Routing and Clamping Bench

This bench has many uses. The main purpose I built this bench for was to glue clamp 5 1/2" hardwood boards on the flat for interior door styles because I could not buy 6 or 8 quarter yellow birch locally. I also needed a way to hold long narrow pieces for door casing while routing the edges. I mounted a small vise that I had on one end with a piece of Oak screwed to the movable face. The Oak is 1/4 inch higher than the top of the bench which allows for pinching the work piece between the vise and dogs that can be drilled anywhere needed on the top.
The top edges will work well for straightening long board edges with a router and a flush trim bit. Simply pinch the pieces to be straightened between the vice and a dog on the top and run the trim bit along the edge of the plywood.
I made the bench height higher than a workbench to save on the back when routing the many pieces and to lend to better sighting of the bit when needed. The top of the bench comes approximately to my elbows.

The sides of the bench are made from 9 inch wide 3/4 inch thick plywood glued and screwed to hardwood blocks on inside and a doubled 3/4 inch plywood top. This makes for a very straight and strong structure to clamp to.

The routing bench is on four locking casters and easily rolls around the shop. If needed the legs can slip out of the pockets and the bench can be stood up in a corner or hung high on a wall until the next time it is needed.
After using this bench for some time now, I can see that it will likely never be stored because of the convenience.

Using the edge of the bench as a straight edge for straightening.

I used this method to straighten curly yellow birch and steamed beech which eliminated all tearout.

The sharp carbide router bit and the speed of the router produces square, clean edges

Supports long narrow pieces pinched between vice and dogs at the end for very quick clamping/holding for routing or sanding

It is easy to clamp additional fixtures and jigs to the bench.

This is a mortising jig clamped to the bench.
Narrow top and sides make for easy ridged clamping

Here the bench is used to hold an interior door style while routing the hinge mortises before assembling the door

Here the bench is being used to clamp stacked (3 at a time)doubled up 4/4 Yellow Birch to be used for interior door styles. When glued on the flats and clamped to the straight bench, the styles have a better chance of being straight after the glue has dried.

Because of the comfortable working height of the bench, it can be rolled over other objects in the shop for storage or to sweep around

This is the underside of the bench

This is how the removable legs are secured. The 8/4 Oak legs slide into these pockets.

I left the tail end with a lip which allows for smaller clamps to be used in different situations.

This is a view from the underside with one of the legs installed

This is the end with provisions for the vise to be used to pinch the work

Additional photos of different uses will be added as they accumulated from future projects.

WoodWorks by Garry

Routing, Straightening and Clamping Bench