Bench space in working workshops.

BenchConnect introduces vetted self-employed makers to woodworking workshops with a spare bench, across Kent and London. By the day, week or month.

Pilot starting in Kent and London · now taking registrations

I have a workshopFor hosts

Your workshop.Your rules.Your spare bench.

Most shops have a bay standing empty, a bench nobody uses, or a wall with room for one more. Let it to a vetted maker for a few days, weeks or months, on your terms.

  • You choose the days, the machines and the rate
  • You see every maker before they get your address
  • No cost to you during the pilot
Register your workshop How hosting works
I'm looking for spaceFor makers

A real shop.Proper machines.No twelve-month lease.

Bench space inside a working workshop, with extraction and machines you can't have at home. Book for as long as the job needs, and no longer.

  • Days, weeks or months, often cheaper for longer
  • A deposit holds your dates, refundable with 48 hours' notice
  • No fee for makers during the pilot
Register as a maker What you'll need
The detailPilot · introductions made by hand

How it works

Checked on both sides, before anyone meets.

  1. 01Workshops list their space

    By area, never the address. Each listing is checked before it goes live.

  2. 02Makers apply

    Examples of their work, the machines they're competent on, and their own public liability insurance.

  3. 03I make the introduction

    Only when it fits. Nothing goes ahead until the host says yes to that person by name.

What a listing looks like

The area, the bench, the machines and the rates.

Hosts approve their listing before it goes out. Makers see the area, never the address.

Example listing · not a real workshopRef BC-EX-01

North Kent · joinery workshop

Full-size bench by the window, with machine use after induction

Bench and machines

Bench
2.4 m bench with vice, power, extraction point
Machines
Bandsaw, chop saw, pillar drill (after induction)
Access
Mon to Fri, 8am to 5pm
Booking
1 day up to 3 months
£38a day
£170a week
£560a month

Deposit of one week's hire holds the dates. Prices are an illustration only; each host sets their own.

Booking

Flexible, with a finish date.

Days, weeks or months
The host sets the shortest and longest booking.
Rates set by the host
By the day, week or month, often with a better rate for longer bookings.
A deposit holds the dates
Usually a week's hire, refundable with 48 hours' notice.
Paid at the start
Each period is paid on its first day, before work begins.

Insurance

Insured on both sides.

Every maker holds their own public liability insurance and shows it before they can book. Every host holds their own, and lets their insurer know makers will be working on site.

Workshops choose what makers can use: a bench only, a bench plus their machining service, or a bench and named machines after an induction. A short written licence sets out who is responsible for what.

Who's behind it

Built by someone at the bench.

A working cabinet maker with more than fifteen years in furniture making, restoration and conservation. I know why a workshop owner would say no, and what it would take for them to say yes.

Lloyd MeredithCabinet maker and restorer · BenchConnect

Questions

The things people ask first.

Do I need insurance?

Yes, both sides. Every maker holds public liability insurance in their own name and shows it before they can book. Every host holds their own, and tells their insurer that makers will be working on site under a licence. Personal accident cover is recommended for makers, but not required.

Who can use my machines?

Only who you say. Each workshop picks one of three listing types: a bench only, a bench plus your own machining service, or a bench and named machines. Makers only use the machines they've been inducted on and signed off for, and every maker gets an induction to your workshop rules.

What if something gets damaged?

A short written licence sets it out before anyone starts. The host decides whether accidental damage to machines is covered by their own insurance or carried at their own risk. Damage from misuse, such as using a machine you're not signed off on, is paid by the maker, starting with the deposit.

What does it cost?

Nothing to register, and no fee for either side during the pilot. Hosts set their own day, week and month rates, and makers pay the host directly. If BenchConnect charges a fee in future, you'll know before you book.

What happens after I register?

I reply personally within a few days. Workshops get a few questions about the space, then a listing to check and approve. Makers get a short application: examples of your work, the machines you're competent on, and your insurance.

Is my address shared?

No. Listings show the area only. A workshop's address is shared with a maker only once the host has said yes to that person by name.

Register

Tell me which side you're on.

Two minutes, no obligation, nothing to pay. I read every registration myself and reply personally within a few days.

See the privacy notice for how your details are used.