I am just getting started in this hobby and have learned a lot from people who have posted their experiences and projects online. In return, I wanted to document my first project which is the Holtzapffel bench. Unfortunately, I started working on the bench before I found the lumberjocks website and did not photo some of the construction in the beginning. I plan to document the project a little more closely. I will also try to point out things that I learn along the way to help new woodworkers save time when building this bench.
It is taking me some time to build this bench because I have had to buy the tools as needed. I am also learning skills and have been practicing before applying them to the bench. I opted to go with the southern yellow pine. I bought the lumber from a big box store close to my house. I had to adjust the dimensions a little since the lumber was already processed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
This is the face vise chop glued and clamped up. I can’t believe how heavy this thing is once it was out of the clamps!
Here are the tenons on top of the legs that I cut by hand. I have since tuned up a Rockwell table saw that I will use to cut tenons in the future. I have to admit that I wanted to build this workbench completely by hand, but I did use the table saw to rip the boards. Everything else is hand sawn and planed.
These mortises are courtesy of a mortising chisel that I received as a Christmas gift from my wife. Thank goodness for an understanding wife. Just as long as I leave room for her to park in the garage!
This is the glued up chop for the end vise and a better pictures of the legs. You can see the side stretchers next to the legs. I have since cut the tenons on them and the longs stretchers. More pictures will follow.
-- A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. There will be sleeping enough in the grave. ~Benjamin Franklin
12 comments so far
John Gray
home | projects | blog
1753 posts in 780 days
posted 304 days ago
Nice start!!! Please keep us informed?
-- Only the Shadow knows....................
TimberMan
home | projects | blog
106 posts in 359 days
posted 304 days ago
Look’n good. I’ll keep an eye open for your next update.
Scott Bryan
home | projects | blog
20668 posts in 717 days
posted 304 days ago
Construction posts like this are nice to follow. It gives a lot more information than simply looking at a finished project. I will be interested in seeing the next installment.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
grovemadman
home | projects | blog
558 posts in 666 days
posted 304 days ago
It looks like the start of a solid workbench!!
-- --Chuck
SPalm
home | projects | blog
948 posts in 777 days
posted 304 days ago
Sweet, I love bench blogs. Looks like you are off to a fine start.
Steve
-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon
tinnman65
home | projects | blog
243 posts in 309 days
posted 304 days ago
Great start, for a first project its a smart choice. Without a good bench you’ll struggle with the next project.Trust me it was a hard lesson for me to learn, I put it off way to long. I look froward to seeing more
-- Paul Sayre Creativity is a drug I cannot live without. Cecil B. DeMille (1881 - 1959)
John in SD
home | projects | blog
118 posts in 708 days
posted 304 days ago
It looks like you are doing a great job…....keep it up
-- Life used to be soooo much simpler!!!!
motthunter
home | projects | blog
2079 posts in 694 days
posted 304 days ago
great start.. please keep us posted.
-- making sawdust....
BarryW
home | projects | blog
872 posts in 801 days
posted 304 days ago
I’m following your progress, too…I need to do the same thing soon…
-- /\/\/\ BarryW /\/\/\ Stay so busy you don't have time to die.
UVA
home | projects | blog
18 posts in 304 days
posted 304 days ago
I finished the Holtzapel work bench three weeks ago. Mine has a 3” x 24” x 96” hard maple top. It’s a beauty. It’s really heavy and a joy to work on. I made it so the base can be disassembled. I used the Veritas twin screw vise for the face vise and added the sliding dead man from the Roubo bench design. I finished the top with three coats of the bees wax/turpentine/boiled linseed oil mix which provides lots of protection from glue spills and stains. Draw boring the tenons is a nice touch to make the base very solid. Good luck with the bench. It is well worth the time to build it.
TimberMan
home | projects | blog
106 posts in 359 days
posted 304 days ago
UVA – If you have some time to post it as a project I would like to see what you built.
cylis007
home | projects | blog
55 posts in 364 days
posted 304 days ago
UVA – Your bench sounds really impressive. I would like to see it as well. Also, thanks for the idea regarding finish. I do plan on draw boring all of the joints.
-- A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. There will be sleeping enough in the grave. ~Benjamin Franklin