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Workbench

Project by Branden posted 40 days ago 863 views 8 times favorited 21 comments Add to Favorites
Workbench Workbench Workbench Click the pictures to enlarge them

Hello All, it’s been a long time!

For those of you who knew I was building this, here it is a year later! I started it just after my daughter was born and did not realize how much my time for woodworking would decrease. Now I have a good reason to escape to the shop more often.

This bench was a lot of fun to build! I researched hundreds of designs for the last few years and then discovered this one. I replicated the design from Lon Schleining and his 2004 book, ”The Workbench: A Complete Guide to Creating Your Perfect Bench”, Taunton Press. Lon was also kind enough to consult with me over e-mail as I moved through construction. It is almost an exact replica except I used some Jatoba inlays for the top and vices and Lon actually took the time to create hand-cut dovetails for the aprons, something I have not perfected yet. I used my Inca-Jig.

What you might find most interesting is that 75% of the wood used was salvaged. I work for a housing program at a local University and we were about to take a load of wood to the dump. The top is an old 2” thick maple food prep table from the dining commons and the base of the bench is old oak butcher block lounge chairs and maple bed rails that were resawn and glued. The base is all solid wood, no hardware, as the plans called for through mortises with wedge reinforcements. The only wood I purchased was for the aprons, front vice and twin screw vice. All vice hardware and bench dogs are from Veritas.

Although it was a long process and sometimes painful, I would not hesitate to build another one! I’ll also look to updating my website soon now that I am getting into the shop more often.

Don’t hesitate to drop me a message if you have any questions!

-- Branden - Sacramento, California - www.ShopDogUSA.com


21 comments so far

View ChicoWoodnut's profile

ChicoWoodnut

728 posts in 342 days


posted 40 days ago

Nice Bench Branden. I’m working out a design for one and might have some questions soon.

Your not too far away.

-- Scott - Chico California http://chicowoodnut.home.comcast.net

View Max's profile

Max

6430 posts in 800 days


posted 40 days ago

What a wonderful bench. Looks to nice to scratch up!!!!!

-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT

View 3fingerpat's profile

3fingerpat

190 posts in 195 days


posted 40 days ago

Beautiful bench, excellent work, congratulations on a job well done, hope you enjoy years of use on it.

-- "You get what you inspect, not what you expect"

View woodworm's profile (online now)

woodworm

923 posts in 118 days


posted 40 days ago

A beautiful and most importantly rock-solid workbench.

-- Regards, Woodworm

View thetimberkid's profile

thetimberkid

1680 posts in 230 days


posted 40 days ago

Very nice work bench!

Thanks for the post

Callum

-- Look great, get your TTK merchandise now! http://www.printfection.com/thetimberkid/ Check out my site http://thetimberkid.blogspot.com/

View jaxx's profile

jaxx

32 posts in 44 days


posted 40 days ago

Gee Wiz, i would be frightened to use this perfect bench. send fotos after hard use. its stunning

View Denappy's profile

Denappy

60 posts in 209 days


posted 40 days ago

Outstanding work, pretty enough to put in the house, and functional enough to use in the shop! Well done!

-- -=Den

View CharlieM1958's profile (online now)

CharlieM1958

4467 posts in 745 days


posted 40 days ago

Great save on the salvaged wood!

Now, c’mon….. are you really going to use this beautiful thing and risk scratching it up? :-)

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

View scarpenter002's profile

scarpenter002

29 posts in 432 days


posted 40 days ago

Beautiful bench. Very nice contrast of woods and the dovetails look great.

-- Scott in Texas

View Rob Drown's profile

Rob Drown

133 posts in 360 days


posted 40 days ago

Beautiful, very nice work. Do you have more pictures? I’m building one similar to it. You are close. I’m in Roseville

-- Days in the shop don't count toward the total.

View woodnut's profile

woodnut

122 posts in 579 days


posted 40 days ago

Great bench. If you would like to build me one I would not care to pay for shipping. LOL!!!!!!!

-- F.Little

View Hawgnutz's profile

Hawgnutz

505 posts in 603 days


posted 40 days ago

Very nice bench. Good score on the used wood, too! People sometimes don’t realize just how much work it takes using used wood. Great job! I echo Jaxx’s comment. I would be too hesitant to use such a beautiful bench.

God Bless,
Hawg

-- Saving barnwood from the scrapyards

View Texasgaloot's profile

Texasgaloot

419 posts in 227 days


posted 39 days ago

Ooooooooooo…

Hey, what finish did you use?

Thanks for posting!

Mack

-- There's no tool like an old tool...

View Don Newton's profile

Don Newton

136 posts in 146 days


posted 39 days ago

I guess my wife was right….you can do a better job if you take your time. Nice bench!

-- Don, Pittsburgh

View jcees's profile

jcees

473 posts in 326 days


posted 39 days ago

Gorgeous looking bench. I’m a big fan of Mr. Schleining. Does it do the job you believed it would? Any changes you might make on a version 2? How about working height? Again, gorgeous execution. Can’t kick about the money for wood either. Gotta love that.

always,
J.C.

-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein

View SCOTSMAN's profile

SCOTSMAN

529 posts in 112 days


posted 39 days ago

Very well done looks good enough to eat .As nice a bench as you’ll find how exactly did he help you with the dovetails ? And what incra jig do you have? please tell Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

View mreza's profile

mreza

12 posts in 55 days


posted 39 days ago

That looks very classy! Nice job!!

View mot's profile

mot

4851 posts in 563 days


posted 37 days ago

Smokin! A classic, man…just a classic!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

View Wingstress's profile

Wingstress

35 posts in 42 days


posted 33 days ago

That table is so awesome! I don’t know how you can bring yourself to use it. I’d be so scared of scratching it. I currently use my old kitchen counter top in my shop. If I run out of clamps or I can’t strap it down, I just pull out my drill and screw a piece of wood to the table and wallah, I have a clamp, dog, fence, you name it.

But, enough about me, your bench is spectacular. I wish you many nights of creative woodworking.

-- Tom, East Granby, CT

View ericandcandi's profile

ericandcandi

14 posts in 45 days


posted 26 days ago

AAAAHHHHHH….....My new coffee table…Great Job

-- ericandcandi, Louisiana- Home of the "LSU Tigers"

View Brent Livingwell's profile

Brent Livingwell

36 posts in 285 days


posted 22 days ago

Sweet, I built mine 6 months or so after my daughter was born and you will find out just how much wood work you can do with a baby in one hand and a hand plane in the other. Enjoy, and teach her to be a wood worker. In fact, I just cut a dovetail with her in one arm the other day, (it was in pine so pretty easy) just keep the sharp end away from you little one, and don’t tell your wife.

-- Things of the greatest worth are from the Earth. Ben Harper

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