Old workbench with unusual feature

[Tweedy]

Hi folks, I've been lucky enough to come into this large, quite old workbench. It looks like it has been through a few stages of life, it was pulled out of a workshop in a cow shed and within it was... well lots of things. Some of them sanitary.

It has this deep storage box in the middle. It had been covered with some thin boards nailed on, but these were clearly a recent addition.

I've seen benches with storage, but I'm not sure what purpose this would serve. Inside was pristine aside from dry gubbins, some broken glass and dried puttee.

Any ideas would be welcome! There's a few other features that have thrown me off a bit. Dimensions are 10ftx3ft overall.

 

[Orraloon]

Looks like a pretty standard joiners bench. Nicholson style with deep aprons and the holes on blue side is where a big wood screw vice would have been. My grandad's joiners shop had a few similar to that but without all the built in storage and not so big either. As the rule goes a bench is long enough to plane the longest bit of wood you will need so they were making big items. The putty and glass would suggest that windows were one of the items made. Most country joiners up to about the 1960tes would have made and repaired windows. They would have turned their hand to almost anything that could be made from wood if a customer asked.
Regards
John

 

[Cabinetman]

Hi folks, I've been lucky enough to come into this large, quite old workbench. It looks like it has been through a few stages of life, it was pulled out of a workshop in a cow shed and within it was... well lots of things. Some of them sanitary.

It has this deep storage box in the middle. It had been covered with some thin boards nailed on, but these were clearly a recent addition.

I've seen benches with storage, but I'm not sure what purpose this would serve. Inside was pristine aside from dry gubbins, some broken glass and dried puttee.

Any ideas would be welcome! There's a few other features that have thrown me off a bit. Dimensions are 10ftx3ft overall.

Can’t quite see, is the storage built into the surface of the bench? So was there a large hole there which was actually a box and it’s then later been planked over? Most unusual, I would imagine to have worked it would have had a hinged lid, presumably it was to store tools, but it would have driven me nuts!
Ian

 

[Jacob]

...... Most country joiners up to about the 1960tes would have made and repaired windows. ....

Some of us were still doing it quite recently!
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/thread...nch-length-for-you.143519/page-2#post-1675671
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/bench-small-is-beautiful.143502/
Mine was only 8 ft though. 14ft window next to it.
Tweedy's 10 footer is just a version of the standard universal bench with a few modifications to suit the original owner. Windows are about the biggest things commonly made and that looks like best guess, what with traces of glass and putty present!

 

[Tweedy]

Thanks for the thoughts chaps!

Same conclusions as I came to.

Can’t quite see, is the storage built into the surface of the bench? So was there a large hole there which was actually a box and it’s then later been planked over? Most unusual, I would imagine to have worked it would have had a hinged lid, presumably it was to store tools, but it would have driven me nuts!
Ian

It's built in under the tool well. A large box, with bevelled edges. When I found it the thing was clumsily planked over and these nailed down. I replaced these with a lid that matches the bevels.

There are no signs of hinges. It is quite odd.

Now I have to decide whether to fit an iron vise where the original wooden one was or not.

 

[Cabinetman]

Well we will all have different views on that, personally it would be a Record 53 with quick release. But I can see the case for fitting what it would have been fitted with originally.
Ian

 

[mouldy plane]

Hi . You could compromise on the vice. I wanted a traditional long horizontal vice for my bench, but didn't want to give up my Record quick release vice, so I encased it with the wooden jaw. It's the best vice I have ever used and wish I had done it years ago, and yes, I am left handed!

 

[Cabinetman]

Hi . You could compromise on the vice. I wanted a traditional long horizontal vice for my bench, but didn't want to give up my Record quick release vice, so I encased it with the wooden jaw. It's the best vice I have ever used and wish I had done it years ago, and yes, I am left handed!

Well that’s certainly different, I thought I had seen most vice arrangements! What is the advantage to having a long jaw and being off centre, and how much cramping force do you get towards the far end?

 

[BentonTool]

Hi . You could compromise on the vice. I wanted a traditional long horizontal vice for my bench, but didn't want to give up my Record quick release vice, so I encased it with the wooden jaw. It's the best vice I have ever used and wish I had done it years ago, and yes, I am left handed!

Interesting planes... is there a story behind them? (Nice bench...)

 

[mouldy plane]

Well that’s certainly different, I thought I had seen most vice arrangements! What is the advantage to having a long jaw and being off centre, and how much cramping force do you get towards the far end?

Hi. I like having a 2 ft long jaw. If your workpiece is as long, or longer than this you get good pressure along it's entire length. There is also a fairly large gap between the metal vice bars and the wooden support bar which you can drop vertically, longer components through. Generally it's just a great all round clamping device with no metal surfaces to accidentally run my hand tools into

 

[mouldy plane]

Interesting planes... is there a story behind them? (Nice bench...)

Hi. I do a lot of research into early 18th century tools and working practices, and as no known examples of early bench planes from this period have survived, I made my own interpretation on what I feel they may have been like. This has turned into a bit of a side-line of my main business as a joiner and I now make a small number of these planes every year, mainly to commission.

 

[Jake]

Not dissimilar to mine Mouldy, but a bit smaller scale - two 53s linked by a chain drive, with a 900mm jaw.

 

[MikeJhn]

Was there a V shaped piece of iron sticking up at one end of the trough facing along the bench?

 

[BentonTool]

Hi folks, I've been lucky enough to come into this large, quite old workbench. It looks like it has been through a few stages of life, it was pulled out of a workshop in a cow shed and within it was... well lots of things. Some of them sanitary.

It has this deep storage box in the middle. It had been covered with some thin boards nailed on, but these were clearly a recent addition.

I've seen benches with storage, but I'm not sure what purpose this would serve. Inside was pristine aside from dry gubbins, some broken glass and dried puttee.

Any ideas would be welcome! There's a few other features that have thrown me off a bit. Dimensions are 10ftx3ft overall.

Would love to see it when you get done with restoration.

 

[Tweedy]

Well we will all have different views on that, personally it would be a Record 53 with quick release. But I can see the case for fitting what it would have been fitted with originally.
Ian

Quite, my need for a vise so I could get on with work quickly did battle with my desire to conserve the bench. In the end I compromised by fitting a vise to my modern viseless bench to work with until I can make a suitable wooden screw vise.

Hi . You could compromise on the vice. I wanted a traditional long horizontal vice for my bench, but didn't want to give up my Record quick release vice, so I encased it with the wooden jaw. It's the best vice I have ever used and wish I had done it years ago, and yes, I am left handed!

An elegant solution to your needs! I have an approximately contemporaneous Woden which would compliment it nicely. I may make something similar to yours as an attachment though, the long clamping surface would have advantages!

 

[Jacob]

Quite, my need for a vise so I could get on with work quickly did battle with my desire to conserve the bench. In the end I compromised by fitting a vise to my modern viseless bench to work with until I can make a suitable wooden screw vise.


An elegant solution to your needs! I have an approximately contemporaneous Woden which would compliment it nicely. I may make something similar to yours as an attachment though, the long clamping surface would have advantages!

Doesn't look like your bench had a vice to start with. Maybe they managed with holdfasts into those holes in the front apron. Are the holes in the bench top edge deep enough for holdfasts - through into the well perhaps?

 

[Tweedy]

Hi. I do a lot of research into early 18th century tools and working practices, and as no known examples of early bench planes from this period have survived, I made my own interpretation on what I feel they may have been like. This has turned into a bit of a side-line of my main business as a joiner and I now make a small number of these planes every year, mainly to commission.

Have you looked into a grant from the Heritage Crafts association? They have a round of funding at present and Plane making is on the list as a strong option.

I was considering applying myself and was torn between planes and clogs.

 

[Tweedy]

Was there a V shaped piece of iron sticking up at one end of the trough facing along the bench?

Not surviving, nor any sign of attacment for such a thing. There is a square hole at one end, but doesn't look like a planing stop point. What would it be for?

Doesn't look like your bench had a vice to start with. Maybe they managed with holdfasts into those holes in the front apron. Are the holes in the bench top edge deep enough for holdfasts - through into the well perhaps?

There is a large hole in one side with the remains of threads in, it's offset from the leg but I need to inspect closer to see what type it may have been.

I've not checked the depth of the holes on the edges but the rest are through. I don't know how useful that will be with the drawers though.

 

[Tweedy]

Would love to see it when you get done with restoration.

I will share pictures when it is done! I have made one replacement drawer so far following general cleaning. The sides are well out of wind so it'll be quite a job.

 

[Jacob]

Not surviving, nor any sign of attacment for such a thing. There is a square hole at one end, but doesn't look like a planing stop point. What would it be for?

Depends where it is but sounds like a planing stop; piece of timber a tight fit in the hole, knocked up from below when needed. Usually to the left of the vice at left hand end of bench, or occasionally vice versa (no pun intended!)

There is a large hole in one side with the remains of threads in, it's offset from the leg but I need to inspect closer to see what type it may have been.

I've not checked the depth of the holes on the edges but the rest are through. I don't know how useful that will be with the drawers though.

You take what you need from the drawers before clamping stuff over them, or even take a drawer out as a handy tray for tools, tobacco, pipe, sandwiches, etc.