This incredible bench is more than just a work table; it’s an essential tool in the shop
Timothy Wilmots is a cabinet and furniture maker in Belgium. He recently remodeled his shop, and the results are beyond incredible. I particularly like the workbench because it’s so well thought out. He sells plans for the bench and the surrounding storage cabinets on his website.
We’ve looked at some of Wilmots’ videos before. In this one, he uses the bench to build a desk for a customer.
Here are some of the things that stand out to me about the design of the workbench:
- (0:30) I love the pull-outs for his Systainers. Pull out the shelf, open the top, and he has access to the tool.
- (0:41) I like the holes for bench dogs and clamps in the bench top but am wondering where the dust and debris that falls into them goes. Does it end up in the drawers below or have provisions been made to divert it elsewhere? Guess I’ll have to buy the plans to find out.
- (1:22) What a fantastic detail, a T-track for clamping to the face of the bench.
- (2:09) There are drawers to store sandpaper under the bench devoted to sanding.
- (2:16) The adjustable “shelf” for supporting components for edge-sanding is a great idea.
- (3:04) A homemade overhead boom keeps cords and hoses out of the way.
- (3:50) I like the way commonly used fasteners stored in drawers just below the bench top.
- (6:13) Using a cool router table of his own design. The base is sized and shaped like a Systainer and can be attached to a Systainer for transport and storage.
—David Frane is a freelance writer and a good buddy of ours. A former carpenter, he has covered tools and construction for JLC, Tools of the Trade, Core77, and other publications. He lives in Northern California.