A workbench is only a success if it can keep itself still and provide means to hold your work.A vice is not an essential feature of this. Typically though we can expect to see two vices on a workbench today.One will be installed on the front of the bench, towards the left. We tend to call … [Read more...]
Build A Workbench Top That’s Simple Yet Strong.
Audio File (Trial). Can't Be Bothered To Read? Click Play.https://www.development.theenglishwoodworker.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/The-Planked-Top.mp3The Planked Top. What, How Why? ..who?Since first showing photos of our English workbench, I've had almost as many questions about … [Read more...]
Simple & Strong Workbench Design
When it comes to workbench design there's a rule to suit us all. Keep it simple, make it strong. Give any woodworker a French bench, an English bench, a trestle and a door fitted out with original Victorian handle bench... As long as they're strong, they all work. The same applies to vices. A … [Read more...]
Left Handed Woodworking
After completing a Little John bench with a left handed set up I was struck by how odd it still appeared to me despite trying to get accustomed to it throughout the build. It made me realise that although we offer to customise our workbenches in this way, I've only ever built around four lefties, … [Read more...]
English Bench and Saw Horses
I knocked myself up a couple of saw horses yesterday from some old bits of pine I found laying around in one of the barns. I've already been forgetting to take tools on my travels between the workshops so I didn't want to start carting saw horses around with me as well. With these built I'm now all … [Read more...]
Hung Like A Donkey.
As they say, it's not the size of it but how you use it that counts and that comes to mind when thinking of my new workbench, because I've opted to build it 12' long!I knew fairly quickly that I'd build my new workbench in the English style and I'd also been toying with the idea that I'd like to … [Read more...]
Bench Heights… Again
Thanks to everyone for all of the comments on yesterday's bench height post , it turned out to be a very varied discussion and I'm pleased we are able to get so many views on a topic which I've always thought should be diverse. Like many of the commenters I'm of the thought that the ideal bench … [Read more...]
Bench Heights And Paul Sellers
I have a great respect for Paul Sellers and especially for the amount of time that he puts it to encouraging hand tool usage. But I was pointed to a post on his blog today which I had mixed feelings on and I did find myself a little riled reading through.There were two points which I took from … [Read more...]
My Name’s Richard & I’m A Tool Well Hater…
...(and I also drink far too much tea!). I'm not writing this post as a lecture or to try and educate you about tool wells, it's more about me asking for your own views and experiences. For pretty much my whole life I've hated tool wells. I was born a tool well hater and yes, I do think hate is the … [Read more...]
Cherry Bomb
For those of you who think a workbench should be rough and ready, you may well cringe at the bench I have to show you today.In fact when this customer enquired with a request that the workbench should be built from cherry, even I thought it was pushing things a bit posh.The workbench was to … [Read more...]