Work Bench

[ken hatch]

C.S. has been running a series of posts on different work bench build personalities, I expect we all can see bits of ourself and/or our friends in the posts. One of the replies to C.S.'s post led me to google White's new fangled work bench. A result of the google was a video of one man's build. BTW my understanding was the plans came from Fine Woodworking, my only question is: Was it published in the April issue?

Time once again for my workbench mantra: Build it quickly, simple, heavy, and cheap, then go to work making furniture.

[William Fretwell]

I don't find White's design very appealing, light, complicated, and lacking work area. The front 'shelf' to hold wood seems very in the way.
You do need a somewhat quick first bench but remember you may be stuck with it a very long time. There is no shortcut to heavy however. That in itself is no guarantee the whole bench won't wobble when you cut a dovetail! Simple structural design is VERY often ignored to simplify design, save money or make drawer space. My top weigh's 230 lb my legs weigh 190 lb. Legs are often made too light with poor design.
Videos show Lie Nielson's large bench moving with simple sawing, the vice wracks and the boards outer edge is not held while cutting dovetails so moves with the dovetail saw, all very sad for a $4000 bench.
Bench design's all have compromises until you build your ultimate and last bench! Very simple, very heavy, very well designed, not so cheap!

[Pat Barry]

C.S. has been running a series of posts on different work bench build personalities, I expect we all can see bits of ourself and/or our friends in the posts. One of the replies to C.S.'s post led me to google White's new fangled work bench. A result of the google was a video of one man's build. BTW my understanding was the plans came from Fine Woodworking, my only question is: Was it published in the April issue?

Time once again for my workbench mantra: Build it quickly, simple, heavy, and cheap, then go to work making furniture.

Care to share a link?

[glenn bradley]

March 2007 has the refined version, #190. Original was in 1999, #139 IIRC.

[steven c newman]

Maybe we should revive the "Let's see them.." thread, and see what kinds of benches are in use.......

[Matt Evans]

Off topic a bit. . .C.S. and White. . .I was sittting there scratching my head trying to figure out who you meant and a bit of my brain says "but its C.S. Lewis, or T.H. White. . ."

[lowell holmes]

For the benefit of those of us that are not in the know, who or what is C.S. ?

[Daniel O'Connell]

For the benefit of those of us that are not in the know, who or what is C.S. ?

Christopher Schwarz

[Daniel O'Connell]

I don't find White's design very appealing, light, complicated, and lacking work area. The front 'shelf' to hold wood seems very in the way.
You do need a somewhat quick first bench but remember you may be stuck with it a very long time. There is no shortcut to heavy however. That in itself is no guarantee the whole bench won't wobble when you cut a dovetail! Simple structural design is VERY often ignored to simplify design, save money or make drawer space. My top weigh's 230 lb my legs weigh 190 lb. Legs are often made too light with poor design.

While I am pretty happy with my legs and stretchers(5x4" red oak legs with 6/4 red oak stretchers), I am not entirely happy with the weight of the top of my bench, its a split top thats maybe about 120lbs total, I never quite was able to get the bench heavy enough until I mounted some plywood across the lower stretchers and put as much mass as I possibly can on that shelf(every plane, chisel, and other piece of metal waiting for rehab plus a whole bunch of shorts and offcuts. So far I can do most of the work I want to do without much trouble.

[lowell holmes]

Christopher Schwarz

Duh______, I should have known that!

[David Eisenhauer]

"How much for that Altendorf". I liked that one.

[ken hatch]

"How much for that Altendorf". I liked that one.

So far my favorite as well.

ken

[ken hatch]

Care to share a link?

Pat,

To C.S.'s posts? White's plans? The video I found? Or my wonderful quickly built, simple, heavy, and cheap workbench?

ken

[Mike Holbrook]

I am a sucker for workbench plans too. I just ordered a set of plans from Shigshop. The plans are a revision of Schwarz's Roubo design, or at least one of them. Schwarz and Will Myers (the Moravian Workbench guy) also did a joint video on making a Roubo recently.

[ken hatch]

I am a sucker for workbench plans too. I just ordered a set of plans from Shigshop. The plans are a revision of Schwarz's Roubo design, or at least one of them. Schwarz and Will Myers (the Moravian Workbench guy) also did a joint video on making a Roubo recently.

Mike it ain't just the plans, it is building 'em as well and then finding a place to put 'em.

ken