# Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer...



## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

*Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *

*Old Danish hobby workbench*
croissants, espresso and beer…

No into needed, so let's jump right into the story:









This blog starts in my small kitchen back home.









So it could be about croissants and espresso or a few of my handmade knifes…









Or of friends like Flemming that show up and bring joy in my life.









I'll give you a clue, if you did not read the headline…









My friend Flemming left, so we will talk about the stranger in the kitchen…
Yes I guess you got it!
A small tabletop hobbyist workbench.

I bought it from an old woman here in Copenhagen, sadly she did not know the history of it and when I have tried to make searches here in Denmark, no answers came up.
My guess is that it has been a cheap alternative to a real workbench, a hobbyist bench or even one for children.
When I guess this, it is because the wood screws and parts in general are small in dimension and so it will not be for serious woodworking but could be fine for hobbyist use and small woodworking projects.

I have seen these a few times before here in Denmark, my friend Kærlighedsbamsen have posted about one of these before. He called it a Milkmans workbench after an article from Popularwoodworking where they made a copy of an old one they had borrowed. When I looked this up, I realized it have been a subject to a lot of talk and several people making their own versions of this old bench. So perhaps this blog can throw some light and add a few details for those interested or others that want to make one.









Here you see it close up.
As you might see it is clamped to the tabletop and like this both the vises can be used freely.
If some of you look at it and think: 'this looks a wee flimsy', you are completely right, it is.
When this is said, it is quite a lot better tan no bench at all. ;-)









This is a workbench!
(Then that discussion is over).









This is a serious bid on a modern hobby workbench from Swedish SJÖBERG. 
Can be found here: http://www.sjobergs.se/en/products/hobby/306.php
If I had to work of a tabletop or a kitchen table, that would be were I would put my money.









But since I had spend app 25 usd on the little thing only out of fascination, I thought it would be fair to bring it back to glory…
This begins with a strip of hardwood.









Cutting pieces to size.









Carefully marking.
Ohhh yes and having a beer makes the measures extra sharp, or at least I smile as I do it.









Can you guess the purpose?









Yes! Bench dogs for the little bench, as it came without any.









Shaped up and oiled.
Three with hooks and one straight for the wagon vice, this is how the bench is made and I will be true to it's spirit.









Now we have clamping ability.









The bench were all loose in the joints and someone even screwed together like this at some point.
That's not worthy for a woodworking tool like this, so this had to go.









Also you can see the wood have moved over the years, I think not from use but from moisture and temperature, it might have been stored away in a basement for years and years.









So time to take it apart.
The wonderful about things made in a proper way, is that they can also be split apart again.
So first step is to drill out the dowels.









Once they were out the bench almost fell apart.
On top of the bench you see a piece of wood I cut to fit in the front vice, to protect fine woodworking.









Gave it a pair of holes like this to fit the wood screws.









Back to the splitting.
Wonderful to see how simple it was constructed.









Quite rough in the details.









This is as simple as a wagon vise can be.









Other end again just fingers and tenon (tap) - mortise (long hole).









A block glued and screwed on as spacer.
I think I would have made tenon and mortise on this one, or at least dowels.
(But it is very Danish to do no more than needed).









The wagon.









From the underside you can see how the wood screw is held in place.









Again as simple as possible and secured with a nail that sticks out so it can be easily removed.









Photos of the bench exploded, so every part can be examined.









Just turning the parts until all is covered.









Every part is made as simple as possible and in my eyes set up to be made on a machine.









The mortises made like this is called long holes in Denmark.
Easily made with a router.









Made a quick sketch with the measures in mm, like this anyone interested can make a copy.









Once apart I thought it would make sense to clean it up.
Decided to go for a light restore, this because the patina it had was not adding beauty or telling a story, just a used hobby bench.









Gave it all a tour with the scraper.
I have to say I love that tool more and more, once you learn how to sharpen and set it, it is so superior to sandpaper, that you only use sandpaper when you need it.









At first I was thinking hide glue but as I could see it was not originally glued with that, I took the modern approach.









All clamped up.









Hoping the glue will fill out some of the gaps, since I did not want to redo all the joints.









Fresh dowels.









The end plate in the wagon vice was originally held by a nail, this one I gave a pair of dowels instead.
(Well knowing I was breaking the laws of gentle restore).









Then planing the surfaces, not to perfection, not to dead flat, but just to a fair level for hobby use.









Hobby bench on workbench.
Sometimes I ask my self why?
Then I stop thinking and keep enjoying what I do…









The tabletop clamps are put back in place.
I added spacers so they could be clamped on my dinner table also.









My friend TY might say I put the tabletop screws wrong… This because his are put different, the one is put at the end on his, so it will be able to grab the table from two sides (look at his post), but since mine originally were like this and I might want to use it on my kitchen table, then I will keep it this way, where both grab from the front.









Look at that sweet surface the scraper are leaving.
I tried to take as little as possible so some of the woods age were still visible.









Then it was time for Danish oil, after all my workshop is in Copenhagen.









I let it soak up a good lot and then wipe it of before it dries.
Gave it three times, then it seemed to be happy, the wood I mean, after all it is important to keep the wood happy.









Happy with the result, I feel that I managed to keep what patina that could be saved and yet fix it to full function again and the added piece of wood for the front vice was made in a way (other wood) so it was clear that it was not original.









MaFe has left the building!

Not sure if this little bench will have much use, for me I think it is more of a conversation piece (and I love those), it was great fun restoring it, learning how it was made, giving it life back and now I have a small workbench for home repair, that can follow me on holidays, on a walk down the street feeling like our beloved Roy Underhill for a second or perhaps one day be a thing of joy for grandchildren.

Hope this can inspire or bring light to how these small hobby benches were made.

*The best of my thoughts,*
Mads

Bonus stuff, all free…









When I lived in another small apartment some years back and had no place for woodworking, I came up with this solution.









A behind the door workbench.









Wall mounted with two hinges and a fold down leg.









This gave me a sturdy workbench on minimum space and I did not need a place to store it away.
Just bought a old used small size workbench.
This one came from a scraped school class so it had no legs but otherwise they can just be trashed.
I made the legs from flat iron and with a bolt in the middle but a wood leg will be fine also.
The reason I made this one low, was that I made it for sitting on a chair while working.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


What a wonderful little work surface and you made it even better.

I, too, am learning the wonders of the scraper over sandpaper- and the economic benefit, too!


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## Druid (Sep 30, 2010)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


This is a really well done view into an older style of craftsmanship that produced a useful and long-lasting workbench. Your step-by-step explanation of your whole process of renewing this bench is wonderful, and I will be passing the address of this blog along to a number of other woodworkers. It is a good tutorial.
I have to agree with Lew, including his comments on scrapers. I've been using these in various shapes/sizes for several years, and I would not want to do without them.
Thanks for a well presented blog.


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Wonderful blog and nice work on that bench. Not sure why but they have always intrigued me.
Thanks I always enjoy your work.
Jim


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## johnhutchinson (Dec 9, 2013)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Why is it that a small workbench has to classified as a "hobby" workbench when 99.999 etc. % of the "professional" benches are used by hobbyists ??? I use my "cute" Sjobergs on a daily basis because it's a good fit for the scale of my work. And I get paid an obscene amount of money for what I do, so I suppose that makes me a professional.

So there. 

PS-Are your dining chairs and the legs on your dining table authentic Fritz Hansen? Around here they're all knock-offs.

Now what was it that you were blogging about?


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Very nice… Very flexible…

Did you make the Wood threaded rods for the vise, etc.?
... if so, how?

COOL work!


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


When I see some of the photos you posted it takes me back to my uncles house (sorry to say he passed thre years ago)in Bonn, Germany.
He had a very small but we'll kept basement workshop which had to be shared with typical basement inhabitents.
His favorite project was building very elaborate birdhouses.
Thanks for the fond memory and your blog!


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## iamtomkelvin (Sep 27, 2016)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Hi Mads… welcome back from Turkey!

Nice project, excellent result and very happy to see that little workbench again. That thing wil just give you oodles of good service- envious as hell (in the best of ways).

Hope we can find time for a visit before christmas.

All the best / K.


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## saddletramp (Mar 6, 2011)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Very nice.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


That is such a nice portable work bench. Very nice work on it and great pictorial lesson!!
i love your "visual" work shop with every thing out where you can see it to find it!!

Cheers, my friend…..............Jim


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## madts (Dec 30, 2011)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Very nice blog Mads.
We had one at the house growing up in Espergærde. Do not know what happened to it after I moved to Copenhagen.

-Madts.


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## WillliamMSP (Jan 3, 2014)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Cool piece, nice restore and great blog post.


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## shipwright (Sep 27, 2010)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Sweet piece of restoration work Mads.
Will we be seeing this little guy at home by the sea in Turkey before long?


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Wow Mads- that came out looking great. 
You are the right person to appreciate a thing like this.
Have, since we last spoke, used mine a bit just to try it out for real. And, other than being a bit silly having a workbench on top of a workbench, ot works absolutely beautifull. Both clamps holds the timber fine, is stable enough to plane on - and has a nice, retro feel that brings you back in time.

Hope it will bring you many pleasant and wice conversations!


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## vanislescotty (Mar 29, 2014)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


It is great to have you back posting after a long summer of few posts  Another enjoyable blog. First thing I look for when I log into Lumberjocks is did Mafe post today. Thanks for all you do.


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## Sylvain (Jul 23, 2011)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Very nice rehab.
I would like to have such a portable workbench.

"A block glued and screwed on as spacer."

If one tighten the front wooden screws, it will tend to pull the front board away from the slab. 
Wood doesn't work well in traction. IMHO, a long metal screw is needed here to ensure the front board remains linked to the slab .


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## rhybeka (Nov 8, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


That's a sweet little bench, Mads! So glad you took the time to clean it up  I could use something similar in my house for the winter months since my shop is not heated


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## rock_run_bushcraft (Jun 25, 2013)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Soon you will be moving from espresso to glogg. Great bench!


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## phtaylor36 (Jun 13, 2011)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Great Work Mads!


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## Pekische (Aug 23, 2016)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Mads, this was great tour to go through the renovation with you. The result is fascinating… I love the way how you feel woodworking…


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Thanks for bringing us along on the rehab journey of this little bench, Mads! Thanks for the 'exploded' views and measured drawing!


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Hi LJ's,
Lew, ohhh yes the scraper, one to love, no dust in the nose, smooth surface, and smell of shaves.
Druid, happy you enjoy so much you even pass it on, I did a solid try to make it a tutorial like blog, even I did not build it, so time will tell if I managed. Just as with clamps, you can't have too many scrapers.
Boatman, thanks for the kind words, I also have a thing for small functional tools.
johnhutchinson, no one knows what it was called original, I have not found any kind of writing about these. I think due to size a hobby bench is a good name, in this way it is easy to understand that it is not made for ripping floorboards or building houses. ;-) But yes I had a Polish worker once he could do just about anything with a jigsaw and a hammer, so even it was a cheap China jigsaw and a low budget hammer, he was much more than professional but I still think the tools should not be classified as professional for that reason.
Yes it is Arne Jacobsen No 7 and the ant, I had them painted in my favorite color, all of them were found i trash or bought second hand. They make me smile. Well spotted.
Was I blogging? Laugh.
Joe, no this was all restore, but if you look in kærlighedsbamsens blog he make some. When I make them I use a pre made set of cutters. I did on my benchtop bench.
oldnovice, happy I could bring you back in time, somehow my workshop is a kind of time machine. ;-)
iamtomkelvin, thank you! I have plenty of time, let me know when you are free. You are always welcome here and I am still looking forward to see your place. (And the saw mill).
saddletramp, smiles.
Jim Jakosh, trust me I can't find a lot of things, laugh, even it's visual, I get lost. Thanks.
Madts, ahhh it might have been yours then! That's one step closer to the history of these benches. And I can think of you as I use it and smoke your fathers pipe.
WillliamMSP, thank you, I smile here.
shipwright, I was actually thinking of this but for now it will stay here in Copenhagen, I don't want to gather to much stuff there before we find our own house.
kaerlighedsbamsen, yes I was sending you many thoughts as I restored it. I think also mine will end up as a bench top bench, perhaps just a travel pal, fine to throw in the back of the car. I have to admit I smile each time I look at it and that is at the end reason enough. 
vanislescotty, big smile, thank you for those more than kind words. Yes I had a long summer off, then a computer breakdown and now slowly trying to get into the rhythm, plenty of unposted blogs so there might be more. I will try not to feel a pressure laugh. (Trust me it is all joy, I don't know how to do it differently).
Sylvain, you can build one now, just use the measures. If you look at the exploded pictures there are a long screw holding the front in place and also pin's holding the fingerjoints in the end, so the front will stay fine.
rhybeka, yes that's a good idea, to make one for winter working. I used to have the small one on back of the door, that made plenty of work possible in the apartment.
Garret D, I did! Just bought a extra bottle of Gløg for the workshop. ;-)
Philip, Thank you P.
Pekische, your words made me happy, 'how I feel woodworking', since this is the reason why I like to make these blogs, to share the feeling, what is made is not so important, the important is how sweet life is while doing it. Thanks.
CFrye, dear Candy, I hope it will be useful, who knows perhaps someone will even build one, so it gets a twin.
Thank you all for your always positive and kind comments, I am always a wee with guild, since I don't feel I have time to follow all here on LJ anymore, I try to keep up and see what my friends are up to as good as I can.
May the wood be with you,
Mads

Best thoughts,
Mads


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


You never cease to amaze Mads. Carry on


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Smiles Roger, thanks.
Best thoughts,
Mads


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## Marcial (Nov 27, 2016)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Mads- in the "bench "benchtop" thinking, with a bit of modification your renovated piece would make a very nice Moxon vice. Just place the movable board at the end of the screws o/s the frame and next to the wood screw handles.


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Hi Marcial, this was the reason I made that board, so I could use it as a Moxon. ;-)
Big smile and best thoughts,
Mads


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## madts (Dec 30, 2011)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Just saw this Mads. What a great sequence of restoration pictures. Now I want one to restore.
I might be coming over in Aug. for my sons masters dissertation. This time I will bring the beers.

-Madts.


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...


Hi Madts,
Thanks, I hope some day I will get some serious use of this bench.
Still find it a wee more a kids toy, than a real workbench.
Yet still I love it, it is one of those: 'what is that?' things, that opens talks.
I look forward to the cold beers in August, now it is cold here, so hot wine is more the thing.
Smiles my friend,
Mads


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Old Danish hobby workbench - croissants, espresso and beer... *
> 
> *Old Danish hobby workbench*
> croissants, espresso and beer…
> ...











Hobby bench extended.








And bare basic…
Found these for sale in Denmark, thanks to a clue from Thy but I am not buying. ;-)
Smiles,
Mads


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