Debate: Should you bolt your workbench to the wall or keep it free standing?

I've had my current bench for 3 years now, kept it free standing so I could move it around when needed. But last month I helped a buddy bolt his down and the thing didn't budge during heavy planing. Anyone else torn between stability and portability?

2 comments

2 Comments

terryallen4d ago

@riley_price makes a really good point about that tipping problem. I've seen benches go over sideways more times than I can count and it's always the ones that aren't secured. What a lot of people don't realize is that a free standing bench needs to be really heavy to stay put, like solid core door heavy or loaded with mass. Most of us don't have that kind of weight sitting around. Bolting to the wall changes everything because now the wall itself becomes part of the bench's strength. You can plane with all your weight behind it and nothing shifts. For me the trade off is worth it if you only move your bench once every few years or less. Just pull the bolts when you need to rearrange and put them back after.

riley_price4d ago

Wait, you kept a bench free standing for three years and never had it walk across the floor? Mine shimmied like a washing machine on spin cycle the first week I tried that. I finally bolted mine to the wall studs after I planed a board so hard the whole bench tipped forward and dumped my chisel set on the concrete. Portability sounds nice but for me stability won out once I saw how much force a heavy hand plane actually puts into the frame.