| Project by Ken Masco | posted 02-20-2016 05:11 AM | 2624 views | 2 times favorited | 15 comments |  |
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I’m so glad I followed my instincts on building this bench. The result is a serious tool. At first I suspected the Bencrafted vices an extravagance. And now, I know that they are for sure. These vices are … well…, I do not believe I could have been more satisfied with the performance of any other set up known and unknown. The bench is heavy it doesn’t move when working it hard. The vices hold rock solid hard. The Wagon vice seems to me to be a brilliant and simple design. I’m still looking for the location of my first hold fast hole.
The top is mostly 8/4 ash, which I bought ($5 bf). The rest is from leftover materials from years of jobs around the house. The legs are 6” x6” Doug Fir patio left overs milled to 5” x 5”. The dog hole strip and last layer on both front and back are a few nice 8/4 hard Maple boards I had on hand. The breadboard ends and chop are 12/4 Mahogany that I also had. The shelf is 3/4” tongue and groove raw Hickory hard wood floor boards left over from a previous house.
The through tenons attaching the legs to the top are glued, wedged and draw bored, the legs are Glued and draw bored to the stretchers. I know these features are perhaps redundant, but, they were all firsts for me, a lot of fun. And this sucker is solid.
It’s not a knock down. And it’s heavy. This is my age in place shop. Someone else will have to move it.
This was a big challenge with a big reward. It took me about four months to complete. I’m very happy with how it turned out, how well it looks and performs. I expect to enjoy using it for the rest of my life.
Thank you for looking,
-- Ken
15 comments so far
builtinbkyn
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3031 posts in 2186 days
#1 posted 02-20-2016 05:18 AM
Beautiful bench and looks to be well executed. Hope you have many fond and frustration free hours at it ;)
-- Bill, Yo!......in Brooklyn & Steel City :)
pottz
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20687 posts in 2229 days
#2 posted 02-20-2016 05:26 AM
man I love how much wood working turns people on and after reading this you are about as turned on as you can get,but hey that’s what its all about right,getting high on life or wood working.i know and you know its only a bench but its its more than tha.t its about creating something from nothing and that’s what makes wood working so great.great job my friend thanks for the post.
-- working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
Ken Masco
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888 posts in 4095 days
#3 posted 02-20-2016 06:13 AM
Thank you both. I am turned on to the whole ww thing. I feel very lucky to have found it
-- Ken
bch
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304 posts in 3934 days
#4 posted 02-20-2016 04:16 PM
Gorgeous. Need to start my bench one of these days…
-- --bch
hoss12992
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4180 posts in 3138 days
#5 posted 02-20-2016 05:36 PM
That is really cool. Great job
-- The Old Rednek Workshop https://www.facebook.com/theoldrednekworkshoptn
Andre
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4747 posts in 3051 days
#6 posted 02-20-2016 05:40 PM
That is one nice looking Bench, sort of looks like mine at first glance! LOL!
Have to agree many good hours will be spent at that Bench with a smile on your face!
ENJOY!
-- Lifting one end of the plank.
WillliamMSP
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1160 posts in 2850 days
#7 posted 02-20-2016 07:11 PM
Nice work, awesome bench!
-- Practice makes less sucky. (Bill, Minneapolis, MN)
helluvawreck
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32122 posts in 4112 days
#8 posted 02-20-2016 07:43 PM
That is a great bench and a wonderful addition to your shop.
helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
-- helluvawreck aka Charles, http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
bearkatwood
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1835 posts in 2257 days
#9 posted 02-20-2016 11:45 PM
You have the Schwarzian window tool storage. Nice work, looks like a great bench.
-- Brian Noel
RPhillips
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1323 posts in 3081 days
#10 posted 02-21-2016 01:14 AM
beautiful bench, thanks for sharing.
-- Rob - Indianapolis IN - Learning... one mistake at a time...
htl
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5577 posts in 2404 days
#11 posted 02-21-2016 01:26 AM
That is one beautiful piece of work!!!
Well done.
-- An Index Of My Model making Blogs https://www.lumberjocks.com/htl/blog/130264
theoldfart
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12868 posts in 3696 days
#12 posted 02-21-2016 01:52 AM
I agree with all the comments made, that is a great bench.
-- "With every tool obtained, there is another that is needed" DonW ( Kevin )
CL810
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4177 posts in 4233 days
#13 posted 02-21-2016 04:01 AM
Congrats Ken! Great execution.
-- "The only limits to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - FDR
bobasaurus
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3735 posts in 4429 days
#14 posted 02-21-2016 05:25 AM
That looks amazing, I’m very jealous. Making those huge breadboard ends must have been tough. I would love to get the benchcrafted hardware, someday perhaps.
-- Allen, Colorado (Instagram @bobasaurus_woodworking)
Ken Masco
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888 posts in 4095 days
#15 posted 02-21-2016 07:11 PM
Thank you all, yes, I really got Schwarzanized but it’s totally worth it.
-- Ken
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