Neverending Bench Build Surprises Hobby Woodworker By Ending

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Bm101

Lean into the Curve
Joined
19 Aug 2015
Messages
4,322
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717
Location
Herts.
It's a good job I never did a WIP because we'd all be dead of boredom.
A few years ago I was on my back with a herniated disc down at the outlaws in the southwest. Good people. The kids and the Mrs did their thing while I lay on my back cursing God and a hastily grabbed half a bag of sand that cost me 3 months of mortgage payments.
Brother in Law has these books. Architect for old buildings he has a proper library. I read a few. Come across the Chris Schwarz bench book. Always been into wood, never took the second step. I'll shake Mr Schwarz by the hand for that if I ever meet him because of that.
So I set off on this journey. All the pitfalls etc . After a few years and a lot of water under the bridge doing lots of other stuff, rabbitholes and real life I finished it. Hasten to add the bench didn't take that long it was the bits inbetween really.

Rather than do a wip here's some photos of the end of the build.
Please forgive the picture quality.
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With the end vice added on the wrong side for most, for me as a right hander it is perfect. What can you say? Wear the hat that fits. (homer)

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Bit random, the selection of pics.
Flattening the top with a a router.
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Some free oak I picked up off Regent Street left over from a restaurant refit. Thanks.
Did for the ends.

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Pishing about with details. Ends were glued and screwed then beech dowels drilled and filled. This is just like reading a Derek Cohen thread isn't it? Admit it.
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Just fitting stuff together. Nothing special. My favourite saw. Amazin' bit of kit for the money.
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Some details.
Door stays for the planing stop.
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It works. :D
Just keeps it at the right height. No fixings, happy days.

Where were we....?
Cutting the gear in for the leg vise freehand. Eye Eye. Bit Nervy.
Look at them holdfasts! I love this design of bench for clamping and edge holding. It just seems super sensible to me. Suits me at least. Leave it at that. :wink:
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That'll do. Might fit a wheel at some point when I am more flush so to speak.
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Dogholes etc....

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I've sunk a few rare earth magnets into the bench and capped them with beech dowel. Handy.
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Finishing up, turned out the off cut strip I cut off the regent street oak was a perfect match for the 'pull bar' on the vise. Waste not want not, though I will probably never use it' seemed like fate.
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And one last photo.
Especially for Jacob.
It's black and white mate.

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(If you ever see this Paddy Roxburge. Thanks again for getting me started. Legend)

Regards all as always,
Chris
 
Awesome stuff Chris that’s one great looking bench. You’ll find just about every subsequent woodworking project easier to do now that you have proper work holding in place. Congrats and well done!
 
I'd get you to build one for me, but I couldnt afford the 5 years hotel bill, let alone the beer tokens.
=D> =D> =D>
 
Thanks Fellas. Really kind of you all.

I'm pretty pleased overall, it's flat, (woodworking) square and heavy.
There's plenty of little flaws but everything on it works. The leg vise doesn't bind at the bottom, a worry for me making it. In a moment of complacency I managed not to check I'd drilled all the way through a leg for one of the dowels. Ended up blowing the back of the leg out wackin' in the beech... Bit sweary. A bit. :oops:
Managed to disguise it (mostly, another few lessons learned. Patience grasshopper...), and it's superficial damage. It's a workbench after all.
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One of the nicest things was little bits just working out right. Like, I was wondering about a peg for the leg vise and a tiny bing sounded in the back of my brain. *Hmmmmmm* Went over to check the (tiny) metal stash. Various bits of brass rod, O1 plate etc. When I did up my Meddings I remade the three arms with imperial steel rod. I kept a 3" offcut .... because.... you never know. I don't remember the imperial size of the rod, but I had some dowel of a similar size. 13mm bit and it slid in like a heavily veiled family friendly website reference to a wedding night celebration where they both gasp. Absolute perfect fit by accident. When the universe goes just right for a second.
Another nice thing was making a mistake then realising I'd learnt enough to correct it without fuss.
Fitting the vise I miscalculated (misguessed) the fitting. I went a bit over so I had a space that needed filling. Well we all love a wedding story.
Planed a bit of pine down from a slat from my girls old cot. No sweat. Accurate. On the new bench with the stop. 4mm all over. Nice and calm. Fine tuned number 5, well set. (You listening SunnyB? :D ) One of the benefits of taking a few years to finally complete the first project you started. Ok. The only advantage. :D I reckon I'm up for some sort of award for longest build at least.
(For info, its Keruing for the main part a cheap hardwood sanded to 120 at most and the finish is osmo whatever was in the tin. Two coats, enough to keep it a bit clean without being shiny or slippery. Seems to work well.)
Anyway. Thanks for the nice comments. From you guys it is really appreciated. :oops:

Cheers
Chris
 
Chris, very good job. Thanks for taking the time to record the build. Nice use of magnets! Hope you get to build many projects on it.
 
Looks great Chris, good work fella! Where did you source all the Keruing from for that? It's not a timber I've encountered before, especially interested if it's affordable!
 
Mine came from the local no name builders centre mate. I reckon £120 for all of it? They make a lot of window ledges, lintels, door steps etc from it. Some is quite soft. Some is like ironwood.
It's is not the nicest timber. Splinters go sceptic, dust can be a bit nasty for some I understand. Works ok and takes an edge though. Lighter the tone the softer it seems to be.
The light pink versus the dark brown is maybe heart versus sapwood.
 
Lovely bench, mate. Thanks for the chuckle(s).

Took your time, like. I could've built two, maybe even three drill bit blocks in that time..
 
Blimey mate. I bought the 13mm bit. Need a bench to get a flat reference...... Wait a minute... ffs was it an 11mm bit?!? :shock:
I will get there! Promise!
 
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