Show us your Bench

[John Coloccia]

I've had the same problem finding hold downs. I'm thinking of asking a local blacksmith to make me some, but if Veritas produces them, I'll surely buy them. That's my ONLY gripe with the bench. Everyone else on the planet, including the other Sjoberg benches, uses 3/4" holdowns. Very frustrating. I'm also 1/2 considering filling all the holes with dowels, or some of them anyhow, and redrilling them to 3/4".

[harry strasil]

I think 1/2 inch black pipe would be about the right size for holdfasts in 1 inch holes, they would be strong yet lighter than solid rod. FWIW

[David Gendron]

I think that the OP just wanted as much pictures as possible to have some ideas for his future bench! And if you are posting a comment and you have a bench in your shop, what ever the look, the price or the quality of the wood, you should at least post a picture espacialy if you think that your bench is THE BENCH!

Lot's of great bench out there and info/opinions on the why to use such and such material!

[Jeff Wittrock]

Cheap bench made from whatever 2X4s I could scrounge up at the time and a couple of 2X10s of SYP for the stretchers.

I don't have a more recent picture, but a while back I added a make shift wagon vice opposite the side of the leg vice.

The top was never very refined to start with, but the bench has been used for things other than wood working and has taken on a pretty rough patina. In particular I used it to hold the forms while making a concrete vanity top and some tears in the tarp allowed concrete juices to soak into the wood.

You can also see my son using his adjustable work bench in the background.

[harry strasil]

to each of us our bench is a trophy bench as we built or purchased it to do the type of woodworking we prefer and for the space constrictions we have in our shops. I have 5 plus vises on my small bench which suits me fine.

[Leigh Betsch]

I think that the OP just wanted as much pictures as possible

Yup pictures of benches, that's all this thread is about. The commentary is kind of entertaining but in the end if you pound on them or polish them it's just personal preference. More Pics!!

[Greg Millen]

My bench is based on a cross between a Roubo and a few other designs. The base for the clamp storage is my design and enables a large space saving in the workshop. The skirt will be flush with the legs and there will be an overhang at each end. It is covered in junk while I get on with other things, the top will not be completed for a while yet.

The frame is made from bits of scrap. Just one of the clamps in the base is worth more than the investment in the timber for the frame. The flutes are not to make the bench 'pretty', I wanted to experiment with some techniques as I went so I thought 'why not'. I figure any errors are a good reminder for the future. The legs are 1800mm (72") apart and the top will be 900mm (36") high. The side rails are twin haunched tenons, the front are through wedged tenons. The top will be drawbored tenons.

[David Keller NC]

The top was never very refined to start with, but the bench has been used for things other than wood working and has taken on a pretty rough patina. In particular I used it to hold the forms while making a concrete vanity top and some tears in the tarp allowed concrete juices to soak into the wood.

Yikes - now that would definitely make re-flattening the top dificult - at least with a handplane!

[Jeff Skory]

Greg, nice looking so far. What are the two knobs on the inside of the two legs for?

[harry strasil]

My Demo bench top is 5 foot long 11 1/4 inches wide, 4 inches thick made of Linden (Bass Wood). It is 36 inches tall and has 19 inch wide feet of Ash, and the stretcher and off end are also of Ash. The vise leg is of Bass Wood. The Vise and the Apron are of Oak.



Its long and narrow and light enough to move around easily as it has to fit in my demo shop trailer.

[Richard Niemiec]

I've had the same problem finding hold downs. I'm thinking of asking a local blacksmith to make me some, but if Veritas produces them, I'll surely buy them. That's my ONLY gripe with the bench. Everyone else on the planet, including the other Sjoberg benches, uses 3/4" holdowns. Very frustrating. I'm also 1/2 considering filling all the holes with dowels, or some of them anyhow, and redrilling them to 3/4".

I thought about filling, and simply drilling 3/4 holes, but can't bring myself to do it just yet. I'll see if Rob Lee comes up with anything, but he's got to look at time vs. sales vs. cost type stuff.

[Pete Ducklow]

I just made mine out of regular 2X4s that I got at the BORG:

[David Gendron]

Jr., that is a great looking bench, I need to make one like that one day to work outside on nice days!!

[Jeff Wittrock]

My 9 year old son's work bench.

He and the neighbor kids like to play in the garage and make things while I'm working there. My bench got to be too small for all of us, so one night I threw this together for him.

I made it for him, but I must confess I probably use it more than he does as a saw bench.

-Jeff

[Cliff Towle]

My 9 year old son's work bench.

He and the neighbor kids like to play in the garage and make things while I'm working there. My bench got to be too small for all of us, so one night I threw this together for him.

I made it for him, but I must confess I probably use it more than he does as a saw bench.

-Jeff

That is impressive! Good daddy you are.