Getting Started
When we moved into our current abode, I was able to take over about a third of the basement to use as my shop. I decided to ditch the Ikea kitchen cabinets I had been using as a workbench/assembly table and to build something solid.
About a year ago I stumbled across two Columbian vises for sale on Craigslist. They were rust buckets, but in working order. I bought the two of them for $50
I used electrolysis to remove the rust, which worked great. I basically did everything here
They are now painted matte black and ready to install on the bench.
I'm basing my design on the $175 workbench from Popular Woodworking about ten years ago.
I am using 2×8s from a local lumberyard, which has been interesting. I wasn't initially careful enough about rejecting knotty boards (all construction SPF lumber is knotty, but some are worse than others). I ended up with some unsightly knots right on the edge of the legs.
It currently looks like this:
I've got the end assemblies and the top glued up, and am about to size and mill the long stretchers.
When we moved into our current abode, I was able to take over about a third of the basement to use as my shop. I decided to ditch the Ikea kitchen cabinets I had been using as a workbench/assembly table and to build something solid.
About a year ago I stumbled across two Columbian vises for sale on Craigslist. They were rust buckets, but in working order. I bought the two of them for $50
I used electrolysis to remove the rust, which worked great. I basically did everything here
They are now painted matte black and ready to install on the bench.
I'm basing my design on the $175 workbench from Popular Woodworking about ten years ago.
I am using 2×8s from a local lumberyard, which has been interesting. I wasn't initially careful enough about rejecting knotty boards (all construction SPF lumber is knotty, but some are worse than others). I ended up with some unsightly knots right on the edge of the legs.
It currently looks like this:
I've got the end assemblies and the top glued up, and am about to size and mill the long stretchers.