# New guy first post



## Blake870 (Aug 15, 2021)

Hey just joined up today and about 2 years into woodworking. I just wanted to share my workbench project that's just about done. Its a kinda rouboish style with mortise and tenon throughout and some dovetailed ends all hand cut. Very challenging for a newbie and took a few months in my free time to get here. The base is made of quatersawn white oak and red oak for the shelving from a buddy. The top is very nice quater sawn white oak with walnut ends from a local sawmill laminated together. The top ended up at 4" thick with the most figured boards towards the outside. It was milled in 8" sections with jointer and planer then glued together and feathered in with a hand plane. The m&t for base and all 6 stretchers were draw bore pegged out of the same white oak that my neighbor turned for me. I also ran spax lag bolts thru top stretchers into the bench top with over sized holes to hopefully allow for some wood movement. I didnt have any plans for this just kinda winged it and looked at pics off the internet. Any comments or criticism are welcome. Thanks.


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## mikewhite (May 3, 2012)

Welcome! That is gorgeous!! Nice work.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

For a newbie that is awesome work…actually it would be awesome for an experienced woodworker as well! Nicely done!


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Wow!


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

very nice looking bench! i'd be scared to scratch it!


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

Doing might fine for a Noob, 40+ years & I still have not built a bench…


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

Very nice! With work like that you are going to need to surrender your newbie card immediately.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Looks fantastic to me! Welcome to the site and thanks for sharing your bench. That's some great work


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## Thedustydutchman (May 23, 2021)

Ummmm, wow, if thats a beginner workbench then I'd sure like to see what else you can do! That thing is absolutely beautiful!


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## Woodnmetal (Jul 24, 2021)

Tremendous skills you have for "winging it" Blake. 
Looks incredibly solid and looks great as well. Looking forward to seeing more of your work

Cheers to that!

Gary & Christine


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## TucsonJOA (Oct 6, 2020)

That will last several lifetimes. What a beauty!


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

Sweet bench, nice work. Looks like a BenchCrafted Glide, yer gonna love that.

Welcome to LJ's


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

"NEWBIE" i aint buyin it.that is some mighty fine woodworking.cant wait too see what comes off it.welcome to lumber jocks.i love that youve jumped right in participating.we need more guys like you.


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## Desert_Woodworker (Jan 28, 2015)

Come and join us at Gunny's Garage we have Bandit who does a similar type of craft…


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## MadMark (Jun 3, 2014)

Welcome!

Very nice job on the bench.

*Tip:*
Edit your pics and resave them before uploading them and they'll orient correctly.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Welcome to LJs Blakes, Enjoy! Impressive work .great looking and super details.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> Welcome!
> 
> Very nice job on the bench.
> 
> ...


Uh oh! you done did it now! you have summoned the fury of *LBD* by your post, who is sworn to smite anyone posting sideways pictures


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

> Doing might fine for a Noob, 40+ years & I still have not built a bench…
> 
> - ChefHDAN


+1

Me too. Been doing woodworking since the late seventies - I got crap for a bench. 
The projects, though, have done just fine regardless.

Still, that doesn't mean I'm not jealous of your fine newbie bench.
Hopefully, you aren't so afraid of marking it up that you don't allow it to reach its full potential.

I love the Walnut ends dovetailed on there. 
It is perfect for allowing expansion and contraction of the top without splitting.
Okay, I'm jealous.

Very nice job.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Welcome!
> 
> Very nice job on the bench.
> 
> ...


already prepared with extra security.the navy seals that took out bin laden.i pray they succeed !


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## Blake870 (Aug 15, 2021)

> Very nice! With work like that you are going to need to surrender your newbie card immediately.
> 
> - controlfreak


Thank you yeah im kind of getting that vibe


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## Blake870 (Aug 15, 2021)

> Doing might fine for a Noob, 40+ years & I still have not built a bench…
> 
> - ChefHDAN
> Thanks alot and yeah it got banged up a little while building so that worry is over
> ...


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## Blake870 (Aug 15, 2021)

> Ummmm, wow, if thats a beginner workbench then I d sure like to see what else you can do! That thing is absolutely beautiful!
> 
> - Thedustydutchman


Thank you very much for your comment!


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## Blake870 (Aug 15, 2021)

> Welcome!
> 
> Very nice job on the bench.
> 
> ...


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## Blake870 (Aug 15, 2021)

> "NEWBIE" i aint buyin it.that is some mighty fine woodworking.cant wait too see what comes off it.welcome to lumber jocks.i love that youve jumped right in participating.we need more guys like you.
> 
> - pottz


Well I dove head first into woodworking a couple years ago and been buying what I could afford along the way and practicing alot on junk wood and scraps so yeah im kind of a noob but thanks for your comment. Hunting season coming soon so it will be sitting there until season is over!


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## Blake870 (Aug 15, 2021)

> Doing might fine for a Noob, 40+ years & I still have not built a bench…
> No sir not afraid at all and thank you!
> 
> - ChefHDAN
> ...


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## Blake870 (Aug 15, 2021)

> That will last several lifetimes. What a beauty!
> 
> - TucsonJOA


That was the plan I love seeing old benches at antique stores that still look great. Thank you!


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## Woodmaster1 (Apr 26, 2011)

Welcome your off to a great start. Your bench will be better than mine and I have been at it for 48 years.


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## 489tad (Feb 26, 2010)

Welcome to LJ's. You did a great job on the bench.


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## Blake870 (Aug 15, 2021)

> Welcome to LJ's. You did a great job on the bench.
> 
> - 489tad


Thanks alot dan I live about an hour 15 sw of Naperville


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## mel52 (Sep 4, 2017)

Very good looking bench. Well done !!! Also Welcome to LJs. Mel


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

The bench work is nice. Now we need a shop tour with pictures of all your tools and layout.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Bench looks almost too nice to use…looks great!


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## CL810 (Mar 21, 2010)

Beautiful work Blake!


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## newwoodbutcher (Aug 6, 2010)

Well done!


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## Blake870 (Aug 15, 2021)

> Beautiful work Blake!
> 
> - CL810


Thank you!


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

Wow ! That's a really outstanding looking bench. It's very much like something I want to build this winter. Thanks for the motivation.


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## 987Ron (Apr 9, 2020)

nicely done and welcome to the LJ. Keep posting.


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## Blake870 (Aug 15, 2021)

> Wow ! That s a really outstanding looking bench. It s very much like something I want to build this winter. Thanks for the motivation.
> 
> - BurlyBob


Thank you sir get after it! Fun project for sure


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

I thought the bench looks good. Very nice start hope it serves you well on many projects.
Good Luck


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