Benchcrafted Shaker Bench (Almost complete)

[Joe Leigh]

I thought I would post some pictures of my almost completed Benchcrafted Shaker workbench. The only item left is the tail vise which I will be ordering shortly.
My version is scaled down a bit from the plans which call for an overall length of approx 85". My bench is approx 74" due to some space restrictions. I also scaled down some of the other pieces respectively to keep all of the origional proportions correct. The apron and end cap are a full 4" thick. The main section of the top is 2-1/4" thick. The workbench is 35" tall, and measures 23-1/2" from front to back. The carcass is made from 3/4" BB ply, the face frame, drawer fronts, doors, side panels and moldings are all made from full 1" Poplar. The carcass is very rigid and very heavy. The bench as it sits now, without tail vise assembly weighs over 300lbs.
There are also a few other cosmetic changes I made because, well, they appealed to me. I used Walnut for the dog hole backing strip, I think it makes a nice contrast with the Maple. I also chamfered the 4 edges of the carcass so that they matched the beveled edges of the doors and side boards. I also added an additional 1" molded base assembly to widen the footprint a little for some additional stability.
A tip of the cap to Jameel and the folks at Benchcrafted, their plans and vise hardware were first class (they even supplied the suede leather with enough to face the leg vise and all of the bench dogs), and Jameel took the time personally to answer any of my questions and concerns. I highly recommend their products to anyone looking to build a workbench....

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2146.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2149.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2148.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2147.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2145.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2142.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2143.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2144.jpg

[Joe Leigh]

Here are some more pics..

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2151.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2150.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2153.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2154.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2155.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2152.jpg

[Andrew Hughes]

Great looking bench Joe,I am a big fan of wooden square dogs.Now you dont have to worry about hitting one with a perfectly honed iron.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Amazing bench! Well done!

[Bud Millis]

Very nice job! I like it.

[Gordon Eyre]

Super bench, love it.

[gary Zimmel]

Real nice work on the bench Joe. I'm sure it will serve you for a long time.

[Paul McGaha]

Nicely done Joe, I like your bench a lot, Really like the tool storage.

PHM

[Joe Leigh]

Thanks for the nice words guys, it was a lot of fun to build. I tried to do everything the right way as this bench should last a lifetime

[David Kumm]

Major perfect! How do you like the Benchcrafted vises? Dave

[Mike Wilkins]

Awesome!!!! Try not to perform any staining projects on this bench. I would have to mess up the beautiful surfaces. A project like this would inspire you to do your best work.

[Bruce Page]

Joe, that is beautiful! I bet it brings a smile every time you walk into the shop!

[Thomas Bank]

Beautiful piece of work!

[Joe A Faulkner]

Fantastic job. I'm thinking this bench has the potential to last many lifetimes. Well done. You should be sure to sign and date it somewhere.

[Joe Leigh]

Thanks for all the kind comments guys...and thanks Joe for the reminder! I will be sure to sign and date it this weekend.

[Jerome Hanby]

Great looking bench. Very inspiring!

[Stan Mitchell]

Great project. It's cool in so many ways. Love the look of the drawer dovetails.

[willie sobat]

Very nice! If that's your bench, I'd love to see your other work.

[Joe Leigh]

Just received and installed the Benchcrafted tail vice to complete my bench. The vise, like the leg vise, is smooth as silk. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out...

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2159.jpg

Thanks for looking.

[Todd Burch]

Hi Joe - great looking bench! Any more pictures of the tail vise coming?

I like that you painted it - or I should say, that you painted parts of it. It gives it a distinctive look. However, (and please don't take this as a criticism - it might just be my interpretation of the pictures, but...), the paint looks a little rough. Is that a photo anomaly? What kind of paint is it?

Todd

[Joe Leigh]

Some more tail vise pics....

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2163.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2169.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/lj61673/DSCN2161.jpg

[Jerome Hanby]

Love your bench! Someday soon I'll be able to lean on my newly completed bench and look back at this post and think, man my bench sure looks like crap <g>

[Jim Becker]

Wow...what a wonderful bench. Both a work of art and a super functional workstation! Bravo!