Rex Krueger
patreon
History's Forgotten Workbench
🕑 Added 2020-01-09 13:01:03 +0000 UTCLet me confess: I do not love my low Roman bench.
It is a cheap and effective way to get going in woodwork, but it also makes my back hurt a bit and I find tool storage a little clumsy. A few hundred years ago, woodworkers in the West decided to stand up.
It was a good move.
And we might be living in the Golden Age of Benches. Woodworker/scholars like Chris Schwarz have resurrected traditional European designs. The Roubo and the Nicholson are vast improvements over the flimsy, plywood tables that many of us used to call “benches.” But neither of these designs is easy to build. I’m decent woodworker and I don’t know if I could build one of Chris' slab-topped French monsters even if I could source the wood.
And yes, there are construction-wood versions of all the famous benches. There are knock-down designs littering the Internet. But most are too hard for the beginner. They're not designed for the hand-tool woodworker with limited space and no power-tools.
The truth is, woodworking teachers have not done enough to make good benches available to the beginner. I have not done enough. I can do better. So I'm going to start from scratch and invent some magical new beginners’ bench and get it perfect on the first try, right? Hell no.
This is a process and it starts with research.
Most woodworking problems were solved a long time ago. But the solutions were lost in our post-war rush to modernize every aspect of our lives. We knew what to do, but we forgot. So when I want to innovate, I look at the history.
We all know where to start: Roubo, Nicholson, Moxon, Diderot, and Holtzapffel all write about lovely benches. They’ve all been built and they all work. But there, the trail grows cold. 200 years ago, there was no such thing as woodworking for fun. There were no beginners; there were only apprentices who learned at their masters’ benches and only built their own after years of training. So maybe history doesn’t offer a bench for the beginner.
I wasn’t even looking for a bench when I came across this:
It’s not much to look at, but it is…big. And it looks quite sturdy. Look at the materials. The timbers are stout but they’re just softwoods; construction lumber throughout.
I can hear the objections already. “Rex, you bald idiot, that’s just a Nicholson! It’s everywhere. We’ve seen it.” And that’s what I thought, but look closer. There’s no joinery. The whole thing is fastened together with fasteners. Instead of the mortise and tenon construction we expect, the bench has been screwed and nailed together. And sure, there’s that familiar wide front apron but look at the top. See that thin, shoddy planking in the middle? It’s too shallow for a tool well and it breaks up the enormous, perfectly flat top we’ve all been taught to expect. The focus is on a narrow work surface just in front of the craftsperson; the rest of the benchtop is mere storage.
Look at this one:
There isn’t even a rear timber. The worker gets a scant 12 inches in front of him and the rest of the bench dissolves into almost nothing.
More details: many of these benches lack the characteristic 45° cuts at the corners of the aprons. Many of them have no holes for dogs or holdfasts. They mostly sport a single vice, which is odd since these benches are bigger than my car.
And things get weirder. As we move forward in history, the benches shrink. The aprons get shorter and we see fewer nails. More screws. The occasional bolt. Sure, this thing is a cousin of Nicholson, but it’s way down the family tree. This is your mom’s second-cousin’s stepson who got arrested that time. We don’t talk about him.
And these benches aren't rare oddballs, knocked together by broke carpenters 100 years ago. Search the Internet and you’ll find another,
and another,
and another. (Perhaps even decked-out in a dashing red-and-black paint job.)
There are so many of these benches that even the cynics among us must eventually give over and ask: what the hell are these things?
They are joiner’s benches.
Okay, great. What the hell is a joiner?
Good question.
Before the industrial revolution, no one in England called themselves a woodworker. As far back as the 1600s, woodwork was divided into a dozen or more specialties. Look at a census from the time and you’ll find everything from carpenters to carvers to coffin makers. And in among this lot was the joiner, a man much in demand but hard to define.
A joiner could do carpentry, possibly framing, but more likely fine interior work involving doors, windows, frames, and trim. Many of them also made furniture, especially in the joined style (see Peter Follansbee’s blog for some examples.) These fellows were as versatile as you could get in a hyper-specialized field like construction and furniture. They could do a bit of everything. And other craftsmen noticed and resented it. (If you’d like to know more about the surprisingly vicious fights between joiner’s and carpenters, I can suggest some very dry academic articles.)
The joiner’s trade changed over the centuries, but it never really disappeared and the English tradition retains a blurry line between carpenter, joiner, and furniture maker. Paul Sellers, who was born in 1950, began by building houses, then moved on to outfitting them with doors and trim, and finally settled into fine furniture. It’s a weird, gray area, but if a joiner can do all of these things, then they need a little more attention. Maybe some of us who call ourselves “woodworkers” should pick a different name.
But wait: benches. We’re talking about benches.
Fast forward to the early 20th century. The industrial revolution is ripping along. Standards of living are rising. The big and swelling middle class wanted nice houses and they wanted them nicely appointed. There was plenty of work for the joiner and he needed a bench.
By 1900, technology had given the joiner the cast-iron face vice and factory-made screws. When a workman needed a solid surface, he might have just built it on site using whatever lumber was handy. Look at this one:
See that zigzag routed into the inside of the rear apron? Those slots are probably for stair treads and risers. Wood intended for a staircase stringer got made into a bench instead. The joiner did his work and maybe the bench was left or dismantled. Maybe it was simply moved to the next site, or it found its way indoors where it slowly started turning out furniture instead of window frames.
This bench became the bench. Forget all the pictures I’ve shown you. Look at this:
When I found this picture, my eyes damn-near popped out of my skull. Here was the bench I had been chasing and the author even tells me what to call it: the joiner’s bench. The illustration comes from Archibald Williams’ 1900 book, Things to Make, and while the title sounds like a bad Youtube channel, the book itself is a delightful little DIY manual that takes the reader from building a sawhorse all the way up to a model steam engine. (The book is free online and worth flipping through.)
Williams includes measured drawings of the bench from several angles and he spends a whole chapter detailing how to make it: the secret is the fastened diagonal brace. Instead of using the traditional but time-consuming mortise and tenon to absorb the bench’s twist and wrack, the author explains how we can steady the top by screwing or nailing on extra bits at 45° angles. The result is not pretty, but it must have worked, because real-life craftsmen used it over and over again.
Most of these braced benches concentrate the extra supports at the left-front corner of the bench; exactly the place where the joiner’s planing strokes and mallet blows would have stressed the bench the most. This was a system that grew out of real world practice. Nothing was wasted.
But no. I’m getting too excited over nothing. These are benches for carpentry. They might have been functional, but they were also temporary, cheap, and disposable.
That’s when I thought too, but the pictures tell a different story. Any woodworker can read the patterns of wear on these benches, especially the marks around the vices. These aren’t months’ worth of marks, they’re decades’ worth. And the benches might have been made of cheap materials, but those fancy vices didn’t come cheap. The men who built these benches were invested in them. Invested enough that more than a century after most of them were built, the vices are still attached. The photos show benches that saw years and years of hard use and still survived long enough to be photographed and put online.
So, can we do fine woodworking on these? I think so. After all, a joiner made furniture at least some of the time. And even the “house joiner” worked to a high standard just outfitting houses with staircases and entryways. I’ve made a handful of doors myself and the work is no joke. You need tight joints, flat stock, and a very good work surface.
So let’s build one.
Last week, I bought the stock to try one of these screwed-together contraptions. I brought home a stack of southern yellow pine 2x10s, a pair of Douglas fir posts, and some 2x4s. It’s all sitting down in the shop, neatly stacked for maximum air flow. It should take about 2 weeks to settle down.
I’ve designed the bench and it really will go together with a few fasteners and simple joints. Will the end product be any good? I honestly have no idea, but I’ve gotten a little bit obsessed with this bench and now, I’ve just got to have one.
Stick with me. This is going to be interesting.
Comments
Julia Belian
I would be very interested in reading all the dry scholarship you can send me or post here. I am myself a dry scholar.
Rex Krueger
Oh, I totally took the joke! Very good!
Pat Glass
Of course I'm being a smartass. Just trying to point out that the machine to grip is a vise, while a vice is an ethical or moral shortcoming.
Pat Glass
Rex, I love your videos and blogs. One thing kind of bugs me. It's your vices. You have way too many.
Rex Krueger
I think Fine Woodworking did an article on this bench a few months ago. You can't beat the materials list!
Robert Reid
Hey Rex, the philosophy behind this bench is also pretty practical... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5u9buZRy3Y
Mārtiņš Barinskis
I wouldn't really call this "leaving behind". This is great that we have options. Can' t wait to see the video tomorrow!
Rex Krueger
I totally agree and I hate to leave anyone behind. That's why you'll still see me using the Roman bench. Additionally, this Joiner's Bench is small: just 60x24. And you could make it even smaller. AND my design comes apart, so don't rule it out until you see the video...tomorrrow morning!! You never know.
Mārtiņš Barinskis
While I absolutely admire what you do, Rex, and this potential build seems very interesting, I higly doubt it'll be usable for me personally because I don't think I'll ever be able to build one. Not because of lack of skills (which is definitely the case, at least for now) but because of the fact that I have no place for it in my house. That was where Roman workbench came into play and actually started my interest in woodworking as a hobby - because, partly thanks to you and Christopher Schwarz that became possible. I can leave my bench for the summer in my shed by the house and now I've brought the bench inside for the winter - the use case, if I remember correctly, you have described in one of your videos :) Actually I've developed interest in Japanese style of woodworking because it promises to be even less location-bound. That being said though, I cannot wait for the final build of your Joiner's bench. I enjoy every video you publish and, while I don't usually build everything you show us, it's a great resource for learning techniques which I find useful in my current and future projects. Cheers!
Csongor Halmai
Yes, this is what I need, I think. Thanks a lot! :)
Rex Krueger
For sure! That one's a little bit more of a traditional Nicholson, but still: softwood construction, big aprons. It's all there.
Hpunkt Opunkt
Stumbled upon this one here on insta... https://www.instagram.com/p/B7bnVl6g1XU/?igshid=1h23ut7ykt36w Looks pretty similar.
Rex Krueger
I'm sure that's totally possible. Some of the "low" benches are tall enough to stand at.
Edward Kosiba
Found the book, just put his name in quotes in the box, and check the metadata search option, shows up with the title preface "How it is Done".
Edward Kosiba
Go to archive.org and search for "Archibald Williams", there are 3 volumes for "Engineering Wonders of the World" and another book "How it is Made", all downloadable.
Kristoffer Föhrman
I wonder if it is possible to make new legs to the roman bench that is in different length? Like making it modular one set of legs same level as original and one more set with length to be standing up? Im thinking of removing my original legs and make two new cuts out to make room for two sets of legs that can be banged out to switch between legs.
Rex Krueger
So, it's an experiment, for sure, but I THINK this bench is going to be the perfect blend of approachable, cheap, and solid. I hoping that is going to be THE bench for the beginner.
Doug Hackett
This is great Rex! I have been thinking I need a decent bench. There are lots of YouTube ideas but most are way more than I need and way too big. I am looking forward to seeing you build and test this project.
Rex Krueger
A big adventure! Glad someone else sees is my way!
Ethan Chitty
If you check out Nicholson’s Mechanics Companion, there’s a good description and plate in it with a Jointer’s Bench. He uses a zig zag pattern for the vertical dogs rather than straight rows. Megan Fitzpatrick released a new printing of it from Rude Mechanicals Press. It also covers timber carpentry, blacksmithing, and masonry work.
The Idle Hands Workshop - Stephen Miller
There's a lot of things about German law that are odd, being German born myself and having dual citizenship I get REALLY confused by it sometimes... in particular I have a bank account over there with about 2000dm in it to this day that can't be touched because the country switched to the euro and the bank refused to switch my account over. Now the REALLY REALLY odd thing about it, I still get interest from that account and it's paid to me yearly in.... you guessed it... euros. Figure that one out.
Jack Bolger
Sounds like a big adventure can't wait
KosmicValkyrie
Thanks for the great article, definitely looking forward to this build. I made the low bench as well and find that it can be a bit of a pain to use sometimes, though overall I enjoy using it. It was fun to flip through that book you linked too; especially liked the translator notes for the coal-gas generator "[Transcribers note: Premature lighting of the burner may cause the flame to propagate into the system and explode. I speak from experience.]" Neat reading what kind of neat hobby project people were undertaking over 100 years ago too, (even a model airplane before the Wright Brothers first flight!).
Rex Krueger
Most of us are the EXACT same way. I started on a piece of butcherblock on a metal stand. It was surplus from a eyeglass maker. Very nice, but not a woodworker's bench. It took me years to figure out what a bench even was. It's a long process.
KosmicValkyrie
I've also noticed it makes a decent sitting bench when not in use, just looks a little funny with the vise. I've been dragging mine outside for my wife and I to sit at and as a food prep table for the bbq.
Rex Krueger
I'm so GLAD!
Rex Krueger
Hear, hear! I think I'm a joiner. I'm not a cabinet maker. I know that for sure. Nothing against those lovely people, but we make different things and we value different things. I just bought both of Peter Follansbee's books. If he's a joiner, then I want to be one!
Rex Krueger
Well, the Roman bench is so compact that I could also just lean it against the wall when not in use. AND it can be adapted with a removable shaving-horse attachment, so that's a space-saver, too.
Daniel Bohrer
Yeah, I cannot figure it either. Law is being complicated.
Mike M
What a fascinating post. My workbench is a basic one sold at HD. At the time I bought it, I thought I would be doing more work with electronics and Arduino so I didn't need very much; as time has gone on I've gravitated more to woodworking so I've been making changes to the bench to accommodate that. Some of them have worked -- adding a face vise -- and some didn't, like trying to drill holes for bench dogs. At some point, I'm probably going to build a new, dedicated woodworking bench, so I'm excited to see this.
Frans van Ballegooijen
I wanted to place some remarks here, but it's already been said by the other patrons here. But keep up the good work, and I'm glad we have you to search the web for us and find these pearls, so we don't have to spend all that time researching. Looking forward to the build...
Yohann_M
Ha! I thought you'd say that. :) In my case, workplace room is at a premium, so I can't have two workbenches. I still like the Roman workbench, but I may eventually build a standing workbench as well. I'll make the decision on design at that time. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
Todd Fox
True, but aren't we always researching anyways? I think the real struggle is pulling all that accumulated knowledge together into something coherent AND interesting. Great stuff though. That PhD was not wasted.
Nic Beurskens
I think the most interesting part of all this is the idea of a joiner. I stick-framed houses in highschool and the first go of college in the summers. I built a half-pipe in my back yard with my buddies in highschool too. As I got back into the craft I made a bookshelf ( did everything completely wrong on it too). I spent around 300 hours making a music stand by hand for my musician girlfriend about 3 years ago. I built two chicken coops for my house, and two decks for friends last year. All the while I have had an upright record cabinet in different stages of production. If there was anything I called myself before, I'm now calling myself a joiner. The diversity within this craft is what keeps me so hooked. I love reading about what this group is up to every week. All of us are so different in our skills, knowledge, backgrounds but, this community is a place where we exchange cool information and can expand our horizons. Thanks for being so cool y'all. I'm glad to be a joiner with you!
Nic Beurskens
It's amazing what we will do to make this craft work for us. I was given an old 70's Craftsman table saw that lived in my kitchen for three years before I finally got a suitable shop space. Apartments and condos are not ideal for power tools lol. Once I got really into hand tools I kept everything in plastic tool boxes from harbor freight under my bed for a while too. Chop saw in the guest bedroom, circular saw under the kitchen sink. I had something tucked away in every room! Maybe you could have a Roman low bench that doubles as a dining table seat. And you could make your standing bench be your new dining table! A little table cloth and the only evidence is your vice!
Rex Krueger
I have no doubt that Rob's bench is great. The man knows what he's talking about. But it's very heavy and takes a lot of materials and I really think you need powertools to build it. That's a lot for most beginners. I don't know if mine will be as good, but I think it will be easy and cheap to build.
Rex Krueger
Glad you think so!
Rex Krueger
I have plans for more content for people in you EXACT position. Hope to get started on it in a few months.
Rex Krueger
Ah, but then I'd lose the Roman bench. It's the BEST saw-bench I could ever imagine and it handles several other operations very well. I'll be keeping it. In the 18th century, it was not unusual for a joiner to have both, so I will, too!
Rex Krueger
Not only is the construction lumber easy to handle, I just had it cut to length at the store. Now, the boards for the tops and the aprons are DONE before I even get started. It's exciting.
Rex Krueger
Wait, Project Gutenberg is BLOCKED in Germany? How does that make any sense? And is the irony not too much to bear? That's nuts.
Rex Krueger
Fantastic! I love to see that kind of ingenuity! Sounds like a great bench.
Rex Krueger
Yup. I already have PLENTY of unhealthy obsessions!
Rex Krueger
The Roman bench is the fastest way I've ever found to just get woodworking NOW, but whenever I have the choice, it's the stand-up bench for sure.
Rex Krueger
Thanks! I do think Chris is a bit better than me, but he's also got more practice. I have been working hard on my writing for most of my adult life so I'm glad it's effective.
Rex Krueger
I hope to do more writing here. I love it, but articles like this one take a LOT of research. It's hard to fit them in.
Rex Krueger
I really think so!
Rex Krueger
Of course, going your own way is always an option. Most woodworkers are also inventors and I'm proud to be one!
Yohann_M
Rex, Couldn't you repurpose the top of the Roman workbench as the main work surface of the new workbench? It's thick and sturdy and you already have it.
Daniel Bohrer
I was also thinking about building a stand-up bench for my own, but as you already said, even if I could source the lumber (I cannot), there is no way I could handle those slabs by my own! So I'm really looking forward to this build! :)
Daniel Bohrer
For all the poor Germans for whom Project Gutenberg is still blocked (see https://cand.pglaf.org/germany/index.html), here is a mirror link of "Things To Make", by Archibald Williams (PDF, 11 MB): http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/gutenberg/1/4/6/6/14664/14664-pdf.pdf
William Allen
Awesome. Great article, thoroughly enjoyed it. I started “woodworking” in March. First thing I needed was a bench. I tried saw horses, folding tables, etc, meh to them all. Then I got down and did some serious research: library, university, local wood workers, and the internet. Millions of different bench designs, millions of different uses, 2 million opinions on each one. What did I really need? Well, three main things: Assembly, Joinery, and Wood preparation. For all three the base needs to be rock solid, and heavy enough that it will not move on its own. So I gathered up what scrap I had and built a base that would easily accommodate assembling a typical door: 2x8. I put on a top made from 2 2x12 laminated to 2 1x12 (because I had read that hold fasts work best with a top that was between 2” and 2.5” thick). Then I added and apron on one side to hold the door vertically or laying on its side. Bench done. It took me 2 weeks to read everything I could find and 2hrs to build. It is fastened with just screws. It is still rock solid. I do all my wood prep on it: sawing, planning, scraping, sanding, finishing. I do all my assembly on it, all my joinery, and I repair and maintain my small engines, and farm equipment on it. It was free, made entirely from scrap construction wood and I simply love it. I have built tool holders into it for squares, tape measure, gent saw, dovetail saw, panel saw, bench chisels, mortise chisels, block plane, protractor, bench dogs, hold fasts, plane stop, bench hooks and so on. It is simple gift I gave myself that just keeps on giving. In fact, right now, I’m headed out to the bench to finish off the joinery for my first tongue drum, so have a great day, I know I will.
Jim "Mr. Measure Twice" Marchetti
This is an obsession that is a good one, FOR SURE!!
Howard Tuckey
I agree with the preceding comments - you need to be saving all this stuff so you can produce a book! I'll buy a copy, if I'm still around! Patrons, of course, might get a bit of a discount, no? (Smile) BTW - I've been thinking the same things about that low Roman bench. I'm getting a bit stiff in my old age, and getting down and up again on that thing is not the most pleasant experience I can imagine, and as I don't have room for two benches, I need to have something I can work at comfortably, without boxing myself in or setting myself up for a trip/fall/can'tgetup scenario.
Ryan Roberts
Something like these perhaps? Lifts up onto the wheels to move and drops down off wheels to be stationary https://www.amazon.com/Workbench-Stepdown-Durable-Capacity-Version/dp/B07MBYRX83/ref=asc_df_B07MBYRX83/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=343332518124&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12803125548947458578&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017014&hvtargid=aud-799711277694:pla-746006238945&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=67421587325&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=343332518124&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12803125548947458578&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017014&hvtargid=aud-799711277694:pla-746006238945
Frank Costa
Well, you certainly have my attention here. Also, you have a very engaging writing style that I appreciate; it reminds me of Christopher Schwarz minus his often zany political asides.
Todd Fox
Awesome posts like this one are why I overcame my skinflint nature and became a patron. Keep these coming! Can't wait to see the build videos.
Anderson Young
This will be fun.
A1BASE
The other thing to consider is that moving a bench regularly generally weakens the joins over time and it's easy to end up with a wobbly bench. Also, make sure the floor is perfectly level, otherwise you'll set the leg dimensions for one piece of floor and it'll be uneven on another.
A1BASE
Great article! This time last year I got thinking about workbenches too and ended up designing my own. But I started from the very basics - Workbenches are always made of wood, but is that the best material to use? I get WHY it was used. Woodworkers had the skills and supplies to put one together, but if I wanted to build the BEST workbench, would I use something else?... I now have a steel frame workbench that is utterly solid, modular, with an easily replaceable wooden top, bags of storage and 2 heights of bench for different projects that rotate into each other to save space. I’m super happy with the design. It wasn’t cheap, but it’s indestructible and more solid than any wooden workbench I’ve ever seen. So if you’re considering building your own workbench, don’t necessarily be constrained by tradition.
Frank Corey
Great! I was eyeing this one here..... https://robcosman.com/blogs/robs-blog/make-your-workbench-from-mdf-plywood but was going to wait a bit until i started building as some tool purchases ate my budget.
Rex Krueger
I don't know. Bowling alley is serious stuff. Seems like it would work fine. Looking forward to your pic!
Rex Krueger
Yeah, one could really take that line in many ways. None of them are good...
Rex Krueger
That is FASCINATING. I know nothing about model trains, but everything you say makes perfect sense. And of course you'd need a good base for those things.
Ross Tomažin
The reason I'm a patron and follow your work so closely is that I don't have a shop at all. I think I could squeeze a bench like this into the closet where my air handler is. Literally that's the only storage I have. My wood pile is literally between my bedroom door and dresser. My tools are on a bookcase by my bed. My restoration projects are in a plastic tote in my closet. My finishes are in the laundry room. I'm a human trying to woodwork...
Rex Krueger
The low bench and bad backs don't mix. My back is fine and it gets sore. It's time to stand up! If this bench doesn't work out, then I'll just build another one, so we'll solve it either way.
Rex Krueger
You read my mind! I don't intend the legs to fold, but mine will come apart. I'm in a basement with narrow stairs and everything I build needs to knock down for transport out. Whatever I do, I'm sure you'll be able to modify it for a folding design. You already have the right idea.
Rex Krueger
Man, old trade books are the MOTHER of all rabbit holes. There's always another one and each one leads you to 6 more. Indeed, I am subversive. I intend to be.
Rex Krueger
I know; us rightys are at such a disadvantage! I do wish you had a pic of great-granddad's bench. I'd LOVE to see it.
Rex Krueger
Yeah...me too!
Rex Krueger
Well, guess I know what I'm watching tonight!
Rex Krueger
Bill is on the money with his suggestion. Whatever you do, don't rely on "locking" casters. You need the legs of the bench ON the floor when you're using it.
Daniel Mueller
You have me hooked... Im on for the ride. I have been using two solid core doors from HD and two saw horses for a few years with a vice mounted to the bottom of it... works but is not as solid as I would like. Time to get more popcorn... gonna be a fun watch. Thanks!
Jim Williams
I am loking forward to this series even though I don't need a bench. I cheated and mounted a bit of bowling alley on a yellow pine 2 x 4 base. I still have some things to do to it, but it works for me and it is fairly sturdy. I plan to add some more heft to it and make shelves/drawers for under the bench. I'll post a picture over on the Community Board after I get off work today.
The Poor Man
So during the saw horse build the line that struck me as absolutely hilarious "..When butted up against a wall it becomes 'as good as a boy'.." That made me laugh a little and wonder weather or not child labor laws had begun in full effect at the time of original publication. I did fully download the book and plan to give it a complete read, but scrolling through I did see a couple of things that would be fun to build. Thanks for the info and like everyone else I'm looking forward to seeing the new bench build
Nicholas Russon
Looking at the sketch of Archibald Williams' bench, I thought "I've seen this before ... but not in a woodworking context". In a different hobby, back in the late 1940s-early 1950s, a man named Linn Westcott suggested a way for model railroaders to build the tables (generally called in the hobby "benchwork") to support their model train layouts. Most model railroaders of the time would have easy access to basic tools like handsaws, "eggbeater" hand drills, hammers, screwdrivers, but not much more, and most of them were not interested in becoming woodworkers just to - if you'll pardon the pun - support their main hobby interest. Westcott's innovation was basically the same idea of using diagonal supports to make thin/cheap softwood much more rigid and sturdy with a minimum of "woodworking" required. The "L-girder" was a 1x3 or 1x4 set on edge with a 1x2 glued-and-screwed to the opposite edge to form the "L", making a much more rigid beam than the 1x4 by itself. The L-girders, supported by 2x2 legs, braced diagonally with 1x2s worked so well that the basic technique is still extremely common in the hobby today.
Bill Smithem
This might be the one I finally build. The low bench almost had me hooked, but with a bad back and knees, I wasn't sure I could work that low for any length of time. I'm still using the old 20th century standard, a 2x4 frame bolted to the wall, with a sheet of 3/4 ply screwed to it - not ideal for hand tools (way too much bounce for chisel work) - besides, with drill press, grinder, scroll saw, and reloading press bolted to it, there's little room left for hand work.
Ross Tomažin
I, too, am free of this vise vice. ;)
Ross Tomažin
One wonders if you could use some large through-bolts on the legs, with a second attachment being a dowel or pin, so that you could fold the legs underneath the benchtop for storage...
Bill Smithem
I've done this with my band saw. Two casters bolted to a board on each end, attached to the bench with hinges. I've got a lever attached to step on that gives enough mechanical advantage that it's easy to lift and a simple wooden hook bevelled so the lever swings it out of the way when I step on it. To set it back down, I push the hook off the lever with my toe while I lower it. There are a ton of different designs online.
Mark L
Oh yeah, you're a sneaky, subversive rascal. Unable to resist the "free on-line" link, I paused for a quick skim through "Things to Make." I was stopped right off the bat. I absolutely have to find Mr. Williams' "Victories of the Engineers. I have absolutely no idea what will be in the the book, but the title is irresistible. " Rabbit hole? What rabbit hole?
Mark L
These benches very much resemble the bench my great-grandfather (born 1888) built for his home workshop. He was a carpenter by trade. All the materials used in it's construction was salvaged from job-sites. Too large to fit through the shop door, it may well have still been in the shop when the house was demolished a few years ago. Vice placement was the main difference between his bench and the ones shown in your post. Since most of you are handicapped by being born right-handed, you're forced to indulge your vices at the wrong end of the bench. Fortunately, that's a handicap I don't share. I very much look forward to watching this build.
ethan_oz
Great post, really well written. Can't wait to see how the build goes.
Chris Rovers
Speaking of joiners - I stumbled across Gid Joiner on youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHddVj8KYk3UNBM9Uc-VP3Q/about - notice his self-description and eyeball some of the work he does for his clients - customizing a child gate; hanging a door; building a fine cupboard; stud wall work; masonry
Csongor Halmai
Rex, you nailed it, I am just about to build my own bench. I have a lot of competing ideas in my head and I would really like to read/hear/see your thoughts before I start to build mine. I would like to have a bench which can be lifted onto its wheels to push it here and there in the workshop and when it is at the desired location, I can sat it down to the concrete. So, when I work on it then it stands robustly but I can roll it away when needed. Do you have any idea for this feature?
Colin Green
As my workshop is soon to be expanding, I've been looking for thoughts on how to try and organize it....benches included. The Roman work bench is definitely going to happen, but there definitely needs to be a place to stand and work too. I'm watching with anticipation!
Csongor Halmai
@Eric van Horssen: I think it would be quite expensive to relocate that bench to Rex from the vatera ad if Rex wanted to buy one. He lives in the US. And building your own is much more fun. Btw., üdv Ausztráliából! ;)
Csongor Halmai
Rex, you nailed it. :) I am just planning my workbench to host my new lathe and other tools and I had too many competing ideas in my mind. You came at the best time.
Eric van Horssen
Gyalupad: https://www.vatera.hu/item/view/index.php?cod=2857189682 Quite common for sale, this one is actually a good price. Just I have no room for it in the shed yet. Sorry, do not know all the correct names, but notice that the legs are fastened by pegs. So you can take it apart. Also they mostly have two vises, which use wooden screws. This one has a lower board between the legs, extra storage. Some come with drawers. To me they all look similar, and I wonder if it simply was something one could buy, or whether it was a plan that was shared. Overview of current items for sale: https://www.jofogas.hu/magyarorszag?q=Gyalupad https://www.vatera.hu/listings/index.php?q=gyalupad (On mobile scroll to bottom to switch to English) New version for Children: https://www.vatera.hu/donau-gyerek-gyalupad-m489-h-x-sz-77-cm-x-30-cm-2859287063.html
Robb Curtice
This is super interesting and I'm excited to see your build! Maybe even a comic documenting the steps!
Heartland Makes & Outdoors
This is going to be a fun build, I am looking forward to seeing it come together. Thanks for spending the time and research to share this with us, it is much appreciated. PS congrats on the new collaboration with the new business, I read that article you sent out to us yesterday, I just didnt comment on it. I am happy and proud for you, that will be a fun new venture for you and I totally agree on multiple platforms are much needed, because we just never know when one of the platforms may fail. Dale
