Maybe a wee obsessive...

[Stuart Ablett]

You sir, do nice work

[Norm Michelsen]

Really terrific Bill. I don't know that I'd call it obsessive.......more like determined. It's too perfect for shop use, put some finish on it and move it into the living room.

[larry merlau]

bill in the first pic what i am seeing isnt shine, i dont believe... it appears to be water or some liquide to help with locating the low areas maybe??/

[Bill Satko]

OK, I misunderstood what you were referring to. That is the old varnish finish that was slathered on the slab when I bought it many, many years ago. Even if the slab was flat enough, I would still have removed the old finish as it is much too slick for hand planing.

[John Daugherty]

Bill the bench looks great! A question if you don't mind. I understand the need for having your bench flat as you are going to be using it as a reference surface, but for a regular work bench that will be beat and banged on how flat is flat enough?

[Bill Satko]

Bill the bench looks great! A question if you don't mind. I understand the need for having your bench flat as you are going to be using it as a reference surface, but for a regular work bench that will be beat and banged on how flat is flat enough?

Not sure John, as I guess it all depends on what you are doing on the bench. Even those tasks that would require a flat surface, such as flattening thin stock, would only require it to be flat where you are working. The entire bench would not have to be flat.

[Don Baer]

I just finished up applying a mixture of equal parts turpentine, BLO and spar varnish over the entire bench. This is going to be like having a new car.

Bill I wonder why you choose to use spar varnish on a surface that will be a work space, if I were to do it I would just use BLO maybe thinned with MS. It is easy to apply more coats and the BLO will dry to rock hard surface.

[Bill Satko]

Bill I wonder why you choose to use spar varnish on a surface that will be a work space, if I were to do it I would just use BLO maybe thinned with MS. It is easy to apply more coats and the BLO will dry to rock hard surface.

Don, it is an old finish formula that has found favor among recent workbench builders. It has been touted by the folks at Popular Woodworking and Lie Nielsen uses it on all of their benches. I only have to apply one coat and I get the protection I need.

[Rob Keeble]

Nice bench Bill, but i gotta tell you it reminds me of when the guy building my first ever in my life cedar deck finished and i ran off to HD to get something to protect it.
Great experienced lady in the paint department said " Enjoy the look now because its never gonna be the same again" She had built and cared for 6 decks and said she had now had enough.
So i hope it sees lots of action dents spills and cuts that will tell whoever gets it later that you used it and enjoyed doing so. Otherwise i can see the future owner post on his /her forum ......
"Hi guys picked up a great hardly used new maple bench today from a guy heading for sleepy pines residences. He wanted me to continue to use it, said he got years of great use......i did not argue with him poor old geyser ....but i doubt it from the ware marks. "



Have fun Bill.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

[Bart Leetch]

Nice bench Bill, but i gotta tell you it reminds me of when the guy building my first ever in my life cedar deck finished and i ran off to HD to get something to protect it.
Great experienced lady in the paint department said " Enjoy the look now because its never gonna be the same again" She had built and cared for 6 decks and said she had now had enough.
So i hope it sees lots of action dents spills and cuts that will tell whoever gets it later that you used it and enjoyed doing so. Otherwise i can see the future owner post on his /her forum ......
"Hi guys picked up a great hardly used new maple bench today from a guy heading for sleepy pines residences. He wanted me to continue to use it, said he got years of great use......i did not argue with him poor old geyser ....but i doubt it from the ware marks. "



Have fun Bill.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

OR....

I sure got a nice table today just beautiful, I'm going to shorten the legs & turn it into a coffee table.