Beneath the hood

Bill Satko

Member
Messages
3,209
Location
Methow Valley
While I had my workbench set up for applying finish to it, I thought a few pictures of the undercarriage and some close ups of other details would be interesting.

But first here are three more pictures of the top and apron prior to applying any finish. You can just see the shine from the planing.
DSCN0570.jpg DSCN0568.jpg DSCN0573.jpg


Some general pictures of the bottom side:

DSCN0572.jpgDSCN0575.jpgDSCN0576.jpg

Details of some of the connections:

DSCN0578.jpgDSCN0585.jpgDSCN0582.jpgDSCN0583.jpg
 
Yeah, a dull plane will burnish the wood and leave it looking all shiny like that. :whistling: A belt sander will help you knock back some of the glare you'll be getting off that top. :rofl:

That bench is absolutely gorgeous, Bill. The joinery looks tight as a drum, and the top couldn't look more perfect. I would love to have a bench like that. (Even with that slippery top on it. I'm telling ya...belt sander.) :D :p
 
A belt sander and my compulsive nature to make the it as flat as possible, would have left me with a top about 1/2" thick!
 
Last edited:
well done bil:) and that shine says it all other than the joinery which makes it all top notch work.,. your gonna enjoy every minute you get on that bench and knowing that you made it to work for you so well is just the cream of the crop...hope to see it someday in person:)
 
Bill, Did you do all of the joinery with hand tools as well? Just curious?

I realize I could never use a bench that nice. As I was working on some glue ups last night on my beat up old bench, I thought about yours, then looked at my ugly glue stained old thing.

That is some truly outstanding work.
 
...hope to see it someday in person:)

We will get you out here again Larry, I am sure. By then, I will have a lot more to show you. This bench is just the beginning.

Bill, Did you do all of the joinery with hand tools as well? Just curious?

No, more a mixture of power and hand tools. Almost all of the power work was either cleaned up or "improved" by hand tools.

I expect a few dings and bangs in the bench over time, but nothing that will make it look abused. I look at my bench as a fine tool that needs to be taken care of. That means wiping the glue off after glue ups; setting some protection down during finishing and chopping dovetails on a sacrificial board, not directly on the bench, as a few examples. Some people have rusty tools and some people don't. I fall in the don't camp. Each day after use, I brush all the dust off of my planes, oil them down and put them away. I will fall into a similar regiment with my bench.
 
Top