Knockdown English Workbench | Popular Woodworking

With $120 in lumber and two days, you can build this sturdy stowaway bench.

Many knockdown workbenches suffer from unfortunate compromises.

Inexpensive commercial benches that can be knocked down for shipping use skimpy hardware and thin components to reduce shipping weight. The result is that the bench never feels sturdy. Plus, assembly usually takes a good hour.

Custom knockdown benches, on the other hand, are generally sturdier, but they are usually too complex and take considerable time to set up.

In other words, most knockdown workbenches are designed to be taken apart only when you move your household. When I designed this bench, I took pains to ensure it was as sturdy as a permanent bench, it could be assembled in about 10 minutes and you would need only one tool to do it.

The design here is an English-style workbench that’s sized for an apartment or small…