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Hopefully you are like me and love looking at benches. If not sorry for posting yet another bench. I seem to like contemporary clean lines and I also like everything to fit together so when building this bench that is what I was focusing on. I notice that lots of times people do not match the bench/chop/sliding deadman and things look off (at least to me). Another thing that intrigues me was the idea of having an asymmetrical chop, EVERY design I have seen have kept it symmetrical. I assume this is for balance but after seeing the hardware I was working with I decided to see if it would work.

I actually started the bench with a single drawing of a few chop ideas (one of the images). From there I went about building the chop and base making sure they worked and were smooth. After that I made the top. For the last step I was having trouble coming up with a sliding deadman that made sense so I took a novel approach. I took a picture of the bench then drew different ideas on the image (final drawing included). After I came up with something I liked I went about making it. Overall I think the project came together well and looks cohesive. The asymmetrical chop does not affect the action or holding power.

As a side bonus I had a little extra wood so I made the moxon vise and carvers vice (although the carvers vice does not match the contemporary design). I also want to modify the moxon vice to have a lambs tongue maybe I will do that soon.

I still need to make a taller vice using the "classic" hardware to work closer to eye level and a La Forge Royale Miter Jack. I have both the kits but not the time. Actually the La Forge just seems a little intimidating and over my skill level so that is my excuse there.

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2,500 Posts
Great looking bench. You might post this on the workbench smackdown thread also.
 

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547 Posts
Oh man. I'm pretty sure this is the dream of every woodworker. I have to believe I'll end up making one at some point. I have the WW plans.

Awesome bench and awesome execution.
 

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That is incredible, well done. The benchcrafted hardware looks amazing. Far cry from my harbor freight POS bench.
 

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539 Posts
very nice!
 

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211 Posts
Hot dang! That's one very nice bench. Well done.
 

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Very nice bench. A well earned Daily-Top-3 badge.

Thanks for sharing.
 

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20 Posts
Nicely done. Don't kid yourself you built a nice Roubo, you could knock out the miter jack!!
 

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116 Posts
Fantastic bench, beautiful work. Very nicely done!
 

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man one of the nicest benches ive seen like a piece of fine furniture thats going to be a pleasure to use good work.
 

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That vise on the corner of the top caught my eye. wish you had a close up. Understand from your text it is for holding wood for carving. Well constructed bench.
 

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Brian it is a carvers vice from Benchcrafted. Every now and then they sell the hardware to make it. You have to supple to wood and build it but if I remember correctly it only took a weekend. Pretty straight forward. If you go to their website's blog you can get much more information on it.
 

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Patrick your bench is so perfect in so many ways. I love it and am so envious. I'm dreaming of building an honest to gosh woodworking bench. Very well done!
 

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I got a Carver's vice kit (with a giant piece of beech) from Benchcrafted when they first came out. Have been building my shop for the last year and a half, so I haven't been able to make the vise yet, but I can't wait. Yours looks really good!
 

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I can never see enough benches, Wood Porn to my eyes for sure. One day I will build one
 

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super slick design. really nice work surface and lots of clamping options. do you still need need to drill the top for your holdfasts?
 

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That picture was right before I drilled the holdfasts. Good catch.
 

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Very nice , don't get it dirty. I have 3' paper rolls on each end of my benches , to pull under glue clamping , and finishing . Still have to sand em down once a year, because I do appreciate a nice looking bench. Always thought a bench would instill a creative process in the kids , working on them at an early age . So many kids now days do not have parents that think a bench is necessary to a home.
 
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