Workbench of Many Colors

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tdubnik
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Workbench of Many Colors

Post by tdubnik »

I have been wanting a proper workbench for a long time but between buying the lumber and vises I thought the cost was prohibitive. I finally got lucky and found a millwork shop that made custom moldings that was going out of business. I stopped in to see what he had and bought enough lumber to finally start my project. He didn't have enough of any one variety to complete the whole bench so I bought pretty much what he had. This included poplar, 2 varieties of maple, white oak and sapele. Average price was just under $1.00 per board foot. I picked up the vices from Lee Valley and got underway.

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This image show the Veritas Twin Screw tail vice and looks down the bench from that end. You can see why I called it a workbench of many colors by the color variation in the top. The top is mostly maple with the front apron being white oak.

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The front vice is a large quick release vice also from Lee Valley. The vice jaws are laminated maple and the end is hand cut dovetails. This bench was modeled after "The Essential Workbench" I found at Fine Woodworking.

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The legs and stretchers are all mortise and tenon, hand cut. The legs attach to the feet with draw bored mortise and tenon. The stretchers are attached with wedged mortise and tenon joints. I cut the wedges from a small piece of sapele.

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This shows the half blind dovetails used to join the ends to the front apron.

To finish the bench, I sprayed 4 coats of poly on the base and used a beeswax/turpentine/boiled linseed oil mixture on the top, I am very pleased with the end result and this thing will get much use in the future.
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tom_k/mo
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Post by tom_k/mo »

What a nice piece of work. You're not going to actually use that are you? If that were mine, it would be in my living room as a coffee table. :)
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beeg
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Post by beeg »

For a DOLLAR a board foot, who cares if it's many colors. :).. But it looks like ya did a GREAT job.
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nuhobby
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Post by nuhobby »

Sorry for my drool which you'll have to clean up....

I bet that's a lane short enough for me to bowl a high score, too!
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dlbristol
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Very nice.

Post by dlbristol »

Wow, Nice work and the different wood colors just make it more attractive. I would have it in the living room too!!
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Post by mbcabinetmaker »

Great job and true craftsmanship! I really like that tail vice as well.
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fjimp
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Post by fjimp »

Congratulations it is almost too beautiful to use for making sawdust. If I had that I would cry the first time I dinged it. fjimp:rolleyes:
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JPG
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Post by JPG »

I echo Marks comment (although it is far more meaningful coming from a Pro like him)!!!l
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joedw00
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Post by joedw00 »

dlbristol wrote:Wow, Nice work and the different wood colors just make it more attractive. I would have it in the living room too!!
I will have to agree, it looks to good to get dirty. I sure hope my keyboard works after all the drool dries.:D
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curiousgeorge
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Post by curiousgeorge »

You, Sir, are a craftsman. Beautiful bench. Now! Go ahead and whack it a couple of times with a hammer and get it over with. ;) :D
George
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