Maple- Walnut Workbench

Wow. Too pretty to use…..

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

welcome to lumberjocks

over-the-top bench … way cool

-- ..... art for lifes sake

SNAP! Those are gorgeous!

Great understanding of using the space under the top.

I can’t wait to see more of your projects.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Wow! That is furniture! I would be afraid of scratching it!

-- Women love me.....trees fear me

Those are the nicest looking workbenches I have ever seen. I’m with WayneC; they’re too pretty to use! I’d feel like crying if I got a nick in one or spilled glue. The workmanship looks absolutely outstanding, along with beautiful wood.

-- "But godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6

I agree they are to nice to build and glue on. Look more like furniture for the house. Very nice.

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

Absolutely beautiful. I love the mix of dark and light woods, and the figured maple on the drawer fronts is fantastic. Again, like everyone says, they’re almost too nice to use. You almost have to intentionally put that first scratch in the top of one, just so you know that you can use them for more than just a showpiece!

-- Jason, Kansas City

Ooooooo :) Awesome.

-- I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso

I hate to tell you but those are not work benches. that’s fine furniture.

-- Tom D

Almost too pretty to work on. Almost!

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

Those look better than anything in my house. Beat them well:-)

-- Use the fence Luke

These are absolutely beautiful benches. One of the time honored traditions with carpenters/woodworkers in past generations was advertising their skill with the tool totes that they constructed. The more elaborate and detailed totes reflected the craftmanship that went into the construction and the skill of the owner. I see this same principal in your benches. You could have easily thrown together a workbench made with construction grade material and plywood. It would have been serviceable but nowhere near as detailed and elaborate as these are. They indeed are a reflection of your craftmanship.

Well done. I really appreciated seeing this post.

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

Fine funiture for the shop!! Thanks for sharing your beautiful work!!

-- Pat, Colorado

“Wow” would be an understatement here…”Holy Cow!” would fit better! Beautiful project here RJ. Now you need some cabinets to match and you’ll have a shop to beat all shops!

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Looks better than some of my house furniture.

-- Grant...."GO BUCKEYES"

Again, I’d put those in the center of any room in my house and admire them. Real works of art.

Okay, I’ve been around here a while, and this project definitely takes 1st prize for over-the-top shop furniture! Really beautiful!

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

RJ,

Unsolicited suggestion: Contact a couple of interior designers in your area and offer to sell the workbench combo as fine furniture for inclusion in an expensive “man-cave” or den. I am serious, I think that in your neck of the woods you would find immediate buyers for these pieces. Anyone looking for a unique twist or a bold statement in an expensive, manly area of a home would immediately be drawn to your work.

Congratulations on stunning craftsmanship.

-- Sola Gratia, John

They are almost too pretty to use in a shop. I would be covering them up before I used Them! Thanks for posting.

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

Yowza! I just pulled a plane off my shelf and dropped a low angle block on my maple workbench. Had it been on one this nice, I might have cut my own throat. Very nice!

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

Wow, those are incrredible benches. I can’t imagine what your projects look like if this is the kind of work you do on ‘just’ a bench. Welcome to LJs; I really look forward to seeing more of your work.

-- ....next big purchase is wood for the next project, Mark

Dangl. I just got slobber all over my keyboard…

-- A thing of beauty is a joy forever... - Keats

Like many here, I seriously would be afraid to use these—just gorgeous! Great design and construction!

-- -- Jim E., Oswego, NY. Create, have fun, and work safely!

This is fine furniture!

Beautiful wood grain, finish and craftsmanship. I agree with many your work bench is fine furniture.

Dalec

I’ll pay the shipping to Central Texas…

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

WOW

-- Hutch, Montana

function first, the two piece idea is excellent and being able to reconfigure the benches for multiple purposes is wonderful. in regards to the appearance, I totally agree with Scott Bryan’s comments above…..perhaps I would go a little further, so forgive me if I get a little philosophical here, but I think our tools set the atmosphere for our craft, becoming our mentor or apprentice when we need a second set of hands. You go out to the shop in the morning, turn the light on and your tools and benches are covered in a fine layer of dust and you can almost here them, “sit down and finish your coffee, we’ll wait for ya” As a matter of fact I think my bench can even hear your benches and it’s complaining,” I can’t believe you left that epoxy, you know how hard that is to get off…...and when are you gonna oil the rods on my vise…you don’t love me do you?” ....you know that bench can go on for ever but I would never question it’s passion…or place a value on the inspiration it’s given… I think I’ll get another cup of coffee and try and patch things up.
Great work Rj

-- If knowledge is not shared, it is forgotten.

Very nice, very nice. I like the modular concept, could serve many functions.
Good work,
Gary

Beautiful work…. thanx for sharing, definitely gives plenty of ideas, and reminds you that a good looking workshop makes working in it just so much more fun… or it could just be me ;)

-- My Drinking Club has a Woodworking Problem...

Good grief, they’re drop dead gorgeous! Fine furniture for sure. Outstanding work!

-- Bill, Florida

Rj,

That is an amazing set of benches. I like the idea of two smaller benches you can arrange however you want.
Great idea, just made them to beautiful to work on is all.

-- Kevin, Wichita, Kansas

They are beautiful benches. bet they inspire you to do some really top class work – look forward to seeing your future posts.

wow those are some nice benches. very, very impressive! thanks for the post!

Wow! Stunning workbenches. I would be too timid to actually do any work on them, I would just want them in my living room. :)

-- I get payed to play with power tools! What could be better than that?

100%, Completely, Totally, Awesome!!

I love these.

Thanks for showing them.

-- Martin, Kansas

These would have to be at the top end of some great work benches I have seen. Beautiful.

-- Bob

They would just paralyse me. I could no more do wood working on those that I could use a matisse as a drawing board. What where you thinking!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

Wow! I think you found your calling in life. Those are astounding! Can’t wait to see more. Oh and Welcome to LJ’s.

-- “There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper … and the buyers who consider price only are this man’s lawful prey.” John Ruskin

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee T

-- Mike, Bruce Mississippi = Jack of many trades master of none

I’m speechless. I’ve taken a deep breath. Marvellous

-- Phil in British Columbia

SIMPLY FANTASTIC !! CONGRATULATIONS ON SUCH A STUNNING PROJECT : )

-- Dusty56@comcast.net

Those are awesome, the only thing I’d do is reverse the handles so that you turn the frowns into smiles. It would be nice to have your bench smile at you every time you went to the shop!

Wow, those are incrredible benches.

-- jeanmarc manosque france

Genuine shop furniture gorgeous and done well. Bravo!

always,
J.C.

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

In the living room? NO!!!! Put it in the bedroom. I would want this to be the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night. And yes, I’ll pay the shipping charges AND the crating charge. One up on ya, Texasgaloot. Let the bidding begin. You up for the fuel surcharge?

Great work, great design, thanks for letting us take a look.

-- Makin' Sawdust!!!

You gonna eat off those? You certainly are not going to pound on them are you. Sheeeesh. Are those virgin goat horns for door knobs?

-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com

Okay, now if I made a work bench that looked like these I couldnt use them for woodworking. I would just go out to my shop and look at them all the time. Great work!!!!! Very nice and hey they will last a life time plus more.

-- Davesfunwoodworking

I don’t know if I would put these in my shop. They look like furniture for my living room!

Outstanding!

-- Mark, Florida, http://penturner.wordpress.com/

Beautiful work! I love the thought you put into the form and function. Nice to see people think outside the box.

Box what box? :)

-- Chris

By far, the best looking bench, I’ve ever seen!!!! Wonderful job. Great thought process and wood combo. Thanks for joining up and sharing your “baby” with us!!

-- Jimmy

Very nice. I would enjoy working at those every day.

-- http://rusty@midohio.twcbc.com

WOW! I’m not sure what to say, those are absolutely spectacular!!! You’ve done a fantastic job! Oh, and Rj, Welcome aboard!

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

Great looking 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/

Ron, everytime i see the bench it just blows me away [still have photos you sent me]
people Ron is a true craftsmen ,unbelievable work he does
Your Indiana Buddy Fritz

If … this … is … what … his … workbenches … look… like

What does his FINE FURNITURE look like?

sigh…

-- John

Fabulous…Just Fabulous...Love the design, the Wood…Spectacular!
I think I would love to see this as a kitchen island…Truly inspirational…I could work on these all day!

-- Joni Hamari, Cave Creek, Az www.CustomSculpture.com

Thats a nice looking workbench.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker