My workbench

[Michael Hammers]

Here is a few pictures of my bench and the progress. Slow but sure.
I know that "tailed" tools were used for some of the grunt portions of the bench, but also hand tools are being used. Since it is a hand tool bench I will post it here.:p
The DT's fit very tight and the bread board ends turned out really nice. The wood is air dried walnut cut on our sawmill and some African mohogany. I purchased some 15 quarter AM from a member here and it is really nice, although kiln dried and will serve as stretchers for the base with walnut legs.
4 1/4" thick by 20.5" wide and 99" long. The vise is hand made wooden twin screws on the front and a wooden screw on tail vise.

[Bill Houghton]

Nice looking work. Walnut seems like such a luxurious bench wood - one of my favorite woods.

[Jim Knishka]

Looking good. I see that you are dovetailing both ends of the endcap. How are you accounting for wood movement? I'm hoping to start my bench later this winter - I would like to do the same but am tentative because I know eventually I will have another shop. The humidity stays relatively constant in my current one (shares the house hvac)but I wouldn't want it to split when I move it someday.

[jonathan snyder]

Dang, walnut and Mahogany! That is going to make a nice bench, you might not want to use it!;)

Jonathan

[Marcus Ward]

Yeah I thought my bench was nice until I saw this one, wow!! Those dovetails look superb as well. I envy your skill. Nice start on a bench.

[Michael Hammers]

How are you accounting for wood movement?

I accounted for movement in different ways. But make no mistake, a top this thick will move. I first started with good air dried lumber that was 4 squared properly.
Next by creating the "breadboard". The back of the mohogany piece has a 1" deep relief to accept the bread-board. The relief is oversized a little more than an 1/8" on each side. This will allow the top to move.
The tops walnut piece angular rings are placed all in the same direction. I did not alternate them to allow for the grain pattern I was looking for. That is actually where the AM came from, to seperate the walnut pieces by the a.m SHOULD limit the movement. The origional plan was for an all walnut top.

Marcus, that means alot coming from you. I have been following your progress also and love your bench. As far as the DT, these were the first large DT I have handcut. I was just as surprised as anyone when they came out looking good :o What you cannot see it the backside of the endcap, I blew out abit and had to turn the piece around. It was suppose to be the otherside that was face out!

So THATS what they mean by not chiseling all the way down and out the otherside! :eek:

As far as the wood, I was origionally looking for some ash, or white oak...but then fell into some walnut, so that is why it is out of such
"luxurious" species. Just a matter of what I could find.
I know this is a little long, but when I first set out to build this I knew next to nothing about how to build a bench. I came from working in cabinetry shops. So I relished every piece of info I could find. Alot of posters on bench forms state they are getting ready to build and I assume going through the same process as me.
Bob Smalser was the one person who gave me a kick in the right direction many months ago and I am ever so thankful for his and everyone elses advice here.