Ultimate Scroll Saw Work Bench

Here's a question following on the heels of the Work Benches thread. What would the ultimate workbench be for a scroll sawer? I'm not looking for what the scroll saw is sitting on, but rather a separate workbench you use to put together your projects. It would have to meet the needs specific of the scroller. Would it have lots of drawers? Benchdogs? A vise? How tall would it be? How big? What bells and whistles would you like to have included?

Hey Travis... at the moment I'm sawing on our back deck, and my work bench is the table of an outdoor dining setting..not ideal!

For me, the first requirement would be an absolutely flat top, for when putting intarsia pieces together and measuring sanding lines. I'd want several shallow drawers, much like a mini map cabinet, that are easily removed... good for laying out pieces as they develop. Plenty of smaller drawers too for ready access to smaller tools, like calipers, set squares, pencils etc. Some holes drilled in somewhere to house tubes of blades currently in use for a particular project. Dremel vice would be on there somewhere too. They're my initial thoughts anyway...more to come I think, will have to get sketching!

At the moment I use an old card table that I put a piece of good ply wood on top to have a flat surface. Made it extra large so I could mount a mini vise and the hanger for my dremel so I can use the flex shaft. all I need now is some drawers and maybe and shelf mountd under to keep misc. supplies on. I'm just an old hillbilly and never went for anything fancy.

JD

I like the idea of shallow trays/drawers to keep intarsia. That's pretty clever.

I would like to have a roll of craft paper I can roll out to protect the surface from paint/glue/spills. I think that would be pretty cool.

I found some old file card drawers that will work great to organize some of the smaller things. Still thinking about the shelves.

Wish the factory where I used to work was still open. We had sheets of teflon and they made great benchtop covers.

JD

...Wish the factory where I used to work was still open. We had sheets of teflon and they made great benchtop covers...

Plus eggs won't stick to it.

I have no clue. I use an old dining room table...........it's really heavy, but round. It works pretty good. But I like the idea of shallow drawers too.......and open racks like in an old record cabinet, to store small sheets of wood and make them readily available..........I had an old record cabinet once and used it for stained glass. Wish I still had it! Also deeper drawers to store files of patterns.................I hate those metal filing cabinets! I think I would like to make it along the lines of one of those circular computer stations. With an area for glue ups, cutting, piecing etc... All right there where you can easily turn from one station to the next. Hard to explain what I mean lolol..........I can see it in my head anyway. Too bad no one else can!

Christina

Here's a photo of my workbench which is made from a solid core, 36" x 6'8" door. It is very heavy and will remain flat. The side drawers is where I store most of my small tools and drafting supplies required for making patterns and etc.

It has served my purpose very well.

Al

I'm really lucky in the fact that I have two different workspaces, each with their own "workbench" type area's

I have "shop" inside the basebament where I keep my scroll saw and drill press. My scroll saw is on its own little cupboard (the pull out from where a built in dishwaser went years ago) on wheels that my dad made me years ago. Attached to my cupboard is a holder for different scrollsaw blades and a bendable light.

In a lttile L shaped cubby I then have an old dresser (6 drawer) that my drill press sits on and I use the drawers for items like finishing nails, clock inserts etc. And an old hanging cupboard from my kitchen on another wall to hold other items. As well as two old desks with shelves/drawers to store other items like patterns and peices of wood.

In my garage is where most of my other tools are but it's also my paint/drying area. I have converted an old metal clothes drying rack to hang all my items to dry after I stain/paint.

id like to have a place to spray for glue and paint. steve good has a shelf that hinges up like a drop leaf. when your done, you just put it back down out of the way. id like to have a place to store scroll saw blades too.

id like to have a place to spray for glue and paint. steve good has a shelf that hinges up like a drop leaf. when your done, you just put it back down out of the way

That would be cool. I'd like to have a lazy suzan so I can spin the project as I spray.

I'd want several shallow drawers, much like a mini map cabinet, that are easily removed... good for laying out pieces as they develop

I was thinking about this a bit more. Not only for intarsia, but for puzzle makers, partially started portraits, toys being assembled. Lots of possibilities. This would be really handy.

What I did was go out to a local dollar store and purchase a number of thier disposable tin foil roasting pans in different sizes. I use these to stain/paint my items (I'm a bit anal so they are all labled with the colour stain I use them for hehe ). When I'm not using them they just stack up and sit on a shelf!

They would probably be quite good to hold the peices you are working on as well such as puzzles or intarsia provided the peice you are working on isn't too too big. Another thing that I have used in the past is a tray that you serve coffee on. It's flat and has nominal sides to it but is a little bit bigger than the biggest "roasting" pan that I have. Perhaps even an old cookie sheet.

As for the staining, I saw a picture in a scroll saw magazine the other day that someone was using an indoor green house from lee valley. It has shelves and a plastic tent area around it.