| Project by denovich | posted 509 days ago | 1384 views | 2 times favorited | 25 comments |  |
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It started as a bit of a joke. My wife wanted a table for our daughter Jana. She really likes my workbench. I got the idea to make a mini version of my own workbench (see the other project I’ve uploaded.) But once I started getting into actual design process, I didn’t like how a replica would look scaled to her size. So, letting the wood dictate some of the constraints (it’s made from a single 8’x10”x2” rough sawn piece of white ash) I came up with this design.
Dimensions are 27” x 16” x 18”. The top and legs are 2” thick. True to the Roubo bench design, the legs are flush and square to the top (to provide a vertical clamping surface in addition to the obvious horizontal surface). Weight is approximately 40lbs.
I started it late Thursday evening (I am a habitually-procrastinating elf) I finished Saturday afternoon. Approximately 20hrs total project time.
Parts were assembled using a Festool Domino (my first project with this tool) and glue. I couldn’t be happier with the performance of the Domino. My Minimax has a horizontal mortiser, which I used on my big bench with excellent results, but the setup time is considerably longer than the seconds it takes to use the Domino. From the clamping photos you might be able to see how I used the top as a clamping guide to make sure the legs and stretchers glued up nice and square.
Sanded using Abranet abrasives (first try with these… so far a very good impression. Long lasting, great dust collection.) I used a Festool ETS125 ROS and a Dynabrade 5” Spirit pneumatic ROS. The Festool is the best ROS I’ve used. But the Dynabrade ROS is so much lighter, smoother, quicker cutting, and cheaper. If you have the compressor to drive one of these things I highly recommend them.
The finish has yet to be applied (I left it a little too late to get it dry for Christmas.) I plan to apply Osmo Polyx Hardwax Oil (same finish as on our floors… it’s food-safe/kid-safe, low-VOC, and reparable. All good qualities for this application.
My daughter (2yrs old) loves her bench… although it’s currently being used to host her tea set. I guess I’ll wait until she asks to drill it for dog holes.
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25 comments so far
crank49
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#1 posted 509 days ago
Now that’s cute as a bug.
-- Michael :-{| Diapers and politicians both need to be changed often; and for the same reason.
Jim Jakosh
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#2 posted 509 days ago
That is a cute workbench and a little beauty sitting on it. She will really like it!!
You can’t get them started too early to work with wood!............Jim
-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!
woodworm
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#3 posted 509 days ago
Very cute & well built woekbench for the cutie.
-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.
Jim Crockett (USN Retired)
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#4 posted 509 days ago
What an adorable Christmas picture – you better be sure to hold on to this one because you’re going to look at it many, many times over the years – especially when she gets older. Very nice workbench and she surely looks like she’s happy with it! What a cutie!!!
-- A veteran is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America," for an amount of "up to and including his/her life".
hickeymad
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119 posts in 1175 days
#5 posted 509 days ago
I am so building one of those! No vise? Dog holes? Oh, I get it; it’s really a table…
denovich
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30 posts in 989 days
#6 posted 508 days ago
I’m trying to convince her she’ll be fine with just a planing stop, round dog holes some holdfasts from Tools for Working Wood… But she’s holding out for a Benchcrafted tail vise and square dog holes.
Maveric777
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#7 posted 508 days ago
Love it…. And by the look on her face… She does too. Well done Dad!
-- Dan ~ Texarkana, Tx.
DYankee
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#8 posted 508 days ago
Cool very cool! About 2 years ago I made for my then 8 yo a tool box (basic A-frame) with kid sized tools (saw, hammer, tape measure, torpedo level, screwdriver, pliers, etc) all real tools just smaller sized. As she opened it for her birthdays she squealed with excitement as her friends looked on confused with faces that said “eeewww”. Well some did, her better friends thought it was cool to.
Anyway it’s great having a shop helper isn’t it?
-- Shameless - Winner of two Stumpy Nubs Awards
mafe
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#9 posted 508 days ago
That is one beautiful daughter, what a wonderful proud face on that photo.
A wonderful bench.
And what a wonderful workshop you have.
Best thoughs,
Mads
-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.
denovich
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30 posts in 989 days
#10 posted 508 days ago
When I was 4 or 5, my Aunt would spread a quilt out in the living room, and give me a coping saw and a piece of pine to play with. They gave me my first tool set too.
denovich
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#11 posted 508 days ago
Thanks Mads. I’ve been working on the shop for almost 2 years (since we moved back home after a few years living in England.) It is finally approaching the point where I am satisfied with it. It was a delight to take a break from all the construction work and finally create something. It was also nice to get some confirmation that all that hard work was worth it… the shop was now working with me, instead of against me.
DYankee
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2777 posts in 728 days
#12 posted 508 days ago
I showed my wife the pic of your shop (shop envy) and she said I couldn’t have one (like it).
Mine is a 12×20 out-building I built, nowhere near the room you have! Nice shop!
-- Shameless - Winner of two Stumpy Nubs Awards
denovich
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30 posts in 989 days
#13 posted 508 days ago
DYankee: My shop is in my basement, and it’s only 13’x21’... and I had to move a furnace, all the ductwork, a water heater, all the plumbing (gas and water) to get that much space.
Bertha
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#14 posted 508 days ago
Very nice bench and a very nice shop to go along with it! I love your floors and the lighting. You better watch out with that little woodworker; don’t let her out skill you, lol:)
-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog
denovich
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#15 posted 508 days ago
That was how my shop looked about 18 months ago.
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