Stew Denton
01-05-2018, 12:51 AM
In the thread about repurposing, both Tom and Jim mentioned workbenches being repurposed into restaurant tables, wine servers, kitchen tables, etc.!
I hope converting old workbenches into decorative tables doesn't become a trend, something like painting pictures on old hand saws became a trend!
If someone painted up a rusty Sears "Home Owners Companion" model handsaw with a Doug Fir blister maker handle, that is one thing. However, I would guess that there are plenty of Disston #12s painted up too.......... . . . . . . TRAVESTY, TRAVESTY I SAY!
If perfectly good vintage workbenches begin to be taken out of circulation at a record clip to become wine tables for restaurants, it should be the cause of a major national debate on the direction we are heading as a country!
I have wanted to build my own workbench for quite some time, but if a good quality vintage workbench came along, with high quality vises on it, and for a price of about what one of the vices cost new, that would be a big temptation. This, however, could greatlly drive up the cost of old workbenches.
Fortunately, it sounds like Jim has mostly seen well worn benches used for this purpose, but you never know.
Still, as mentioned above, you never know.....why.....the next thing they might do is put coat hooks on 1950s Delta 14" band saws and use them for decorative coat racks.....or use 1950s Delta cabinet makers table saws to mount cash registers on....vintage 1/4" stanley 750 chisels used to hold up papers on bulletin boards......vintage Columbia woodworking vises used on tables to hold paper napkins....this whole thing could spin wildly out of control!
Who knows what they might do!
I think we should act now before it is too late, keep an eye on this trend. Maybe we should form committees of correspondance right here on this bulletin board to keep each other informed.
Maybe we should dress up like Indians and throw tea in the Boston harbor......I don't exactly know how that would help, but it worked once.
How big do you think the threat is? Are there other actions we should take?
Stew
I hope converting old workbenches into decorative tables doesn't become a trend, something like painting pictures on old hand saws became a trend!
If someone painted up a rusty Sears "Home Owners Companion" model handsaw with a Doug Fir blister maker handle, that is one thing. However, I would guess that there are plenty of Disston #12s painted up too.......... . . . . . . TRAVESTY, TRAVESTY I SAY!
If perfectly good vintage workbenches begin to be taken out of circulation at a record clip to become wine tables for restaurants, it should be the cause of a major national debate on the direction we are heading as a country!
I have wanted to build my own workbench for quite some time, but if a good quality vintage workbench came along, with high quality vises on it, and for a price of about what one of the vices cost new, that would be a big temptation. This, however, could greatlly drive up the cost of old workbenches.
Fortunately, it sounds like Jim has mostly seen well worn benches used for this purpose, but you never know.
Still, as mentioned above, you never know.....why.....the next thing they might do is put coat hooks on 1950s Delta 14" band saws and use them for decorative coat racks.....or use 1950s Delta cabinet makers table saws to mount cash registers on....vintage 1/4" stanley 750 chisels used to hold up papers on bulletin boards......vintage Columbia woodworking vises used on tables to hold paper napkins....this whole thing could spin wildly out of control!
Who knows what they might do!
I think we should act now before it is too late, keep an eye on this trend. Maybe we should form committees of correspondance right here on this bulletin board to keep each other informed.
Maybe we should dress up like Indians and throw tea in the Boston harbor......I don't exactly know how that would help, but it worked once.
How big do you think the threat is? Are there other actions we should take?
Stew