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hard maple work bench

Project by sidestepmcgee posted 618 days ago 1933 views 8 times favorited 15 comments Add to Favorites Watch

this bench was the first thing i built (furniture related). i tried to built stuff on make shift tables and the floor ,only to want to smash hard earned wood.so i made the leap into making woodworking an official hobby by taking the first step towards building a shop.i used a design from popular mechanics, and followed the plans exactly , finished with watco danish oil natural.hard maple throughout, patternmakers vise and double screw end vise.still need to drill or route bench dog holes. built a matching stool with scraps to go with it.

plans for bench: http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/woodworking/1302961.html

-- eric post, tallahassee FL


15 comments so far

View Kevin's profile

Kevin

294 posts in 853 days


posted 618 days ago

I love the twin screw on the end.

I don’t quite understand the face vice though. Does the back face actually stick out past the face of the workbench? What is the reason for this? Also why is the metal part of the vice level with the top of the bench? Aren’t these usually mounted so there is no metal level with the bench top?

I ask because I am going to be making my first bench soon and am scouring around looking at every design idea I come across.

I like the looks of the bench itself and the stool is a great idea dna use of scraps.

-- Kevin, Wichita, Kansas

View sidestepmcgee's profile

sidestepmcgee

136 posts in 620 days


posted 618 days ago

because its a patternmakers vise its able to spin 360 degrees and can also be adjusted to move 90 degrees up or down with a locking handle.and the top is recessed 1/16 of an inch to give clearance. finding the right design for a bench to suit me was the hardest research i’ve ever put into a project,everybodys different , so find what works best with you.also the plans i’ve linked are pretty detailed. thank you

-- eric post, tallahassee FL

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

9530 posts in 883 days


posted 618 days ago

That’s one nice heavy duty looking bench!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View grovemadman's profile

grovemadman

558 posts in 667 days


posted 618 days ago

Thanks for posting such a wonderful project! Not only does it look sturdy, but ready to handle any type of clamping you may need during fabrication.

-- --Chuck

View cajunpen's profile

cajunpen

5968 posts in 961 days


posted 618 days ago

Really sturdy looking bench. Looks like you have all the bells and whistles that might want.

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

View rikkor's profile

rikkor

11335 posts in 770 days


posted 618 days ago

Very nice bench. We should see some really nice projects coming off of it.

View Scott Bryan's profile

Scott Bryan

20684 posts in 717 days


posted 618 days ago

This is a gorgeous bench and a tool that should get a lot of use. I am sure that this was a challenging project. Now that you have this under your belt anything else should be a “piece of cake”. :)

Thanks for sharing.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

View mrtrim's profile

mrtrim

1698 posts in 775 days


posted 618 days ago

great looking bench !

View Tony Z's profile (online now)

Tony Z

173 posts in 685 days


posted 618 days ago

That is a nice bench. I’m reading Chris Schwarz’s book right now and am planning on building one soon. It looks to me like the rear jaw of the face vise is mounted upside-down, but maybe I’m wrong. I bet that bench is heavy! Nice work.

-- Tony, Ohio

View DaveH's profile

DaveH

372 posts in 673 days


posted 618 days ago

Great bench! Great workmanship! When I get the time and money I plan to build one. Thanks for posting the pictures!

-- DaveH - Boise, Idaho - “How hard can it be? It's only wood!”

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

7641 posts in 1113 days


posted 618 days ago

Really nice bench. And both of those vises set you back quite a few $$$. :-)

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

View SteveL's profile

SteveL

71 posts in 663 days


posted 618 days ago

Very nice bench there—and you did a fine job of mounting that patternmaker’s vise. Is it an antique Emerett? This is a setup ideal for carvers, since the vise rotates to any position but holds your workpiece solidly. We’ll expect to see lots of great work emerge from the sawdust on this bench!

-- SteveL

View sidestepmcgee's profile

sidestepmcgee

136 posts in 620 days


posted 618 days ago

i wish it was an antique emerett. the patternmakers is from woodcraft and the end vise from lee valley.i find the rotation of the vise to be the best for use on every project. thanks for sharing

-- eric post, tallahassee FL

View ND2ELK's profile

ND2ELK

6199 posts in 669 days


posted 617 days ago

Great looking bench. You did a very nice job for your first project. Thanks for posting.

Tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

View PanamaJack's profile

PanamaJack

4447 posts in 972 days


posted 615 days ago

Beatuiful bench! Great job.

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

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