FREE MORAVIAN WORKBENCH PLANS, CUT LIST & RESOURCES
Below you will find free resources, including free Moravian Workbench plans and cut list, as shown in the DVD video “Building the Portable Moravian Workbench with Will Myers“. You can buy both video versions here:
- DVD: “Building the Portable Moravian Workbench with Will Myers“
- HD Download: “Building the Portable Moravian Workbench with Will Myers”
This DVD was directed, filmed, and edited by Joshua Farnsworth. Keep in mind that these workbench plans are copyrighted and are not to be published or offered outside of WoodAndShop.com. Below you’ll also find a list of tools and parts required for building the Moravian Workbench, as mentioned in the video.
1. FREE MORAVIAN WORKBENCH PLANS & CUT LIST DOWNLOADS:
Enter your name & email address in the box below, and we’ll email the download links to you. You’ll also be subscribed to our free newsletter, so you’ll occasionally be notified when we’ve released new woodworking articles and videos! Remember, you’ll need to confirm your subscription in the first email before we’re allowed to send the email with the download links. And check your spam folder if you don’t see our email.
3. MORAVIAN WORKBENCH PARTS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO:
- Wooden screw vise: made by Nick Dombrowski at Lake Erie Tool Works
- Tail Vise: made by Will Myers (find it here)
- Slotted wood screws (you can strip zinc screws. See our tutorial here)
4. HAND TOOLS REQUIRED TO BUILD THE MORAVIAN WORKBENCH
Below you’ll find a list of tools that Will Myers recommends for building the Portable Moravian Workbench. You can also watch the excerpt from the full video below where Will mentions these tools. Visit our hand tool buyer’s guides (click here) to get specific brand recommendations for vintage and new hand tools.
- Rip Handsaw (5-6 ppi)
- Crosscut handsaw (ppi)
- Tenon Saw or Sash Saw
- Dovetail Saw (Rip teeth)
- Coping Saw
- SEE OUR HAND SAW BUYER’S GUIDE
- Jack Plane (No. 5. Sharpened with camber)
- Smoothing Plane (No. 4 or 4-1/2)
- Jointer Plane (No. 7)
- Block plane (low angle preferred, but normal will work if very sharp)
- Moving Fillister Plane (optional, but very helpful) or Rabbet plane (w/ skewed iron)
- Plow plane (Wooden or Stanley 45 are good)
- Router Plane (optional)
- Vintage Router Plane
- New Router Plane
- Shoulder Plane (Medium or Large…optional)
- Carriage Maker’s Rabbet plane (10-1/2. Optional)
- SEE OUR HANDPLANE BUYER’S GUIDE FOR VINTAGE & NEW BRAND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Mortising chisel (3/8-inch. Can also just use bench chisel)
- Bench Chisels:
- 1-inch
- ¾-inch
- ¼-inch
- SEE OUR CHISEL BUYER’S GUIDE FOR VINTAGE & NEW BRAND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Marking knife
- Mortise gauge
- Marking gauge or cutting gauge
- Framing Square
- Folding Rule
- Dividers
- Small Combination Square
- Large Combination Square or Try Square
- Sliding Bevel Gauge
- SEE OUR MARKING & MEASURING TOOL BUYER’S GUIDE FOR VINTAGE & NEW BRAND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Egg Beater Drill
- Small drill bits
- Brace (10” or 12” swing)
- Auger Bits
- 1-inch
- 3/4-inch
- 5/8-inch
- 3/8-inch
- T-handle auger (Optional. 2.5”)
- SEE OUR DRILL/BRACE/BIT BUYER’S GUIDE FOR VINTAGE & NEW BRAND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Large Joiner’s Mallet
- Claw Hammer
- SEE OUR MALLET & HAMMER BUYER’S GUIDE FOR VINTAGE & NEW BRAND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Spokeshave (Optional)
- SEE OUR CURVED WORK TOOL BUYER’S GUIDE FOR VINTAGE & NEW BRAND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Screw Driver
- Wax or Tallow for lubricating handplane soles (optional)
- Holdfast (optional)
4. PHOTOS FROM THE MORAVIAN WORKBENCH VIDEO SHOOT
This is the original Moravian Workbench that Will Myers based his reproduction workbenches after:
Wkfinetools.com no longer has up the articles on this Moravian workbench. Could they be made available somewhere else?
Will Myers told me that WK ended their website. But I don’t believe that Will ever had a Moravian workbench tutorial there…it was roubo workbench. You can buy our DVD or Digital download here, which shows a ton of detail: https://store.woodandshop.com/product-category/woodworking-dvd-videos/?product_count=36
He’s got the build description up here: https://eclecticmechanicals.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/themoravianworkbenchbywillmyers.pdf
it’s not ‘plans’. it’s a partial sketch (in pseudo-engineering manner). about 50% of necessary information is missing.
w/o a paid DVD (which costs a lot, 2 my opinion) these ‘plans’ r of little use.
The same plans that come with the DVD are the ones we offer for free. And no, 50% of information isn’t missing. I’ve built 5 of them with these plans. And no, the cost of the DVD is very affordable compared with the nearly $2k it costs to go to the class at the Woodwright’s School.
sorry in advance if the following sounds 2 blunt/impolite/disrespectful 2 u guys. i meant no offense. I don’t really want 2 argue, because I don’t know what kind of level of formal engineering standards woodworkers follow. May b what u call ‘plans’ are some kind of sketches which ‘sensible’ (now we need 2 define ‘sensible’) woodworker will figure out easily. 2 me, a standard plan/design would follow engineering standards like https://www.cobanengineering.com/GeometricDimensioningAndTolerancing/TechnicalDrawingLines.asp where myself (as a woodworking dummy but able 2 read standard engineering design papers) would b able 2 easily find all the necessary dimensions, c hidden lines and figure… Read more »
Thousands of woodworkers have made this workbench with the video and the plans. But there are occasional woodworkers (usually engineers) who are too afraid to make anything without incredible detail. This is not how historical woodworkers worked.
yeah, u c… the key word here is
woodworkers. I’m not yet a woodworker but most of the time a nit-picker… :(but having an idea delivered (and yes, it has been delivered w/this plans and Will’s web-page) is already pretty good and I appreciate it.
For free. Don’t use them if they don’t fit your level of expertise. Or try to do what the experts have
tried to provide for you here. Less complaining and more creative thinking
Also, Will himself called the ‘plans’ ‘a measured drawing with major dimensions’.
After skimming through the article with pictures and studying the plans, I can also see that there are critical details essential to assembly of the workbench which are missing from the plans. I’m certain those details are obvious to you because you built the bench in the first place. I’m finding this is a common error among woodworkers. Upset is right, this is a partial sketch, with dimensions, it is not complete construction drawings. If the plans were complete, one would not have to refer to the article to learn those key details. Also, all parts would be separately drawn… Read more »
I agree that these are NOT plans. They are drawings with some dimensions. I would not have been happy if I had paid for these “plans” and this is what I received. Not really a good incentive to buy other “plans”.
I’ve used these plans to build 5 of these workbenches. They are sufficient for most people.
These are “plans.” As I understand woodworking, we use at least three distinct terms: sketches, plans and [technical] drawings. A sketch is … well, just a sketch,,, ie, an idea or preliminary drawing (and sometimes made on a piece of toilet paper while you do your business). A plan is a basic drawing with essential measures for the construction. Elements not specifically included/shown are detailed joinery and wood dimensions, neither the relative size btw each piece has to be accurate. Plans are non-professional, ie, this is what you normally show a customer for discussions of size, angles, species, etc. Plans… Read more »
Hello, I love this design but I added a twist some will like it and some will not. I made all the parts under the bench top out of 3/4″ Baltic birch plywood glued up to the dimensions on the drawing, no need cutting mortices and tennons all you need is a router and make a few jigs. Very possible to make this bench from the plans every detail might be there but its not too hard to figure it out its just an awesome portable bench.
Thanks. I was just wondering what kind of wood people were using to make these.
Hi Stephen, the original is in oak (top & stretchers & wedges & vise…but you can use most hard woods) and the undercarriage is yellow pine. But you can use most any woods.
Hi i have tried to get the free plans. it does not show up in my email>or spam> any idea how i can get them ? thanks
Send us an email, and we can help you: https://woodandshop.com/contact/
link hidden
This bench looks awesome. I’m keen to follow the course but just want to check before I do if there is a list of tools required to build this?
Hi Evie, thanks! Here’s a video showing the tools for building a Moravian workbench (obviously some are optional): https://woodandshop.com/which-hand-tools-do-you-need-for-building-a-workbench/
Are the downloadable plans now $40?
No, they’re still free. You just have to add your email address, and we’ll send you the download links.
Hello, I am wondering if you all use the standard or 2x vise kit from Lake Erie Toolworks on you school workbenches?
Hi Matthew, I use standard, but I know Will Myers has used the 2x and liked it.
Let’s get real. These are not “Plans” and I think the main objective here is to sell the dvd/video. As a prospect customer interested in building a workbench, I would appreciate honest marketing tactics.
These were the plans that Will Myers had drawn up to go along with the video, and I have built 5 workbenches with these plans. You don’t need the crutch of having every little tiny detail shown in the plans.
I haven’t built the workbench yet, but if you have not purchased anything you are not a customer, and if you are not intending to purchase anything you are not a potential customer. However if after seeing this workbench in one of the videos online and has piqued your interest, you can download the plans and along with some common sense and thirst for building a great bench you succeed then great. If not purchase the video, and you still have specific questions I am sure someone here will help you.
Hi Joshua, I think I want to bite the bullet and take on building this work bench as a long term project. Before I buy the video, I wanted to know what sort of wood is recommended? I want to make sure I can source the wood before I start. Cheers.
Hi Richard, you can use a hardwood for the top, stretchers, & wedges (oak, maple, etc.) and a softer / inexpensive wood for the undercarriage (pine, poplar, etc.)
I saw the pictures, can’t afford the video; I’ll just use the general idea, and build a nice bench. I think I will incorporate some ideas from another nice bench I saw. Thanks.
I have a question. In the video the same setting on a mortise gauge is used to mark the mortises and tenons on the vise’s back (tenons) and stretcher and top mortises. However according to the plans the stretcher and top are not coplanar (that is the leg is flush with the top front but the stretchers are shy of the legs and top, so what gives?
Hi Pedro, did you get my email?
I am a subscriber and a own the video. From the video (and the plans) you can tell the long stretcher and the legs are different thickness, in the video you can see the stretcher is not flush with the front of the leg. However the same setting is suggested for the mortise gauge, this would place the tusk tenon off center on its stretcher, Can you clarify please.
Sorry for the delay Pedro. Does this photo clear things up for you?
there is a problem with he robot test – reCAPTCHA – when putting in your email address
Thanks for the head’s up Mick! We’ve not fixed the bug.
Oops, we’ve NOW fixed the bug.
After I read most comments I just wanted to give you guys a big thank you from Europe. I will build a workbench in the sooner future and the Moravian Workbench design is my favorite since my space is limited. I calculated that I will invest around 800$ in wood and necessary tools.
Comments about the plans not being sufficient and you just trying to sell the video have to be a joke considering the customer’s investment in wood and tools and added time if you would do it all by yourself.
All the best and stay healthy!
Thanks for the kind words Gilles! Where in Europe do you live?
Thank you Wil, for the plans. My bench is done, but I am considering adding drop wheels to the legs. Any advice for me? Should I put them on the inside so I don’t trip over them?
No, please don’t add wheels to the workbench!! This bench is a traditional design, and it’s light enough to push by hand.
I’m nearly done the Morivian workbench. Purchased the video three months ago. I have one major problem. I seemed to have messed up the vice. When taking the vice back(out) the slopes down and gets stuck. Any thoughts?
Hmmm, hard to visualize your problem. Could you please share more details?
I have the video and I am ready to begin. However the cut list has the legs dimensions at 34x4x3 1/8 while the plans shows 34×3 3/4×3. Which do I use?
34″ x 4″ x 3-1/8″. Sorry!
Hi! I do subscribe but didn’t receive the link.
So sorry! Did you check your spam folder?
Yes I did and I found it. I’m who should apologise. I´m sorry!
No problem!