Nicholson workbench build

[daniel lane]

Alright, everyone. I've heard that when you make commitments to others, you tend to be more faithful in following through, so I'm starting my workbench build thread as incentive to get this done!

I just hauled 404.7lb of DSS SYP into the basement (*pant*pant*pant*) and stickered it to dry. In another thread I mentioned that I found an builder's supply place just 5 minutes up the road from me, so I called and convinced them to sell me some select SYP. The pricing worked out to less than BORG prices for #2! Given that we just had a lot of snow and these were stored outside, it'll likely take a couple of weeks for everything to dry, but in the meantime I'm going to start planning out the cuts/etc.

My plan is to build two benches: a Nicholson for me and a mini-Nicholson for my kids. I'm going to follow the design/plan from Mike Siemsen's Naked Woodworker DVD with a couple of minor modifications that I will document as I get to them. I'm thinking to make mine 7' long and the kids' one 3' - 4' long...that depends on where I decide it will stay.

I thought about things a lot and have been planning a Roubo build for a couple of years, but for three reasons decided on this:

First - it's far more budget friendly. I bought the SYP for ~$120 and need to pick up some 1-by lumber for ledgers/etc., so I figure ~$150 for lumber for BOTH benches.
Second -I have a Moxon vise I built ~4 years ago, so my work holding requirements are less than the Roubo provides. I mean, yes, a leg vice would be nice, but for now, I can use a crochet because any work on vertical boards can be done with the Moxon vise.
Third - this is really my first "real" workbench. I've had flat surfaces to work on for years, but this is the first woodworking workbench I'll be building. I'd like to get to know how my methods evolve before building the bench to end all benches.
Fourth - I'm a lefty, but have been working at the right side of my bench (facing the wrong way) for a few years because of space limitations/etc. I want to figure out how I work with a real workbench before deciding where to place a leg vice.

I'm going to try to be brutally honest during the build, noting where I make mistakes, because I want to learn from you guys and from my experience. I've been a hybrid woodworker for the last several years, but this build will be as much neander as I can.

Anyway, that's my public commitment. Gonna build a workbench, stay tuned for updates and pictures!


daniel

[Chris Hachet]

Keep us posted-I don't know why more people don't try to build this work bench. Seems like an entirely rational bench to build.

Also, I love the Roubo, but after seeing eleventy billion of them, looking at something else would be nice. Nail the proportions and it should be a good lifetime bench.

Would love to see a nice hardwood Nicholson also, preferably something set up for actual work and not just a highly finished show piece bench...

[David Eisenhauer]

SYP works just fine for me. Carry on Daniel and please post about it whenever you can.

[Jim Koepke]

I wish we could get SYP out here on the left coast.

jtk

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I have pretty much decided my next bench will be the Nicholson design. I will follow this with interest.

[Adam Stevens2]

Keep us posted-I don't know why more people don't try to build this work bench. Seems like an entirely rational bench to build.

Also, I love the Roubo, but after seeing eleventy billion of them, looking at something else would be nice. Nail the proportions and it should be a good lifetime bench.

Would love to see a nice hardwood Nicholson also, preferably something set up for actual work and not just a highly finished show piece bench...

I have one with a maple top. It can be a pain sometimes without a permanent vise, but for the most part I enjoy using it.

351616

[Stew Denton]

Hi Daniel,

Good to hear about your bench. Great to see folks finally get a "real" bench, and someday I hope to join you. At any rate I am looking forward to watching your progress with the project. As others have said above, please keep us up to date.

I hope it goes well!

Stew

[daniel lane]

Fourth - I'm a lefty, but have been working at the right side of my bench (facing the wrong way) for a few years because of space limitations/etc. I want to figure out how I work with a real workbench before deciding where to place a leg vice.

Wanted to clarify - I'm a lefty but work on the "righty" (left) side of the bench. Working on the actual right side will be new to me!

Pics or it didn't happen....here's the lumber:

351661

You'll note that there is a mix of 2-by lumber, including some 2x4s. Since I sold my table saw last year, I decided I didn't want to get into buying all 2x10s or 2x12s and ripping them to width. I'm hoping my decision to purchase select SYP will help offset this decision.

While I can't say I'm upset, I'm a bit disappointed that some of the pieces are dirty and/or clearly have some bark. I was told absolutely under no circumstances could I pick through the lumber (company policy, makes sense when you think about it), plus it was EXTREMELY muddy and nasty due to the snow melt. Should have waited, but got too excited at the prospect of doing this.

My thoughts are to let the lumber dry a bit, then see about taking a brush to try to remove some of the mud and crap. I'm thinking I'd like to almost skip plane everything just to clean it up, but I expect if I do that, I'll have to replace my planer knives.

Quick question - would it be best to start cross cutting pieces now, or wait until everything is drier? In my head, cross cutting now could minimize twist or warp and speed up drying, but for some reason I'm thinking it could be a mistake if I'm not going to start fabrication ASAP.

Oh, and the clamps are all spread out in the background because I just unpacked them and am looking to locate my clamp racks and get them mounted. Something to do while the lumber dries! You may also note that I'm drying lumber on carpet...my basement is finished, half carpeted, half laminate flooring. The workshop will be on the laminate flooring side, mostly. Pics of that once I get more unpacked and move the exercise gear...


d

[John Vernier]

When I made my Nicholson bench I cut all my lumber to rough length while I was letting it dry. I see no harm in doing so, although I can't vouch for it speeding up the drying time. I marked in pencil which pieces I intended for which parts so I wouldn't get confused later on. I did some planning to make sure knots and other defects ended up in invisible locations - standard practice, really, but a good habit to work into your rough sorting phase.

BTW I'm a lefty but I worked on other peoples' RH benches for years and I decided to stick with that when I made my own bench, instead of re-learning how to plane. I'm not advocating that, everyone should build to suit themselves, however I really like sawing left-handed off the left end of the bench, with the face vise conveniently located and no tail vise in the way on the end. I really don't know how right-handers manage.

[lowell holmes]

I did not know there was a designer for the workbenches at Homestead Heritage when I took classes there. They look like The Nicholson Bench. At this point I'm not surprised. Paul Sellers ran the school there and the bench is an English design. It is a comfortable bench to work on.

[Joe A Faulkner]

I don't know about others, but from my perspective, you've done the hard part - committing to a plan and your lumber species. I spent months going back and forth. You've selected a proven design that gives lots of options for work holding. This bench is going to serve you very well. We all love a bench build, so keep the pictures and posts coming. Look forward to seeing your bench come together.

[lowell holmes]

I wish we could get SYP out here on the left coast.

jtk

Jim, what do you frame houses with, Fir? Finding straight SYP boards can be a challenge. House framers will saw a kerf on the bow side of a crooked stud and toe nail it thru the kerf to straighten a stud. We used to go through the house straightening studs after the house was dried in. I don't use much pine. If I do, I have to joint it prior to cutting out what ever I'm making.

Of course, these are kiln dried framing lumber. The best rafters I ever had on a project were kiln dried fir.

[daniel lane]

Well, the lumber seems to be drying very quickly! I've got a dehumidifier in the basement because with the recent snow it was feeling a bit damp in there; I think it's helping to dry the wood quickly. I don't have a moisture meter (really need to get one...), so I may be wrong, but I'm wondering if I'll be able to start this week. Maybe I'll start with Mike's saw bench just to pass the time...

[Dave Anderson NH]

Daniel, A week to dry might be too soon. I would start by calling the folks you bought the lumber from and asking if they can tell you to what percentage they kiln dry the wood. That should give you a good starting point. If it is typical construction lumber it might only be dried to 19% and that is way too wet. I would want it about half that moisture content to avoid warp, twist, shrinkage, and other problems which would play havoc with your joinery. I would sticker the lumber and wait at least 2 months even with a dehumidifier.

If you can find out what percentage the wood was to start with you can cut off a small piece and weigh it on a very accurate digital scale. Remeasure at 1 month and then 2 months and you would get a good idea of relative moisture content from when you started. It's not real accurate, but a lot cheaper than buying a good quality moisture meter.

[daniel lane]

Dave, I didn't mean I thought they'd be dry in a week, but they are nowhere near as wet as they were and some of the parts can be cut and assembled still slightly wet (according to Mike). I don't see me knocking out the whole bench in a day, so I was thinking I might start cutting some of the leg parts/etc. to assemble and let them dry as an assembly. Given that lengthwise shrinking is far less of an issue than width-wise, I can get leg assemblies with stretchers assembled and they shouldn't give me too much of a problem, I wouldn't think.

That said, I'm swamped this week with some work and likely won't be doing much next week, since the kids are on track break and we're headed out of town for a mini-holiday...so the wood will likely get at least 3-4 weeks of sitting before I do much with it.

Update to follow once something interesting happens. (Nobody wants to sit around and watch wood dry...)

[daniel lane]

Okay, keeping up with the commitment. So the wood showed a very immediate surface dryness, but definitely is drying on a much more....regular...drying schedule. Larger pieces (2x10+) are drying slower than the smaller pieces [expected] so I've been taking care to keep everything well spaced and moving a few pieces around here and there. I've not made any cuts yet, but I'm getting close. I don't have a moisture meter, I go by feel and weight. (I really want a moisture meter, though.)

I think in the next week or two I should be able to start on smaller parts. So...assuming that I can't get working with the larger pieces, I hope to at least get the legs started.

I'll keep you posted.


daniel

[george wilson]

My knee hurts,and I didn't read the whole thread,but you need to dry 1" thickness PER YEAR. Even then I still wouldn't trust it to behave. We dried our 5000 bd. feet f beech in the loft of a large,VERY HOT in the Summers garage in Williamsburg. Even after SEVERAL YEARS the blasted stuff would still raise cain when trying to build a long cooper's jointer.

I had my own beech cut and must have waited at least 10 years before making my own bench.

I am left handed too,but have used right handed benches for so many decades,I am perfectly comfortable with it,and would feel very strange if it were suddenly left hand. I'd also feel strange with a left handed bolt action rifle!(I have some lever action rifles,but can't tell which handed they are!:)) But,that's what long time experiences do to you. Now,a left handed baseball bat would feel just fine!:) I have to use right handed pencils all the time,and they have really held back my creative abilities!

If I am a TRUE left hander,dominant left eye,etc.,WHY is my RIGHT KNEE the one giving me a fit right now.Left sacorum,left knee,left ankle. They all get going and I have solid pain all the way down. Somehow,they all join together.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hey George Beech is one of the nastiest of the American hardwoods to dry. Very few lumber folks choose to deal with it both because of the limited market and the aggravations of drying. Modern planemakers who use beech like Old Street Tool often have a tough time finding stock.

I'm a lefty too and build my now 6 year old bench sinister style. But like you and most other lefties I have had to make many accommodations over the years to a right handed world. Shoot righty, bat righty, right handed circular saw, and so it goes. Fortunately for shooting I'm right eye dominant.

[Matt Kjolsrud]

Give it a couple of more weeks (dry surfaces for glue), then "glue it and screw it," and start making things. It's not rocket science. If it gets twisty, plane it. It's a workbench, and if you're using it well, you're going to beat the snot out of it, anyway. The dripping wet construction grade lumber I built mine with sat in the garage for three weeks and then got turned into a bench. Three years on, still works great. Enjoy the build, and enjoy your bench!

[daniel lane]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I'm looking forward to getting started. The plan is to go ahead and follow Mike's plan in the Naked Woodworker videos. That is, I'll make two sawbenches first and then start the bench itself. I have a sawbench I made years ago à la Tolpin, but I'll want two to build this bench and I may make them a little shorter than my Tolpin sawbench so they are easier for my kids to use for things. Since those start with kiln dried material, I can add another week or two for the SYP to dry out a bit. I'm not that worried about not having bone dry wood for the bench, but would like to minimize cupping/etc. after the build, so I'm giving it time. Maybe for my bday I'll ask for a moisture meter. :)


daniel

[David Eisenhauer]

Let it never be said that I tried to stop you from buying tools, but you don't need a moisture meter to build a bench out of construction lumber. It will tell you that the wood is too wet for a long, long time and you will get stuck on "go". Let the wood dry a couple-three weeks, more if you have other stuff to do like you describe, then get started. If you rip on a TS, it will most likely pinch the blade. Other than that, it will be good to go.

[george wilson]

Dave Anderson: You may have read the post where I told the story of how we set out to make a beech wood long cooper's jointer. It was made from a 6 x 6" of beech. Several years air dried. PLENTY DRY in the 120º Summer heat of the loft of a large wooden carriage house we kept it in. Might have gotten OVER 120º some times.

We planed the 6x6 nice and square and it propeller twisted quite soon! We waited weeks or even months to plane it square and straight again. AGAIN it twisted like a propeller! This went on for many months,and we were just about to have the wood get too small to make the plane from. Somehow,by magic,it quit twisting when we reached 4x4" size,so we made the escapement and delivered the plane.

Some uninformed idiots have written books in which they stated that beech was used because it is SO STABLE a wood!!!! BUNK!!! They probably never made a tool in their lives. Salomon is a writer who comes to mind.

I say it was used because t was plentiful and cheap. It is not an attractive wood to make furniture from. Except for some Scandinavian furniture,you hardly ever see it in furniture. Maybe in IKEA furniture!!:)

[daniel lane]

David (E.) -

You're right, I don't need a moisture meter to build a bench from SYP. But it it does make a great excuse to get one, does it not? :) The real reason I'm thinking I'll get one is that I've done all my woodworking in a garage in central CA and in Las Vegas over the last 9-10 years and now I'm in a basement in NC. I'm still learning what equilibrium means, and it would be useful for me to be able to measure/monitor moisture in my lumber rack.

I recently bought some wildflower seed mix to seed a ~100sq.ft. patch in the front yard. When I called to place the order, I asked if I needed the "northern" mix, since it is so cold here in NC. After they stopped laughing at me, they explained that they were in ME and no, the "northern mix" was for much further north. See - still getting used to this cool, green, wet place!


d

[David Eisenhauer]

Oh do get the meter if you want it, but don't let it stop you from moving forward with the bench. I believe that construction-grade lumber will read "too wet" for a long time but many, many benches have successfully been built from "too wet" construction grade lumber.

[Chris Hachet]

Oh do get the meter if you want it, but don't let it stop you from moving forward with the bench. I believe that construction-grade lumber will read "too wet" for a long time but many, many benches have successfully been built from "too wet" construction grade lumber.I would concur with this assessment.