The Moravian Bench Really Is Finished

[ken hatch]

This time I mean it, the bench is finished, in place and ready to work. The small Moravian has been broken down and loaded in the truck so I can take it to Houston for our Winter Solstice celebration with the kids and have it available to repair the damage to the shipped changing table.
I'm not sure if the new bench will stay in the secondary bench position or if it will swap positions with the French/English bench.
I added ledgers to the long stretchers yesterday in case I decide on installing a lower shelf. I expect I will and it was easy to install the ledgers while the bench was apart for cleaning up the build marks.


Anyway here are some photos:

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I don't know who is happier about it being finished MsBubba or me.


ken

[Eric Rathhaus]

Ken, she's a beauty. Those bottom stretchers look massive. Does Will's version have cheeks on the stretchers too? And how did u decide on the placement of your dog holes?

Eric

[ken hatch]

Ken, she's a beauty. Those bottom stretchers look massive. Does Will's version have cheeks on the stretchers too? And how did u decide on the placement of your dog holes?

Eric

Eric,

Thanks. The stretchers are fairly large I had planned on using 12/4 Ash but when the woodstore finked out on the Ash I went with gluing up 8/4 Beech giving a 16/4 stretcher.

I can't remember seeing one but he has built a bunch of 'em.

More or less because I know what has worked on other benches. "That looks about right".

ken

[William Fretwell]

The background bench has a tail vise, the foreground bench does not. If you have no tail vise why do you have all those dog holes? Are you adding a tail vise?
It seems the front vise dictates the position of the stretchers. Taller not deeper stretchers would seem the way to go.
You get to sit or stand and tuck your feet or knees under the bench which is very good!

[Nathan Johnson]

I like the bench a great deal.
I also spy a good looking bench brush. Care to share any info on that fella?

[Todd Zucker]

That’s a great looking bench!

[ken hatch]

The background bench has a tail vise, the foreground bench does not. If you have no tail vise why do you have all those dog holes? Are you adding a tail vise?
It seems the front vise dictates the position of the stretchers. Taller not deeper stretchers would seem the way to go.
You get to sit or stand and tuck your feet or knees under the bench which is very good!

William,

I very seldom use the "tail vise" as a tail vise so no, I'm not adding a tail vise. In fact the only reason that vise is in the tail position on the French/English bench is I had it and it is better to store it on the bench than on a shelf. I do use it occasionally but more as an extra face vise or for cross cutting wood that is large enough to need a vise to hold it. The dog holes are for holdfasts, dogs, and battens. There are better ways to hold wood flat on the bench than pinching it between a dog and a vise.

To some degree the parallel guide does dictate the position of the stretcher but not really. The bench is a close copy of a portable Moravian bench and if you study the bench you quickly discover a lot of knowledge and thought went into its design. Best I can tell each joint was the quickest to make and at the same time not compromise strength and by design the bench offers incredible stability at a very low weight.

"Taller not deeper stretchers would seem the way to go." Why? What is your reasoning?

ken

[ken hatch]

I like the bench a great deal.
I also spy a good looking bench brush. Care to share any info on that fella?

Nathan,

I had to find the photo to figure out which brush you were asking about:). About all I know is it has been with me for a long time. Long enough I don't remember where it came from, but yes it is a great bench brush.

ken

[ken hatch]

That’s a great looking bench!

Thanks Todd,

ken

[William Fretwell]

Ken I buy into the great ‘stability for the weight’ design of the Moravian. As for holding wood you want to plane you have two choices 1) Use a stop to push up against. 2) Hold the wood between two dogs, one dog being in a vise of some sort.
For small work pieces the pinching method works far better.

The careful design of the Moravian relates to the legs and front vice, not the top. The taller a stretcher the more leverage and thus more stability. The ideal placement of the stretcher is half way between the surface being worked and the floor.
This puts it in the middle: I think your front vise design could accommodate such placement. The full thickness of the stretcher can be used as the tenon if the legs allow, this gives you stronger tusks. It also gives you the most for your wood.

I have seen some with an angled vise to match the leg and gain better vertical clearance.

[Bill Jobe]

Ken, if for whatever reason should you decide to replace this bench for a bigger/better build, I have just the spot for that piece.

[ken hatch]

Ken, if for whatever reason should you decide to replace this bench for a bigger/better build, I have just the spot for that piece.

Bill,

LOL.Thanks.

This may be my last big bench build. Time passes us all by and wrestling the big timbers kicked my tail this time. I may build a few more small/portable benches just because I enjoy the process or help someone build a big one but I've also likened building benches to being kinda like childbirth, after six months or so you forget the pain and remember the joy.

ken

[Frederick Skelly]

Another great bench Ken. Wow! Just wow!
If you weren't so tired of it, building benches could be a retirement income ;) .

Can't wait to see what you build with it!
Fred

[Reinis Kanders]

Great Bench!

I also liked the shave horse, is that your design?

[Stew Denton]

Ken,

It absolutely looks great. I'm sure you will be extremely pleased using it. Great Job!

Stew

[Ron Brese]

Looks great,

Ron

[ken hatch]

Looks great,

Ron

Thanks Ron, also works well.

ken

[ken hatch]

Another great bench Ken. Wow! Just wow!
If you weren't so tired of it, building benches could be a retirement income ;) .

Can't wait to see what you build with it!
Fred

Fred,

Thanks, My back wouldn't hold up to it:o.

I expect first up will be a couple of chairs and some low stools.

ken

[ken hatch]

Great Bench!

I also liked the shave horse, is that your design?

Reinis,

Thanks, Not original. It is loosely based on one that I can't remember where I found it. This was meant to be a proof of concept build but it works so well that I've never gotten around to building a nice one. I think the design came from one of the chair building sites, if you are interested google Windsor chair or stick chair and I bet a link will be reasonably easy to find.

ken

[ken hatch]

Ken,

It absolutely looks great. I'm sure you will be extremely pleased using it. Great Job!

Stew

Thanks Stew,

ken

[Ron Brese]

I bet, looks uber functional. A good work bench is one of the greatest tools.

Ron

[Malcolm Schweizer]

That's a fine looking bench. The bench and shave horse look like a Clydesdale and her foal. :-)

[ken hatch]

I bet, looks uber functional. A good work bench is one of the greatest tools.

Ron

I agree. I like 'em simple and this one is pretty simple with the exception of the tool well and over the last couple of years I've come to appreciate having a tool well.

ken

[ken hatch]

That's a fine looking bench. The bench and shave horse look like a Clydesdale and her foal. :-)

Malcolm,

Not a work of art like some I've seen :) but a good functional bench. BTW, I didn't realize the shavehorse was in the photo before it was posted but it does kinda look that way.

ken

[David Silverson]

I believe the shaving horse is the Drew Langsner design. You will find free plans on line.

[James Waldron]

Followed the build on your blog rather than here; enjoyed it a lot. Like the bench a lot.

Also giggled at some of the comments on all the things you did wrong. As my daddy liked to say about such things, "noncarborundum illigitimi." [pidgen latin for 'don't let the bastards wear you down.')

[ken hatch]

I believe the shaving horse is the Drew Langsner design. You will find free plans on line.

David,

Thanks, I couldn't remember who or how I found it but I thought it was a link from a chair maker site. It is a good horse, an easy build. I'm trying to figure out how to keep the basic design but make it easy to break down. Seems to be the story of all my recent builds.

ken

[ken hatch]

Followed the build on your blog rather than here; enjoyed it a lot. Like the bench a lot.

Also giggled at some of the comments on all the things you did wrong. As my daddy liked to say about such things, "noncarborundum illigitimi." [pidgen latin for 'don't let the bastards wear you down.')

Jim,

Thanks. I've built a number of benches and while the Roubo style bench (I've built a few) is a great bench the Moravian brings a lot to the table and I think is a better bench for most hobby woodworkers. If for no other reason than it can be broken down and moved. Gotta give Will Myers props for resurrecting the Moravian bench and even more for staying true to the example he had to work with.

Yep, I found them rather funny myself. Bless their souls. I do like your Dad's way of thinking.

ken

[David Silverson]

Ken it’s the next build on my long list.

[ken hatch]

Ken it’s the next build on my long list.

David,

Good on you. If you can, post a tic-tock and photos as you build.

ken

[Jake Rothermel]

Never stop posting pictures of your Moravian(s), Ken. They feed my soul.

[ken hatch]

Never stop posting pictures of your Moravian(s), Ken. They feed my soul.


Jake,

Thanks, I expect others might find them a little boring :) but I agree, I spent a good amount of time with coffee in hand just looking and touching the new bench.

ken

[David Silverson]

Ken,what are the dimensions of the top of your bench? The front slab seems much bigger than that posted by Will Myers.

[ken hatch]

Ken,what are the dimensions of the top of your bench? The front slab seems much bigger than that posted by Will Myers.

David,

It is. The bench is not meant to be portable so almost all the dimensions are larger. The shop bench is 18" wide and 3 1/2" thick. The two portable benches, IIRC are ~11" and ~12" wide and 8/4 thick.

ken

[David Silverson]

Ken,Thankyou.

[Kevin Hampshire]

Nathan, I purchased a similar horse hair brush from HD or you can get a cheap one that works okay fromHF

[Tom Vanzant]

I bought a similar bench brush and w i d e dustpan from LV back in the 1980s. Still kickin’.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Very nice bench, Ken. I love the shot of her next to the sawhorse- kinda looks like a mare and her foal.

[ken hatch]

Very nice bench, Ken. I love the shot of her next to the sawhorse- kinda looks like a mare and her foal.

Thanks Malcolm. I hadn't noticed the shave horse next to the bench before, once I saw it it brought a smile.

Here is the bench today, I still haven't re-done the tool tray as planned and it has been moved to the main bench position. All I can say is it is a joy to work on, everything needed with nothing extra to get in the way.

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ken