it ain't winning any beauty contests, but it's mine and it does its job

[Zahid Naqvi]

So after wishy washing for a couple years I finally buckled down and did it, made a work bench thanks to all the advice offered by fellow creekers. Along the lines of the Roubo, with minor modifications to suit the supplies at hand and perceived convenience. Lots of tearout (it was deliberate to add friction to the top ), the end/tail vise top is not exactly parallel to the bench top, the far end still needs to be cut-off etc. small stuff incorporated into the design to add character

I had seen, and used once, the perforated board/stick with the movable pin which is used as the bottom support on a leg vise. Every time I looked at that I felt a twinge in my bad back, so I cooked up this threaded rod thing instead. In theory it will allow me to adjust the bottom opening by spinning the disk with my foot. I have given it a couple tries and so far it seems to be doing good. Although the threaded rod does not slide through the leg as well as I hoped it would. I may have to enlarge the hole some and stick a narrow copper/steel tubing in it to prevent the threads from grabbing the wood grain.

The planing stop is just a 1/4" thin sheet of Walnut glued to a couple dowels. This I have used quiet a bit in the last 2 weeks and it works wonderfully well. I was hoping with a thin planing stop I would be able to plane thin and thick stock on the same planing stop.

At some point in time I will probably add some storage under the bench, leaving clearance on the top for any holdfast type gizmo if I acquire one. I am still not sold on the holdfast concept.

finished-bench 001.jpgfinished-bench 002.jpgfinished-bench 003.jpgfinished-bench 004.jpgfinished-bench 006.jpgfinished-bench 005.jpg

[george wilson]

Good idea to line the hole with metal for the threaded rod.

Holdfasts are great. Once you have tried one,you will like them just fine. I used mine all the time when I was in public. They do tend to take hunks of wood around the hole you tighten them into,so you might want to bevel the edge of the hole. That fir will definitely chip out if you don't. I had some chipping in my maple top.

[Joe A Faulkner]

Congratulations on completing the bench. I looks very functional and I am sure you will enjoy using it. How did you join the top to the legs? Did you use 4x4's from the borg for your top? Are you planning any type of finish?

[Matthew Dunne]

Beauty contest or no, that looks like one heck of a great bench. I'm jealous. Enjoy!

[Jim Matthews]

I believe the term you seek is "rugged good looks".

800px-Green_Banks_-_International_Harvester_Travelall.jpg

I remember my high school friends lusting after the Pontiac Trans Am. I drove an International Harvester Travelall.
Didn't look like much, but it got plenty of use...

[Jeff Wittrock]

Zahid,

That looks like a good solid bench!

[John Tallyn]

All that matters is, you built it, it works for you.

[george wilson]

Your bench looks fine. It is a workbench,and a fancy one will just get messed up,cut,scratched,stained,etc. I like to build benches myself,but the way I build them ,the parts are heavy for my old body to deal with. I do have about enough 4" thick hard maple to make another one,but I would have no need for it,or any place to put another bench. Maybe I'll make vise screws,or planes with it. Maple should be better than beech in just about every way. beech was so cheap and common I think they used it for those reasons. The English also made cheap furniture out of beech.

[Bob Jones]

Don't underestimate the fun, value, and usability of a holdfast. I love mine from tfww.

[Gary Hodgin]

Great job! That's a nice looking and functional workbench. I know it takes a lot of work to build something like that.

[Zahid Naqvi]

The top is held in place via a couple dowels through two legs (diagonally across). I have already done a lot of planing on the bench and the top stays put even with two dowels. Yes I did use 4x4 Doug Fir from the local HD. Nope no finish planned. The wood I suspect is not uniformly dry and it will take a few months before it acclimatizes to my garage, I think there will be more movement and hence more flattening. Even after it becomes stable I don't know why I would need a finish of any type, raw wood will provide more friction, very useful for hand tool work.

Congratulations on completing the bench. I looks very functional and I am sure you will enjoy using it. How did you join the top to the legs? Did you use 4x4's from the borg for your top? Are you planning any type of finish?

[David Keller NC]

Even after it becomes stable I don't know why I would need a finish of any type, raw wood will provide more friction, very useful for hand tool work.

You don't. It's an aesthetic choice, of course, but I far prefer a bench with a "patina" of sweat, dirt and oil to bench that looks like it belongs in a living room with a crystal liquor set on it.

[Terry Beadle]

Nice bench !

No dog holes ....?

[Jay Maiers]

Very nice Zahid. I like the idea of the screw adjusted pin replacement. I hope it works well for you.

I had seen, and used once, the perforated board/stick with the movable pin which is used as the bottom support on a leg vise. Every time I looked at that I felt a twinge in my bad back, so I cooked up this threaded rod thing instead. In theory it will allow me to adjust the bottom opening by spinning the disk with my foot. I have given it a couple tries and so far it seems to be doing good. Although the threaded rod does not slide through the leg as well as I hoped it would. I may have to enlarge the hole some and stick a narrow copper/steel tubing in it to prevent the threads from grabbing the wood grain.

McMaster has a large selection of flanged bushings available in a dozen different flavors of bronze (oilite), nylon, and problably a billion other materials. They're really meant to be rotational bearings, but I've used them as linear bearings a number of times with no issues. Adding a bit of a chamfer to the mouth of the bushing would probably smooth the movement even more. They're relatively cheap too, especially for the sub 1" diameter stuff. If you don't want to order from McMaster, a really good local hardware store might have them as well.

[Chris Fournier]

I would strongly consider radiusing all the edges on your bench - say 1/8" to 3/16" rads. I recommend this because your bench will wear better when it gets whacked and it will prevent lacerations to yourself! I would also get some finish on the beast to protect it fromglue and the odd light stain.

It looks sturdy but a bit rough and that's the builder's call! Plain brown wrapper is good in many cases.

You certainly won't regret storing tools in the space between the trestle stretcher and bench top. You bench won't move and neither will you, it's a very efficient work station when you go this route.

I'm certain that you'll get plenty of payback for your efforts.