Moravian workbench plans to your measure

Start from

Opens on the sizes of “Myers, 2012”, at a height estimated from yours in place of that bench’s 854 mm.

Your height70 1/16"mm

Height31 9/16"mm

Length of the top76"mm

Slab width13"mm

Slab thickness3 1/2"mm

Top made as

Overhang at each end12"mm

RevisionsThe bench as first drawn

Bench: Moravian
After: Will Myers, 2012
Drawn for: a maker 1780 mm tall
Units: mm
Timber: Scots pine (European redwood)
Sheet: 1 of 4
Rev: 0
Date: 2026-10-25

Mark	Part	Qty	Long	Wide	Thick
A		1	1930	330	89
	one slab, as the original. Slab tops are reported to warp; plane it flat again when it does rests on the top rails and leg heads; four blind holes underneath drop over the dowels. Enlarge the rear pair so the slab can move mortise 22 mm wide and 19 mm deep underneath for the vise backer wagon vise slot 27 mm x 213 mm, 44 mm from the tail end and 38 mm from the front edge; dog holes every 102 mm in line with it the screw runs out through the end of the slab; bore for it to suit the hardware. The hole is drawn only to clear the screw

B		1	1930	89	25
	rim drawn as deep as the slab is thick, flush top and bottom as on Myers' drawing; his is 89 mm groove 8 mm x 10 mm near the lower edge for the floor through dovetails to the ends; leave a small fillet on the pin board to fill the groove where it runs out

C		1	1900	264	25
	rabbeted on three edges to enter the groove: sizes include 10 mm on each of them leave the front edge wide and scribe it to the slab glue along the back edge only, never to end grain; one screw in an enlarged hole at the front of each end

D		2	279	89	25
	rim drawn as deep as the slab is thick, flush top and bottom as on Myers' drawing; his is 89 mm groove 8 mm x 10 mm near the lower edge for the floor dovetailed to the back. The number of tails is not recorded; three are drawn

E		2	2002	89	64
	blank: 1392 mm between shoulders plus a 305 mm tenon laid out at each end. The surplus stops the end splitting while the key mortise is chopped; trim afterwards to 1746 mm overall shoulders cut at 16 degrees; tenon 29 mm thick, full height, 16 mm from the face side glue up from two boards face to face Myers' drawing rounds the corners of the tenon ends to about 38 mm radius (scaled); drawn square here front stretcher: mortise 22 mm wide and 19 mm deep in the top edge for the vise backer

F		4	770	102	79
	both ends cut at 16 degrees; the length is the least blank that takes the two bevels. Myers starts about 1016 mm long glue up from three boards, 29 mm x 108 mm in Myers' bench lay out as two mirrored pairs, the front and back leg of each frame. The stretcher mortise is 16 mm from the outer face front left (vise) leg: a shallow mortise in the back takes the edge of the vise nut front right leg: three 19 mm holes on the centre line for a holdfast or a peg, 100 mm, 216 mm, 379 mm below the leg head measured plumb; the top one scaled off Myers' drawing, the rest set to clear the joints (derived)

G		2	609	95	51
	includes a 38 mm bridle tenon at each end Myers' text gives 95 mm stock, left square on top and planed flush with the leg heads after glue-up, which leaves about 74 mm to 88 mm. His drawing labels the lower edge 67 mm down the leg. The sources disagree; the rail and its slot are drawn to the drawing, so cut the slot to the rail you end with the hardest wood you have; red oak in Myers' bench

H		2	609	76	51
	includes a through tenon 64 mm x 25 mm at each end, drawbored set 233 mm down the leg from the head, where Myers has 283 mm, to keep his 114 mm of leg above the stretcher mortise on this shorter leg (our judgement)

I		2	543	64	25
	lap dovetail each end, let into the outer face of the legs length and dovetail are scaled from Myers' drawing, which gives no figure for them; mark yours from the legs

J		1	648	203	57
	203 mm wide for the top 203 mm, then tapering to 152 mm Myers' text gives 648 mm long; his drawing adds a foot 86 mm wide about 102 mm below that. The sources disagree and the foot is not drawn thickness scaled from the drawing, which gives no figure; garter mortise 10 mm x 38 mm in one edge one of the places for your hardest wood; white oak in Myers' bench

K		1	457	51	22
	tenon 38 mm x 22 mm with 6 mm shoulders top and bottom, through the chop, glued and double-wedged; make two wedges two rows of 10 mm holes at 38 mm centres, the rows staggered 13 mm one of the places for your hardest wood; oak in Myers' bench

L		1	445	241	51
	includes a 19 mm stub tenon top and bottom, dry, set to the rear rip and plane one edge to the leg in place; the other edge stays plumb Myers' 2012 backer is 51 mm; his later ones are about 70 mm to 76 mm

M		1	134	134	19
	glued to the back of the backer; size it to the nut you buy and scribe it to the leg. Drawn at twice the screw hole, which is our figure

N		4	216	54	10
	10 mm thick, tapering 54 mm to 38 mm on one edge the hardest wood you have, oak in Myers' bench. In his tests a white pine key failed at under a fifth of the load of white oak

O		4	102	19	19
	19 mm; bore and drive after the glue has set. Make it over length and trim flush

P		4	102	10	10
	Myers gives no size; this is general bench practice. Straight-grained dry oak, pointed, made over length and trimmed flush

Q		4	51	13	13
	13 mm x 51 mm, cut from dowel rod and tapered, glued in the tray floor and entering the rail an inch or so. Leave about 3 mm for the floor to move and enlarge the rear rail hole

R		4	50	13	13
	cut from dowel rod; glued into the top rail, standing about 25 mm proud. The depth in the rail is not given; drawn at 25 mm

Finished sizes, tenons included. Leave yourself length to square the ends, and tick each part as you cut it.

Timber to buy

0 of 7 bought

Scots pine (European redwood), at a yard in the UK or Europe

Section	Buy	In all
CLS 38x63	2 at 2.4 m	4.8 m
CLS 38x89	5 at 2.4 m + 1 spare	14.4 m
50x100 PAR	4 at 2.4 m + 1 spare	12.0 m
50x150 PAR	1 at 3.6 m1 at 3.0 m	6.6 m
In a hard wood, for the top rail, vise chop, parallel guide
27 mm	K 1 at 482 x 51	0.001 m³
65 mm	G 2 at 634 x 95J 1 at 673 x 203	0.019 m³
Sawn to size	A 1 at 1955 x 330 x 89

Rough hardwood comes in random widths and lengths, so you choose the boards at the yard. The pieces are listed by mark, length and width; the total includes the 15 % waste share.

Nothing on your yard’s list makes the top slab in one piece. Have it sawn to size; nothing is added for flattening it, as no source gives a figure, so ask the sawyer.

At the yard

AChoose the driest slab in the yard, and one without the pith. A boxed heart will split (Schwarz).
GJKNUse the hardest wood you have for this part (Myers).
OPStraight-grained, fully dry oak. Riven stock follows the grain; sawn dowel only if the grain is dead straight (Schwarz).

Cutting plan

One bar to a board, to scale, marked out from the left with 3 mm for each saw cut and 25 mm over on each length. A part ripped several from one width shows ×2 or ×3. The hatched end is offcut.

CLS 38x63 · Scots pine · 4.8 m

1 × 2.4 m

CLS 38x89 · Scots pine · 12.0 m

2 × 2.4 m

1 × 2.4 m

50x100 PAR · Scots pine · 9.6 m

4 × 2.4 m

50x150 PAR · Scots pine · 6.6 m

1 × 3.6 m

1 × 3.0 m

The sections and the packing are worked out to buy the least timber. The spare boards on the list are not drawn.

Finished 0.13 m³. As bought 0.19 m³. The hard-wood parts, apart: 0.017 m³. The finished bench weighs about 82 kg.

Add for waste, our judgement15 %0.22 m³

The waste share is for faults found once the boards are opened up. The list buys it as whole spare boards, at the length you buy most of in each section, and the volumes include it. Mass is the finished volume at the species’ tabulated density, joints not taken out, so take it as a guide.

Pegs, wedges and keys

4Key, 216 x 54 x 10 mm
4Bridle peg, 102 x 19 x 19 mm
4Drawbore peg, 102 x 10 x 10 mm
4Tray dowel, 51 x 13 x 13 mm
4Top dowel, 50 x 13 x 13 mm

From what is left of the 65 mm on the timber list, or dowel rod where the list says so. They are not in the timber volumes.

Hardware and fixings

1Loose pin for the parallel guide, to suit 10 mm holes
2Wood screw for the front of the tray floor, in an enlarged hole. Myers gives no size
1Nut for the wooden vise screw (comes with it), fixed with two wood screws
1Wooden vise screw with nut and garter, for a 67 mm hole. Myers used Lake Erie Toolworks
1Wagon vise hardware: Will Myers' Moravian tail vise (takes 19 mm dogs), or shop-made on a 16 mm left-hand acme screw as he did in 2012

This bar should measure 100 mm. If it does not, the print is not at 1:50; work from the figures.

Finished sizes. The notes to this drawing, with their sources, are on sheet 3.

http://localhost:33953/moravian?y.region=uk

Bench: Moravian
After: Will Myers, 2012
Drawn for: a maker 1780 mm tall
Units: mm
Timber: Scots pine (European redwood)
Scale: 1:50
Sheet: 1 of 4
Rev: 0
Date: 2026-10-25

Cutting list

Mark	Part	Qty	Long	Wide	Thick
A	Top slab	1	1930	330	89
	one slab, as the original. Slab tops are reported to warp; plane it flat again when it does; rests on the top rails and leg heads; four blind holes underneath drop over the dowels. Enlarge the rear pair so the slab can move; mortise 22 mm wide and 19 mm deep underneath for the vise backer; wagon vise slot 27 mm x 213 mm, 44 mm from the tail end and 38 mm from the front edge; dog holes every 102 mm in line with it; the screw runs out through the end of the slab; bore for it to suit the hardware. The hole is drawn only to clear the screw

B	Tray back	1	1930	89	25
	rim drawn as deep as the slab is thick, flush top and bottom as on Myers' drawing; his is 89 mm; groove 8 mm x 10 mm near the lower edge for the floor; through dovetails to the ends; leave a small fillet on the pin board to fill the groove where it runs out

C	Tray floor	1	1900	264	25
	rabbeted on three edges to enter the groove: sizes include 10 mm on each of them; leave the front edge wide and scribe it to the slab; glue along the back edge only, never to end grain; one screw in an enlarged hole at the front of each end

D	Tray end	2	279	89	25
	rim drawn as deep as the slab is thick, flush top and bottom as on Myers' drawing; his is 89 mm; groove 8 mm x 10 mm near the lower edge for the floor; dovetailed to the back. The number of tails is not recorded; three are drawn

E	Long stretcher	2	2002	89	64
	blank: 1392 mm between shoulders plus a 305 mm tenon laid out at each end. The surplus stops the end splitting while the key mortise is chopped; trim afterwards to 1746 mm overall; shoulders cut at 16 degrees; tenon 29 mm thick, full height, 16 mm from the face side; glue up from two boards face to face; Myers' drawing rounds the corners of the tenon ends to about 38 mm radius (scaled); drawn square here; front stretcher: mortise 22 mm wide and 19 mm deep in the top edge for the vise backer

F	Leg	4	770	102	79
	both ends cut at 16 degrees; the length is the least blank that takes the two bevels. Myers starts about 1016 mm long; glue up from three boards, 29 mm x 108 mm in Myers' bench; lay out as two mirrored pairs, the front and back leg of each frame. The stretcher mortise is 16 mm from the outer face; front left (vise) leg: a shallow mortise in the back takes the edge of the vise nut; front right leg: three 19 mm holes on the centre line for a holdfast or a peg, 100 mm, 216 mm, 379 mm below the leg head measured plumb; the top one scaled off Myers' drawing, the rest set to clear the joints (derived)

G	Top rail	2	609	95	51
	includes a 38 mm bridle tenon at each end; Myers' text gives 95 mm stock, left square on top and planed flush with the leg heads after glue-up, which leaves about 74 mm to 88 mm. His drawing labels the lower edge 67 mm down the leg. The sources disagree; the rail and its slot are drawn to the drawing, so cut the slot to the rail you end with; the hardest wood you have; red oak in Myers' bench

H	Middle rail	2	609	76	51
	includes a through tenon 64 mm x 25 mm at each end, drawbored; set 233 mm down the leg from the head, where Myers has 283 mm, to keep his 114 mm of leg above the stretcher mortise on this shorter leg (our judgement)

I	Lower rail	2	543	64	25
	lap dovetail each end, let into the outer face of the legs; length and dovetail are scaled from Myers' drawing, which gives no figure for them; mark yours from the legs

J	Vise chop	1	648	203	57
	203 mm wide for the top 203 mm, then tapering to 152 mm; Myers' text gives 648 mm long; his drawing adds a foot 86 mm wide about 102 mm below that. The sources disagree and the foot is not drawn; thickness scaled from the drawing, which gives no figure; garter mortise 10 mm x 38 mm in one edge; one of the places for your hardest wood; white oak in Myers' bench

K	Parallel guide	1	457	51	22
	tenon 38 mm x 22 mm with 6 mm shoulders top and bottom, through the chop, glued and double-wedged; make two wedges; two rows of 10 mm holes at 38 mm centres, the rows staggered 13 mm; one of the places for your hardest wood; oak in Myers' bench

L	Vise backer	1	445	241	51
	includes a 19 mm stub tenon top and bottom, dry, set to the rear; rip and plane one edge to the leg in place; the other edge stays plumb; Myers' 2012 backer is 51 mm; his later ones are about 70 mm to 76 mm

M	Nut spacer	1	134	134	19
	glued to the back of the backer; size it to the nut you buy and scribe it to the leg. Drawn at twice the screw hole, which is our figure

N	Key	4	216	54	10
	10 mm thick, tapering 54 mm to 38 mm on one edge; the hardest wood you have, oak in Myers' bench. In his tests a white pine key failed at under a fifth of the load of white oak

O	Bridle peg	4	102	19	19
	19 mm; bore and drive after the glue has set. Make it over length and trim flush

P	Drawbore peg	4	102	10	10
	Myers gives no size; this is general bench practice. Straight-grained dry oak, pointed, made over length and trimmed flush

Q	Tray dowel	4	51	13	13
	13 mm x 51 mm, cut from dowel rod and tapered, glued in the tray floor and entering the rail an inch or so. Leave about 3 mm for the floor to move and enlarge the rear rail hole

R	Top dowel	4	50	13	13
	cut from dowel rod; glued into the top rail, standing about 25 mm proud. The depth in the rail is not given; drawn at 25 mm

Finished sizes, in millimetres, tenons included. Leave yourself length to square the ends, and tick each part as you cut it.

Timber to buy

Scots pine (European redwood), at a yard in the UK or Europecarry up to 3.6 m · 3 mm kerf · 25 mm over each length

Section	Buy	In all
CLS 38x63	2 at 2.4 m	4.8 m
CLS 38x89	5 at 2.4 m + 1 spare	14.4 m
50x100 PAR	4 at 2.4 m + 1 spare	12.0 m
50x150 PAR	1 at 3.6 m1 at 3.0 m	6.6 m
In a hard wood, for the top rail, vise chop, parallel guide
27 mm	K 1 at 482 x 51	0.001 m³
65 mm	G 2 at 634 x 95J 1 at 673 x 203	0.019 m³
Sawn to size	A 1 at 1955 x 330 x 89

Rough hardwood comes in random widths and lengths, so you choose the boards at the yard. The pieces are listed by mark, length and width; the total includes the 15 % waste share.

Nothing on your yard’s list makes the top slab in one piece. Have it sawn to size; nothing is added for flattening it, as no source gives a figure, so ask the sawyer.

At the yard

AChoose the driest slab in the yard, and one without the pith. A boxed heart will split (Schwarz).
GJKNUse the hardest wood you have for this part (Myers).
OPStraight-grained, fully dry oak. Riven stock follows the grain; sawn dowel only if the grain is dead straight (Schwarz).

Cutting plan

One bar to a board, to scale, marked out from the left with 3 mm for each saw cut and 25 mm over on each length. A part ripped several from one width shows ×2 or ×3. The hatched end is offcut.

CLS 38x63 · Scots pine · 4.8 m

1 × 2.4 m

CLS 38x89 · Scots pine · 12.0 m

2 × 2.4 m

1 × 2.4 m

50x100 PAR · Scots pine · 9.6 m

4 × 2.4 m

50x150 PAR · Scots pine · 6.6 m

1 × 3.6 m

1 × 3.0 m

The sections and the packing are worked out to buy the least timber. The spare boards on the list are not drawn.

Finished 0.13 m³. As bought 0.19 m³; with 15 % for waste, our judgement, 0.22 m³. The hard-wood parts, apart: 0.020 m³. The finished bench weighs about 82 kg.

Pegs, wedges and keys

4Key, 216 x 54 x 10 mm
4Bridle peg, 102 x 19 x 19 mm
4Drawbore peg, 102 x 10 x 10 mm
4Tray dowel, 51 x 13 x 13 mm
4Top dowel, 50 x 13 x 13 mm

From what is left of the 65 mm on the timber list, or dowel rod where the list says so. They are not in the timber volumes.

Hardware and fixings

1Loose pin for the parallel guide, to suit 10 mm holes
2Wood screw for the front of the tray floor, in an enlarged hole. Myers gives no size
1Nut for the wooden vise screw (comes with it), fixed with two wood screws
1Wooden vise screw with nut and garter, for a 67 mm hole. Myers used Lake Erie Toolworks
1Wagon vise hardware: Will Myers' Moravian tail vise (takes 19 mm dogs), or shop-made on a 16 mm left-hand acme screw as he did in 2012

Notes and sources

Departures and checks

The legs are set at 16 degrees. Myers writes 16 and labels his drawing 15, and the angle of the original is not published. Either works if the leg heads and the stretcher shoulders are cut to the same bevel.
About 27 mm of tenon is left beyond the key at its lower edge (derived). That is what Myers' drawing gives by its labels, but he also says the wood beyond the key is the strength of the joint, and his test joints had about 102 mm. Lengthen the tenon beyond the leg if you want more.
The middle rail is drawn 233 mm down the leg from its head; Myers draws it at 283 mm. He sets the rails out for one bench, 765 mm to the underside of the top; on a shorter leg his figure brings the rail down toward the stretcher mortise, and at the lowest heights into it. No source says how to move it. Here it keeps the 114 mm of leg his drawing labels between the rail and the mortise. That choice is our judgement.
The dog holes at 331 mm, 433 mm, 535 mm, 1555 mm from the vise end come down on a leg head or the vise backer, where a dog will not drop through and a holdfast will not pass. The row is set out as Myers draws his: every 102 mm, the first 127 mm from the vise end (scaled from the drawing), which runs it over the leg heads and the backer on his bench too. Shift the row if it matters to you.
Myers' drawing shows three holes in the right front leg about 158 mm apart, scaled from the linework of a bench 765 mm to the underside of the top. At this height that spacing would bring a hole into, or too near, the middle rail tenon or the stretcher mortise, so of his three two are moved along the leg. Each hole drawn keeps at least 19 mm of wood from a joint. The top hole is where he draws it; the rest of the placing is derived, and ours.
The bench is drawn in scots pine (european redwood). Myers' advice is to put the hardest wood you have in the top rails, the vise chop, the parallel guide and the keys; his own bench is yellow pine with oak in those places and a white oak top. In his 2016 tests a white pine key broke at 700 lb where white oak keys took about 4000 lb. Timber to buy counts the top rails, the chop and the guide apart, as hardwood; the keys and pegs are listed with the small parts.

General notes

1
Note 1. Height. Myers gives no rule: "There is no perfect workbench, no perfect height". His own bench is 33-5/8 in (854 mm). The only rule found is Schwarz's: stand with your arms relaxed and measure from the floor to where the little finger joins the hand, and stay between 28 and 36 in. The start figure here is derived from that rule at 0.45 of your height, the ratio of Schwarz's own bench to his own stature. The height of the original bench is not published.
- Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench, measured drawing, 2012, sheet 001, dated 4-10-2012. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench FAQ's, 2018, post and comments. In Sources
- Our arithmetic from the figures cited.
2
Note 2. Length of the top. Myers draws 6 ft 4 in (1930 mm). The Myers-built bench Schwarz records is 72-3/4 in (1848 mm). Builders report 6 ft benches and 7 to 8 ft shop benches. No source gives a rule for scaling the legs or stretchers with length, so none is applied here.
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench, measured drawing, 2012, sheet 001, dated 4-10-2012. In Sources
- Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench Crisscross Install, 2019, post, installation sheet and comments. In Sources
3
Note 3. Slab width. The original slab is 16 in (406 mm) wide. Myers made his 13 in (330 mm) and says that anything wider, at 3 to 4 in thick, "gets heavy and hurts mobility". The bench Schwarz records is 13-3/4 in (349 mm).
- Will Myers, The Moravian Workbench, 2012, three parts, April to May 2012; photographs on pp. 13, 15 and 41. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench FAQ's, 2018, post and comments. In Sources
- Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
4
Note 4. Slab thickness. The original is 2-1/2 in (64 mm) thick. Myers works at 3 to 4 in and draws 3-1/2 in (89 mm). Schwarz records 3-1/4 in (83 mm) on a Myers-built bench.
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench, measured drawing, 2012, sheet 001, dated 4-10-2012. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench FAQ's, 2018, post and comments. In Sources
- Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
5
Note 5. Top made as. The original and Myers' top are single slabs. Schwarz and Farnsworth both report slab tops warping; Farnsworth now glues his up from 2 in oak because his slabs "bowed, cupped, and twisted". Myers himself first planned a glued-up yellow pine top. Either is documented.
- Will Myers, The Moravian Workbench, 2012, three parts, April to May 2012; photographs on pp. 13, 15 and 41. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench FAQ's, 2018, post and comments. In Sources
- Joshua Farnsworth, Portable Moravian Workbenches Now For Sale!, 2019. In Sources
- Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
6
Note 6. Overhang at each end. Sources disagree a little. Myers writes "about 12-1/2 inches" in 2012 and "only 12 inches of overhang" in 2019. His drawing scales to 12-3/4 in (324 mm) and its labels work out to 11.6 in (294 mm) at 15 degrees. 12 in (305 mm) with a 16 degree rake reproduces the drawing's labelled stretcher shoulders, and it is the least his tail vise will fit.
- Will Myers, The Moravian Workbench, 2012, three parts, April to May 2012; photographs on pp. 13, 15 and 41. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench Tail Vise, with installation sheet, 2019. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench, measured drawing, 2012, sheet 001, dated 4-10-2012. In Sources
7
Note 7. Behind the slab. The original has a tray and so does Myers' bench. The tray divides opinion; Myers suggests a board flush with the slab, or a second slab, for those who do not want one. Neither the original nor Myers' tray has wedged dust blocks at the ends.
- Will Myers, The Moravian Workbench, 2012, three parts, April to May 2012; photographs on pp. 13, 15 and 41. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench FAQ's, 2018, post and comments. In Sources
- Joshua Farnsworth, Portable Moravian Workbenches Now For Sale!, 2019. In Sources
8
Note 8. Tray width. Myers' tray is 11 in (279 mm) outside, which with his 13 in slab makes the 24 in depth of the end frames. The bench Schwarz records has a 10 in (254 mm) tray. The width of the original's tray is not published; Myers says only that his narrower top made the tray "a little wider".
- Will Myers, The Moravian Workbench, 2012, three parts, April to May 2012; photographs on pp. 13, 15 and 41. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench, measured drawing, 2012, sheet 001, dated 4-10-2012. In Sources
- Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
9
Note 9. Leg rake. Sources disagree, and both are Myers. His text gives 16 degrees twice and again in 2016; his drawing is labelled 15 and drawn at 16.3. No measurement of the original is published. 16 is taken here because with a 12 in overhang it reproduces the drawing's labelled shoulder distance; that is our judgement, made to square his two figures. Whichever you take, cut the leg heads, the feet and the stretcher shoulders to the same bevel.
- Will Myers, The Moravian Workbench, 2012, three parts, April to May 2012; photographs on pp. 13, 15 and 41. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench, measured drawing, 2012, sheet 001, dated 4-10-2012. In Sources
- Will Myers, Tusk Tenons... How Strong Are They?, 2016. In Sources
10
Note 10. Stretchers above the floor. The drawing gives 8-1/2 in (216 mm). Myers moves the stretchers down "2 in or so" to fit a Crisscross with a wooden screw. Nothing lower is documented.
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench, measured drawing, 2012, sheet 001, dated 4-10-2012. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench Crisscross Install, 2019, post, installation sheet and comments. In Sources
11
Note 11. Middle rails. Each end frame has a top rail and a lower rail. The original has a middle rail at the vise end only; Myers puts one in both frames. His drawing sets it 11-1/8 in (283 mm) down the leg from the head, with 4-1/2 in (114 mm) of leg between it and the stretcher mortise, on a bench 33-5/8 in high. No source says where it goes on a lower bench. When the leg is shorter than his, the rail here keeps the 4-1/2 in above the mortise and so sits nearer the head. That is our judgement.
- Will Myers, The Moravian Workbench, 2012, three parts, April to May 2012; photographs on pp. 13, 15 and 41. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench, measured drawing, 2012, sheet 001, dated 4-10-2012. In Sources
12
Note 12. Tenon beyond the leg. Derived: the drawing labels the stretcher 5 ft 10 in long and 4 ft 8-1/8 in between shoulders, which leaves 2-13/16 in (71 mm) beyond the leg at the lower edge. The same drawing is drawn at 3-3/8 in (87 mm). Myers says the wood beyond the key is what gives the joint its strength, and his 2016 test joints had about 4 in beyond the key. He does not say which the bench should have. The upper limit here is ours; nothing in the sources derives it.
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench, measured drawing, 2012, sheet 001, dated 4-10-2012. In Sources
- Will Myers, Tusk Tenons... How Strong Are They?, 2016. In Sources
- Our arithmetic from the figures cited.
13
Note 13. Top dowels. The slab is located by four dowels glued into the top rails and standing about 1 in proud; nothing else holds it. "Gravity seems to be plenty." Myers used 1/2 in dowels in 2012 and calls 5/8 in regular by 2014. The rear holes in the slab are enlarged so it can move.
- Will Myers, The Moravian Workbench, 2012, three parts, April to May 2012; photographs on pp. 13, 15 and 41. In Sources
- Will Myers, Ratcheting and Angled Leg Vises, 2014, reposted 2018. In Sources
14
Note 14. Middle rail pegs. Myers says "draw bored pegs" for the middle rail and gives no size, offset or count. The two sizes offered are Schwarz's general bench practice, 3/8 in in 2005 and 5/8 in by 2020; neither is recorded of this bench. One peg a joint, as the plan rendering shows. The bridle pegs are 3/4 in (19 mm); that size is Myers'.
- Will Myers, The Moravian Workbench, 2012, three parts, April to May 2012; photographs on pp. 13, 15 and 41. In Sources
- Christopher Schwarz, Drawboring Resurrected, 2005. In Sources
- Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
15
Note 15. Leg vise. The vise does not screw through the raked leg. A plumb backer board is tenoned dry between the underside of the top and the front stretcher, its edge scribed to the leg, and the chop works against that. The original closes over the leg; Myers follows it because that moves the vise a few inches further left. The Crisscross is his later fitting and needs a thicker backer and chop.
- Will Myers, The Moravian Workbench, 2012, three parts, April to May 2012; photographs on pp. 13, 15 and 41. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench Crisscross Install, 2019, post, installation sheet and comments. In Sources
16
Note 16. Wagon vise and dog holes. Myers added this. The old bench has "no tail vise, just single-point planing stops". The slot is 1-1/16 in (27 mm) wide and 8-3/8 in (213 mm) long, 1-3/4 in (44 mm) from the end and 1-1/2 in (38 mm) from the front edge, with dog holes every 4 in (102 mm) in line with it. It needs 12 in of overhang. His drawing starts the row 5 in (127 mm) from the vise end (scaled), which runs it over the leg heads and the vise backer, where a dog cannot drop through. The row is drawn as he draws it, and the notes name the holes that are blocked.
- Will Myers, The Moravian Workbench, 2012, three parts, April to May 2012; photographs on pp. 13, 15 and 41. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench Tail Vise, with installation sheet, 2019. In Sources
- Christopher Schwarz, More Moravian Workbenches, 2011. In Sources
17
Note 17. Holes in the right front leg. Myers bores the right front leg "for a hold fast or a peg to support long work" and never needed a sliding deadman. His drawing shows three holes on the centre line of the leg, the top one about 4 in (100 mm) below the underside of the top and the others about 6-1/4 in (158 mm) apart. Those positions are scaled from the drawing, which carries no dimension for them, and they suit his height of bench. On another height each hole keeps his place where that clears the joints in the leg; one that would land in or within 3/4 in (19 mm) of the middle rail tenon or the stretcher mortise is moved along the leg to clear it, and is left out if that takes it more than half his spacing. That rule is derived, and our judgement. The original has no holdfast hole on record.
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench Plans (free), 2018, post and comments. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench, measured drawing, 2012, sheet 001, dated 4-10-2012. In Sources
- Christopher Schwarz, More Moravian Workbenches, 2011. In Sources
- Our arithmetic from the figures cited.
18
Note 18. Dog and holdfast holes. Myers bores 3/4 in. He says that if you use larger holdfasts the dogs should match, without naming a size; 1 in is the larger holdfast size Schwarz uses, offered here on that reading. His tail vise takes 3/4 in dogs only.
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench FAQ's, 2018, post and comments. In Sources
- Will Myers, Moravian Workbench Tail Vise, with installation sheet, 2019. In Sources
- Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources

Sources cited on these sheets

Christopher Schwarz. The Anarchist's Workbench. Lost Art Press, 2020. https://lostartpress.com/products/the-anarchists-workbench
Will Myers. Moravian Workbench, measured drawing, 2012. sheet 001, dated 4-10-2012. https://eclecticmechanicals.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/bench-cad2.pdf
Will Myers. Moravian Workbench FAQ's. Eclectic Mechanicals, 2018. post and comments. https://eclecticmechanicals.com/2018/11/18/moravian-workbench-faqs/
Will Myers. Moravian Workbench Crisscross Install. Eclectic Mechanicals, 2019. post, installation sheet and comments. https://eclecticmechanicals.com/2019/06/25/moravian-workbench-crisscross-install/
Will Myers. The Moravian Workbench. WK Fine Tools, 2012. three parts, April to May 2012; photographs on pp. 13, 15 and 41. https://eclecticmechanicals.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/themoravianworkbenchbywillmyers.pdf
Joshua Farnsworth. Portable Moravian Workbenches Now For Sale!. Wood and Shop, 2019. https://woodandshop.com/portable-moravian-workbench-for-sale/
Will Myers. Moravian Workbench Tail Vise, with installation sheet. Eclectic Mechanicals, 2019. https://eclecticmechanicals.com/2019/01/19/moravian-workbench-tail-vise/
Will Myers. Tusk Tenons... How Strong Are They?. Wood and Shop, 2016. https://woodandshop.com/will-myers-tusk-tenonshow-strong-are-they/
Will Myers. Ratcheting and Angled Leg Vises, 2014. reposted 2018. https://eclecticmechanicals.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ratcheting-parallel-guide-pdf.pdf
Christopher Schwarz. Drawboring Resurrected. Woodworking Magazine, 2005. https://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/drawboring-resurrected/
Christopher Schwarz. More Moravian Workbenches. Popular Woodworking, 2011. https://www.popularwoodworking.com/editors-blog/more-moravian-workbenches/
Will Myers. Moravian Workbench Plans (free). Eclectic Mechanicals, 2018. post and comments. https://eclecticmechanicals.com/2018/08/01/moravian-workbench-plans-free/
Christopher Schwarz. Workbench Tour No. 8: Moravian Workbench. Lost Art Press, 2020. post and comments. https://blog.lostartpress.com/2020/04/18/workbench-tour-no-8-moravian-workbench/
Wood and Shop. Moravian Workbench Plans, listing and sample pages. renderings only; no dimensions seen. https://store.woodandshop.com/products/moravian-workbench-plans

Order of work

Tick each step as you finish it. The letters are the marks of the parts it works on, as on the drawing and the cutting list. The sources are given in full on sheet 3.

1
Glue up the legs and long stretchers
Rip, joint and glue the blanks, then plane them to size: legs from three boards, stretchers from two, face to face. Myers builds the base first because he already had a bench. Without one, make the top first and work on saw horses.
EFWill Myers, 2012
2
Set out the legs in pairs and cut the bridles
Lay the legs out as two pairs, face sides marked. Gauge the 38 mm slots, cut the leg heads to the rake so they sit level, then saw the slot walls and clear the waste.
FWill Myers, 2012
3
Make the top rails
Fit each rail to its two slots. Leave the top of the rail square for now. Number every joint.
GWill Myers, 2012
4
Cut the middle rail joints
Chop the through mortises in the legs and cut the tenons to fit.
FHWill Myers, 2012
5
Bore the drawbores
Myers says only "draw bored pegs". The method here is general practice as Schwarz gives it; nothing more is recorded of this bench. Bore the 10 mm peg hole right through the leg, across the mortise, a third of the tenon's length from the shoulder. Push the tenon home and mark the centre of the hole on it. Take the joint apart and bore the tenon about 3 mm nearer its shoulder than the mark. Make the pegs from straight-grained dry oak and point them. They are driven when the frames are glued.
FHPWill Myers, 2012 · Christopher Schwarz, 2005 · Christopher Schwarz, 2020
6
Dovetail the lower rails
Tails first. Trace them onto the outer face of the legs, then saw and chisel the sockets.
IWill Myers, 2012
7
Make the long stretchers and their mortises, before any glue
Cut the tenons with their angled shoulders and keep a cheek offcut as a boring guide. Mark each mortise by laying the stretcher across the leg. The mortise comes out a little taller than the stretcher because of the angle. Bore half-way from each face and pare square. The tenon should slide home by hand. Do this before the end frames are glued, while a leg can still lie flat on the bench.
EFWill Myers, 2012
8
Fit the keys
Assemble each joint dry and mark where the tenon leaves the leg. Make the keys from the hardest wood you have. Hold a key a little above where it should seat and mark the mortise from it, then chop the mortise 5 mm inside the line, half-way from each edge of the tenon, so the key bears on the leg. Trim the tenon ends only after the mortises are chopped.
Check the keys now and then and drive them home if they have eased, more so in winter. Myers says his have held through scores of assemblies. Schwarz says "If it can get loose, it will get loose."
ENWill Myers, 2012 · Will Myers, 2016 · Christopher Schwarz, 2020
9
Bore the holes in the right front leg
Myers bores the right front leg "for a hold fast or a peg to support long work". He does not say when. Do it now, while the leg still lies flat on the bench; that timing is our judgement. Bore three 19 mm holes through the leg from front to back on the centre line of its face, 100 mm, 216 mm, 379 mm below the leg head measured plumb. Check each against the mortises already cut before you bore.
FWill Myers, 2018 · Will Myers, 2012
10
Clean up the inside faces
Plane the inside faces of the legs now. You cannot reach them once the frames are glued.
FWill Myers, 2012
11
Glue the end frames
Glue each frame and drive the middle-rail pegs through their drawbores. Once the glue has set, peg the bridles and plane the top rails flush with the leg heads. The frames never come apart again.
Leave the frames until the next day before you peg the bridles, as Myers does.
Keep glue out of the stretcher mortises. The tusk joints go together dry so the bench comes apart.
FGHIOPWill Myers, 2012
12
Flatten and square the top
Scrub plane, then jack, then jointer. A single slab is treated as one large board and will move again; Farnsworth glues his tops up for that reason.
AWill Myers, 2012 · Joshua Farnsworth, 2019
13
Dowel the top to the base
Turn the top over, key the base together and centre it on the top. Mark and bore for the dowels, glue them into the rails and enlarge the rear holes in the top.
AGRWill Myers, 2012
14
Fit the leg vise
Fit the backer between the stretcher and the top on its stub tenons and scribe one edge to the leg. Then make the chop and fit the guide, screw and nut to it.
JKLMWill Myers, 2012
15
Fit the wagon vise and bore the dog holes
If you want one. Cut the slot, fit the hardware, then bore the dog holes in line with the middle of the slot. This is Myers' addition; the original has planing stops and no tail vise.
AWill Myers, 2012 · Will Myers, 2019
16
Make the tray
Dovetail the ends to the back, groove the three rim pieces and rabbet the floor to fit. Glue the floor along the back edge only. Scribe the front edge of the floor to the slab, then dowel the tray to the top rails.
BCDQWill Myers, 2012

17
Finish
Myers used Danish oil on the base and an oil and polyurethane mix on the top and tray. That is a modern finish. What the original was finished with is not recorded.
Will Myers, 2012

To your body

The top

The tray

The base

Joinery

Holding the work

Timber