3
3. These are the parts for my friend’s workbench. The
36” long panel is cut almost perfectly in half, with the
top being left about
1
/
8
” shorter than the bottom. This
will ensure there is a gap when the lid is closed, and
prevent it from fitting too tightly between the sides. The
1” x 4” is cut into four pieces – the two sides are 17½”
long, the front is 17
7
/
8
” long, and the back is 18” long.
Make sure the front and back are the same lengths as
the top and bottom panels, respectively.
Since I have the tools and wanted to practice the skills,
this one was built with glued joints reinforced with
splines. The grooves in the edges of the parts are to
accept the splines. I also chose to cut a shallow groove
along the front edge of the work surface, to catch any
tools or parts which might be tempted to roll away. If
you have the tools, the joints I’m making here result
in an exceptionally strong and neat looking piece,
but they’re not really needed. The first version, held
together with nothing but screws, works just as well.
