Finally Finished the Work Bench

Rich Aldrich

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296
Location
Manistique, Michigan
I finally finished the work bench. It has a shoulder vise and a bench vise. It isnt 100% complete because I have to drill the bench dog holes yet and finish sanding the top. At some point, I will add either shelving or cabinets under the workbench. I do plan to make a slide out platform to hold drawings of things that I am building. This will help me stay more organized, I hope.
 

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That's a big one. What a beauty. As to shelving or cabinets; I put a full shelf under mine so I could add modules of drawers, bins, pullout or whatever as my needs (or my mind) changed.

drawer-unit-no-fronts-2.jpgS-drawer-Unit-in-Place-Open.jpg
 
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Beautiful bench, Rich. I'd love to make something similar some day.

Once you get a lathe, that bench will work great for storing all your bowl blanks. :p
 
Thanks for the compliments guys. his was a 14 month ordeal. I built the bench in Nov/Dec 2008 and just now installed the vises. It is really handy and a nice flat surface to assemble cabinets.
 
That That is a very nice bench. I just love those vice. But i really like the dovetail and the way you designed it.

This must be bench building day. There is something about building a work bench. Kinda like a right of passage.:D

Sure makes a change to have something to hold the thing you working on.:thumb:

Wish you all the best with it Rich and hope you enjoy all your time at it. :thumb:
 
Rich, that is a great looking bench, don't mess it up with any storage or shelves, you have a TON of unused space, heck I can see LOTS of other places to store stuff, leave you bench out of it :D

Your bench needs to be a tool to hold your work, and by putting cabinets and such under it, IMHO, you will limit the work the bench can do. Utilize the open wall space and build some cabinets etc.

Just my 2 yens worth, but if I had the space you do, my workbench would just be that, a workbench, I'd not pollute it with other stuff.

Cheers! :thumb:
 
nice looking bench rich, and hopefully uou can get some fast setting glue so you wont need to be tempted by that spinnt thing to much:)

why the extension vise at one end:huh: arnt you puttin alot of stress against that dove tail unnecessarly:dunno:
 
nice looking bench rich, and hopefully uou can get some fast setting glue so you wont need to be tempted by that spinnt thing to much:)

why the extension vise at one end:huh: arnt you puttin alot of stress against that dove tail unnecessarly:dunno:

Larry,

The shoulder vise wont take as much pressure as a regular vise. It does allow you to clamp things (goofy shaped or large pieces) you cant ordinarily clamp in a vise.

There is a threaded rod in the part just to the left of the shoulder vise screw. This goes into the bench about 18 inches, so it helps hold the vise together and helps take stress off the dovetail.

There are two threaded rod buried in the end piece that has the male dovetail. The first 18" is glued, but it is on end grain on the end of the bench, so the rest is of the length is held on with threaded rods.

I'll get some pictures to help clarify that part.
 
Rich, that is a great looking bench, don't mess it up with any storage or shelves, you have a TON of unused space, heck I can see LOTS of other places to store stuff, leave you bench out of it :D

Your bench needs to be a tool to hold your work, and by putting cabinets and such under it, IMHO, you will limit the work the bench can do. Utilize the open wall space and build some cabinets etc.

Just my 2 yens worth, but if I had the space you do, my workbench would just be that, a workbench, I'd not pollute it with other stuff.

Cheers! :thumb:

Thanks, Stu - good point.
 
Nice bench Rich! I am in the planning stage myself right now and it is nice to see someone get it done. I really like Glen's idea of just building a shelf under the bench and putting in modular cases for whatever. That would make a nice flexible system.

Hey, I get up your way a few times a year so I might drop you a line some time. I need to visit some friends in the Gladstone area this Spring. I married a yooper girl so I have citizenship by marriage. The inlaws did say something to me when we were dating about "keeping the trolls beniet da bridge":D
 
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