Another Workbench - My First

[Brandon Burns]

I don't post often, but thought I would share my latest. I thought about posting as I went along, but decided to wait until the end and show everything at once. This project took 7 months to build start to finish not including research. I studied the numerous magazine articles, The Workbench Book by Landis, and Workbench by Schwarz. I guess it took me about 2 months of research and another month of solid modeling on the computer. I decided to build a Klausz styled workbench. Much of the dimensions are the same, but I did make it longer and thicker by a little. So here we go...
The original solid model. I used SolidWorks...

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/workbench1.jpg

Next up was finding wood for the base. My dad help me locate some old white oak bridge timbers that were cut down about 40 years ago and have been air drying under tin since...

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC01453.jpg

Milling this into the base was no easy task. Even though I had the tools to do it, I've never worked with large pieces like this. I found out the hard way that your jointer and other tools better be tuned up and ready to go...

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC01501.jpg

All the mortices were blind and cut with a drill press and chiseled square...

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC01504.jpg


http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC01505.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC01508.jpg

All the mortices and tenons on the top were wedged...
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC01517.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC01533.jpg

...

[Brandon Burns]

I decided to stain the base and finish with a few coats of waterlox. I figured the stain would contrast nicely with the hard maple top.
Here I'm starting to glue up with top using plywood splines and plastic resin glue (I later switched to Titebond III due to laziness mostly)...
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0103_2.jpg
Starting to fit together the main pieces. I cut the large dovetail on the bandsaw and routed most of the socket. Glad you can't see the inside of this joint because it is ugly...
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0167.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0168.jpg
Details of the back side of the bench where it joins main sides. Cut the pins on the bandsaw and cleaned up with chisels. The sockets were cut mostly with a router and cleaned with chisels...
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0172.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0177.jpg
A pic of the main body completely assembled and glued up...
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0223.jpg
Next up was getting the rough flattening done. I had never done this before but found it to be extremely easy (it was a workout on the arms though). Plus the LN No. 8 (stealth Christmas present gloat) made it much easier. :biggrin:
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0229.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0239.jpg
Next up was the vices. I decided to use LN hardware instead of building my own tail vise.
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0248.jpg

[Brandon Burns]

All that was left was the final flattening, sanding, and finishing. I sanded with 120 and left it at that. The finished is used was natural color Watco danish oil.
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0201.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0202.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0203.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0204.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0206.jpg
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0207.jpg
The dog holes were cut using a template and a router. The dogs themselves I made from scratch. They are mexican bloodwood w/ hard maple springs.
Overall the project was very worthwhile. Although I didn't keep track of my hours spent very well, I estimate it to be in the 400 range total. I'd be glad to go into any details if someone is interested. I wish I had taken more pics of progress along the way. All that is left to do now is put the first dent or gouge in the top...

[george wilson]

Looks like a very well made bench !!! I hope the oak was indeed dry enough from being "under tin". It depends upon if it is now in an air conditioned,or heated space.

[Hank Knight]

Brandon,

That is a fabulous bench. You did a great job on a classic design. You will not believe how much you will enjoy working on a good bench. Congrats on a job well done.

Hank

[Eric Hartunian]

Those are some serious pieces of wood! Really nice job. Thanks for the pics,
Eric

[Carl Maeda-San Diego]

Wow, that is really nice. Makes me want to upgrade my bench.

[Leigh Betsch]

now that I like. Gotta find some oak bridge planks!

[Bruce Page]

Excellent post!

Excellent Bench!!

[rick fulton]

Another WOW. Very impressive. Great job on the joinery. Thanks for sharing.

[John Schreiber]

Congratulations. That bench is a fine tool that will make the rest of your work better.

[gary Zimmel]

Beautiful Bench Brandon.

I'm sure it will give you many years of service.
Thanks for the post.

[Jim Kountz]

Man I want one of these bad!! Ive been using a two layer MDF bench I built years ago and while its held up nice I just want the features a more traditional bench offers. Mainly the vices.
This is an excellent job and something you should be proud of everytime you use it. Only thing I see wrong is I would hate to mess it up!!

[Dewey Torres]

It look very hefty and you spared no details. She should serve you for many years.

[Mark Singer]

Excellent bench! Fantastic workmanship! Enjoy it every day!

[Dominic Greco]

That is a beautiful bench! And well crafted to boot! I like the fact that you stained the legs for contrast. It really "sets the top off" (know what I mean?).

I'm sure you are going to enjoy this bench for years to come. You should be very proud.

Good job!

[Michael Sobik]

Great bench! Love the design, and that old lumber is amazing. Once you start using a bench like that, you'll kick yourself for waiting so long to build it.

[Jerome Hanby]

Great looking bench! I'm just starting mine, other than the tail vise, will be very similar (I hope:D).

[Barry Rowland]

Excellent work!

Now the really fun part!

You get to start bangin on it!!

[Zahid Naqvi]

Brandon, great bench, and thanks for the step by step pictorial. I have added this to the FAQs sticky.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Great bench Brandon. Thanks for taking the time to do a full step by step for us.

[Jameel Abraham]

Beauty! Nothing like a good bench. I love them!

[Wilbur Pan]

Really nice work! I hope mine comes out half as good as yours did.

[David Gilbert]

I love your bench too.

Mine is very similar to yours except that I still have to finish my tail vice. Do you have any pictures of your tail vice as you built it? I'd appreciate seeing pictures now it's finished too. I'm using some similar hardware from Woodcraft. From your pictures it looks like the one that I am planning on building.

Thanks in advance,
David

[Pat Germain]

Mighty heavy-duty bench you got there! It looks too pretty to use. May it serve you well.

[Ron Brese]

That's a gorgeous bench. I've got to quit putting off my bench project. You've inspired me, I may well start soon....well at least in another month or so. (grin)

Ron Brese

[Brandon Burns]

I love your bench too.

Mine is very similar to yours except that I still have to finish my tail vice. Do you have any pictures of your tail vice as you built it? I'd appreciate seeing pictures now it's finished too. I'm using some similar hardware from Woodcraft. From your pictures it looks like the one that I am planning on building.

Thanks in advance,
David

Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures during the construction. The end vise was probably one of the most difficult parts of the whole workbench to assemble. It came with absolutely no instructions on how to install. Here are some CAD model details of the design as well as finished pictures...

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/Vise_Detail_2.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0151.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0152.jpg

On this last pic, you can see where I cut the dogholes on the wrong side of the board for the first 3 from the right.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z82/bburns09/DSC_0159.jpg

[David Gilbert]

Thanks for the extra pictures. I agree with you that this is the most complicated part of the workbench.

I've designed the entire thing in Sketchup and may have outdone myself in making the tail vise as complicated as possible. I wasn't planning on having the top pieces like you have. It seems that with wood moisture changes that these would tend to come off since the wood is going in a variety of different directions. (Maybe I am being too sensitive since I just had a very unpleasant experience with breadboard ends of a cherry table.) I am planning on having several layers above and below the vise bars and plan on mortise and tenoning these into the back piece. I also used a router template to cut all of my dog holes. I built a mock-up of the vise to assure that all the dimensions work.

I don't understand your comment about the half circular hole that you had to cut. I'm thinking that I will be able to screw it on and then attach the screws that hold the back of the screw in place.

Thanks,
David