Present for my hand saw.

[Gordon Eyre]

After reconditioning my handsaw I felt it needed a good saw bench to work on. Christopher Schwarz had a nice plan for a European style bench so I went to work and here is the result.

http://www.pbase.com/greyflash/image/140073944/original.jpg

View of ripping notch:

http://www.pbase.com/greyflash/image/140073946/original.jpg

View of bottom construction. I added the plywood shelf simply because I had some birch plywood sitting around the shop:

http://www.pbase.com/greyflash/image/140073947/original.jpg

Leg and top brace:

http://www.pbase.com/greyflash/image/140073949/original.jpg

The top is a full 2" thick by 7" wide and the legs are 2 1/2" square and splayed out at 10 degrees. The bench is 20" high which according the Schwarz is the perfect height. With my new found desire to rely less on my power tools this bench was built by hand for the most part. I was able to use my newly refurbished saw, planes, chisels, and hand sanding and the retro feel was a good one. Thanks to all of you I now look to hand tools whenever it makes sense and my power tools on those occasions when it doesn't (to me). This saw bench is sturdy enough to last a couple of lifetimes and my oldest son will inherit it with my dad's Disston #12 hand saw.

Your comments will be appreciated.

[Mark Dorman]

Good job Gordon. Looks nice. I enjoy the one I made it is like yours but no shelf. I think mine is about 19" tall.
Sounds like your enjoying the slope and it's cool you have plans to pass it on.

Mark

[Peter Pedisich]

Gordon,

Thanks for sharing, I'm about 60% done on my version of the same bench. Did you screw the legs to the top and plug them, or are those just dowels?
I like the pegged tenons...nice block plane, too.

Pete

[Sean Hughto]

I made one of those when Chris first puplished it in Woodworking. I've gotten lots of good use out of it. Enjoy yours!

214691

[Gordon Eyre]

Good job Gordon. Looks nice. I enjoy the one I made it is like yours but no shelf. I think mine is about 19" tall.
Sounds like your enjoying the slope and it's cool you have plans to pass it on.

Mark

Thanks Mark, I had already told my son that I was going to pass on my dad's saw to him and now he has a saw bench to go with it. Cool.


Gordon,

Thanks for sharing, I'm about 60% done on my version of the same bench. Did you screw the legs to the top and plug them, or are those just dowels?
I like the pegged tenons...nice block plane, too.

Pete

They are just dowels and were there to match the pinned mortise and tenons on the bottom of the leg. The top is not going anyplace for as you know the legs have a notch out where the top rests and this gives a lot of glue surface plus the top plywood braces. Good luck on finishing your bench and thanks for taking the time to comment.


I made one of those when Chris first puplished it in Woodworking. I've gotten lots of good use out of it. Enjoy yours!

214691

Thanks Sean, it was fun to build as you know. I expect many years of good use.

[Harlan Barnhart]

Oooo, I like the through tenons on the bottom stretchers.

[Jim Barrett]

Gordon,
Nice job...I took a saw bench building class from Chris in Sept and am in the process of making its twin ;)

[Gordon Eyre]

Oooo, I like the through tenons on the bottom stretchers. Thanks Harlan, I had planned to cut them flush with the leg but my wife liked them proud so I left them that way.
Gordon,Nice job...I took a saw bench building class from Chris in Sept and am in the process of making its twin ;)That's great Jim, I'm sure you will like it.

[Jim Koepke]

Very nice saw bench Gordon.

Are you going to build a second one?

If you do, you may want to make able to stack on this one.

My only comment about the technical specs is in regards to this:


The bench is 20" high which according the Schwarz is the perfect height.

I am not sure, but I think that is the perfect height if your legs are the same as the Schwarz's.

I made mine a little taller and then cut it so my knee holds the work while sawing while the other foot is comfortably on the ground. Mine are at 22-1/2".

jtk

[Gordon Eyre]

Very nice saw bench Gordon. Are you going to build a second one? If you do, you may want to make able to stack on this one.

My only comment about the technical specs is in regards to this:

I am not sure, but I think that is the perfect height if your legs are the same as the Schwarz's. I made mine a little taller and then cut it so my knee holds the work while sawing while the other foot is comfortably on the ground. Mine are at 22-1/2". jtk

Thanks for your comments Jim, I appreciate it. I doubt that I will build a second one but have thought about building an adjustable stand that I can use to hold long pieces that extend off the saw bench.

As to the height of the bench, what you say makes sense to me. Schwarz however, stated in his plan that one should resist the urge to alter the height of the bench as it was sized so that a full size saw does not hit the floor when using the saw at the correct angle, nor does it pull out of the kerf on the upstroke. In any event, the bench seems to work well for me when kneeling on the wood and my other foot on the floor. Maybe I just lucked out.

[Jim Koepke]

I doubt that I will build a second one but have thought about building an adjustable stand that I can use to hold long pieces that extend off the saw bench.

That is why saw benches and saw horses are usually in pairs. One holds the work and the other holds the cut off.

With saw horses, I have made them so there is a big and a small one. Of course, they are made to the same height. The small one is sized so it fits under the big one and the top of the big one sits on the bottom one. This makes them easier to carry one handed when moving them around. The legs on the small one can fit between the legs of the big one so it is possible to set them up so the tops are side by side and almost touching.

jtk

[Gordon Eyre]

Good info Jim. I have a wooden saw horse that I never use so I will probably just cut the legs down so that it matches the height of my saw bench.