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A Cabinetmakers Workbench

43K views 47 replies 29 participants last post by  je_superfly 
#1 ·
A Cabinetmakers Workbench

A few years ago, I started to think about building myself a real workbench. I had read Krenovs books and wanted to get away from corded apprentices and start to really see what I could do with out a machine screaming.
The decision was made to built a Cabinetmakers Workbench. I wanted a bench to do handwork only on, no machines would ever come near this bench. I have my old bench to run routers on etc. I had a few hundred board feet of white oak in the shop that I bought a few years ago. I just could not really afford to go out and buy 12/4 maple so I laminated the stock that I had on hand. It would end up with it's quartersawn edge showing and it wears like iron.
I started the bench with the tresle base. I laminated 3×3 and 2×3 raills and then joined them by hand with wedged thru mortise and tenon joinery with ebony wedges.

(The base joinery)!:http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g148/robmill54/P1010049.jpg
 
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#6 ·
Once the base was completed it was time to laminated the top. I laminated them in three sections and routed full length 1/2" splines to join them together. I made the dog hole section and was ready to assemble.



Once that was completed, it looked like this:

 
#8 ·
I used a floating breadboard on each end of the top and milled a bling half inch spline in each end. The breadboard ends are held in place with a large dovetail, no glue and one 6" bolt to allow the top to move with seasonal changes.
Here I am cutting the dovetail in the ends and the dog hole section.



The completed dovetail.

 
#11 ·
The quartersawn figure just blew my mind, I was really surprised by how much figure it had and was very careful with grain direction etc.

Here is the top without the tail vise. I was really nrvious about the end vise because I had never built one, and I did all the joinery in this bench completedly without power tools.





 
#12 ·
At this point, I thought I had better start to pre-level the top and I was dreading the end vise. I broke out the jack plane, the the jointer and then my Stanley # 80 and used winding sticks to remove any wind the top. The bottom has the same level of finish as the top.



The completed top being turned over and finishing with hand planes.



Next the end vise construction.
 
#14 ·
With the top completed, it was time to turn to the dreaded end vise. I read and re-read everything I could find on the details. In the end, I just went for it. I wanted the end vise to be a diiferent species of wood and contrast from the bench. I buy most of my hardwood from Merrill over at Alva Hardwwods in Alva Fl, and told I need a special board for thi vise.
He digs around the warehouse and pops up with a beautiful piece of Honduras Rosewood that he stashed for years. He said he knew someone would want it one day . At about 40 bucks a board ft I gulped hard and asked how much.
" thanks for all your business" and he gives it me. You gotta respect a guy like that.
Anyway here is how I made the end vise. I starte with a n oak "core" that the vise made around. This core has to be made very carefully as it contains the main screw and determines the throw of the vise. The first step is to install the face plate to the bench, followed by the core.







Next is to build a case around the core. I could have just screwed this together as it will never be seen inside the vise but, I dovetailed it. Now, I know it's there and that it is strong so…....




The inside of the core case has the dog holes cut into then. I angled them the opposite way from the others in the bench top by a few degrees to provide a gripping action. Here the case is installed with the outer cover of rosewood .



 
#16 ·
I cut the best figure of the rosewood for the top of the vise. First I made a cardboard template to be absolutely certain that I had the layout for the dog holes exact. I laid out the dogs holes and drilled a series of 1/8" holes. Using a razor sharp chisel, I carefully squared the dog holes.





The top installed and being leveled with the top with my # 80 scraper.



The bench top is completed and now I used my jck plane, my jointer plane and finally my # 80 to level the top.
 
#26 ·
Thanks for all the kind words. I have not finished the tool tray because Merrill at Alva Hardwoods is trying to get me a highly figured white oak quartersawn board for the last piece of the bench. The tool tray will have a removable insert to be able to sweep out shavings etc.
The bench has been an inspiration to me, and my work has taken on a new direction because of it. I often just sit at it and find myself thinking about my life etc.
I just love it.
It took me about 300 hours to build, and I enjoyed the process very much. It is a joy to work on, I'm trying to figure out how I ever did anything before it. I estimate it's weight at close to 500 lbs, so it is a real rock.
Thanks again for all the kind comments.
 
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