Hi all —
I just finished my new workbench and had to show it off. It’s basically the Lon Schleining Essential WB from the 2003/2004 Tools and Shops issue — except it is made from red oak with walnut strips inlaid in the top. All of the wood was harvested and dried within 5 miles of my shop (outside Charlottesville VA) — except for some which was recycled from old barns in the area — probably around 150 yrs old. I finished it with Watco. I could have done a better job on the dovetails — but I didn’t have a workbench to cut them on! Now I can practice.
Enjoy!
Dave M.
Replies
That's really nice. It appears to be a hefty bench.
I hope you get good use out of it.
Chaim
Make your own mistakes not someone elses, this is a good way to be original !
Awesome bench Dave! I love the fact that you used recycled oak. it gives the bench a lot of character. Looks like your bench is as wide as the one I plan to build later this year. To me, the wider the better so pipe clamps can sit fully on the bench when gluing up panels. What's the dimensions of it?
mike
Same dimensions as in the Schleining article: 78 x 28. Working with the recycled oak was fun -- I had to watch for nails (and they were the old hand-wrought nails that won't pull out -- I had to work around them). Also -- there was a bit of rot and knot holes -- those I filled with epoxy. A quick tip that I discovered regarding the nails -- I picked up some spherical rare earth magnets from Lee Valley to play with -- they are great for finding nails -- and if a couple are put on a nail head -- the depth of the nail can be roughly located by rolling a magnet on the perpendicular face of the board. It will stop over the point of the nail.Dave M.
A comment - If those were truly hand-wrought nails (not just cut nails), then your wood is quite a bit older than 150 years, and the nails are quite valuable. If you have scraps of wood left over with nails in them, you can safely extract the nails by burning the wood in a trash barrel - trying to pull them will likely irrevocably damage them.
You can distinguish a hand-wrought nail from a manufactured cut nail by looking at the taper on the shank - hand wrought nails taper on all four sides of the shank, manufactured cut nails taper on only two sides.
Antique restorers will likely pay you fairly good money to get their hands on some authentic wrought nails made from wrought iron (instead of the reproductions made from steel).
Thanks for the comment on the nails -- and I will try and recover one from a piece of scrap and check it for taper. I did end up cutting several with my table saw (I changed to an old blade and took it easy on them) -- they were certainly soft -- not steel. Dave
I did check on the nails and they were cut nails -- not the hand wrought nails. (My neighbor who did the barn-recycling has buckets of 'em.)Thanks to all for your comments -- now I'm planning my first project to make use of the bench.Dave
Dave
I have been checking out different benches for the past year trying to figure out what I want to build for my self. Yours is by far the nicest I have seen!!!!!!
Great Job
I love the wood you selected for the front apron it has character, character is not the right word it's more than that, I just can't find the right word for it.
I wish I could find the wood you have access to out here in Seattle.
Ed
I love the wood you selected for the front apron it has character, character is not the right word it's more than that, I just can't find the right word for it.
My sentiments exactly! I love that front piece, and it's like it has experience -- been through the wood wars and survived, or something like that.
I wish I could find the wood you have access to out here in Seattle. Yep, it's hard. Keep a constant eye on Craig's list. Also once in a long while, an auction will come up with lumber, or old cabinets, or even an old outbuilding that needs to be taken down. Few and far between, but I've seen it. (I'm over on Bainbridge, but used to haunt the auctions on the mainland)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I wish I had taken a picture of that beam before I milled it down to get the front skirt -- it was really grotty looking -- gray and dirt encrusted. It started out as about 3" x 8" by 8' long -- I could tell that it was solid but it did have that big knot hole and a lot of cracks from drying. (It had been stored outside for about 20 yrs after being recovered from the old barn.) As I mentioned before I filled most of the cracks and the knot hole with epoxy -- I think it will like its new life as part of my bench.I also had to resharpen my jointer and planer knives after milling all the wood -- a lot of grunge to go through (even after brushing it down with a wire brush).Dave
If your neighbor has buckets of truly 19th century cut nails that were made of wrought iron (as opposed to mild steel, as are available now), they're still worth money, both to furniture restorers and blacksmiths. Wrought iron is pretty much unavailable (there is one firm in the UK, but it's quite expensive), and it's a preferred material for blacksmiths - check with a couple of local ones, I'm sure they'd be thrilled to get a bucket of wrought iron, and you might be able to bargain your way into a nice hand-wrought holdfast for your new bench in exchange.
Very nice I did a bench a while back and it sure is nice to have something heavy, flat and does not move when you clamp something to it.
Yours looks like it will serve you as long as your able to work and then some.
Troy
C'mon man we know they be walnut wedges in the DTs for effect. Here you are trying to make us believe that ya aint that practiced with 'em. Now fess up ther young fella!
Nice bench and looks like it will server you well. Doncha just love that Veritas TS? Now you get to add all them accessories you been waitin to make. Make sure ya git a chance to check out Lataxe's bench when ye git a nminute or three.
Congrats,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
It's the truth -- those are my first dovetails. (I'm not telling how many boards I messed up on -- well ok -- it was only one and luckily it was the end skirt.) I also put a nice nick in a finger with a scary-sharp chisel.Dave
Nice to see mine has a twin. Well an improved twin anyway. I am curious to hear how your front vise works. Mine flexes a bit too much due to the skirt height and I have always meant to stiffen with steel, but I see you doubled the face plate so now I am thinking that would be easier. Great job on the dovetails and I agree with Bob that you might have made a dovetail or two before.
Brad
Very nice job. I love the character of the face board. I only hope my effort at this bench turns out as nice. I have the base built; haven't tackled the top yet. Did you have any deviations from the writeup in FWW that would be helpful for me to know about?
Randy
Good spot on the apron board and thanks for catching it. I meant to comment on that as well.
Adds a Knotty character to it don't ya think and is a really cool enhancement.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Randy --A couple of things to watch out for -- which aren't mentioned in the FWW article or on the plans that I downloaded from Taunton. Make sure and plan out the dog hole spacing relative to the top trestle members of the leg assemblies and also think about the screw length on the Veritas twin screw end vise (if you are using that one). I did plan the dog hole spacing relative to the placement of the top trestle members (you don't want a bench dog going into one) but I didn't think about clearance for the end vice screws when the vice is fully closed. I had to drill clearance holes in the right top trestle for that -- I don't think it weakens the bench substantially (this is a very over-built design) but it was a bit of a pain to drill the holes.Also -- when installing the end vise -- the 'nuts' that are fastened to the right end stretcher need to be in the appropriate orientation so that the handles on the screws are parallel to each other. When I initially assembled the end vise -- my handles were at 90 degrees to each other. Solution -- disassemble one of the screws -- rotate the nut by 90 degrees and you're good to go. Enjoy building the bench -- it's been a fun project.Dave
Very nice bench, Dave. The LS bench is the basic design I derived at 20 years ago except I make my top solid without a skirt. and I add what I refer to as a whaleback which is a structuaral rail from end stretcher to end stretcher under the table for additional racking support and to help resist middle top sag.
Your bench will work for a life-time IMO as the design is very sound.
Regards...
Sarge..
Dave,I have the LV twin screw as well. I believe that I have simply loosened the "T" that the handle goes in and turned it so that the two of them are properly aligned. If I remember correctly, there is one or more set screws in each one that holds them tight to the screw. So, just loosen those set screws, adjust the "T" and tighten them back. Unless I misunderstand your problem, there's no need to take the nut out and turn it.MattI've had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it. - Groucho MarxEdited 5/25/2008 6:19 pm ET by MKenney
Edited 5/25/2008 6:20 pm ET by MKenney
Very nice.
That will be with you longer then you. It's the sort of thing your grand kids will marvel at.
so where is the towel rack to hang the crying towel on for when you spill your first dolop of paint on that beauty?
Wicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
Guys, I love your benches... but sincerely hope they get to be as grungy as mine is after 25+ years of use. I am amazed at the extent some individuals go to, to keep their bench tops looking as pristine as the day they first laid the finish on. Benches are meant to be used, after all!Marty Schlosser
http://www.martyswoodworking.ca
Edited 6/14/2008 7:52 pm ET by Planearound
Hey Marty,
What finish did you use to get that really nice patina? Lots of sweat I betcha HUH!
:-)
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 6/16/2008 10:40 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Dave,
Great bench. Looking at yours has me excited about finishing mine. I built the base about 12 months ago and just bought the timber for the top today. You can now consider youself an expert on the LS bench, given your success. Perhaps you can answer a question for me that is not covered in the FWW article. The plans specify a 3 degree angle for the square bench dogs. I understand this but the plans are silent of weather there is a 3 degree opposing angle on the twin screw end vice jaws. Did you cut the angle in your vice jaws. If so, how the hell to you do it????? The only way I can think of doing it is to laminate a two peice jaw with a 3 degree angle and cut the slots flat on the table saw with the angle down of the table. If you just used a 90 degree (or is it zero degree?) angle for the vice jaws, how do they hold? Any advice?
Gordon,
If you have a planer then you could simply hot glue a strip under the piece you want to use for the jaw such that the strip puts the face at a 3° pitch and run it through the planer.
As to adding the pitch to the benchdogs perhaps you might consider Lee Valley bench dogs whose face is already pitched at 3°?
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 5/28/2008 7:38 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Bob,
I get what your saying and that is the only way I could think of doing it. After planing a 3 degee angle, I would cut the grooves with a dado blade and chisel out an extra notch at the bottom of the dado to allow for the head of the bench dog. Once done it would only then be decessary to glue the back in place against another 3 degree inverted face, to return the jaw block back to square. I suppose what I really want to know is......... is all this work necessary? Also, if the dogs have a 3 degree pitch already, why is it necessary to cut a 3 degee slot for the bench dogs in the bench top? That would then make the pitch toward the end vice at 6 degrees which is too much. Are you saying that I need square faced bench dogs for the benc top and 3 degee faced bench dogs for the end vice?
Gordon,
I suppose what I really want to know is......... is all this work necessary
Personally, I don't think so. I have the TS mounted at the end of my bench and the faces are square, no 3° pitch/slant. I plan on using the LV dogs that are already pitched 3°.
To me using the LV dogs precludes fussing with getting dog holes pitched 3°. I would make the dogholes straight either way and pitch the heads of the dogs if necessary.
I still don't understand why it's necessary to pitch the faces of vise jaws and haven't seen an instance where it would be to any advantage, so I agree with you.
In search of a bench without dogs,,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
"I still don't understand why it's necessary to pitch the faces of vise jaws..."
If you mount your vise hardware down low, towards the bottom of the jaws, in an effort to increas the depth capacity of the vise above the screw and guide rods, the front jaw has a tendency to flex outwards when you clamp a workpiece using just the top portion of the jaws. This causes the very top of the jaw to lose pressure on the workpiece. Angling the face helps counteract that effect.
It's not really an issue with a twin-screw vise, since in that case you're mounting the hardware in roughly the center of the jaw, rather than at the bottom.
-Steve
Thanks Steve,
That makes sense. Cheat, cheat, never beat eh!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I have seen many cant the holes in the table 3*. I can do that as I have an industrial floor mortiser with a monster clamp. The table on it will cant and the clamp will hold the single piece that has the dog-holes up to about 72". The single piece with dog-holes is then glued to it's proper position in the remaining top.
But.. I agree with Bob that it is not necessary IMO. You can use the LV round dogs with a built in cant or just make your own dogs and cant the heads. Life is much simpler IMO, when you don't invent ways to complicate it. I use the short dogs from LV for the vice dogs that also have the cant built in.
The advantage of the cant is that when you apply pressure the cant will move to some degree but should not move beyond 90*. If you don't cant the dogs can move as any slop develops and move so they are canted in the direction away from the stock being held and more likely to allow it to slip under heavy hand plane pressure.
I put a slight cant on top of my jaw faces also to give me a minute pinch on top of the vise when closed on stock. I have found that it increases the hold somewhat especially when taking end grain off with a block plane.
Can I show scientific evidence to back that theory... no. But in my shop I don't need scientific evidence to back what I feels works after using several approaches. That's good enough for me even in our high tech world where computers can solve all your problems. ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..
Sarge..
Gordon --I puzzled over that for a while but decided that the angle was necessary -- and I did it exactly as you describe by laminating two pieces for the jaws -- one with a taper in which the dog holes were cut with a dado stack. (You can see the lamination in the third photo I posted.) After I glued the second piece on -- I squared everything up and then cut the 1/8" taper in the face (top to bottom) that insures that the top of the vice grips first when tightening it up. (I cut the tapers by gluing a sacrificial strip on the to-be thick edge of the board and then jointing the strip and the rest of that face until the taper was formed. You could do the same thing using a planar -- with the strip on the opposite face.)Edit -- The Lee Valley square bench dogs don't have a cant to them like their round dogs -- of course if you make your own dogs you can put your own cant in.Dave
Edited 5/28/2008 12:52 pm ET by Flactem
Thanks Dave,
You've cleared that up nicely for me. I always intended to put a slight taper on the vice jaw face itself but was in a quandry about pitching the dog holes in the LV vice jaw. I really love this bench design but I only want to build it once, the first time and get it right. I don't know much about the timbers used in US but I assume from the posts that walnut is fairy rare. I'm making mine partly out of recycled timber also. The base is built out of red gum which is recycled from fence posts. Redgum is a beautiful Australian timber but unfortunately it is in decline and people here are still cutting it for firewood and fence posts. The top is being made from Victorian Ash (or Tasmanian Oak) but it is neither ash nor oak as you would know it. It's a blonde coloured timber from a eucalyptus tree and is readily available and very hard. The front fice and the LV end vice will be redgum also. Thanks for helping me out with the advice and I hope my job turns out as nicely as yours.
Gordon --Hope you can post some pictures of your bench when you get it done. My wife and I were in New Zealand over Christmas and I was impressed with the beauty and variety of the wood that I saw there -- so would like to see what your species look like as well.Actually -- walnut is not that rare here (nor is red oak) although the recycled oak from old barns is!Cheers,
Dave
Dave,As soon as I finish the bench, I'll post some photos. In my last post is said walnut when I meant red oak. I made the blunder because I'm not all that familiar with either. We can get some walnut here but it's very expensive. Red Oak is not really available in Australia although it might be ordered from a specialist furniture timber supplier. In the FWW plans article the author used structural construction grade 2 x 4's turned on edge to make the top. I did the same with what we call Tasmanian Oak or Victorian Ash. The terms are confusing as the timber is actually made up from several species of eucalyptus gum trees that grow either in Victoria or Tasmania. The timber is light (blonde) coloured. The builders just call it "hardwood." I would have liked to use recycled redgum for the top as well as the legs but I thought the colour would be too dark. I've attached a photo of a kitchen table I've just finished out of the same timber which will look similar to the bench top when I finish it.
Regards,
Gordon.
Dave, that's a great job, but what I really envy is that magnificent wood. You were very lucky to find it. It really gives the bench an heirloom quality, as if you inherited it from an earlier craftsman.
Congratulations,
Norman
I tell ye wat thats 1 fancy rig u got urself 'ere i spec ima build 1 just like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's a wonderful piece of heirloom furniture. Any plans to make some storage to go underneath the bench?
Yes -- down the road I'll build drawer units for underneath -- that's where the cherry will come in!Wow. I got a link on the FWW homepage. Now I really need to build something.Dave
Great bench Dave. You are an inspiration, as I am working on making that bench at the moment. Mine will be a rather mundane maple though!I have a question for you. Lon doesn't give measurements for the placement of the mortises. It seems the exact placement is not critical, but I am curious about the mortises for the trestle top. Where did you locate these? I wasn't sure exactly how much of the trestle top should be forward of the front leg, and I presume this will affect the fore/aft placement of the bench top.
David --I centered the top trestle on the legs -- that detail might be on the full size plans that I purchased from Taunton but I can't remember. The front skirt of the table touches the front of the trestle. I drilled the holes for the lag screws attaching the top to the trestles oversize to allow for expansion of the top. The trestle spans the entire width of the top so centering the trestle on the legs makes sense.Enjoy the rest of your construction!Dave
Thanks Dave - I'm just working from the article, and in the drawing it looks more or less centered, but in the photo it looks like he might have set the trestle top back of center 1-1/2" or so. This would, I take it, move the whole top back as well. I doubt it mattered greatly, but I was curious how you did it.David
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