File under: Be careful what you ask for. I view the bench as a tool. It has drill holes, blade scars, everything. No apologies, but no bragging either. Not in same class as all the other benches seen here, but...has served me well.
The absolute very first solid-wood thing I ever made was my bench. Neighbor was doing rehab on a house built 1880's, down to the studs. It was framed in red oak. He tore out a section of roof. I scarfed up the wood. Maybe 40% yield gave enough for the bench top except for the outer rim boards, which were new. You can tell the difference in the first photo.
The dog hole spacers are Kansas walnut. Notice the dog on the bench - the holes are notched to receive the brass face. I don't remember where I got the dogs, but hadda be some well-known place, because I didn't know squat. [i have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat] Coulda been LL Johnson in Charlotte, MI. As mentioned, the hole spacers have an angle/cant to them - 7% sticks in my mind, but no guarantees. I stood in LL Johnson's showroom many Saturdays reading every reference book on building a bench, so that % musta come from one of those.
Cabinet is RO 3/4 ply; 1/2" ply drawers with Kansas black walnut fronts.
You'll notice that the benchtop got hacked up enough over the years that I used various bits of wood to patch it.
Can't go without this bit of history: Mid 70's. Central Eastern Kansas - northern edge of the Flint Hills. Elm Creek flooded its banks. Undercut a reasonably-sized black walnut, dropping it into the creek. In the only known instance of those two characters
EVER co-operating on
ANYTHING, my Dad and his father-in-law got some chainsaws, some chain, and a couple Farmall tractors, and drug that sucker out, and took it to someone to saw.
Bench 1.jpg Bench 2.jpg Bench 3.jpg