Newbie woodworker here. Just finished up my modified version of the Paulk Workbench. One of the more difficult parts of this build were the cutouts. I ended up using a hole saw to cut the circles out and then connected them with a jigsaw and metal ruler clamped as a guide. this was far easier and much less time consuming than trying to build a template (failed several times over) and using a router with a bearing bit. Thanks Jay for showing your build process! Really awesome videos and you keep inspiring me to do more projects!
Geoff Mclarty yup I'm doing the same. It was a good learning exercise in trying to get precise cutouts. Tried free hand band saw, variable hole cutter for drill press but ended up making a jig for the bandsaw to make a partial template and used that as a template to router a template for the whole thing with a flush trim bit. Yup a template to make my template.
Two Jay's are twice as great as one :) Wish I had the space for a table that large in mine. I've always like the design ideas of that one, with the tool space right under the work top.
Jay Bates Hehe I was thinking of two radio stations we have here in Sydney - Double J and Triple J... Both great stations. :) I've been wanting to build a Paulk table for a year now... I must say I was thinking last week, "He really should drill those holes" :)
Hey Jay I noticed at 3:07 you were talking about modding Harbor Freight clamps. I have a tip that works great for me. Take off the bottom part like you did, but instead of having to remove the nail and bottom piece every time. Take a piece of 1/8 or 1/4 in. thick steel bar stock the same width as your clamp bar, and drill a hole through the center. Attach it to the bottom of the clamp with a bolt. Now swivel it parallel to the bar on the clamp so it can be inserted through the hole in your bench, once through the bench rotate to make the bar stock parallel with your bench top . Ta-da, you now have a clamp that doesn't need a nail or to be disassembled to use, and still has full clamp capacity( you can also reattach the stock clamp base with the bolt):) Happy woodworking:) -Jeremiah
Jay Bates Yes, do this... that's a great idea. Took me a minute to visualize what Jeremiah was talking about. But he's basically describing an over sized toggle bolt. You can off set the pivot hole and when you drop it in the hole it will want to fall to the perpendicular, thus providing the clamp arm on either side of the hole. Will be plenty of force for woodworking.
Every time I watch one of your awesome workshop videos I can't every stop thinking about how gorgeous that top sheet of plywood is on top of your Paulk workbench! Super jealous!
As I'm currently building a Paulk bench at the moment, this was a useful and well timed video. As a UK small shop is much smaller than a US small shop it's probably going to be nearer the original so I can move it out on to the drive when I need to work on sheet goods. But I now know to keep the holes and what to do with my cheap clamps ☺Thanks for being a continual source of inspiration.
This video brought a smile to my face. Why? Well, not for "I told you so", but for the world of possibilities that open up to you when you clamp the first piece of 2x4 on this table. It is just such a joy to use this bench. That made me smile :-) Thanks for your videos!
“...talent means nothing, while experience, acquired in humility and with hard work, means everything.” ― Patrick Süskind Thanks for all your videos. I've really learned a lot from them!
I appreciate your logical, cost effective approach. I avoided the need to use expensive Festool clamps in a different way: I bored 2" diameter holes instead of 3/4". This allows me to use any of the many Bessey tradesman clamps I already own; the flexibility of various bar lengths and jaw reaches provides far greater clamping flexibility at much lower cost. It is also easy to make low profile bench stops and to adapt Bessey or DeStaco toggle clamps to lock into the larger holes so that they can perform other functions provided by the Festool clamping kit. I own and rely on some wonderful Festool machines that are most critical to my work flow, but I find that there are both advantages and unnecessary burdens in being locked into that particular proprietary system. Instead, I feel that those of us with more time and creative impulses than cash can benefit by creating our own global modular systems in which the Festool program can be an extremely useful subset.
I went through the exact same process last year (minus the split..). And I bought the Festool clamps. They're $40 for two of them and they make the table so much easier to use. Making or buying a set of 4 dogs is a great addition too. You can use them to square up 5-piece frames or whatever for assembly and for drilling, biscuits, dominos, etc. I use them constantly to keep pieces from squirming around.
Jay. You're a genious. I've got a scrap wood cart that fits beneath a set of sawhorses on top of which I have some old shelving boards. I'm going to build a paulk bench top like you've made with all the holes and put it on top. It will solve SO MANY of my clamping problems. And yes I know about those wonderful Harbor Freight bar clamps... I bought a bunch to build my plywood boats.
Hi Jay, I built the Paulk bench in two pieces with routed grooves in the top and bottoms to ensure rigidity. Also I rcecessed the sides and ends by two inches/ 50 mm so that I can clamp to the top. Further with the tops and bottom edges proud I can clamp boards vertically on the side of the bench to make 90 degree joints with a board on the table top. Regards Colin in Northern Ireland
Hey Jay I built Ron's bench last month as per his plan and just bought a set of the festool clamps OUCH!! wish I saw your video before I bought them, the Harbor Freight clamps idea ROCKS!! keep up the good work.
Nice build and many thanks for thinking-out-loud, letting us know what you learned and why your making changes. This is putting RUclips to its best potential. Great production values, like Paulk's videos, I could see it all - hear it all - understand it all, which is getting to be rare and much harder to find on RUclips. Count me as a new subscriber.
You will really like the holes. Did the same thing to my highly modified HF workbench. I did remove the other end of the clamp as you mentioned but I have more space under bench top. Keep up the good work really enjoy your vids.
Bench is looking great... I like the thought of the gap in the middle being used as clamp but i think you're right about closing it. Also, thanks for the 'clamp hack' plug:) Joe
Jay Bates Yeah, I've had this debate in my head of dog holes vs t- track. I guess if I drill the holes I won't need to buy all the little clamps and hold downs necessary for a t-track system!
Yeah, if it's any consolation I did the same thing (on a different project) and as it turned out it was just better to do as suggested. That clamping idea is great! Many thanks.
either way are nice work benches, what's nice is, you know what you want and need, and can modify to your spexs, Nice redo, and you give people 2 options for work benches
Here is something to try with those Harbor Freight Claps, especially the longer Bars, try bending the end once you removed the clamp head. That way it would work just like the Festool and you won't have to reach under each time to both install and remove. Granting you might lose some clamping power but I don't think much. Perhaps you can heat the bar to bend it. I never tried to bend such a clamp so not sure if it's possible but I would venture to say it is. It would probably bent on the flat easier than long ways, but long ways would put the bend inline with the clamping power and probably offer more of a hold. It might work and if it does it will provide a way to use clamps in the middle of the table that would be too far to reach. Great project...
Now that you have all the holes drilled, you have many more options available to you for clamping & holding. But you really need to get you a couple of these hold down clamps. So simple, fast, & easy to use plus low profile. Works great for many clamping & holding operations. Harbor Freight used to keep them too. That's where I got mine. Just go to Amazon & type in bench dog for all kinds of neat clamps & accessories that will work with 3/4" holes.
I laid out the grid of all 10 jillion holes in pencil line, and drill them as I need them. 6 years, and I have only a dozen or so holes. I keep a 7/8 bit handy in case I need to drill a hole or 2 for clamping. I bought a pair of Bessy clamps and used a piece of grooved 1/2" round bar stock riveted in place of original fixed clamp jaw. Works great! I can insert the clamp from up top. bang bang.
Looks good sir! Watching you pull the top off that clamp gave me another idea! You could take off the top as you did, and then weld a small flat bar on the end that can fit through the holes (so the end result is similar to the Festool clamps). Not sure it'd work but once I get my Paulk bench completed I'll make up a couple and see.
Hey jay!! In case someone else hasn't already suggested this.I use the clamps that came with my grizzly tracksaw master pack. you can buy them separately for around 20 bucks a pair and they are similar to the festool ones. Shane
Another huge benefit I see is the options to attach assembly jigs for bonding and assembly using the matrix of holes. If you have a progressive assembly like a furniture factory, that would be great at ensuring a repeatable process without elaborate dedicated tables.
After drilling over a thousand holes in the metal roofing for my shop I kind of have an idea how you felt about drilling those holes in the work bench. Great job on the work bench Jay!
That bench looks really nice Jay. I am sure that John Heisz appreciates the coordinating shorts. I know its hot in your shop but, its better than 30 degrees.
Your videos are very nice. I liked the 2 Jay trick and how you were able to overlay the words as you worked; very helpful stuff! Bench looks great too!
hey jay, i know you didnt necessarily say you were looking for one but i just finished a paulk bench so started looking at clamps take a look at harbor freight f style heavy duty welder clamp works perfect.
Oh for a friend with a big CNC rig for drilling holes! If the top was a little thicker, could use the same harbor freight clamps (modified) as holdfasts. But that would take 3.5" to 4.5" thick to work best. ... Great project mod!
To use the f-style clamps on my work surface (just some framed 3/4 plywood), I drilled a number of 2" holes in the top. With 2", you can snake the clamp end through and under the top. Yes, bigger holes, maybe fewer holes, but no clamp mod, and many different clamps will work. I also sawed a 3/4" slot between two holes so I can position a clamp anywhere along the slot. I also use the slot when sawing with the jig or circular saw. With the blade running within the slot the workpiece is well supported on both sides.
Nicely done my friend! Great woodworking skills! video editing out of the chain as well! I wish I have the space, time and tools to built more stuff...... Maybe you don't know , but you are a role model of woodworking for us!
always informative, always good explanations on why you make decisions, video editing always getting better. keep it up jay. i dont have a shop of my own but hope to someday, but im still leaning what i can for now. thanks man.
Nice table! You should try the matchfit dovetail clamps to clamp pieces down. They can slip in from the top. Especially handy when you need a clamp near the center of your workbench
Excellent video. Making one of those benches is on my bucket list of things to make... one day. Cool filming method too, liked that a lot. Thanks for posting.
Hey Jay, I was thinking that I liked the idea of a cheap hold fast, but wasn't shining on the whole putting a nail in the part blindly under the table. So my googling began and turned up this similar mod (woodworkingtips.com/etips/etip090100ws.html). I haven't started my workbench yet, but like your direction.
What about dust and crud getting below more easily from all those holes? That's the main reason why I wouldn't want to put all the holes in the bench top. All your videos have been great been going through them all over the last 1-2 weeks! Really liked watching the progression of your skills both woodworking and video work! Cheers!
We live and learn =) Me personly would probably be so stubborn that I would manage without the holes. Cursing myself every time I needed them of course, but to proud and stupid to make'em. Cudos to you, Jay =) Both for trying another way, but also for making the nessesary changes when the first one didn't work out for you.
Jay, Harbor Freight sells those same clamps in a quick release, cost the same, and the heads can be easily unscrewed to be removed. The purpose is to switch from clamp pressure to pry pressure. However they would work for you here without having to grind a bunch of clamp heads off.
i like how the natural markings of the plywood make it look like a backgammon game board lol unintentional as its just the manufacturing process of the board but its ended up looking like a design feature very nice :)
Great video (as always!), but can you demonstrate why you modified the clamps that different way? I would have thought the bar & clamp end would insert up through the top at a slight angle no problem...
possible idea... instead of having to hold the stationary part of the clamp and inserting the nail every time, you should make a pivoting finger that will fit thru the hole but then pivot 90 deg and secure the clamp... I'm visualizing a galvanized pipe slotted on one half so when it's vertical clamp rail can fit in the pipe... no disassembly ... no possible missing parts.. sorry if that's already been posted but figured I'd throw it out there.
Well since no one else said it. "HOLEY COW WOODWORKERMAN" That is a cool looking top and I'm sure massively versatile. No really thanks for the video and idea, esp the clamps. - Annie
I loved this video, mainly the part where you end up drilling the holes in after you decided you weren't going to. :) Keep them coming, Jay, great work! (I bet your garage is getting pretty hot with all of that Mississippi humidity right now...Im not jealous) haha
Hey. What’s an update on what you would do differently? I’m about to build my own Paulo inspired bench and wanna learn from others that have already done and learned.
you could grind a little off the fixed jaw of the clamps clamps and make the holes 1" diameter instead of 3/4, then the clamps would go through the holes from the top without dismantling them. It works well on mine.
Wow, great shot at 1:00. That's some amazing editing, truly pro quality. I really love that as an outfeed table, but I wonder about the racking when working on it. It doesn't seem like it would be a good bench to use with planes.
I was thinking about the clamps. You might be able to do away with the original clamp head and make a couple of steel toggles held on with a pin. Just pivot them inline with the bar to insert into the hole then reach under and flip them 90 degrees to catch the underside of the table. If you have a long clamp, you could cut a few inches of of it to make the toggles if it wouldn't be too fat to fit through the holes.
Newbie woodworker here. Just finished up my modified version of the Paulk Workbench. One of the more difficult parts of this build were the cutouts. I ended up using a hole saw to cut the circles out and then connected them with a jigsaw and metal ruler clamped as a guide. this was far easier and much less time consuming than trying to build a template (failed several times over) and using a router with a bearing bit.
Thanks Jay for showing your build process! Really awesome videos and you keep inspiring me to do more projects!
Geoff Mclarty yup I'm doing the same. It was a good learning exercise in trying to get precise cutouts. Tried free hand band saw, variable hole cutter for drill press but ended up making a jig for the bandsaw to make a partial template and used that as a template to router a template for the whole thing with a flush trim bit. Yup a template to make my template.
Two Jay's are twice as great as one :)
Wish I had the space for a table that large in mine. I've always like the design ideas of that one, with the tool space right under the work top.
John Heisz There was almost 3 Jays... So far the table has been more useful then the one it replaced which is really all I was going for.
John Heisz i sur love 'em multiple Jay's.
keep on trucking...
Jay Bates Well, when that other one is done, can you send him up here? I've got work for him to do :)
Jay Bates you have inspired me to build a multi table
Jay Bates Hehe I was thinking of two radio stations we have here in Sydney - Double J and Triple J... Both great stations. :) I've been wanting to build a Paulk table for a year now... I must say I was thinking last week, "He really should drill those holes" :)
Hey Jay I noticed at 3:07 you were talking about modding Harbor Freight clamps. I have a tip that works great for me. Take off the bottom part like you did, but instead of having to remove the nail and bottom piece every time. Take a piece of 1/8 or 1/4 in. thick steel bar stock the same width as your clamp bar, and drill a hole through the center. Attach it to the bottom of the clamp with a bolt. Now swivel it parallel to the bar on the clamp so it can be inserted through the hole in your bench, once through the bench rotate to make the bar stock parallel with your bench top . Ta-da, you now have a clamp that doesn't need a nail or to be disassembled to use, and still has full clamp capacity( you can also reattach the stock clamp base with the bolt):) Happy woodworking:) -Jeremiah
Jeremiah Brown Will it fit in 3/4" holes?
Jay Bates Yes, do this... that's a great idea. Took me a minute to visualize what Jeremiah was talking about. But he's basically describing an over sized toggle bolt. You can off set the pivot hole and when you drop it in the hole it will want to fall to the perpendicular, thus providing the clamp arm on either side of the hole. Will be plenty of force for woodworking.
Jay Bates yes it should fit as long as the bar stock you use is the same width as the the clamp bar. let me know how it works for you:)
This is a great idea that can be applied to pretty much any bar clamp. Too bad Festool, you're gonna lose some turf now, hehehe!
I wish I could visualize what you were saying.
Every time I watch one of your awesome workshop videos I can't every stop thinking about how gorgeous that top sheet of plywood is on top of your Paulk workbench! Super jealous!
As I'm currently building a Paulk bench at the moment, this was a useful and well timed video. As a UK small shop is much smaller than a US small shop it's probably going to be nearer the original so I can move it out on to the drive when I need to work on sheet goods. But I now know to keep the holes and what to do with my cheap clamps ☺Thanks for being a continual source of inspiration.
This video brought a smile to my face.
Why? Well, not for "I told you so", but for the world of possibilities that open up to you when you clamp the first piece of 2x4 on this table. It is just such a joy to use this bench.
That made me smile :-)
Thanks for your videos!
Jan-Wijbrand Kolman Thank you very much :)
I don't blame you for trying it without the holes, but it does look you you made the right choice by adding them. Great vid, Jay. Scott
MrToolhunter Thanks Scott.
“...talent means nothing, while experience, acquired in humility and with hard work, means everything.”
― Patrick Süskind
Thanks for all your videos. I've really learned a lot from them!
Don Foster Great quote Don.
I appreciate your logical, cost effective approach. I avoided the need to use expensive Festool clamps in a different way: I bored 2" diameter holes instead of 3/4". This allows me to use any of the many Bessey tradesman clamps I already own; the flexibility of various bar lengths and jaw reaches provides far greater clamping flexibility at much lower cost. It is also easy to make low profile bench stops and to adapt Bessey or DeStaco toggle clamps to lock into the larger holes so that they can perform other functions provided by the Festool clamping kit.
I own and rely on some wonderful Festool machines that are most critical to my work flow, but I find that there are both advantages and unnecessary burdens in being locked into that particular proprietary system. Instead, I feel that those of us with more time and creative impulses than cash can benefit by creating our own global modular systems in which the Festool program can be an extremely useful subset.
I went through the exact same process last year (minus the split..). And I bought the Festool clamps. They're $40 for two of them and they make the table so much easier to use.
Making or buying a set of 4 dogs is a great addition too. You can use them to square up 5-piece frames or whatever for assembly and for drilling, biscuits, dominos, etc. I use them constantly to keep pieces from squirming around.
Jay. You're a genious. I've got a scrap wood cart that fits beneath a set of sawhorses on top of which I have some old shelving boards. I'm going to build a paulk bench top like you've made with all the holes and put it on top. It will solve SO MANY of my clamping problems. And yes I know about those wonderful Harbor Freight bar clamps... I bought a bunch to build my plywood boats.
Hi Jay,
I built the Paulk bench in two pieces with routed grooves in the top and bottoms to ensure rigidity. Also I rcecessed the sides and ends by two inches/ 50 mm so that I can clamp to the top. Further with the tops and bottom edges proud I can clamp boards vertically on the side of the bench to make 90 degree joints with a board on the table top. Regards Colin in Northern Ireland
Hey Jay I built Ron's bench last month as per his plan and just bought a set of the festool clamps OUCH!! wish I saw your video before I bought them, the Harbor Freight clamps idea ROCKS!! keep up the good work.
Jay, your video creativity and editing are starting to rival your woodworking. Superb on both parts.
P.S. Nice bench:)
Nice build and many thanks for thinking-out-loud, letting us know what you learned and why your making changes. This is putting RUclips to its best potential.
Great production values, like Paulk's videos, I could see it all - hear it all - understand it all, which is getting to be rare and much harder to find on RUclips. Count me as a new subscriber.
You will really like the holes. Did the same thing to my highly modified HF workbench. I did remove the other end of the clamp as you mentioned but I have more space under bench top. Keep up the good work really enjoy your vids.
Best video editing I've ever seen on RUclips. Beautifully done and of course, the bench is brilliant.
Bench is looking great... I like the thought of the gap in the middle being used as clamp but i think you're right about closing it. Also, thanks for the 'clamp hack' plug:)
Joe
the editing and software trick you use really makes these videos enjoyable. keep it up, they get better and better! thanks for the cool ideas!
Good adaptation of those clamps. Another useful mod for them is to use construction adhesive to glue the handles back on when they inevitably spin.
You've got me wishing I had built a Paulk style workbench. Glad to see I'm not the only one who uses drywall screws in my projects!
Lane Bros WoodShop Drill holes in yours :)
Jay Bates Yeah, I've had this debate in my head of dog holes vs t- track. I guess if I drill the holes I won't need to buy all the little clamps and hold downs necessary for a t-track system!
Yeah, if it's any consolation I did the same thing (on a different project) and as it turned out it was just better to do as suggested. That clamping idea is great! Many thanks.
I just love the fact your twin brother gives you a helping hand :)
either way are nice work benches, what's nice is, you know what you want and need, and can modify to your spexs, Nice redo, and you give people 2 options for work benches
Hope to build this bench in August.....was wondering how long it would take him to drill those holes. LOL!
Here is something to try with those Harbor Freight Claps, especially the longer Bars, try bending the end once you removed the clamp head. That way it would work just like the Festool and you won't have to reach under each time to both install and remove. Granting you might lose some clamping power but I don't think much. Perhaps you can heat the bar to bend it. I never tried to bend such a clamp so not sure if it's possible but I would venture to say it is. It would probably bent on the flat easier than long ways, but long ways would put the bend inline with the clamping power and probably offer more of a hold. It might work and if it does it will provide a way to use clamps in the middle of the table that would be too far to reach. Great project...
Now that you have all the holes drilled, you have many more options available to you for clamping & holding. But you really need to get you a couple of these hold down clamps. So simple, fast, & easy to use plus low profile. Works great for many clamping & holding operations. Harbor Freight used to keep them too. That's where I got mine. Just go to Amazon & type in bench dog for all kinds of neat clamps & accessories that will work with 3/4" holes.
I laid out the grid of all 10 jillion holes in pencil line, and drill them as I need them. 6 years, and I have only a dozen or so holes. I keep a 7/8 bit handy in case I need to drill a hole or 2 for clamping. I bought a pair of Bessy clamps and used a piece of grooved 1/2" round bar stock riveted in place of original fixed clamp jaw. Works great! I can insert the clamp from up top. bang bang.
Looks good sir! Watching you pull the top off that clamp gave me another idea! You could take off the top as you did, and then weld a small flat bar on the end that can fit through the holes (so the end result is similar to the Festool clamps). Not sure it'd work but once I get my Paulk bench completed I'll make up a couple and see.
BradleyMakes It should work great. I saw a couple of those out there but I don't have anything on hand to complete that.
Hey jay!! In case someone else hasn't already suggested this.I use the clamps that came with my grizzly tracksaw master pack. you can buy them separately for around 20 bucks a pair and they are similar to the festool ones. Shane
Love the editing style, having the two people on at the same time was a excellent choice. Good Job.
kiffing I tried to get the third guy in there but he wasn't cooperative.
What a great video. Thank you
What a good looking shop
Its been a while since you built it.
What changes have you made,
Another huge benefit I see is the options to attach assembly jigs for bonding and assembly using the matrix of holes. If you have a progressive assembly like a furniture factory, that would be great at ensuring a repeatable process without elaborate dedicated tables.
After drilling over a thousand holes in the metal roofing for my shop I kind of have an idea how you felt about drilling those holes in the work bench. Great job on the work bench Jay!
Saw Dust Maker Drilled holes in the metal roofing?? Are you talking about securing the metal with screws? I can imagine it's just as fun lol.
Yes the holes are for the screws that secure the metal to the roof.
It's all about trial and error and most of all, what works for your applications. By the way, nice plug for John. And nice work bench.
Great video. Good to see you let your twin brother out from behind the camera to help you out!!
Hey Jay you could use 3/4" bench dogs in that bench too. I am going to build one as soon as I can. Awesome bench man thanks for putting this together.
I just wanted to say I think your videos are a godsend thank you
Just finished the frame for my modified Paulk table today. Thanks for the great tutorial!
That bench looks really nice Jay. I am sure that John Heisz appreciates the coordinating shorts. I know its hot in your shop but, its better than 30 degrees.
Ted Alexander Absolutely. I can handle the heat a lot more than the cold.
First time that I'm watching you whithout a cap on your video! Nice job as always.
That was pretty decent of your super-identical twin brother to give you a hand.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda Feed him pizza and he works.
Your videos are very nice. I liked the 2 Jay trick and how you were able to overlay the words as you worked; very helpful stuff!
Bench looks great too!
Nice update Jay. That looks sooo much better. Thanks.
The grain figure on the new plywood top looks really nice in my opinion.
Calvin Friedli(007 Cornhusker) Thanks. That was the "bad" side of the sheet :)
hey jay, i know you didnt necessarily say you were looking for one but i just finished a paulk bench so started looking at clamps take a look at harbor freight f style heavy duty welder clamp works perfect.
Oh for a friend with a big CNC rig for drilling holes! If the top was a little thicker, could use the same harbor freight clamps (modified) as holdfasts. But that would take 3.5" to 4.5" thick to work best. ... Great project mod!
To use the f-style clamps on my work surface (just some framed 3/4 plywood), I drilled a number of 2" holes in the top. With 2", you can snake the clamp end through and under the top. Yes, bigger holes, maybe fewer holes, but no clamp mod, and many different clamps will work. I also sawed a 3/4" slot between two holes so I can position a clamp anywhere along the slot.
I also use the slot when sawing with the jig or circular saw. With the blade running within the slot the workpiece is well supported on both sides.
Nicely done my friend! Great woodworking skills! video editing out of the chain as well! I wish I have the space, time and tools to built more stuff...... Maybe you don't know , but you are a role model of woodworking for us!
Wow I love that table! If I ever get a shop I will build one of these first.
Great Job. I was thinking about skipping on drilling the holes too. So thanks for the heads up.
always informative, always good explanations on why you make decisions, video editing always getting better. keep it up jay. i dont have a shop of my own but hope to someday, but im still leaning what i can for now. thanks man.
Ross Lee Awesome Ross. Thank you very much for the feedback.
Now that there are two of you, one can stay home and work while the other comes to visit me.
Nice table! You should try the matchfit dovetail clamps to clamp pieces down. They can slip in from the top. Especially handy when you need a clamp near the center of your workbench
Wow, that table looks super functional with all those holes! :-D I need to modify my worktable. I think I'll drill a bunch of holes in mine for sure!
Excellent video. Making one of those benches is on my bucket list of things to make... one day. Cool filming method too, liked that a lot. Thanks for posting.
Hey Jay, I was thinking that I liked the idea of a cheap hold fast, but wasn't shining on the whole putting a nail in the part blindly under the table. So my googling began and turned up this similar mod (woodworkingtips.com/etips/etip090100ws.html). I haven't started my workbench yet, but like your direction.
Wow, excellent idea! Thanks for sharing that :)
Jim Roberts Very nice find I may try this
Jim Roberts awesome, definitely going to try this!
I like the holes better Jay. The clamps are a good idea.
No wonder you get so much work done! There's 2 of you!
Brilliant production Jay!
What about dust and crud getting below more easily from all those holes? That's the main reason why I wouldn't want to put all the holes in the bench top. All your videos have been great been going through them all over the last 1-2 weeks! Really liked watching the progression of your skills both woodworking and video work! Cheers!
Great job on the table. I like the two Jay's. Nice video work.
We live and learn =) Me personly would probably be so stubborn that I would manage without the holes. Cursing myself every time I needed them of course, but to proud and stupid to make'em. Cudos to you, Jay =) Both for trying another way, but also for making the nessesary changes when the first one didn't work out for you.
Veronica Thank you very much Veronica. Live and learn.
Jay, Harbor Freight sells those same clamps in a quick release, cost the same, and the heads can be easily unscrewed to be removed. The purpose is to switch from clamp pressure to pry pressure. However they would work for you here without having to grind a bunch of clamp heads off.
You will quickly find that Harbor Freight quick clamps are garbage. Every one I've purchased has been anyway.
Well done Jay. I would drop screws in the holes all the time LOL
Nice editing Jay. It turned out great.
RetroWeld Thank you.
It's good to have your're twin brother as a helper.
Interesting video and really appreciate your growing presentational skills Jay!
1954BJohn Thanks John. I appreciate it.
This guy is the Matrix. He owns wood. To top it all of his cloned himself to double his work pace Subbed..
Good vid, Jay. Can you reach the holes in the middle to insert the clamps?
Hey Jay, did u change the bottom and top pieces of plywood to a solid piece, or just the top?
I didn't see how you connected the 2 halves and secured them, did I miss something, great idea, can't wait to make my own
Very nice editing - Those clamps should work really good with the redesign.
That was a good helper you had. Kind of like Peter Brown's evil twin.
Great idea on the clamps. Really great.
esta ai a mesa que vou fazer ,valeu pelo projeto jay
i like how the natural markings of the plywood make it look like a backgammon game board lol unintentional as its just the manufacturing process of the board but its ended up looking like a design feature very nice :)
Hey nice two man shop. great job on the work table.
Jay, thanks for the idea and inspiration! I made workbench with holes too. Thx!
Thats a sweet bench Jay,
Dont crucify yourself too much Jay, at least you hear the others opinions and undestand what was the best to do. Anyway great idea!
Wow! Seriously awesome editing in this video, I actually had to pause at 3:34 just to make this comment. Great stuff!
Great mod. Simple yet widly useful. thank you
Great video (as always!), but can you demonstrate why you modified the clamps that different way? I would have thought the bar & clamp end would insert up through the top at a slight angle no problem...
Nice bit of video editing as well as great project.
possible idea... instead of having to hold the stationary part of the clamp and inserting the nail every time, you should make a pivoting finger that will fit thru the hole but then pivot 90 deg and secure the clamp... I'm visualizing a galvanized pipe slotted on one half so when it's vertical clamp rail can fit in the pipe... no disassembly ... no possible missing parts.. sorry if that's already been posted but figured I'd throw it out there.
awesome job, and you got to respect honest retrospection!
***** Thanks David.
I like the changes, finish looks nice..............I wish I could work twice as fast.
For a min.there I thought you had a look-a-like or a twin working with you. LOL great job on the editing and great job on the work surface.
Well since no one else said it. "HOLEY COW WOODWORKERMAN" That is a cool looking top and I'm sure massively versatile.
No really thanks for the video and idea, esp the clamps. - Annie
SuperYtviewer Thanks Annie.
Jay, Any ideas about putting a vise of some kind on this Paulk Workbench? Thinking of building one. Thanks.
Great tip on the clamps🙂
I loved this video, mainly the part where you end up drilling the holes in after you decided you weren't going to. :) Keep them coming, Jay, great work!
(I bet your garage is getting pretty hot with all of that Mississippi humidity right now...Im not jealous) haha
Hi Jay - do you have a plan or a video for constructing the base?
Hey. What’s an update on what you would do differently? I’m about to build my own Paulo inspired bench and wanna learn from others that have already done and learned.
Hey Jay. I can't see you drill changer station in the video. Do you not use then any more
you could grind a little off the fixed jaw of the clamps clamps and make the holes 1" diameter instead of 3/4, then the clamps would go through the holes from the top without dismantling them. It works well on mine.
Wow, great shot at 1:00. That's some amazing editing, truly pro quality.
I really love that as an outfeed table, but I wonder about the racking when working on it. It doesn't seem like it would be a good bench to use with planes.
christschool I don't think it's designed to take the place of a woodworkers workbench. It's more of a working table than a working bench.
I was thinking about the clamps. You might be able to do away with the original clamp head and make a couple of steel toggles held on with a pin. Just pivot them inline with the bar to insert into the hole then reach under and flip them 90 degrees to catch the underside of the table. If you have a long clamp, you could cut a few inches of of it to make the toggles if it wouldn't be too fat to fit through the holes.
Very nice, now I've changed my mind and want to make one!
Now you can put in some cam styled clamps in the holes if you get tired of assembling the Harbor Freight clamps.
Hey Jay, what type of plywood did you use for this and most of your shop furniture?