This should be required watching for anybody working in wood

[Cabinetman]

Ok, so he is American, but just for once he really knows what he’s talking about and really knows his woodworking, this I think should be required watching for anybody starting out in woodwork, the way he holds wood down to work on is a revelation.
Forged bench holdfasts and a raised strip in the middle of the bench to plane panels against. He doesn’t have a vice on this bench but he doesn’t actually have anything against them.
He makes woodworking look so easy, makes me sick ha ha


I know it’s half an hour long but I think it’s well worth watching, dip in and out of it, you’ll get the drift. Ian

 

[mynamehere]

quite enjoyable to watch, especially for an american video!

 

[Cabinetman]

Yes despite being one of our colonial cousins he knows his stuff.
I have never seen anybody flatten a board with a plane as fast as he does.

Well, this is an edit, 200 people have read this and only one has commented (thank you) I really would like to know what you think, personally I think he’s brilliant but if you disagree would love to know about it, I don’t bite, anybody thinking they would like to change to holdfasts? And what about that stick that lift up in the middle of his bench? Or that strange crotch thing that sticks out at one end of his bench on the side?

 

[Doug B]

Well, this is an edit, 200 people have read this and only one has commented (thank you) I really would like to know what you think, personally I think he’s brilliant but if you disagree would love to know about it,

Well it doesn’t surprise me that lost art press are involved in something that’s decades old that they’ve rehashed & remarketed, it seems to be their go to business model, what’s next working wood with Bronze Age tools

There was nothing there that was new to me though the bench looks a little lightweight as he moves it twice whilst working, it also looks very low unless he’s a giant.
If you want to work without a vice then fine, personally I don’t have a problem with progress & I won’t be giving up even 52&1/2 anytime soon, though I have a couple of holdfasts & they can be very useful.

 

[AndyT]

You may have missed the discussion about this in January. Your video was
mentioned in the third post of this thread

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/do-you-really-need-a-vice-on-a-bench.120741/
So yes, it's interesting but not news.
Holdfasts are brilliantly useful and the three made for me by the late Richard Tomes are among my most treasured tools.

 

[samhay]

That video's excellent and the reason my bench has a similar planing strip running down its length (mine is a little thicker and has slots cut in it for chisels, etc).
It didn't convince me to do away with a vice though.

 

[Cabinetman]

No I quite agree and right at the end he says he has nothing against vices either, I did search on here but I couldn’t find any mention so I thought it would be interesting for people to see different methods of holding timber on a bench.
I thought his bench was too narrow and too low as well, I prefer mine against the wall, well bolted down and thick beech. Ian

 

[Ttrees]

An interesting video on a way to go about things
I can't say that seemed fast to me though Cabinetman.
Maybe a method for someone whom has a bench that's not flat or has no reference.
I prefer my bench to be as flat as ones surface planer beds.
His definition of flat is different from my flat, and that cost him a hunk of time to fix at the end.
I doubt he would do any of that if he was working on one of his fancier benches,
and be able to trust it.

The surprising thing to me, is the talk about the bench placement.
My tools are behind me mostly on a pair of cabinets ( beer fridges)which is against the wall.
Highly efficient for me, and I've even used the fridge as a third led whilst nervously routing, I am a bit on the light side.

Granted that last bit might not be useful for all, but why not have your tools behind you?


Recently my bench is near two feet more forward (for the meanwhile anyway)
and I made up sharpening station, which is at the end of the cabinets, since I've changed to using just water.
Even that extra step away is a bit annoying.
I will try and go back somewhat to the way it was when I clear up some space.
I only use water and not sparingly spraying off the detritus when sharpening, so it has to be at the end.

I get that some folk have a specific reason to stick their bench against a wall,
but some folk have got loads of space.

Tom

 

[Cabinetman]

Hi Tom, well I’ve got quite a bit of space and I still chose to put it against the wall, two reasons, it’s under a window as I do like natural light, and I’ve never felt the need to work from the other side of the bench, it’s an L shape in 3 inch beech total length is about 23 feet long and fastening it to the walls means it just isn’t going to move. Like you my tool rack is behind me on a laying up table with lockable wheels. Ian

 

[Ttrees]

Hi Cabinetman
I must confess to making no use of a window, I work after hours a lot of the time anyway, so that's probably why I don't value lovely natural light as some folk.
Often at times when chiseling for the very finest visable work, I want the flat of the chisel to have a light behind it.
I also use the lamp, more noticeably for rough dimensioning at first to peep light under the work, but if I had a long angle poise I would make easier use of this for final shavings, but shall squint at it using more effort for the moment.
Will get around to finding a decent long angle poise, the ones on ebay are smaller than advertised, about half the size Wah wah wah, more so that you cannot buy one that is the same as the old ones with decent capacity.
I'll probably be making my own when I find some piano wire for the springs.
I blooming hope they work!

Do you have floor standing angle poise or skookum gooseneck lamp?
I don't trust myself to saw tenons without seeing the other side, but a mirror could that for me more efficiently I suppose.
My legs need a break sometimes and I do like working from each side of the work
on chairs sometimes, if need be.
So a small chairs distance plus a comfortable distance to stand seems perfect to me.

Tom

 

[Cabinetman]

Interesting, you don’t really actually need springs for an Anglepoise, well yes you do but then you don’t actually need an Anglepoise you just need an adjustable light for which you can easily make one with bolts and nylock nuts through strips of wood like this

 

[Ttrees]

I would disagree on that one, and say none of them would be any good for me.
There's no shade of any value (size)on any of them, and a decent shade adds weight, even if its made from the lightest aluminium.
If you use one often, you might possibly find you have to fix them occasionally...
Then you are as well having a decent (heavier) enclosure for the bulb fitting, and cutting the back off to gain access, so that is a consideration regarding making the lightest lampshade you can make.

Bulb distance in shade is another matter which I have experimented with.
If the bulb is too far out from the shade it won't be as bright, and on my feeble gooseneck lamp it adds weight, and more tendency to damage the bulb.

It's slow enough going, having to adjust a small goose neck lamp which is not skookum.
I wouldn't want to go about adjusting knobs, and only the first one has any capacity,
which I would be suspect of working well at full extension, or even half way.

Your bench must be wide or you must only use a 4 if you use a shooting board.
I imagine that might get messy at times, having to clean up.
I guess you work on the ends of it for this and other operations.

Apart from the natural light, and non movable bench, what is your favourite thing about the wall setup?

Tom

 

[Roseland 2]

A lovely video which I've forwarded to three friends. I have to admit to feeling a bit humbled by his speed of work. I've never considered hold downs before, just clamps that go through the worktop, and was amazed at the speed and security they offered. Thank you for posting.

Andrew

 

[Cabinetman]

Ttrees, I was just illustrating a point with those lamps, I wasn’t suggesting you had any particular one of them just the idea. You design exactly what you want.

 

[Ttrees]

I would really like to see a demonstration the way Mike Siemsen likes it, on his preferred bench.
I was referring to his other video on planing a board, rather than how he goes about it in the bench holding video, you could say a different methodology was used, and faster in the bench holding video.
I haven't ever felt the need to tackle a board like that, taking some diagonal swipes to get rid of twist, yes, but that's only ever a few shavings.

Cabinetman, If I end up making one, it will be a copy of the old style angle poise or some call it an articulated lamp.
I could up scale it up if make two of them, been collecting lamps in the charity shops for a good while.
One thing I will say about having a lamp behind the back of the chisel to a line, is
the lamp must be easily movable, as if its not right, it will shine off the polished back, like it did on myself yesterday, and made me make a mistake on a simple pare to a line, the same error twice!

It wouldn't have happened if I had an easily movable angle poise which can be movable with tool in other hand.
I made a thread on finding a cheap angle poise here, but my computer broke down, and I have only got it going again recently.
I must do an update on that and share my disappointment.

I'd be curious on seeing your workflow with an l shaped bench, I have seen some luthiers have some clever setups like that.
All the best
Tom

 

[Cabinetman]

Hi Tom thanks for that, have you ever tried a head torch?
My son used to work with me till he was headhunted and got a proper job with my blessing as there is very little to be made making bespoke furniture for people, particularly in this area. So that’s why we had two benches, so no workflow I’m afraid, but it is nice to have lots of worktop particularly when making something that requires piles of different parts.
Must admit I’ve hardly ever taken diagonal swipes like that either, I’m very fortunate to have a large heavy planer thicknesser, It’s true what they say on here, it’s the one machine I wouldn’t be without.
Luthier, thanks it’s always good to learn a new word!

 

[Ttrees]

Cabinetman it ain't that dark in me workshop!

I challenge anyone to find a better work lamp or even one at par with the old angle poise lamps.

I work exclusively with reclaimed hardwoods, and have no space for anything else, nor funds to acquire good timber that doesn't need fillin.
That takes time for me, and planing is a nice little break from this.
Most of the time I can pick stock that's close to dimension, so it would only be a toy for me for the amount I'd use it.
The hand plane would have to go over everything first to find any staples or cement grit putty and whatever else, so a PT is down the list a bit for me.
I gather that most wouldn't be too pushed to work with some of the rubbish that I spend my time on, so can see why a PT might be up there.
The bandsaw would still get my no.1 position though,
unless your counting the bench.

All the best
Tom

 

[RADCOM]

Rex Krueger has made a bench somewhat like that, ironically its called the English Workbench

The video is really good thanks for sharing.

 

[Cabinetman]

Thanks Radcom, that was interesting and he has a novel approach. His saw was horrible !

 

[RADCOM]

hahah his series is based on cheap as chips tools