Is There A Best Woodworking Table?
It may come to surprise you which Woodworking Table is the best ever made. Stop and consider that I am not paid for any suggestion which I make here. I will give you the undeniable truth as to what is on the market compared to what you can have.
Qualifications For A Table In Woodworking
A standard that must be in place is that the table needs to have some kind of woodworking vise. If it does not come with one then it needs the ability to be modified so that it can have one.
Having said this we already have eliminated many of those cheesy hybrid tables you see at places like Lowes.
I am sure you know the ones I am talking about. Often they are branded by companies like Kobalt with metal framed legs and a wood like counter top.
These tables can be alright for a general workbench. Nevertheless they are definitely not a woodworking table. To add any real wood vise would be problematic at best if not impossible.
Even if a vise could be added to tables like these there are other serious issues. A Woodworking Table needs substantial weight.
If it does not have enough weight it will need to be anchored down. As wood is locked into a vise and hand tools go to work you need that stability.
Storage capability for tools is really a non issue as it should not really be a part of the table. It is a place for work.
Your toolbox holds the tools. Yet some do come with cabinet space underneath or one can be designed so it does not interfere with working.
What Brands Exist That Qualify?
Brands such as Sjobergs, Hofmann & Hammer, and Ramia exist which offer some solutions. You will never see these tables in hardware stores. They are the more traditional woodworking table that allow customization to needs.
Price will vary depending upon what you need in footprint and the vise they offer on the table. Nevertheless at minimum it will be hundreds of dollars to even thousands. While this is far better than the junk at Lowes it is not economical.
As of this writing the Ramia advanced which comes with an end vise and a face vise starts at 500 usd. It is the basic table with a basic frame and two vise’s.
The unfortunate part about this table despite being branded as advanced is the narrow footprint at just under 20 inches deep.
The Sjobergs Elite manages to come in at 24 inches deep but they are really selling the underneath cabinet.
This model can range anywhere between 2k to 3k usd. I am sorry but this is seriously overpriced for both the cabinet and the footprint.
There are options on the market for you but make no mistake in that you will pay a premium for many of these tables. In return the size of the woodworking table may not give you the workspace you actually need.
So… What Is The Best Woodworking Table?
If you want to know the truth of this… The best Woodworking Table you can find is the one you build for yourself. Nothing on the market can match the size or customization that your good planning can put into this.
It doesn’t have to be fancy. It doesn’t have to be pretty. It does need to be heavy duty, resilient, and sturdy.
The top should be hard and smooth. Paste wax can help to give a smooth finish and protect it from moisture.
You can customize the table top footprint and predetermine layout upon your shop setup. You decide which vise you need and where it should be placed.
Here is the difference between what I offer you in my blog as compared to others. I am not trying to sell you something. As I said earlier, I do not make anything from recommendations that I give you.
Yet I do want to give you the best information for what is the best value.
Woodworking Table 101 Components
It needs four legs. This seems obvious right? Mine actually has two legs. The opposite side has an old vanity cabinet from a bathroom under it.
The table top is mounted to the vanity. This was easy as a vanity is designed for top mounting.
In reading what I have done for my work hopefully wheels begin to turn in your mind. You can get creative with the design and save a lot of money.
As for the two legs on my table I used two 2x4s and screwed them together. This made two 4×4’s which serve as the legs. Add reinforcement and you are solid.
The real trick is in the top frame of the table. I say it is a trick because you will need to design the top frame around the type of vise you plan to use. It is not hard but does require thinking through the process a bit.
As for the table top itself, that is the easy part. I took sheets of plywood and screwed it down. In this way if it ever becomes damaged it is really easy to replace.
There is no need to spend thousands for something that could offer a much larger footprint with more function for under one thousand.
Add to this the fact that you built it which should allow for easy and cheap repair to the Woodworking Table. It just makes sense.
The Most Difficult Part Of Setup
What can be the most difficult part of setting this thing up is the installation of a wood vise. Depending on which vise you select, some are easier than others.
Generally speaking, a face vise or an end vise is not too bad. A leg vise might give a little trouble depending on its design matching to your table design.
A tail or shoulder vise will definitely take a bit of creativity to set into place properly. While it is far less common to find, a wagon vise may give a lot more trouble. Essentially this one is a modified tail vise.
Yet the installation of these features is where most will begin to run into some issues. Each have a solution that can be found yet being patient and working through them makes it all possible. In the end it is definitely worth it.
Once you begin to research the different styles of a vise which are available it will not take long to figure out why those metal frame tables are garbage.
The design of those tables are not for woodworking irregardless of what branding may be on them.
Things To Avoid In A Woodworking Table
The biggest issue to avoid is a small footprint. This is for two reasons. First is the obvious smaller workspace you have at the top. The second is the table being too narrow for supporting work without anchoring at the base.
1. A narrow table will need to be anchored. By comparison when a table is large enough it can instead be set on wheels and be moved around the shop.
My table is near three feet deep and about six feet long. This is a bit larger than what you will see offered on the market abroad. Yet mine is also custom built by me.
2. Table height is also another major issue that all too often is not realized until it is too late. I want to be able to both stand and sit while still easily reaching my work. How is this possible?
If the Woodworking Table is at counter top height then it is too high to use a chair. If it is at a typical table top height then standing will kill your lower back with just a little time working over it.
I set my table in between those two heights. The chair I sit in is adjustable. Yet as I work while sitting the table top is just right. While standing it is also perfect and of no strain to my back. What can I say… getting older sucks.
3. Do not invest too much into storage space. My table has a vanity underneath but its footprint is small. You need room for working and that is its primary function, not storage.
Adding too much storage space will remove some of its functional ability especially if you are like me and enjoy using a chair. Your legs need to fit under the table comfortably while seated.
4. Do not install a thin top on the Woodworking Table. It needs a thick top. I used two sheets of plywood stacked and screwed down to each other.
This gives you two huge benefits. It adds a nice rigid surface for working as a starter. Yet it also makes the top portion easier to replace while not having to disassemble any mounted hardware underneath.
This can become important for vise hardware, or mounted power you ran to the table. If it is mounted to the bottom piece of plywood then it will never need to be removed unless you redesign the layout.
Your Woodworking Table Is Unique To You
If you have read through my four points above then immediately you see huge advantages to building your own table.
It is about a lot more than price. It is comfort, efficiency, ease of use and function, then also personal customization.
No brand on the market can offer all of this. What it does require is some planning. You need to make your Woodworking Table unique to you and how you work.
The perfect hidden example earlier is my preference to sit and stand at the same table comfortably while working. When wood carving or finishing this ability is nice.
My final piece of advise is to research what vise you may prefer to use with the table. The woodworking you do will determine this. Yet some are better at multiple functions than others.
Once you have that selected then it is rather easy to build around the concept of what you will need. The vise can be purchased as a hardware kit that is installed.
Would I Ever Purchase A Woodworking Table?
Personally, no I would not ever purchase a table. In fact there is not a table within my shop that I have purchased. Each of them I have built.
This includes the table for my cnc mill. While my cnc sits on a table it is not a little benchtop. It is a 2×3 ft mill on which a 2.2kw spindle rests on. It’s not a small toy.
The table I built for this machine has multiple points of reinforcement for stability. It is near 3ft deep and 8 ft long.
The end where the cnc rests is dedicated for that machine. The other end can offer support for other woodworking needs as well.
This is an example of a table where multiple functions can be designed into one table. How much you choose to put into it depends upon your needs. In my case no brand offered a solution for me.
The same can be done for your router. Instead of taking away from your table saw by adding the router there, add it to another table built in your shop. Why take away space from cutting boards on your saw?
Tables For Schools Or Kids In A Wood Shop
Depending on the design of your wood shop it may be beneficial to purchase one of the smaller Woodworking Tables. In this case one for under 400 dollars could add some function.
Ramia at the time of this writing has a basic table for that 400 mark that would be good for school or kids to learn woodworking on. It has an end vise and a small face vise.
While it may be just under 20 inches deep it does have a nice 53 inches in width. For the price it is hard to beat as a starting table. I have no idea what brand vise is used on the table and this may merit some research before buying.
In this case buying may be cheaper than building if you don’t mind sacrificing some size. Yet when it comes to kids learning they do not need a larger footprint. When they get serious with work then they can use the big boy tools.