Frank’s Workbench – Project of the Week
This week’s project comes from Frank (yep, the Woodcraft guy from Ep. 62). Let’s hear what he has to say:
Well, I finally completed my workbench. I would love to have a typical European style bench with a large twin screw vice on the side, but I have neither the space nor the funds. Furthermore, I needed a bench that I can easily move by myself, yet is strong enough to work with mortising chisels or hand planes. Also, because of my height, I prefer a bench that stands just a little higher than most.
This bench turned out to be a pretty good compromise. Its design revolves around the Zyliss vice and Veritas Bench Dogs / Wonder Dogs / Surface Clamp. My father purchased a Zyliss vice back in the 70’s and I have been very impressed with them ever since. New, they tend to be pretty expensive but if you keep your eyes open they are quite reasonable on eBay. I now have four of them.
The light wood is Alder and the darker is Eucalyptus. The Eucalyptus is not only beautiful but also tough as nails. I will say that if I were to do it again, I would replace the Alder with Hard Maple. The Alder is softer than I expected. I made the feet out of Ash to handle the abuse of being moved around. All of the joinery is either pairs of 10×50mm Dominos or Miller dowels. I finished it with Danish Oil and several coats of wax.
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That eucalyptus is pretty, too. So did you find a large belt sand to flatten that puppy, or did you use a hand jointer plane?
It is nice to see a unique style instead of a copy. I really like the looks of it, that eucalyptus really adds some beauty. I am in the process of building one too, I hear you on the price tag. I started out wanting to build something real beefy , but that has gone by the wayside for two reasons. Cost and time. Well, back to your masterpiece, I really like that vice. It gives you outstanding versatility! Great job on the whole project. It will serve up some holding power for years to come.
Great looking bench! I noticed that the feet (or the stretchers that the feet are attached to) extend further out on one side than the other. Is there a “working” side to the bench or is that just the design?
Vic,
I’m sorry for taking so long to respond, I just have been completely booked for the last two weeks. Anyway, I lined up the top using Dominos so there wasn’t a lot of sanding involved. It is a major step up from the biscuit jointer that I once used. Using a hand plane will take it up to the next level. When time permits, I think I will do exactly that.
Frank
Thanks Zac, I really enjoyed building it. Look for those Zyliss vices. You will not regret buying one.
Thanks Wilf, The longer stretchers are made to be the working side for stability. I thought they might be a tripping hazard, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem. Frank