Current Shop Virtual Tour

Two Benches Two Decades

Bench 1992
Bench of Many Colors-Wood Central
Built from Plans from Wood Magazine

Time flies when..... Unbelievable to think that it has been 20 years since I built this first bench. Although truthfully from start of build to final was close to 5 years!   A lot of interruptions in between.  This bench was built like a monster and if I do say so myself it is beautiful.  The top was Laminated Maple, end skirts and twin screw from Padauk, side skirts Walnut, trestle legs and stretchers from Red Oak,  a twin screw vise cover from Birds Eye Maple, Ebony turned handles for the vise, and just for good measure throw in some Lacewood accents inlaid into the Walnut side board.  This was of course at that time basically a 100% power tool project.  I think the only had tools used were some mortise chisels to cut the through tenons for the stretchers.  Additionaly this bad boy has 4 - 3/8" threaded stainless steel rods running laterly inside the laminated top.  Now for the funny story, after it was all finished, I was afraid to use it!  Did not want to dent or scratch it, afraid to get glue on it, ect. ect.  But obviously it did get some use after the 'new car syndrome" wore off.  I still own the bench and it is sitting in a basement shop in New York to this day.  It is still rock solid and still flat as can be.  Guess all the over-engineering at the time was worth it. 





English Style Bench 2012
English style work bench built from plans from Logan Cabinet Shoppe

I am not going to go through any of the specific building process as the link above to Logan Cabinet Shoppe Blog has a complete write up and video of the design and build of this particular bench.  All I can say it really works for me.  My bench is about 6' long, I wish I could have made it a little longer but I knew that I would have to move it so I kept it at a more managable length. 

Some Pictures of the Build:

The wood is called Ha Ngam it comples from Laos.  Works and looks a little like American Walnut.  Interesting here in Thailand you can go to a lumber yard and they will pretty much dimension everything for you.  This is as I received it from the yard.  The cost on this material works out to be about US $2.00 a board foot!

Laying Out the Mortises

Set up shop inside to dimension the material and chop the mortises.

Mortises completed.  I used a brace and bit to remove most of the material before chopping.

Cutting Haunches in the legs.  Hot work! It was about 95 F that day.  This was the last one.

Standing for a dry fit.

Another Shot at the finished product.

This was my "Shop" in Chiang Mai.  Not bad huh??