Title: The Workbench
Run Time: 40 Minutes
Production Date: 2008
Produced By: Lie Nielsen
Price: $25.00 US (Buy Now)

From the Back of the Case:

When building furniture, you need your workbench to be able to hold your boards to accurately work the faces, edges and ends. Chris Schwarz has built and used ten different types of workbenches and has experimented with many work holding challenges and solutions. In this DVD he demonstrates various strategies for holding the workpiece for these essential tasks, by designing or modifying a workbench for efficient use.

Our Thoughts:

While this DVD does show ways to accessorize and modify your existing workbench, this is really something you want to watch BEFORE you build your workbench. Chris does a great job of showing the various ways one might use a workbench, and how the bench can be designed to accommodate these things. In fact, this video is a nice compliment to Chris’s workbench books.

The DVD is jam-packed with tips and tricks and you’ll likely need to watch it multiple times to pick everything up. In addition to the workbench information, Chris shows us some general tips for chiseling, sawing, and planing.

Title: Build the 21st Century Workbench
Run Time: 56 Minutes
Production Date: 2008
Produced By: Popular Woodworking
Price: $19.99 US (Buy Now)

From the Back of the Case:

This new workbench from Robert W. Lang combines the best workholding devices and ideas from a number of historic bench forms, along with a few design twists of his own. Whether you use power tools or hand tools (or both), this knockdown bench design is perfectly suited for the modern workshop.
This DVD contains everything you need:
• Hour-long video details the bench construction process
• 3D SketchUp model shows bench components from every angle
• Complete printable construction drawings
• PDF slide show of entire construction process
• Enhanced PDF of magazine article, with step-by-step construction instruction.

Our Thoughts:

Bob Lang shows us how to build his 21st Century Workbench, a sturdy and practical design that should suit just about any woodworking style. The bench can be knocked down and employs wedged dovetail joints to hold everything together. Bob confidently guides us through his building process at a reasonable pace. Unfortunately, there are a few significant details left out of the demonstrations or a shortcut is taken by showing the finished product and simply stating what was done. However, this is counter-balanced by a nice package of DVD ROM extras including PDF plans, a SketchUp plan, and slideshows. A guest appearance by Chris Schwarz was nice and the subsequent vise discussion was a welcome surprise. But the time spent on this “extra” might have been better spent on elaborating on more project details. Given the total package though, just about anyone should be able to build this bench successfully with this DVD.

Email us at woodtalkonline@gmail.com or call and leave us a voice mail at (623) 242-5180 or Skype us at WoodTalkOnline.

Topics

Today we discuss our 2012 woodworking resolutions. Shannon plans on finally taking a 5-day Windsor Chair class, Matt plans on re-organizing his shop (for the last time??), and Marc plans on doing more client work and pushing his personal skill set.

As part of the discussion, we mentioned Roy Underhill’s School, William Ng’s School, and Easy Wood Tools.

Chris Schwarz is the former editor of Popular Woodworking Magazine and one of the geniuses behind Woodworking in America. He is considered by most to be the authority on Workbenches and is responsible for the popularization of the Roubo design. His latest book, The Anarchists Toolchest is taking the woodworking community by storm.
You can follow Chris and all his work at LostArtPress.com as well as his blog at Popularwoodworking.com.

Chris mentioned an industrial-strength mobile system in the interview and here’s the link.

General Questions

- How’s life after Popular Woodworking?
- What intrigued you about the Roubo design?
- What are your thoughts on the split top concept? Any gotchas?
- (Brian Brazil) I’ve recently become a little obsessed with the Holtzapffel bench from Chris’s Workbench Design book. Since he has experience working on both the Holtzapffel and Roubo bench designs, how would he compare the two?

The Wood

- Hard or soft and why? Primary and secondary woods to save money?
- (Bjorn) I recently got a good amount of quarter sawn old growth Douglas Fir. These are former floor boards. If we assume that money is secondary concern, would you recommend building the workbench top from that wood or is there something better?
- (Chas) Wants to use two species in his bench top. Do you foresee any problems incorporating a different species in places like an end cap, a vise chop, or in the case of the split top Roubo, the dog hole backing strip (in terms of wood movement)?

The Hardware

- What do you think of the Benchcrafted hardware and how does it compare to other options you’ve tried? Any reasonable alternatives?
- (Torch) Any good sources for older quick-release vises?
- (Imaginos) (pretty Benchcrafted specific) The wagon vise on the split top Roubo is perplexing me. It looks like the hardware is either identical or very similar to a slide L block tail vise. It seems that with a sliding block and dog holes in the right spots, I can do everything that the wagon vise can do plus more options for work holding on right end of the bench minus a little bit of support where the block sides out. The recurring theme that stands out in Chris’s book is efficiency and economy of effort, so what’s the downside of the sliding L block tail vise? What’s a wagon vise do that an L block can’t?
- (Skunkeye) You use those huge wooden screws on some of your leg vises. Do you have a preference for coarse wood threads or metal acme threaded rods?

Construction

- (Texfire) Does the added height of a Moxon Vice change the equation on bench height? Do he suggest setting a bench low enough for planing and use the Moxon to raise the material for dovetailing and/or power tool usage?
- (Brice_Arnold) I have heard that a bench is dependent upon not only the user but what kind of work they will be doing (hand tools vs power tools/routers). If you can only have one bench and the work you do is a balance of hand and power tools, how should this influence the bench height? Average between high (power tools) and low (hand tools)? Also could you reiterate the rule of thumb for ideal bench height.
- (JeffB1) If my stock permits me to go thicker than 4″, is that recommended?
- (Barron) In your book you indicate that holdfasts don’t work well as the top gets thicker, is there a problem with the holdfast holding if making the top a more than 4″?
- (Bjorn) Do you think a workbench top is best made from a lamination of smaller boards or a couple massive slabs?
- (hhh) Do you have a preferred lamination pattern for a top made from 8/4 stock?
- (Torch) In your books, you have implored people to build as big & sturdy of a bench as they can. If neither cost nor space were an issue, what would be the ideal size?
- (Skunkeye) Preference for square or round dog holes (or both)?
- (Skunkeye) What are your thoughts on bench storage? Should a bench be for work holding only? (Tool trays)
- (Tom Buhl) Full mortise and tenon vs barrel bolt hardware approach. In your book you did not think highly of the barrel bolt approach.
- (Tom Buhl) What are your thoughts on how short a roubo bench could be (practically) and still use the BenchCrafted Tail Vise? My space can handle about 6 feet.
- (Tom Buhl) I need my bench to be mobile.I plan to add a flip down wheel bar as shown on the LVL bench and seen at WIA. For the split top Roubo, is this lunacy or workable given the size/weight?
- (hhh) Do you have an adhesive preference: PVA, epoxy, hide glue…..
- (many people) Do you think it is worthwhile to design the end cap so it can be removed later for easy machine planing or is this lunacy?

Wanna build along? Sign up for the Wood Whisperer Guild today!

Email us at woodtalkonline@gmail.com or call and leave us a voice mail at (623) 242-5180 or Skype us at WoodTalkOnline.

Topics

Today’s topic is holiday gifts. What we like to make, what people seem to enjoy, and even some of our gift-giving blunders.

Email

Marc, Matt & Shannon,

Chris has been hard at work starting up the Modern Woodworker’s Association (Tom and I are trying to assist).

The group and site are still young, but we’re trying to leverage online woodworking friends into personal woodworking friends though local get-togethers. We’re currently looking to flush out the site (modernwoodworkersassociation.com) with an about page, a mission statement, more posts and probably local chapters.

The draft mission statement we’re working under is: We all belong to a woodworking club, the online woodworking club. The Modern Woodworkers Association is a place for the online woodworking community to reinforce our online connections and create personal ones in local gatherings.

Even though we’re not fully flushed out, it you guys would be kind enough to spread the word on WTO, we’d really appreciate it.

Thanks,

Dyami Plotke

Email us at woodtalkonline@gmail.com or call and leave us a voice mail at (623) 242-5180 or Skype us at WoodTalkOnline.

And we’re back!

Since Woodworking in America just took place last week, we devote the entire episode to discussing everyone’s impressions of the event. We hear from Tom Iovino, Tom Buhl, Nik Brown, Matt Gradwohl, Dyami Plotke, and Aaron Marshall.

Since most of this feedback comes from the active blogging community, I can imagine how we might show some bias. So if you went to WIA, give us some feedback on the event! We’d love to hear from you!

Title: Build an 18th Century Workbench
Run Time: 38 Minutes
Production Date: 2010
Produced By: Popular Woodworking
Price: $24.99 US (Buy Now)
Marc’s Score: 3.8 Grape Sodas out of 5
Matt”s Score: 3.7 Grape Sodas out of 5

From the Back of the Case:

“One of the most important workbench plans ever published appeared in A.J. Roubo’s 18th-century masterwork “L’Art Du Menuisier” (The Art of the Craftsman). Roubo’s simple and hulking workbench offers everything that the modern woodworker needs in a bench, whether you use hand tools, power tools or both. Roubo’s bench is simpler than almost every other design out there — so it’s easy to build – yet it excels at all of the workholding tasks in a woodshop. In this DVD, Christopher Schwarz shows you how to build the Roubo workbench using only hand tools (though you can use power tools if you wish). Schwarz, the author of Workbenches: From Design & Theory to Construction & Use (Popular Woodworking Books) also shares his insights into this influential workbench form, which he has been using exclusively since 2005.”

Our Thoughts:

This DVD delivers on its promise, plain and simple. With the plans and the video content, you should have all the info you need to build an 18th century Roubo-style workbench. That is if you plan on making it 100% with hand tools. The video states this very clearly but I found myself longing for the Schwarz’s preferred power tool methods as well. After all, making massive deep mortise and tenon joints is going to be tricky, regardless of whether your tools are electrical or “alcohol-powered”.

The strong focus on hand tools and the fairly short length of the video ultimately means that you’ll need to come into this with a fairly strong working knowledge of various saws, chisels and planes. You’ll also need to have a fairly well-equipped shop. As a woodworker who has what I would call a “decent” set of hand tools, I saw numerous things I would need to acquire if I were to build this bench using hand tools alone.

In true Schwarz style, the DVD offers a nice mix of woodworking history and techniques. Something I love about Chris’s teaching style is that he not only shows you what to do, but why. He even goes so far as to explain why Roubo may have made the choices he made when designing this bench. You walk away with a great sense of history and the knowledge that this design truly stood the test of time. You’ll also walk away wanting a little bit more.

The Breakdown:

Entertainment Value: Marc 3/5 | Matt 4/5
Production Quality: Marc 3/5 | Matt 2/5
Information Quality: Marc 4/5 | Matt 4.5/5
Overall Value: Marc 4/5 | Matt 4/5
Keeps Its Promise: Marc 4.5/5 | Matt 4/5
Final Score: Marc 3.8/5 | Matt 3.7/5

Title: Monster Workbench
Run Time: 30 Minutes
Production Date: 2010
Produced By: Taunton Press
Price: $29.95 US (Buy Now)
Marc’s Score: 3.6 Grape Sodas out of 5
Matt”s Score: 3.5 Grape Sodas out of 5

From the Back of the Case:

“Learn how to construct this workbench from the experts at Fine Woodworking. Watch as they guide you through the critical steps and techniques needed to build this shop workhorse that’s so big and impressive it’s called The Monster Bench. Perfect for hand and power tool use, it features a thick top on a sturdy base with both glued and knockdown mortise and tenon joints, plus twin-screw vise and plenty of dog holes. Includes digital SketchUp plan. Great for beginners and intermediate woodworkers.”

Our Thoughts:

The Monster Workbench is a solid and straightforward offering. In the last few years, the common workbench has come under scrutiny and a bench like this tends to get a bad rap these days. So for me, it was refreshing to see a simple yet sturdy single-vise design with little in the way of bells or whistles. Kenney provides reasonable justification for his design and executes it in a way that really resonates with me. He clearly is a hybrid woodworker and takes the time to show some techniques using hand tools only as an alternative, making this project approachable for everyone. My only significant gripe with this production is the length. There are many subtle details and solutions to problems that inevitably arise when building a workbench. It would have been nice to see these issues addressed given the fact that there was plenty of room on the DVD, and in all likelihood the footage fell to the editing room floor. Judging from the reference to “episodes” in the script, I assume this production was originally intended for the FineWoodworking.com website and as we know, anything over 5 minutes is far too long for the average woodworker to sit through (dripping with sarcasm).

The Breakdown:

Entertainment Value: Marc 2.5/5 | Matt 3/5
Production Quality: Marc 4/5 | Matt 3/5
Information Quality: Marc 3.5/5 | Matt 3.5/5
Overall Value: Marc 3.5/5 | Matt 3.5/5
Keeps Its Promise: Marc 4/5 | Matt 3.5/5
Final Score: Marc 3.6/5 | Matt 3.5/5

Want to win a copy of this DVD? Simply leave a comment here or on this post in the forum.

Just when you thought it was a summer safe from Wood Talk Online Radio….we’re baaaack.

Since Marc ditched us on the last episode, we decided to exact our revenge on Marc with a little unsolicited advice for the soon to arrive baby Spags. Marc and Nicole, we hope you pay attention because this episode may go down in history is the first WTO where we actually give out some sound advice. You have given everyone so much advice over the years, it is time we give a little back.

Congratulations to you both.

A very special thanks to everyone in the woodworking community who provided their two cents on this episode. You know who you are.

The Wood Talk Online boys are taking a Summer break! But here’s one last show for you to enjoy…..sort of… I’m hosting this one solo but I managed to get the guys to send in a couple of relevant audio clips.

This week, I’m heading out to the big tool show in Vegas, AWFS.. I’m going to be one of the judges of the Fresh Wood Competition. Want to see footage from previous competitions? Check these videos out:
Fresh Wood Competition 2007
Fresh Wood Competition 2009

We also have a big Charity Build coming up that you won’t want to miss!

And don’t forget the Christmas in July Sale in the Wood Whisperer Store coming up on July 22nd.

If you’re going to Woodworking in America, we’ll see ya there. And that’s when you can expect the next Wood Talk Online Radio show since Matt, Shannon, and I will be there in person! Should be an awesome way to kick off the next season of WTOR.