Wood Folding Workbench Plans

This workbench was designed with wood carving in mind. However it can be used for any number of woodworking projects. I like the idea of using folding wood furniture, as a way to maximize the space that you have available to you. This bench was designed to fold up quickly and easily and to fit in the trunk of a car. So it is very compact.

The project was designed with a seat. When sitting down your weight increases the stability of the bench. Also if you are doing carving or something similar for a long period, sitting down is a must. I prefer to do most of my woodworking standing up. You can fold the seat under the bench and use it like that or just build the bench without the seat. Without the seat the bench is however a little low for someone like me who is 6 foot tall. With a bench like this stiffness and stability is key.

The seat has only one leg. You balance on the seat using your two legs to take some of the weight. This can take a little getting use to. Once you do get use to it the setup is fine. This layout without extra legs reduces the size and weight of the bench.

On the bench’s top that is nearest to the seat there is a space where you can mount almost any kind of vise. The positioning of the vise makes it easier to use while seated.

The creator of the plans build it out of soft maple. He picked this wood for it’s durability. When picking a wood use something that is durable, but not too heavy. One trick when building this project is to do the base first. Then cut the top to fit onto the base.