If you’re a woodworking buff or a woodworking beginner it is very likely that you have a preference for the best portable woodworking bench for the particular woodworking project that you’re working on. And because you’re a woodworking beginner I can almost guarantee that your first choice in woodworking bench will be the portable woodworking bench version of the same brand and/or woodworking plan that you admired in a woodworking magazine. If you’ve decided that your project will involve a portable woodworking bench of some kind, let’s quickly examine what makes these benches superior from among all other choices. In a word versatility. Here’s why.
In the preceding paragraph I compared a portable woodworking workbench of any kind to a flat or inclined wood workbench of the same size. My comparison was based on my own needs for my own project. My two benches were similar in both height and wood thickness. The two benches would also differ in degree of “depth” of “discovery” as well as in my need for woodwork shelves. In other words the two wood workbenches were identical in every way except for the fact that I wanted the third bench to accommodate woodwork shelving. Obviously, the wood workbench with the wood shelves was much more versatile than the wood workbench without wood shelves.
In my mind I had already made the decision that I preferred a wood workbench that could accommodate a piece of wood of varying sizes. Now that I’d chosen a wood workbench that would accommodate wood shelving I knew that my choice of portable woodworking bench was now narrowed down to just one type. The portable woodworking bench I chose was the same wood workbench as the one I previously chose for my inclined workbench. Of course, the wood workbench that I chose had a slatted wooden slat rack instead of the drop ceiling version, and I purchased the bench for the same reason.
The reason I purchased the wood workbench with the slatted rack was because it would make the wood workbench easy to load and unload from the woodworking bench. The wood workbench was so much simpler to assemble and disassemble that I no longer had to climb over the workbench to reach the saw blade. Just pull the wood workbench down and unload the wood and your cutting is done. This saves you time and aggravation.
As far as wood worktops go there is only one portable woodworking bench top I could compare that would be similar to my old standby wood workbench. That workbench was made of wood from my cherry logs. If I had used some of the beautiful pre-finished cherry wood available today I could have given the wood workbench a run for its money. The portable woodworking bench is made of hardwood, which makes it more stable than softwoods like pine. I have noticed lately that when I sit on my new wood workbench that I am not as tempted by all the tempting buttered popcorn or pretzels sitting nearby.
Another feature that makes my wood workbench stand out from the crowd is the flat panel LED wall light attached to the bench. The wall light adds a nice touch to the wood workbench making it more appealing. Another feature I really like is the deep, wide wooden bench veneer finish. Not only does the deep veneer finish give the wood workbench a nice heavy appearance it also protects the wood against splintering. The deep veneer finish is also available in cherry stain, black, chestnut, maple, and even mahogany.
If you have never built or decorated a woodworking bench before I suggest you consider taking a woodworking class before buying your portable woodworking bench. Not only will this ensure that you end up with a bench that is exactly what you are looking for, but a class will provide you with some great tips and tricks that you can use to make your new bench last a lifetime. Some of the things that you will learn while taking a woodworking class include how to properly handle your wood, the different types of wood and the different finishing techniques. Having this information will help ensure that your woodworking bench lasts for years to come.
One thing that you should never do is purchase your wood workbench without first testing it out in the shop. Trying out wood workbenches in your shop will allow you to make sure that the bench will work properly for your needs. Since benches can be used for many different types of woodworking projects, it is important that you know that your new wood workbench is stable enough to handle the project that you intend to use it for. By testing the wood workbench you will ensure that you will get the most out of your money.