a hobby and to repair things since I was a child. I've had my modest 16' x 24' shop for over 20 years, but reading your comment regarding Sande wood, I have only one thing to say: Today, I learned. I always assumed that was a typo. I have a saying that I tell people from time to time: "The day you stop learning is the day you start dying." Keep your head up and your eyes and ears open and you'll learn something every single day. Thank you for pointing that out. I didn't start a comment here, but I'll say it anyway, HOT DOG!
Hot dog! Thank you for explaining the additional tools and how they work, too! As a beginner, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what is worth splurging on when you don't have a ton of extra cash. This plan is so needed for us who have small spaces and few tools starting out.
If you screw your pocket holes from the outside of the 90, your screw will have more wood to spread the force of any flex to. Screwing on the inside toward the edge reduces the amount of wood reinforcing your screw. Hope that is as clear as mud. Steve Ramsey and Matt Outlaw both have pretty good tutorials on pocket holes. Great video! Thanks for making a video for the new guys!
Hot dog! Great and useful build! Regarding mistakes, my teacher in woodworking school actually had us write down all of our mistakes. Because you really forget them fast when you've solved the problem. After the project we had to go through them and about half way down the list you're like: "how the hell did I even finish this project" xD
Thanks for mentioning that everybody makes mistakes, to me it's actually the fun part: you get to learn to avoid certain mistakes (learning process) and how to fix them after (the fun challenge). That's why I'm a big fan of WWMM. Really enjoyed your video. Basic tools, patience and having fun. Thanks man !
Hotdogs. I really appreciate this video. I have been in construction for years and only have basic tools. Now I'm having some downtime and want to get into cabinetry and furniture. Seeing this gives me some more confidence in the tools I have and not stressing about the ones I don't
Hot dog! This was a brutally honest video. I thought I would give it a go today after watching your video last night. I have all the fancy gear but I thought I would go back to my woodworking roots (no pun intended) and go basic as you did. It was actually so much fun to do something using minimal tools. Well done Mr Spencley. Your video has achieved what you set out for it to do. Hats off to you all the way from Kangaroo Flat, Victoria, Australia.👍🏻
Hot Dog! Eric... I love this video. 2 things you nailed... 1. You do not need a lot to make things 2. We all make mistakes. I started with a very similar situation as you. I was in the USCG and living in Portland Oregon. We had an outdoort closet and it needed shelves and we could not screw anything into the walls of the closet. So using only a hand saw, drill and screws... I built a 4 shelf unit with 2 x 2s and Plywood. The shelves held the posts into the corners and braces ont the posts held the shelves up. I loved by creative solution... That was more then 25 years ago. I now have a woodshop full of tools... Watching your video brings me back to that time. Your instruction is excellent and ability to build a community is inpriational. Keep up the great work and I will be continuing to follow you! John Hall
Hot Dog. I started out as a carpenter in the 70's with basic hand tools in a tool belt and an air compressor in the back seat, a trunk packed to the gills with routers, circular saws, jig saws, drills etc. and a couple hundred feet of extension cord in my 68 Chevelle Malibu going from site to site hustling work. I now have a bunch of antique tools like 1947 a Shop Smith(lathe) a radial arm saw, job site table saw and a boatload of Makita battery tools. Creativity is the key to woodworking and Making. Don't buy something because you see it, buy it because you NEED it. Nothing is perfect and we need to understand the process will never be perfect. The sign of a creator is how to fix mistakes and move on.
HOTDOG, Thank you so much for showing how things can be done, simply and inexpensively. I'm only starting out, and at 65, you've made things easy and understandable.
Hot Dog - It awesome that you show building something with a lack of tools but then adding additional tools to make the job easier or faster. I feel this gives the beginner hope and also shows them tools to look forward to buying.
Hot Dog you are doing such a good job, not only in what you build but showing people what can be done in a small space if you use a little creative thinking. When I was still able to work I used to build furniture for my home & toys for my children as they came along. Well done mate, cheers, Don from South Aust.
Hot Dog! And hi from Ireland. Great to see achievable simple projects that don’t require a pure fortune in tools and materials. Thanks for the free plans! Happy Thanksgiving to you and all my American friend.
Hot dog! Thank you thank you THANK YOU for this post! I've been working on designing a relatively basic dog crate cover/table using pocket holes - and it basically looks like this workbench without the middle shelf. I'm new to woodworking; so, I didn't want to spend a huge amount of money on tools, but I've been struggling figuring out how to clamp the legs to join the pocket holed legs. I've really enjoyed your videos - and how candid you are about everybody making mistakes. Again, thank you so much!
Hot dog! I actually like how you showed 4 different ways to join the workbench and how to avoid common mistakes with the splitting wood. Forgive me for skipping the ad, but um, I wasn't the target audience. Go Bucks!
Hot dog! The way you describe each step of the build and show that even with basic tools to make something is wonderful. It is nice to know that even someone who has been woodworking for awhile makes mistakes. I have been woodworking since the beginning of COVID and I find that I only learn and improve from my mistakes. I really appreciate your videos. Thank you!
Hot dog. When I had my shop, I actually built my bench and table router in a similar fashion using 2x4s and MDF board. I started with an M18 drill/driver kit and a DeWalt jobsite table saw (both bought on sale) and went to town. I knew there would be a possibility of losing that shop which I did, so when I had to pack up my shop into storage, I left the bench and router table behind, as I was less than $75 in materials for them. Also I recommend Harbor Freights tool stands when they're on sale. I got a bunch of them so I never had to use any tools on the floor.
Hot dog! I love that you are doing this to help bring new people into the woodworking community. A workbench doesn't need to be made of walnut and maple since it's just going to get beat up anyways. Keep up the great work!
You should have said that this was also sponsored by Kreg. You said at the beginning that this would only use two cheap tools. If you want a straight line you could have easily added a speed square. Also as a woodworker that is creative and has just started, you could have for example done a couple of cutoffs and made a straight edge or butt up against the wall and used that as a fence for the first cut and then used those cuts as guides for the rest of the project, your clamps are screws and so on. The main sponsor, "Letsgetchecked", has less air time than Kreg.
I got the same impression. Anybody who knows anything about woodworking knows the costs he had involved in making the workbench exceeded what a better factory made one would cost and much less time!
I have basically the same "truck" and can totally get a sheet of plywood home uncut. Modern vehicle marketing likes to pretend you need tons of dedicated space for every purpose, and you should pay tens of thousands of dollars to be ready for every possibly. But it turns out there's tons of space on the roof. You can tie on directly through the doors using foam or a blanket to protect your paint. Or, what I did, is invest $500ish in a roof rack. Gives exterior tie-on points and a flatish surface, and I'd be more confident if I needed to take the car on the highway (I haven't taken wood out of town, but do routinely take bikes or the canoe). I also got my table saw home this way.
HOT DOG!!! Wait, was that one word, or two? Just to cover my bases... HOTDOG!!! This is a really great video! Just discovered your channel your video about getting dropped from a certain other platform, but moving on, your videos are GLORIOUS!!! You don't throw around acronyms or jargon that I'd have to have some experience to interpret, etc., and you really do empathize with the noobs like me!!! I think you do a great job of balancing the total noob approach, while still juggling the ADHD of my deep inner child and my need for details! Downloaded this plan, and paid for another plan for a chair! I'm connecting with how you present information here! A new subscriber is born!!!
Hot Dog!!! Very nice, simple project, Eric! Your advice to newbie’s that mistakes will always be made is spot-on!! When I started playing golf, I used to get pissed when I hit a poor shot. When I finally realized that, “I’m not good enough to get mad” I had more fun and my game and scoring got much, much better! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
17:57 , since early apprenticeship, I was taught it’s not that a journeyman doesn’t make mistakes, it’s that a journeyman knows how to fix or hide them.
Hot Dog, Great starter bench for the first timer. Although I’m past this stage, It’s nice to see someone really showing beginners that it is possible. Keep up the good work.
Hot dog! It’s really encouraging to see someone that lives in Ana apartment still make use of cheap effective spaces, materials, and tools. Makes me want to start my wood shop that much sooner even living in an apartment with only a garage to my name. Thank you, sir!
The tool i enjoy the most is a planer and jointer. I bought a budget combined planer/joniter and i will never regret it. Scrap wood is no longer scrap. I am a carpenter and only use scrap from my workplace to build my home furniture.
Hot Dog! I'm on a fixed income and when I see all these channels with guys with 5000 dollar dust collection machines and 10 000 dollar table saws I get kind of discouraged from doin anything. I like how your helping people on a realistic level.
Hot dog! Definitely one I will tackle. Just curious why you didn't use any glue. Anyway, I hope you consider doing more videos that add on to the bench, like wheels, drawers, etc. Thanks.
Hot Dog!! Another great video. I'm a big fan of Kreg tools so glad to see you are still working with them after the whole Instagram thing. Tables of that size are good to have at any level of wood working.
The bench turned out fine, but the first part of your video you say that you’re going to build it with two tools and two minutes later you are using your Kreg rip guide. Almost $50 it’s almost half the cost of a cheap drill and saw set. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a good product and I like Kreg stuff. I just think you need to reword your intro.
Hotdog thanks for including oversights / mistakes and alternative methods. Tablesaws are everywhere on CZcams woodworking channels but nowhere near as common in Europe where homes & garages are smaller, or no garage at all
Hotdog! Nice build. New to the sport, I appreciate your detail! If people don’t think it would be strong enough, maybe they don’t realize the strength of 3/4” plywood. I do like the idea of an over sized top though because I end up clamping down workpieces all the time, for jigsaw cuts, sanding, etc. I also like your design because later, you could cut down the legs to serve as an outfeed table.
Hot Dog, Eric! Thanks for continuing to keep it real. You are such an upbeat positive guy. Mistakes are just a part of the figuring it out! Happy Thanksgiving!
HOT DOG! I feel like it can't be overstated the importance of patience in getting a really nice product, with respect to making sure everything is lined up right, doing the actual cutting/assembly/etc., AND (perhapes especially) willingness to take the time to fix mistakes. And I'd say that applies whether or not you have the fancy tools, but especially so when you're working with limited or cheap ones.
Dog of hot, I appreciate this. I have a lot of tools, but I needed to build a quicker worktop as part of my outfeed table for table saw, and I happened to have a straight 4x8 sheet of 23/32 plywood here. Your timing is perfect!
Hot Dog, That is a great design for a bench or work table. Very stable and easy to make. I've been using that basic design for 25 + years. Some times when I want to beef it up using 2 x 6's for the legs, 2 x 4's for the top and a full 4 x 8 sheet of plywood. Add casters for a mobile assembly table. Great video for the new wood worker. Thanks for doing it.
I really enjoyed this video. Subscribed. I can only add one very minor thing. When ever I haul ANYTHING that's hangs over the the edge of my vehicle, I add a high visible cloth or flagging tape. It's not really required by law in my state until the over hang is longer than 36" supported feet , but better safe than sorry.
Hot dog. The more I progress in my woodworking journey, I appreciate when the challenge is to use as few tools as possible. Looking forward to more projects from you, and me too!
Hotdog, that turned out nice. Awesome videos and enjoy shop class. Keeps me inspired and focused on learning the craft and not loading up on tools that I don't need yet, just want lol.
hot dog. this is a great starter idea. i showed my son who has helped me over the years, but has expressed an interest in "setting up" his own shop. thanks!
@@SpencleyDesignCo always like the videos. I wish I could contribute. Just don't have extra funds. I was actually starting to do woodworking but I had some eye issues so had to quit. I lost some vision in one eye. Still have to put tools up for sale. Anyway. Haha. Yes awesome job always.
Hot Dog - Just came across your channel and was really blown away by the honesty of your presentation. Mistakes, oh yeah we all make them and hopefully learn from them. Far too often I like others have the fear of making mistakes and therefore don't attempt a project I really want to get done, or I make a mistake and quit and years later the project is there in the corner of my small shop, laughing at me because it won. I think I'm going to dust them off and get finished. Thank you
Hot dog! That was so clear and I totally appreciate the steps from picking out materials to finish and the different ways one can accomplish the same results - cuts, butt joints, etc.
I have been doing good but NOT perfect woodwork for about 50 years. I really enjoy your honesty as you present your projects. Also I have learned some things from you as well. Thanks Neil
Hot Dog! Thanks for this beginner's video, I fit the bill exactly. 61 years old and no experience with working wood. A bench is exactly what I need. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Pocket holes add at least another couple of steps. I've built a lot of stuff without pocket holes. They're just screw based toe nailing. Spent time working for a local cabinet maker and worked a few years as a carpenter. The house i built for myself in '79 still has the original vinyl siding!
Hot dog.... Just started watching some of your videos randomly (words community, cheese, and ostrich) this evening. You said it well in this video about some channels having decked out shops and describing their methods with the expensive tool systems. I also enjoyed the fact that you used pocket holes for this bench. I just recently made an entire shelf wall for my living room using pocket holes. Definitely on the starter set of kreg jig at this point. I remember getting the comments from my FIL about them not being strong enough. I also get comments from him now on how well they turned out every time he visits. Definitely had my share of mistakes and goofs during that project. Thank you for showing the real side of the maker process.
Community. This is honestly the first video of yours I've ever seen. Your story moved me and made me remember my own experience. Thank you for this video and your positivity at a time when I know it must be hard.
Hot Dog A Old Cabinetmaker/Carpenter once told me " The difference between a Good Caroenter and a bad one is .... A good one knows how to hide his mistakes "
This does read like a Kreg ad but he’s right. I bought the 520 pocket hole jig and I use 3/4” plywood and it is crazy strong. I do add glue to each of the joints. I repurposed an incredibly heavy duty work table by replacing the “just short enough to break your lower back in five minutes or less” steel legs with “4 inch taller legs that make working an absolute joy to my lower back” table. I used legs just like these. I am starting to think like him about cutting the plywood in the parking lot. I went to 3 different Lowes yesterday to find a store with a running panel saw. I see a cordless circular saw in my immediate future.
There’s usually room in the Home Depot parking lot to cut down plywood (never tried it though, usually I can track down an employee qualified to use the panel saw in less than an hour). But the Menards parking lot…not a chance.
Hot Dog These are actually very instructive videos. The "CZcamsrs are liars" title could not be more accurate today, especially when they say something like " is not a sponsor of this video." 🤣
Hotdog with catsup! Oh, do I love this video. It is one of the best “been, there and done thats” that I have seen lately. Classy and practical to the nines. The Spencley philosophy works!
Hotdog! You really worried me when you jumped onto the bench! That was a considerable wobble. If I were building it I would have also glued every joint that you screwed. I'd just consider the pocket screws to be like clamps. In fact, I built Steve Ramsey's BMW bench using doubled 2x4's for the legs with half-lap joints, and only used glue; not one screw or nail. It's really sturdy.
"I'm going to show you how to build this rock solid workbench using only two of the cheapest tools at the home center" Proceeds to buy/use: - plywood - screws - mats - circular saw cutting guide - straps - carpenter square - wood clamps (several varieties) - pocket hole jigs (3 kinds) - drill bits - vacuum Interesting video title.
HOT DOG.. If afrer assembling your bench you go back to Home Depot, you can buy a quaeter sheet of 3/4 inch MDf and a can of Johnson's past wax. Go back home, use the top pf your tablre as a guide and cut the MDF to match. Screw down the MDF on top of the table, at each corner with one screw. Counter sink the sctews if you csn. Now rub on and buff out 2vor 3 coats of wax. You'll have a truly flat top that you can easily change when it gets too dinged and if you spill glue on it, you let it dry and it won't adhere to the top. Good video.
hotdog! as a former cabinetmaker and general woodworker, I loved your project and presentation, this was a great project for anyone and very economical as well. Perhaps a sway brace on either side and on the back would help a tad? but it was great, I enjoyed watching, thanks!
Cutting the panel in the parking lot is brilliant. I buy the quarter sheet project panels which are twice as expensive per square foot. In the halcyon days of the 90s the panel saws used to work, and getting a sheet cut down for your was pretty standard. Pocket holes screws are great and those jigs are well work it.
Hot dog! I struggle with getting 45 degree angle cuts that fit well together. I do have several kreg tools including that saw guide, it’s a huge help on projects too small to drag a table saw out for.
"Truck" 🤣 Hot dog, that was a good one! I definitely need to look into getting one of those saw guides, although I noted that my current circular saw is a little loose in its bearings, so it might be with upgrading that, too. Great video! Although I'm not a fan of your video titles. Although this title is covered in the video, it is so brief that it could be considered insignificant. I would have used it as a secondary (parenthetical) title, with something like "Let's get your woodworking/carpentry started with a basic workbench!" or something like that. YMMV.
Hotdog. I loved the way you portrayed the Home depot worker. With very rare exceptions you hit the nail right on the head. I especially enjoy dealing with the hostile workers in the electrical section. As an electrical engineer it's always fun to be argued with by these nasty little know it all grumpy creatures. I like to mess with them by asking what kind of power factor I should expect from the electrical load devices on the shelves. I enjoy the 2000 yard stare. Since I pay the electric bill, yes, I'm like my father regarding leaving doors open during the hot and cold seasons, and leaving all the lights on in the house.
Hot Dog! You have given me ideas for my "garage shop". I have a contractor saw as my first large expense and learned about "fence" accuracy. Makes me want another item to make any fabrication easier, computer designing. Make mistakes here instead if on the material purchased ($$$ saved).
Double laminated melamine high density board is a great top for a beginner work bench because it's true. But my favorite thing is taking a sheet of acrylic to make a nice finish work bench. You can hot glue things down and will not rip the acrylic off it's nice and smooth. Nice for building face frames.
You are right, youtubers are liars. You started of as saying, you can build a workbench using only a circular saw and a drill but went on to show us jigs and sh@%T.
Two blocks from the HD? I would have just walked over, bought a sheet, and carried it home with one of those sheet gripper things. Why pay to work out?
Hotdog ~ Thank you for this video, I used it to make my nice new work bench. It lives on my decking with a plastic sheet over it as I haven't got a garage. I was using an old dinning chair or the floor. Thank you for the tip about splashing out on a more expensive sheet of ply, I got marine ply which resists the damp🤞. It's a shame that I saw this video after I had already built my garden cupboard, which wobbles 🫤 My nice flat work bench is going to be a game changer 🙂
Hot (diggity) dog - An alternative to cutting wood in the box store parking lot: Look for a local lumberyard/building supply and give them a call. Often their prices and quality are both better, and they deliver! Our local place will drop stuff right in front of my garage with a very reasonable minimum order. Also DO NOT BUY THE CHEAP POCKET HOLE JIG. It is a trap, the next model up is so much better it's shameful. I suffered with that $40 mistake for too long.
Hot Dog - This is extremely similar to the first workbench I ever built (although I used 2x4's for the legs). Another good tip for making long straight cuts with the circular saw is to mark one of the long factory edges on the piece of plywood when you buy it. Then freehand rip that edge off trying to keep the circular saw cutas straight as possible. This will give you an 8ft long straightedge that you can clamp to the plywood to make the rest of the cuts, just make sure you are running the circular saw against the factory edge and it will make extremely straight cuts. I still use this to break down full sheets that are too big to fit into the table saw.
HOT DOG... Thank you for the tips and sharing the whole process. I got one of those Kreg's Rip Cut thingy, but wasn't sure how to use it securely because I do not have a High end Circular saw. Now that I have seen how you used it, I will give a go. Although I won't be able to do on the floor, due to my disabilities, but I am pretty much sure I will be able to achieve the same result by setting on my portable work bench. so, thank you my brother...
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Hot dog very simple table workbench. I think I may be making one or two myself.
Hotdog
I just wanted to point out the hazard of having no vacuum. It's not necessary at the start to have one but still practice body safety by having some ventilation and wear some kind of mask.
Hahaha 🤣
I love the title to this video❤️
Then the extra tools start popping up at the parking lot cut
0:27 and 2:38.
HOT DOG! I have been following you for years. Since your first channel. You were just a kid on the farm in Ohio.😊
It is SO NICE finally having a beginners video. I'm just getting into woodworking, and it's frustrating when every single youtuber is like "we're making a simple workbench today that anybody can do with ease. So, grab your slab of black maple and run it through your jointer and planer. Round off the edges with your table router. Now, pull out your $1200 Festool domino joiner and--"
Pro tip - bring a cart in from the parking lot. My home centers (Lowes and Home Depot both) are horrible about rounding them up and putting them back on the shopping floor. If you don't bring one in, you'll waste a bunch of time looking for one and probably end up heading out to the parking lot to find one. Doesn't happen always, but enough that I bring one in just in case. Same thing applies to garden shopping carts.
Complete list of stuff Actually used to build this...
1. Plywood sheet
2. Circular Saw
3. Foam Board scraps
4. 1 1/2 inch screws
5. Ratchet Straps (or a pickup truck!)
6. Edge guide for Circular Saw
7. Kreg Rip guide
8. Speed Square
9. Small clamps while cutting legs
10. Tape Measure
11. Cordless Drill
12. Pocket Hole Jig (two of them actually)
13. Shop Vac for Dust collection
14. At least 4 bar clamps, about 24 inch long
15. Extension bit for Drill (appears to be 8 inch extension)
WOW -- that's a lot of stuff for a bench made "with only a Circular saw and a Drill" !!!
I'm only a few minutes in and I can't tell you how much I appreciate this video (and would love to see more like it). There's a thousand videos on how to build things, but as a newbie woodworker the thing I've struggled with most is literally how do I pick out wood. Starting your video off with the whole process of what to get, and how to get it is honestly so useful.
Also Hotdog
Well said.
Just remember for those who don't know, Sande plywood is from a Sande Tree which is a Central American hardwood (part of the reason it's so expensive at places like Home Depot and Lowes) it's not Sanded plywood :)
thank you for the comment
Hotdog 🌭 I really enjoy your videos 🇨🇦
Hello Sir Jumbly! I'm nearly 52 years old, and have been working with wood for a hobby and to repair things since I was a child. I've had my modest 16' x 24' shop for over 20 years, but reading your comment regarding Sande wood, I have only one thing to say:
Today, I learned.
I always assumed that was a typo. I have a saying that I tell people from time to time:
"The day you stop learning is the day you start dying."
Keep your head up and your eyes and ears open and you'll learn something every single day. Thank you for pointing that out.
I didn't start a comment here, but I'll say it anyway, HOT DOG!
@@godzillafirebox7765 Always keep learning, Even a master is a fool to believe they know it all :)
Sande plywood at Home Depot here is the least expensive plywood
The panel saw is the home center version of the shake or ice cream machine in fast food places.
Hot dog! Thank you for explaining the additional tools and how they work, too! As a beginner, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what is worth splurging on when you don't have a ton of extra cash. This plan is so needed for us who have small spaces and few tools starting out.
Brother man, first 4 minutes and you’ve already earned yourself a subscriber. What a wonderful, realistic representation of what I’m going through
If you screw your pocket holes from the outside of the 90, your screw will have more wood to spread the force of any flex to. Screwing on the inside toward the edge reduces the amount of wood reinforcing your screw. Hope that is as clear as mud.
Steve Ramsey and Matt Outlaw both have pretty good tutorials on pocket holes.
Great video! Thanks for making a video for the new guys!
FOR THE NEWBIES, THEY WON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT. HENCE!!!!! THE LAYMEN VIDIO!!!! THANK YOU FOR CLAIRIFING. MUCH APPRECIATED.
I didn't understand a word
This Is true but then they wouldn't be hidden anymore
@@randybobandy9828 that’s when you fill them with a dowel.
Yeah, he should have used glue with this method.
Hot dog! Great and useful build! Regarding mistakes, my teacher in woodworking school actually had us write down all of our mistakes. Because you really forget them fast when you've solved the problem. After the project we had to go through them and about half way down the list you're like: "how the hell did I even finish this project" xD
Thanks for mentioning that everybody makes mistakes, to me it's actually the fun part: you get to learn to avoid certain mistakes (learning process) and how to fix them after (the fun challenge). That's why I'm a big fan of WWMM. Really enjoyed your video. Basic tools, patience and having fun. Thanks man !
Hotdogs. I really appreciate this video. I have been in construction for years and only have basic tools. Now I'm having some downtime and want to get into cabinetry and furniture. Seeing this gives me some more confidence in the tools I have and not stressing about the ones I don't
Hot dog! This was a brutally honest video. I thought I would give it a go today after watching your video last night. I have all the fancy gear but I thought I would go back to my woodworking roots (no pun intended) and go basic as you did. It was actually so much fun to do something using minimal tools. Well done Mr Spencley. Your video has achieved what you set out for it to do. Hats off to you all the way from Kangaroo Flat, Victoria, Australia.👍🏻
Hot Dog! Eric... I love this video. 2 things you nailed... 1. You do not need a lot to make things 2. We all make mistakes. I started with a very similar situation as you. I was in the USCG and living in Portland Oregon. We had an outdoort closet and it needed shelves and we could not screw anything into the walls of the closet. So using only a hand saw, drill and screws... I built a 4 shelf unit with 2 x 2s and Plywood. The shelves held the posts into the corners and braces ont the posts held the shelves up. I loved by creative solution... That was more then 25 years ago. I now have a woodshop full of tools... Watching your video brings me back to that time. Your instruction is excellent and ability to build a community is inpriational. Keep up the great work and I will be continuing to follow you!
John Hall
Hot Dog. I started out as a carpenter in the 70's with basic hand tools in a tool belt and an air compressor in the back seat, a trunk packed to the gills with routers, circular saws, jig saws, drills etc. and a couple hundred feet of extension cord in my 68 Chevelle Malibu going from site to site hustling work. I now have a bunch of antique tools like 1947 a Shop Smith(lathe) a radial arm saw, job site table saw and a boatload of Makita battery tools. Creativity is the key to woodworking and Making. Don't buy something because you see it, buy it because you NEED it. Nothing is perfect and we need to understand the process will never be perfect. The sign of a creator is how to fix mistakes and move on.
HOTDOG, Thank you so much for showing how things can be done, simply and inexpensively. I'm only starting out, and at 65, you've made things easy and understandable.
Hot Dog - It awesome that you show building something with a lack of tools but then adding additional tools to make the job easier or faster. I feel this gives the beginner hope and also shows them tools to look forward to buying.
You gotta be kidding me. $75 for a sheet of plywood? Inflation must be horrible in the US.
recycle an old exterior door for the top; recycle a drier, washer for a router table
Hot Dog you are doing such a good job, not only in what you build but showing people what can be done in a small space if you use a little creative thinking. When I was still able to work I used to build furniture for my home & toys for my children as they came along. Well done mate, cheers, Don from South Aust.
Hot Dog! And hi from Ireland. Great to see achievable simple projects that don’t require a pure fortune in tools and materials. Thanks for the free plans! Happy Thanksgiving to you and all my American friend.
You are right. Every woodworker makes mistakes. I am a woodworker and I watched this video!
Hot dog! Thank you thank you THANK YOU for this post! I've been working on designing a relatively basic dog crate cover/table using pocket holes - and it basically looks like this workbench without the middle shelf. I'm new to woodworking; so, I didn't want to spend a huge amount of money on tools, but I've been struggling figuring out how to clamp the legs to join the pocket holed legs. I've really enjoyed your videos - and how candid you are about everybody making mistakes. Again, thank you so much!
Hot dog! I actually like how you showed 4 different ways to join the workbench and how to avoid common mistakes with the splitting wood. Forgive me for skipping the ad, but um, I wasn't the target audience. Go Bucks!
Thanks for checking out the video, vanessa! I appreciate your feedback and glad you found it helpful
Hot dog! The way you describe each step of the build and show that even with basic tools to make something is wonderful. It is nice to know that even someone who has been woodworking for awhile makes mistakes. I have been woodworking since the beginning of COVID and I find that I only learn and improve from my mistakes. I really appreciate your videos. Thank you!
Hot dog. When I had my shop, I actually built my bench and table router in a similar fashion using 2x4s and MDF board. I started with an M18 drill/driver kit and a DeWalt jobsite table saw (both bought on sale) and went to town. I knew there would be a possibility of losing that shop which I did, so when I had to pack up my shop into storage, I left the bench and router table behind, as I was less than $75 in materials for them. Also I recommend Harbor Freights tool stands when they're on sale. I got a bunch of them so I never had to use any tools on the floor.
That's the pocket hole jig I bought when adding uprights to our deck to support screening it in.
Hot dog!
I love that you are doing this to help bring new people into the woodworking community. A workbench doesn't need to be made of walnut and maple since it's just going to get beat up anyways. Keep up the great work!
You should have said that this was also sponsored by Kreg. You said at the beginning that this would only use two cheap tools. If you want a straight line you could have easily added a speed square. Also as a woodworker that is creative and has just started, you could have for example done a couple of cutoffs and made a straight edge or butt up against the wall and used that as a fence for the first cut and then used those cuts as guides for the rest of the project, your clamps are screws and so on. The main sponsor, "Letsgetchecked", has less air time than Kreg.
I got the same impression. Anybody who knows anything about woodworking knows the costs he had involved in making the workbench exceeded what a better factory made one would cost and much less time!
I have basically the same "truck" and can totally get a sheet of plywood home uncut.
Modern vehicle marketing likes to pretend you need tons of dedicated space for every purpose, and you should pay tens of thousands of dollars to be ready for every possibly. But it turns out there's tons of space on the roof. You can tie on directly through the doors using foam or a blanket to protect your paint. Or, what I did, is invest $500ish in a roof rack. Gives exterior tie-on points and a flatish surface, and I'd be more confident if I needed to take the car on the highway (I haven't taken wood out of town, but do routinely take bikes or the canoe).
I also got my table saw home this way.
HOT DOG!!! Wait, was that one word, or two? Just to cover my bases... HOTDOG!!! This is a really great video! Just discovered your channel your video about getting dropped from a certain other platform, but moving on, your videos are GLORIOUS!!! You don't throw around acronyms or jargon that I'd have to have some experience to interpret, etc., and you really do empathize with the noobs like me!!! I think you do a great job of balancing the total noob approach, while still juggling the ADHD of my deep inner child and my need for details! Downloaded this plan, and paid for another plan for a chair! I'm connecting with how you present information here! A new subscriber is born!!!
Hot Dog!!!
Very nice, simple project, Eric!
Your advice to newbie’s that mistakes will always be made is spot-on!!
When I started playing golf, I used to get pissed when I hit a poor shot. When I finally realized that, “I’m not good enough to get mad” I had more fun and my game and scoring got much, much better!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
I couldn't have said it better myself! thanks for watching bill!
Hot dog! As a newbie, you're examples of working with minimal tools is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!
17:57 , since early apprenticeship, I was taught it’s not that a journeyman doesn’t make mistakes, it’s that a journeyman knows how to fix or hide them.
Hot Dog, Great starter bench for the first timer. Although I’m past this stage, It’s nice to see someone really showing beginners that it is possible. Keep up the good work.
Hot dog! It’s really encouraging to see someone that lives in Ana apartment still make use of cheap effective spaces, materials, and tools. Makes me want to start my wood shop that much sooner even living in an apartment with only a garage to my name. Thank you, sir!
you should absolutely give it a shot!
The tool i enjoy the most is a planer and jointer. I bought a budget combined planer/joniter and i will never regret it. Scrap wood is no longer scrap. I am a carpenter and only use scrap from my workplace to build my home furniture.
Hot Dog! I'm on a fixed income and when I see all these channels with guys with 5000 dollar dust collection machines and 10 000 dollar table saws I get kind of discouraged from doin anything. I like how your helping people on a realistic level.
Hot dog! Definitely one I will tackle. Just curious why you didn't use any glue. Anyway, I hope you consider doing more videos that add on to the bench, like wheels, drawers, etc. Thanks.
Hot Dog!! Another great video. I'm a big fan of Kreg tools so glad to see you are still working with them after the whole Instagram thing. Tables of that size are good to have at any level of wood working.
thank you for the continued support! kreg is a fantastic supporter and i'm happy to be working with them
The bench turned out fine, but the first part of your video you say that you’re going to build it with two tools and two minutes later you are using your Kreg rip guide. Almost $50 it’s almost half the cost of a cheap drill and saw set. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a good product and I like Kreg stuff. I just think you need to reword your intro.
I chuckled a bit when you jumped on the workbench saying "strong enough!" and then the bench just dangerously wobbled :D Anyway, hot dog ;)
Hotdog thanks for including oversights / mistakes and alternative methods. Tablesaws are everywhere on CZcams woodworking channels but nowhere near as common in Europe where homes & garages are smaller, or no garage at all
Hotdog! Nice build. New to the sport, I appreciate your detail! If people don’t think it would be strong enough, maybe they don’t realize the strength of 3/4” plywood. I do like the idea of an over sized top though because I end up clamping down workpieces all the time, for jigsaw cuts, sanding, etc. I also like your design because later, you could cut down the legs to serve as an outfeed table.
Hot Dog, Eric! Thanks for continuing to keep it real. You are such an upbeat positive guy. Mistakes are just a part of the figuring it out! Happy Thanksgiving!
You could have bought two plywood sheets that are 2’x8’. So you would not have to rip down a full sheet of plywood in the parking lot.
In the start of the video, you said two tools. The Kreg jig cost more than the circular saw.
HOT DOG!
I feel like it can't be overstated the importance of patience in getting a really nice product, with respect to making sure everything is lined up right, doing the actual cutting/assembly/etc., AND (perhapes especially) willingness to take the time to fix mistakes. And I'd say that applies whether or not you have the fancy tools, but especially so when you're working with limited or cheap ones.
Dog of hot, I appreciate this. I have a lot of tools, but I needed to build a quicker worktop as part of my outfeed table for table saw, and I happened to have a straight 4x8 sheet of 23/32 plywood here. Your timing is perfect!
Hot Dog, That is a great design for a bench or work table. Very stable and easy to make. I've been using that basic design for 25 + years. Some times when I want to beef it up using 2 x 6's for the legs, 2 x 4's for the top and a full 4 x 8 sheet of plywood. Add casters for a mobile assembly table. Great video for the new wood worker. Thanks for doing it.
I really enjoyed this video. Subscribed. I can only add one very minor thing. When ever I haul ANYTHING that's hangs over the the edge of my vehicle, I add a high visible cloth or flagging tape. It's not really required by law in my state until the over hang is longer than 36" supported feet , but better safe than sorry.
Hot dog. The more I progress in my woodworking journey, I appreciate when the challenge is to use as few tools as possible. Looking forward to more projects from you, and me too!
Hotdog, that turned out nice. Awesome videos and enjoy shop class. Keeps me inspired and focused on learning the craft and not loading up on tools that I don't need yet, just want lol.
You can do it with minimal tools! no reason to go broke getting into this hobby 😀
The clip about your "truck" made me laugh. Smart idea to bring a powered saw and some foam with. I'll have to do that.
hot dog. this is a great starter idea. i showed my son who has helped me over the years, but has expressed an interest in "setting up" his own shop. thanks!
Hot Dog! Nice bench for those with limited tools. Well done! (and thanks!)
Thanks Dan! I appreciate the support!
Hot dog!! Haha. It's great you think about the beginner woodworker, and actually show the steps for them. Another great video.
Glad you liked it!
@@SpencleyDesignCo always like the videos. I wish I could contribute. Just don't have extra funds. I was actually starting to do woodworking but I had some eye issues so had to quit. I lost some vision in one eye. Still have to put tools up for sale. Anyway. Haha. Yes awesome job always.
Hot Dog - Just came across your channel and was really blown away by the honesty of your presentation. Mistakes, oh yeah we all make them and hopefully learn from them. Far too often I like others have the fear of making mistakes and therefore don't attempt a project I really want to get done, or I make a mistake and quit and years later the project is there in the corner of my small shop, laughing at me because it won. I think I'm going to dust them off and get finished. Thank you
Hot dog! That was so clear and I totally appreciate the steps from picking out materials to finish and the different ways one can accomplish the same results - cuts, butt joints, etc.
Hot Dog! You are doing such great content... love watching you develop and grow!
Glad you enjoy it! I appreciate the continued support anthony!
I have been doing good but NOT perfect woodwork for about 50 years. I really enjoy your honesty as you present your projects. Also I have learned some things from you as well. Thanks Neil
Ditto! It is refreshing for someone to NOT be pushing expensive tools on every video.
I used to work at home depot 13 years ago, I never minded cutting wood for people
$70 dollars for one sheet of plywood? That’s crazy! That is why I still don’t have a work bench. 😂
Hot Dog! Thanks for this beginner's video, I fit the bill exactly. 61 years old and no experience with working wood. A bench is exactly what I need. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Pocket holes add at least another couple of steps. I've built a lot of stuff without pocket holes. They're just screw based toe nailing. Spent time working for a local cabinet maker and worked a few years as a carpenter. The house i built for myself in '79 still has the original vinyl siding!
Hot dog.... Just started watching some of your videos randomly (words community, cheese, and ostrich) this evening. You said it well in this video about some channels having decked out shops and describing their methods with the expensive tool systems. I also enjoyed the fact that you used pocket holes for this bench. I just recently made an entire shelf wall for my living room using pocket holes. Definitely on the starter set of kreg jig at this point. I remember getting the comments from my FIL about them not being strong enough. I also get comments from him now on how well they turned out every time he visits. Definitely had my share of mistakes and goofs during that project. Thank you for showing the real side of the maker process.
I must be lucky, Never had an issue with finding someone to cut my plywood down for me.
Community. This is honestly the first video of yours I've ever seen. Your story moved me and made me remember my own experience. Thank you for this video and your positivity at a time when
I know it must be hard.
Hot Dog A Old Cabinetmaker/Carpenter once told me " The difference between a Good Caroenter and a bad one is .... A good one knows how to hide his mistakes "
Hot dog.
I think I bought too many tools...nah, that's impossible 😂🤣
This does read like a Kreg ad but he’s right. I bought the 520 pocket hole jig and I use 3/4” plywood and it is crazy strong. I do add glue to each of the joints. I repurposed an incredibly heavy duty work table by replacing the “just short enough to break your lower back in five minutes or less” steel legs with “4 inch taller legs that make working an absolute joy to my lower back” table. I used legs just like these. I am starting to think like him about cutting the plywood in the parking lot. I went to 3 different Lowes yesterday to find a store with a running panel saw. I see a cordless circular saw in my immediate future.
Hot dog -- "My pickup truck hasn't gone through puberty yet" 🤣
There’s usually room in the Home Depot parking lot to cut down plywood (never tried it though, usually I can track down an employee qualified to use the panel saw in less than an hour). But the Menards parking lot…not a chance.
Hot Dog These are actually very instructive videos. The "CZcamsrs are liars" title could not be more accurate today, especially when they say something like " is not a sponsor of this video." 🤣
Hotdog with catsup! Oh, do I love this video. It is one of the best “been, there and done thats” that I have seen lately. Classy and practical to the nines. The Spencley philosophy works!
I used to have a Civic Si, same generation. I got 7, 8ft boards in that car. Used them to build my 1st bench too. Was a great car for fishing too.
Hotdog! You really worried me when you jumped onto the bench! That was a considerable wobble. If I were building it I would have also glued every joint that you screwed. I'd just consider the pocket screws to be like clamps.
In fact, I built Steve Ramsey's BMW bench using doubled 2x4's for the legs with half-lap joints, and only used glue; not one screw or nail. It's really sturdy.
"I'm going to show you how to build this rock solid workbench using only two of the cheapest tools at the home center"
Proceeds to buy/use:
- plywood
- screws
- mats
- circular saw cutting guide
- straps
- carpenter square
- wood clamps (several varieties)
- pocket hole jigs (3 kinds)
- drill bits
- vacuum
Interesting video title.
Our panel saw isn't broken but no one knows how to use it properly and it always comes out way off over an 8ft rip.
HOT DOG.. If afrer assembling your bench you go back to Home Depot, you can buy a quaeter sheet of 3/4 inch MDf and a can of Johnson's past wax. Go back home, use the top pf your tablre as a guide and cut the MDF to match. Screw down the MDF on top of the table, at each corner with one screw. Counter sink the sctews if you csn. Now rub on and buff out 2vor 3 coats of wax.
You'll have a truly flat top that you can easily change when it gets too dinged and if you spill glue on it, you let it dry and it won't adhere to the top.
Good video.
Hot Dog - I remember making my workbench on the garage floor. My back and knees have never forgiven me. 😀
hotdog! as a former cabinetmaker and general woodworker, I loved your project and presentation, this was a great project for anyone and very economical as well. Perhaps a sway brace on either side and on the back would help a tad? but it was great, I enjoyed watching, thanks!
Cutting the panel in the parking lot is brilliant. I buy the quarter sheet project panels which are twice as expensive per square foot. In the halcyon days of the 90s the panel saws used to work, and getting a sheet cut down for your was pretty standard. Pocket holes screws are great and those jigs are well work it.
Great video. the only thing missing is showing them how to use the tablesaw. How you use the nothses in front to line up and keeping the line straight
Hot dog! I struggle with getting 45 degree angle cuts that fit well together. I do have several kreg tools including that saw guide, it’s a huge help on projects too small to drag a table saw out for.
"Truck" 🤣 Hot dog, that was a good one!
I definitely need to look into getting one of those saw guides, although I noted that my current circular saw is a little loose in its bearings, so it might be with upgrading that, too.
Great video! Although I'm not a fan of your video titles. Although this title is covered in the video, it is so brief that it could be considered insignificant. I would have used it as a secondary (parenthetical) title, with something like "Let's get your woodworking/carpentry started with a basic workbench!" or something like that. YMMV.
Hotdog.
I loved the way you portrayed the Home depot worker. With very rare exceptions you hit the nail right on the head. I especially enjoy dealing with the hostile workers in the electrical section. As an electrical engineer it's always fun to be argued with by these nasty little know it all grumpy creatures. I like to mess with them by asking what kind of power factor I should expect from the electrical load devices on the shelves. I enjoy the 2000 yard stare.
Since I pay the electric bill, yes, I'm like my father regarding leaving doors open during the hot and cold seasons, and leaving all the lights on in the house.
Hot Dog! You have given me ideas for my "garage shop". I have a contractor saw as my first large expense and learned about "fence" accuracy. Makes me want another item to make any fabrication easier, computer designing.
Make mistakes here instead if on the material purchased ($$$ saved).
Go to the boxes at 6AM when they open and there are carts everywhere.
Double laminated melamine high density board is a great top for a beginner work bench because it's true. But my favorite thing is taking a sheet of acrylic to make a nice finish work bench. You can hot glue things down and will not rip the acrylic off it's nice and smooth. Nice for building face frames.
You are right, youtubers are liars. You started of as saying, you can build a workbench using only a circular saw and a drill but went on to show us jigs and sh@%T.
Two blocks from the HD? I would have just walked over, bought a sheet, and carried it home with one of those sheet gripper things. Why pay to work out?
Hotdog ~ Thank you for this video, I used it to make my nice new work bench. It lives on my decking with a plastic sheet over it as I haven't got a garage. I was using an old dinning chair or the floor. Thank you for the tip about splashing out on a more expensive sheet of ply, I got marine ply which resists the damp🤞. It's a shame that I saw this video after I had already built my garden cupboard, which wobbles 🫤 My nice flat work bench is going to be a game changer 🙂
Hot (diggity) dog -
An alternative to cutting wood in the box store parking lot: Look for a local lumberyard/building supply and give them a call. Often their prices and quality are both better, and they deliver! Our local place will drop stuff right in front of my garage with a very reasonable minimum order.
Also DO NOT BUY THE CHEAP POCKET HOLE JIG. It is a trap, the next model up is so much better it's shameful. I suffered with that $40 mistake for too long.
Think I’m missing something…who is/are lying to me? And about what?
Hot Dog - This is extremely similar to the first workbench I ever built (although I used 2x4's for the legs). Another good tip for making long straight cuts with the circular saw is to mark one of the long factory edges on the piece of plywood when you buy it. Then freehand rip that edge off trying to keep the circular saw cutas straight as possible. This will give you an 8ft long straightedge that you can clamp to the plywood to make the rest of the cuts, just make sure you are running the circular saw against the factory edge and it will make extremely straight cuts. I still use this to break down full sheets that are too big to fit into the table saw.
Hot diggity dog! I've used this technique many times as frequently I work on projects away from the home shop.
HOT DOG...
Thank you for the tips and sharing the whole process. I got one of those Kreg's Rip Cut thingy, but wasn't sure how to use it securely because I do not have a High end Circular saw. Now that I have seen how you used it, I will give a go. Although I won't be able to do on the floor, due to my disabilities, but I am pretty much sure I will be able to achieve the same result by setting on my portable work bench. so, thank you my brother...
my Dad made a work bench with only a hand saw and a hammer 70 years ago and I am still using it.
Thank you man. Very down to earth advice.
Now to get my head around your measurement system.
Hot Dog! This is probably the simplest work bench I have ever seen and probably one be building one for myself in the near future.