As I've said before, this bench has been presented and re-presented a couple of times here on LJs. It has fans (Thanks for the Mention, Al!) as well as detractors, I'm sure, but for me it's been nothing short of wonderful having this bench become part of my woodworking life. There is no way I'd be where I am regarding handtools, craftsmanship or confidence without this bench.
Anyway, there's more if you'd like to see it via the projects for the bench, roubo cabinet and end vise chop in my projects section.
The bench, at it's core, started life as a hunk of oak that was a one-piece entry threshhold in an old home that was torn down many years ago. My father asked why I wanted the hunk of wood pulled to the side when the trackhoe came. I said, oh, I don't know. Just such a cool piece, maybe I'll make something out of it someday.
Well, someday was a long time later and the one-time entryway became this bench. Thanks in no small measure to the inspiration provided by Scott Landis and Christopher Schwarz. I used wood chisels 'with intent' for the first time building this bench. Started my sharpening journey, used my first handplane (Sandusky Jack), and used a brace and bit for the first time building this bench. Solid eastern pine for the legs, asian mahogany for the chops, walnut and pine for the cabinet. All the wood was free / reclaimed / repurposed. The leg vise hardware was salvage from an old alley garage (I didn't know what it was at the time I pulled it out of there, but glad I did). Anyway, enough jabbering. Here are some new, higher resolution pics than my phone has gotten lately.
Across the top from the end vise end:
From the tail vise and crochet:
A look down the not-perfectly-flat benchtop:
And for a never-before-seen look at the threshold history of the bench:
