tall 'joinery bench' with twin record 53's

[martin.h]

After much lurking, browsing, reading and the odd post I've managed to design and build my first bench. It is 42'' high from 10 x 2 sawn redwood with a chunky oak jaw and 2 old vices restored by me. The left jaw is attached to the vice but right jaw unattached. No chain (like Jakes') to connect the 2 vices. It seems to work fine. The max width between jaws is 35''. No dog holes yet. Thanks to Jake and Derek from Perth (I met your Uncle Gerry in Waitrose in Otley). The other most influential people have been the Schwarz (you can't overbuild your workbench) and Jim Tolpin (being able to rip small to medium sized pieces in the right hand vice comfortably is good). The vices seem to hold stuff very tight. The height is based on being just below my elbow (from Tolpin). Total cost is under £200. I've learnt a lot building it.

 

[thomvic]

It looks very good but 42" high! You must be very tall.

Richard

 

[marcros]

looks good.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Hang on a mo, someone's coming to tell you got it all wrong!

 

[Anima]

Looks smart.

 

[o0dunk0o]

Looks nice, a good sensible height for powertool work,

are you planning on building a lower bench for hand planing and assembly?

 

[No skills]

Good chunky Looking bench. And a nice looking place to work it has to be said.

 

[martin.h]

Thanks for the responses. The idea is that I next make a long low 'roubo' bench for planing and mortising along the other side of the shop. This joinery bench should allow me to hand dovetail wide boards and other work where I would find myself crouching too low (and straining my arthritic neck) on an 'ordinary' (32 -35") height bench. I'm 6 foot tall, the distance from my elbow to floor is 44" and I'm trying to make is easier to saw by hand. I can always reduce the height if it doesn't work. I'm moving towards using more hand tools .

 

[Andy RV]

Very nice bench and workshop, it looks like a pleasant place to play in. I too find that i'm bending over a lot when cutting dovetails on my bench so I can see why you made the bench tall.

 

[marcros]

Very nice bench and workshop, it looks like a pleasant place to play in. I too find that i'm bending over a lot when cutting dovetails on my bench so I can see why you made the bench tall.

Andy,

well worth looking at this thread...

moxon-add-on-vices-t61367.html?hilit=moxon vice

 

[Andy RV]

Interesting thanks! I can definitely see the advantage, I've almost finished my anarchists tool chest and clamping the 24" wide sections for cutting the dovetails it was a bit of a juggling act. The Benchcrafted moxon hand wheels look very nice, not cheap but new quality items never are.