| Project by Mark Kornell | posted 12-28-2014 04:30 AM | 10371 views | 62 times favorited | 34 comments |  |
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It took a while, but I finally completed this workbench. My goal when I started was to make it the only workbench I’ll ever need and so, whenever a decision had to be made, I went for overkill.
The bench is massive. With hardware, I estimate it to be around 500 lbs. I assembled it in pieces after carefully planning where I wanted it in my shop. I hope that the next time it moves is when my kids move me into a retirement home. Hoping that’s 40-50 years away.
The bench details:
- The base is jatoba (brazilian cherry). Very dense wood.
- The top slab is mostly cherry, with a couple strips of jatoba for contrast.
- The shelf boards are hard maple.
- The deadman and chop are walnut
- Finish is a single coat of Waterlox Original Sealer, wiped on/off.
The slab is 99” long, 3 15/16” thick and 25” deep. Overall height is 33 1/2”. Vise hardware is Benchcrafted.
I built a SketchUp model prior to making any sawdust, and the bench is pretty faithful to the model. The primary differences coming from maximizing what I could get from a stick of lumber, rather than working to a dimension.
I fully blogged the build process here on LJs. Again with the overkill :-) Overall blog is here, with the first entry here
Comments welcome, though at this point, it is probably too late to change anything :-)
-- Mark Kornell, Kornell Wood Design
34 comments so far
Longcase
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101 posts in 2051 days
#1 posted 12-28-2014 05:02 AM
That is a very nice bench.
Well done
Keith
BigRedKnothead
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8550 posts in 2587 days
#2 posted 12-28-2014 05:13 AM
Thanks for sharing the ride with us Mark. She’s a peach. That’s my fav. chop design to date.
-- "At the end of the day, try and make it beautiful....because the world is full of ugly." Konrad Sauer
ShaneA
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7084 posts in 3203 days
#3 posted 12-28-2014 05:16 AM
Beautiful job. I would be scared to use something so nice.
terryR
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7562 posts in 2913 days
#4 posted 12-28-2014 07:17 AM
Amazing build!
Thanks for sharing the blogs with us.
-- tr ...see one, do one, teach one...
yuridichesky
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624 posts in 2568 days
#5 posted 12-28-2014 08:17 AM
Sturdy but yet sexy thanks to curves of the chop and deadman!
Congratulations with great workbench!
-- Yuri (10x4 -- yeah, that's my tiny shop!)
Mojo1
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286 posts in 3295 days
#6 posted 12-28-2014 10:55 AM
Wow!!!!! very very nice!
johnstoneb
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3131 posts in 2777 days
#7 posted 12-28-2014 12:26 PM
That is a beautiful bench. It will be a joy to use. I really like that deadman.
-- Bruce, Boise, ID
_Daniel_
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38 posts in 2032 days
#8 posted 12-28-2014 01:13 PM
Beautiful bench. Love the shape of the sliding deadman. Now I am going to read your blog on the build. Someday when I make a workbench, this is what I picture.
Someday I’ll sell my 2×6 workbench that is topped with an industrial solid core wood door. It is very solid, but ugly as sin. I knew I had to get a few nice furniture projects under my belt first so my wife wouldn’t object to me building ‘shop furniture’.
RPhillips
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1291 posts in 2441 days
#9 posted 12-28-2014 01:27 PM
Beautiful build Mark. Love the wood choice and and the shaping of the chop and deadman. Nice choice of hardware too. You should be set for life with that bench…or at least until you build another :)
-- Rob - Indianapolis IN - Learning... one mistake at a time...
bondogaposis
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5605 posts in 2956 days
#10 posted 12-28-2014 01:41 PM
Very nice Roubo. Should last at least several lifetimes.
-- Bondo Gaposis
Buckethead
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3195 posts in 2473 days
#11 posted 12-28-2014 01:45 PM
I’ve said it before: it’s a masterpiece.
For your deadman you used a gorgeous chunk of walnut, from which I would never have had the nerve to remove so much material. You had the nerve, and it adds so much character and beauty to your build. It stamps your signature on the bench… Perfectly executed.
-- Support woodworking hand models. Buy me a sawstop.
Airframer
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3043 posts in 2557 days
#12 posted 12-28-2014 02:08 PM
That is one gorgeous bench! Nice Work!
-- Eric - "I'm getting proficient with these hand jobbers. - BigRedKnothead"
woodcox
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2386 posts in 2616 days
#13 posted 12-28-2014 02:55 PM
Good work Mike. Thank you for taking us along on the build of such a fine bench.
-- "My god has more wood than your god" ... G. Carlin.
CL810
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3983 posts in 3593 days
#14 posted 12-28-2014 03:18 PM
Great bench Mark! I enjoyed the blog as well.
-- "The only limits to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - FDR
RogerBean
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1605 posts in 3558 days
#15 posted 12-28-2014 03:47 PM
Nice work on the bench. It’s a stunner. I also enjoyed following your blog. My beech Roubo is at about the 30% point, and will be along one of these days. :-)
Roger
-- "Everybody makes mistakes. A craftsman always fixes them." (Monty Kennedy, "The Checkering and Carving of Gunstocks", 1952)
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