Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: First bench build - done for now

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Wheaton, Illinois
    Posts
    364

    First bench build - done for now

    This build is still in progress but on hold until the fall - I have many other projects I must complete first, some being weather dependent.

    I've wanted a bench similar to this since I was about 8 years old, I'm 44 now.
    It took about three months to nail down a design I liked that would tic all the boxes; twin screw vise, leg vise, accommodate a hold fast, drawers, and ability to be transported.

    This is a series of firsts:
    - first bench
    - first dovetails I have ever cut on anything (these are done by hand)
    - first mortis and tenon joinery
    - first drawbore peg use

    What left to do:
    - Flatten the top
    - Add faces to the twin screw vise
    - Build my leg vise (there is a mortise in the skirt accept the leg, which will also be attached to the leg of the base)
    - The two openings on the left will be fitted with proper drawers (whats there is just temporary).
    - The opening on the right will have a raised panel door.
    - Behind the leg vise is another opening that will have a door.

    The top is hard maple, the walnut came from my grandfathers basement.
    The base is mostly soft maple with a couple pieces of hard maple here and there.


    The notches on the left end of the base allow room for the twin screws to pass.
    160521-005.jpg

    The inner panels have 1" of space between them which will allow room for a hold fast shaft to slide on through, in those two locations.
    160521-007.jpg

    I had to take these shots before I soiled it with my makeshift sliding panels.
    Not a bad view to have while working at the bench, btw. Also, this shows one of the many projects I must complete, trim in this room.
    160521-013.jpg 160521-016.jpg 160521-015.jpg

    Like I said, soil it with makeshift sliding panels. This will make it a little more useful until I can complete it.
    160521-019.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Wheaton, Illinois
    Posts
    364

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Tokyo, Japan
    Posts
    885
    Seriously? First dovetails? First mortise and tenons? First workbench?

    That's incredible. Seriously. I don't think many people's first, second, or even third workbench look that good!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    N Illinois
    Posts
    4,602
    Excellent work but I think you are more experienced than you indicate!! In an case, good work..Love the DTs, joints..
    Jerry

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Wheaton, Illinois
    Posts
    364
    Yes, I have a lot of experience working with wood; usually as an assistant to my father, and much much smaller projects, but everything I wrote above is true.

    I've studied and thought about woodworking for years on end but never had the facilities to follow through until the past couple years.

    In the case of this bench I made about 30 design revisions and made each piece in 3d cad and assembled in cad to make sure it could be done as I designed it.

    While the end results look good you dont see all the mistakes I made along the way - re-spacing tenons, completely screwing up a dovetail in walnut, the resulting repair, or the 8' long piece of 8/4 hard maple I had to abandon due to another dovetail screw up.

    If success is enthusiastically messing up repeatedly, this project is the result of it.

    160317-002.jpg 160317-003.jpg 160317-009.jpg 160317-011.jpg

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Renton, WA
    Posts
    228
    Isn't woodworking fun? Everyone of us has made mistakes. Nice stuff be proud of it.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Princeton, NJ
    Posts
    7,254
    Blog Entries
    7
    Nice work Dale!

    Sucess is is often working your way through unforeseen circumstances, aka 'woopsies'.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Wheaton, Illinois
    Posts
    364
    As good as it may look it is the result of a comedy of errors and obsessed tenacity.

    I refused to let a setback set me back.
    - The walnut ends were supposed to be another 1/2" thicker (half blind dovetails) on each end but I screwed up.
    - I wasted an 8' long piece of 8/4 hard maple
    - The skirts were supposed to be 1/4" taller but I messed those up.
    - The finish took about three days longer than it should have.

    Ultimately I screwed up a lot but those are opportunities to learn and adapt.

    I will make replaceable walnut faces for the twin screw vice and give it the appearance of a half blind dovetail.
    I will make a plane stop at the opposite end which will also give that end the appearance of a half blind dovetail.

    Nobody will know about these mistakes unless I tell them.
    Nobody will see the two mortises I cut in the wrong place because a panel on the back covers them.
    Nobody will know there is about a 1/16" twist to the left end frame of the base unless I tell them.

    It looks good.
    It was a huge project filled with firsts.
    It is not so much the result of superior woodworking skills as much as it is the result of pigheaded tenacity and perseverance.

    I am very happy with this project, mistakes and all, and look forward to using it for a lifetime and hope somebody else does after I'm gone.

  9. #9
    Great looking bench. I hope my first attempts look that good. I can say from my experience, unless you point them out most people will never see your mistakes. Even experienced woodworkers won't be able to tell that it doesn't match your drawings. Enjoy knowing you did a good job.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •