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Reader Project: A Walnut, Maple and Oak Workbench Built Entirely With Dominoes

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Matt Hagens
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All glued and no screws

Reader Project — built and photographed by August B. from Edmonton. All reader projects →  ·  Share your own →

August B. of Edmonton had been meaning to replace his old workbench for a long time, and when he finally got to it he went all in: a solid wood bench with a repurposed maple top, walnut edging all the way around, an oak base, a sliding deadman and a quick-release vise. There isn’t a screw or a nail in it — every joint is a Festool Domino.

He worked from his own design, on and off, for about a month and a half, and spent somewhere between $1,000 and $1,200 on wood and the vise. The drawers run on shop-made plywood runners with hardwood sliders, and the whole thing is finished in Danish oil.

In August’s words

I always wanted to replace my old workbench with a solid wood workbench. It took about one and a half months to build.

I repurposed 3 inch by 4 inch maple for my top and used walnut to edge all around the top. Oak was used mostly for the base. There is no screws or nails as I used my Festool Domino to join all the wood.

I made my own sliders out of plywood and hardwood. Danish oil was used for the finish.

The build

  • Project type: Shop project — workbench
  • Skill level: Advanced
  • Wood: Repurposed maple top, walnut edging, oak base
  • Finish: Danish oil
  • Tools: Table saw, jointer, planer, hand planes, Festool Domino, drum sander, bandsaw
  • Time: About a month and a half, off and on
  • Cost: $1,000–$1,200 in wood and the vise
  • Plans: His own design

Biggest challenge

The biggest challenge was clamping the legs with the stretchers. Also moving the top on to the new bottom by myself was fun.

Photos

The finished bench in the shop — walnut-edged maple top, oak base, sliding deadman in the middle and tool storage underneath.
The finished bench in the shop — walnut-edged maple top, oak base, sliding deadman in the middle and tool storage underneath.
Looking down the repurposed maple top with its walnut edging and rows of dog holes.
Looking down the repurposed maple top with its walnut edging and rows of dog holes.
End view of the finished bench, showing the walnut end cap, the vise hardware and the lower shelf.
End view of the finished bench, showing the walnut end cap, the vise hardware and the lower shelf.
The repurposed maple stock, still rough and marked up, stacked before milling.
The repurposed maple stock, still rough and marked up, stacked before milling.
Hand planing the maple strips on the table saw, with shavings everywhere.
Hand planing the maple strips on the table saw, with shavings everywhere.
The top glued up and clamped with parallel clamps along its whole length.
The top glued up and clamped with parallel clamps along its whole length.
The oak base frame dry assembled and standing on end in the shop.
The oak base frame dry assembled and standing on end in the shop.
The 'fun part' — clamping the stretchers to the legs with long bar clamps.
The ‘fun part’ — clamping the stretchers to the legs with long bar clamps.
Domino mortises cut into the leg frame, with the vise hardware sitting on the floor nearby.
Domino mortises cut into the leg frame, with the vise hardware sitting on the floor nearby.
Test fitting the frame over the top, with the vise mounted to the walnut edge.
Test fitting the frame over the top, with the vise mounted to the walnut edge.
Moving the new top off the old bench onto sawhorses — a one-man job.
Moving the new top off the old bench onto sawhorses — a one-man job.
The bench assembled before the Danish oil went on.
The bench assembled before the Danish oil went on.
The sliding deadman, with its staggered rows of holes and walnut edges.
The sliding deadman, with its staggered rows of holes and walnut edges.
The quick-release vise mounted under the walnut edging.
The quick-release vise mounted under the walnut edging.
A gridded paper template taped to a walnut-edged board, used to lay out the hole pattern.
A gridded paper template taped to a walnut-edged board, used to lay out the hole pattern.
Close-up of a drawer corner cut with a Freud drawer lock bit.
Close-up of a drawer corner cut with a Freud drawer lock bit.
Shop-made plywood runners with hardwood sliders between the drawers.
Shop-made plywood runners with hardwood sliders between the drawers.

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