Inherited workbench restoration

[tibi]

Hello,

My father gave me a workbench, that was built by my great-grandfather and it is at least 40 years old, probably more. My grandfather worked on it as well and it was gathering dust for more than 15 years.

I would like to restore it and I would like to ask for an advice if it is feasible to take it apart? The base has tusk tenons, so that would be easy, but the top is either dovetailed, or drawbored or there is a sliding dovetail. I am not sure, but I think that hide glue was used. What is the procedure for heating the glue so that I can take it apart? Top is attached freely to the base, so I can lift it up.

Also there is some motor oil spilled on the top. Is there any way to clean it up from wood?

It is made from oak, some parts are beech and there is also some softwood, maybe pine.

I can just clean it and sand it, but it would not be as nice as if I planed everything square and reaseemble it.

Thank you.

 

[Jameshow]

Don't know about disassembly but I would use white spirit on the oil followed by hot water / liberal fairy liquid and a stiff brush.....!

 

[mikej460]

Interesting challenge - try the above and please post regular updates with pictures

 

[Cabinetman]

Saw a guy on American TV getting oil off his concrete drive using bicarb of soda and Coke then scrubbing. It worked on concrete but just what the effect will be on oak is another question. The Coke and the bicarb fizzed up nicely as you can imagine.
Looks like it will be a nice bench when you have it finished. The two pieces of oak in the dovetail housings -if they won’t come out you could sacrifice them and replace them with fresh pieces. Hide glue is not one of my things, I will leave that to more knowledgeable members. Ian

 

[Orraloon]

For the oil I would keep it covered with paper towel soaked in turps. Keep it wet for a few hours then dry towel or sawdust to soak it up. I dont think the stain will go completely but as long as it does not stain the bits of wood you are working on that will do. After the oil stain is dry then scrape the top and if it checks out reasonably flat I would leave it at that. A lick of BLO mixed with turps to spruce it up and job done. Unless the joints are loose I would not pull things apart. Its an old bench with a bit of history and character that looks quite good.
Regards
John

 

[IWW]

I second Orraloon's advice - do only what is necessary to make the bench functional. I guess you can't tell for sure from pictures alone, but it looks in remarkably good shape for something that's probably a good deal older than I am (75). I'd be happy to leave the scars it has acquired knowing they were great-grandad's or grand-dad's doing & not mine....

If there is any glue in the sliding D/Ts of those cleats I reckon it's been done after your great-grandpa's time, perhaps because they came loose due to shrinkage of the oak, because I'm sure he would have understood wood movement & the principle of a sliding D/T! The "proper" fix for a loose Sliding D/T would have been to shim it, so the top pieces could still expand & contract with the seasons.

If they are glued with hide glue, it may let go if you give one part a sharp rap or two with a mallet. You can denature hide glue by injecting vinegar into the joint - the glue will crack & craze very smartly if you can get it in there. Softening it with hot water or steam may be feasible, but it's a poorer option, imo. You will have to use a lot of water or steam on such a big piece, and you'll end up with some rather damp wood.

I'd only do non-reversible treatments, or at least those that will cause no permanant harm to start with. If you can soak up all of the 'free' oil using a procedure like the method John suggested, some steel wool (or perhaps a nylon pad would be better, iron particles can make nasty stains on oak), & BLO diluted with turps will very likely do a good job of rejuvenation on the rest of itl......

Cheers,
Ian

 

[Adam W.]

Genuine terpentine is nicer to work with and infuses the studio with a delicate pine scent, which reminds one of the verdant Nordic forests in springtime.

 

[billgiles]

Don’t forget to check for worm holes.

 

[tibi]

Saw a guy on American TV getting oil off his concrete drive using bicarb of soda and Coke then scrubbing. It worked on concrete but just what the effect will be on oak is another question. The Coke and the bicarb fizzed up nicely as you can imagine.
Looks like it will be a nice bench when you have it finished. The two pieces of oak in the dovetail housings -if they won’t come out you could sacrifice them and replace them with fresh pieces. Hide glue is not one of my things, I will leave that to more knowledgeable members. Ian

I will try the coke and bicarb on a small area and I will see how it goes and how it affects the oak. Thank you.

 

[dickm]

I'm with Orraloon and IWW. It's a workbench, not an artwork! Do only what is needed to make it into the functional item it was for grandfather.
If any of my descendents over-prettify my bench when I'm gone, I'll be back to haunt them! It was made 50+ years ago mainly from timber that was being put to burn during the construction of the first buildings of Lancaster University and a balk of green beech from the timber yard in Mortimers Cross.

 

[tibi]

For the oil I would keep it covered with paper towel soaked in turps. Keep it wet for a few hours then dry towel or sawdust to soak it up. I dont think the stain will go completely but as long as it does not stain the bits of wood you are working on that will do. After the oil stain is dry then scrape the top and if it checks out reasonably flat I would leave it at that. A lick of BLO mixed with turps to spruce it up and job done. Unless the joints are loose I would not pull things apart. Its an old bench with a bit of history and character that looks quite good.
Regards
John

Thank you John,

I have a lot of oak sawdust saved for glueing repairs, so I may try your advice as well. The top is cupped, so there is a hump in the middle of the oak board. There is another softwood board in the well. It looks like it has been added afterwards as a repair.

My biggest concern is that this bench is only 75 cm tall. I am 196 cm tall and I figured out that ideal height for me is 96 - 100 cm. So I would probably need to extend the base. I cannot imagine glueing 20 cm block of wood to put underneath the base.

I will firstly clean the bench and plane clear whatever can be planed without taking things apart.

 

[tibi]

Don’t forget to check for worm holes.

There are plenty of them, especially in oak. But I think that worms are long gone as well.

 

[isaac3d]

I also recently restored (or at least rebuilt) an old work bench. Fortunately I did not have to deal with glued joints. All the joints (through mortice and tenons) were held in place by rods and bolts or coach screws, with the table top being fixed in place by coach screws. The timber is pine, I think, or some very sturdy softwood. The table surface was pretty beat up; lots of saw marks, drill holes and various unidentified splashes (mostly paint). I decided to plane it down with an electric hand plane, and that produced a nice finish. It's not perfect but is serviceable. I guess I took almost a quarter of an inch off to get rid of at least the shallow saw marks.
Regarding the oil stains; personally, I would be hesitant to try to remove them using solvents. There is the risk that the solvent will carry the oil deeper in to the wood. At the very least, if you are planning to plane the surface flat (or near to it ), then I would do that first. You may find that the oil has not penetrated very deep and planing is enough to get rid of it, or at least the majority of it.
Anyway, have fun and make sure you have an extra set of strong arms around; it looks reassuringly heavy!

 

[billgiles]

I will try the coke and bicarb on a small area and I will see how it goes and how it affects the oak. Thank you.

Oak has high tannin and you may find the oak quickly turns black.

 

[tibi]

I also recently restored (or at least rebuilt) an old work bench. Fortunately I did not have to deal with glued joints. All the joints (through mortice and tenons) were held in place by rods and bolts or coach screws, with the table top being fixed in place by coach screws. The timber is pine, I think, or some very sturdy softwood. The table surface was pretty beat up; lots of saw marks, drill holes and various unidentified splashes (mostly paint). I decided to plane it down with an electric hand plane, and that produced a nice finish. It's not perfect but is serviceable. I guess I took almost a quarter of an inch off to get rid of at least the shallow saw marks.
Regarding the oil stains; personally, I would be hesitant to try to remove them using solvents. There is the risk that the solvent will carry the oil deeper in to the wood. At the very least, if you are planning to plane the surface flat (or near to it ), then I would do that first. You may find that the oil has not penetrated very deep and planing is enough to get rid of it, or at least the majority of it.
Anyway, have fun and make sure you have an extra set of strong arms around; it looks reassuringly heavy!

Thank you for your response. Workbench looks heavy, but actually isn't. I can put the top on the base myself fairy easily, and I am no Rambo III. I am a little bit afraid that it will run across the workshop during heavy planing. But a fair share of furniture was built on in. So maybe it will stay in place. I am building another workbench myself, that will be far heavier, so I will use that bench for planing.

 

[Cabinetman]

Oak has high tannin and you may find the oak quickly turns black.

This is a good point but I’m fairly sure there isn’t anything in Coke or bicarb which will do that but it’s worth testing on a small area or another piece of oak.
I would just mention even though it’s probably not at all what you were thinking, very old benches like this are advertised at whacking amounts of money. I only mention it as it doesn’t seem it’s going to be much use to you. Ian

 

[Doug71]

I would just mention even though it’s probably not at all what you were thinking, very old benches like this are advertised at whacking amounts of money. I only mention it as it doesn’t seem it’s going to be much used to you. Ian

Just like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353729252218?hash=item525be80b7a:g:cuoAAOSwSOdhbG0n

 

[recipio]

Blow the dust off it for a start. For the oil stain, pour on some meths and set it alight. Don't worry, only the meths will burn as well as the oil. Repeat until happy.

 

[Cabinetman]

Or even more, not difficult to find as it seems battered old benches are all the rage at the mo.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

That's a wonderful bench, with so much history.

Give it a hoover and then give a 'flannel' wash. Warm soapy water, good quality cloths, get them damp and wipe it down. The cloths and water will be absolutely filthy and you'll need to keep changing them. But give it a clean first before you break out the harsh chemicals. You'll see a difference and it might make you re-think some of your plans.

Good luck. Keep updating the post please.