"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
I really don't understand the "hate" some have for nice looking benches. Well, perhaps I do. My bench is fully functional AND nice looking. Why not? I take pride in everything I build and that includes shop jigs, benches, carts, lumber racks, etc., etc. I thought that this was suppose to be the civil WW'ing site. I may get clicked for this but perhaps I should go back to my regular WW'ing site. At least there I've never been criticized for building something nice. Really no outright slams directed at me personally but the innuendos are certainly there. Perhaps that is why the sarcastic post was posted on sinning for building a nice bench.
The older I get the faster I was.
Don, I agree with you completely. If I was willing to part with enough money for better wood and had more skills than I currently do I would have built myself an exquisite bench. I think there has been too much press lately pushing the fact that a bench should be functional and not pretty. I agree with you that anything we build we should build it to whatever level of elegance we wish. This is after all simply a hobby for most of us, and if this gives us pleasure then we have achieved the goal of having a hobby.
Please don't let a few remarks make you move. I personally enjoy reading posts and seeing pictures from all the woodworkers here, from those that build purely functional inexpensive things to those who pour their hearts and souls into building masterpieces.
For those of you who feel that a workbench should be nothing above a standard fir-based type bench, would you say that other tools should not try to attain a higher beauty and functionality? e.g. maybe Lie Nielsen should stop making such expensive tools that are gorgeous to look at? (p.s. I don't own any LN tools but I sure would like to. )
So Don, keep cranking out those beauties and keep posting here, please.
I hope my post didn't come across that way. . . It wasn't intended if it did.
Both Great looking benches and OSB on 55 gallon drums serve the same purpose, and my position is whatever comes off of them is what counts.
(But I am envious every time I see a great bench post. . . They tend to beat the pants of of the ones I use now)
Making furniture teaches us new ways to remove splinters.
I think it's our job to take pride in what we do, no mather what it is! and if it is our benches then let it be! As long as it is use and abuse, to create great stuff that you anjoy, then every body should be happy!
Note: When I finished my bench a frien of mine tought it was so nice that it should be place in the kitchen as an Island counter... and my bench is nothing compare to some of yours guys... So it's all relative!
Your own bench should be whatever you want it to be,plain or fancy.
Guys, let's lighten up a bit. You have to understand Don that some of what is said is just bantering a bit and sometimes tongue in cheek comments can be misinterpreted. One of my best woodworking friends constantly rags on me about how my shop is "always" too clean and organized. He has seen it otherwise and knows full well that it's only clean when a group is coming over or just after I've finished a project, yet the ragging continues and it's all in good fun.
As for benches, I think a nice looking bench is an asset in a shop and is conducive to cajoling the best workmanship out of its owner, but not everyone feels that way or has the wherewithal to produce a furniture grade bench. Space, time, financial considerations, or just philosophy all enter into our decisions about our primary work surface. I found none of the posts by anyone on this thread to be out of line. Everyone has their own philosophy and opinion and is entitled to express it as long as it doesn't become vulgar or a personal attack. We can all disagree and some of the best threads ever on this site had major disagreements.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Dave
Dave Anderson
Chester, NH
I won't post my bench because I bought a nice Sjoberg Elite, and you can find a picture of it in a catalog! Point is, though, that it's a very nice bench but it gets beat up. I accidently scrape it with planes, dent it with chisels, etc. When it gets bad enough that it's not longer functional as a wood working bench (maybe 10 years from now) I will take it to my local mill and have it flattened on their belt. Then I'll use it for another 10 worry free years.
There are some very nice benches on this thread that I'd love to abuse and beat up!
Here is my bench. It's not the best looking but I also do more than just woodworking. I've done welding, rebuilt carbs and motors on it as well as use it for finishing my projects. I would love to own some of the benches that I've seen posted here if all I did was woodworking.
11-7-09 010.jpg
After doing the math on materials and time, and with agony and handwringing about my lack of manliness in not building my own, I, like John, wrote a check and bought the same bench so I could make other things; I just happen to have a picture......
Very stout, great vices, and like John I've dinged and gouged it without worry, as I see it as a tool, just like any other that you have to sharpen and tune up when necessary. I'd do it again with only one slight regret, the dog holes are 25mm (about 1") and I'm having trouble finding a good holddown, but Rob Lee said he would look into the possibility of offering a 25mm post for the Veritas, and if he does he's got at least one order for two of those. The Sjobergs version has some "issues."
RN
Here is my little bench.
I need to keep the ability to put TWO cars in my garage in case of hailstorms so I built a folding bench based on plans from PlansNow. It isn't the absolute best design but it is rock solid and folds completely out of the way.
The pictures were taken before I installed the vise and bench dog holes.