Hi guys,
I just started to construct my new Nicholson viseless bench.
I purchased some time ago three (very seasoned) planks of Massaranduba, a very hard wood from Brazil but reasonably workable with hand and power tools. Each plank weighs a ton as this hardwood is three times more dense than typical pine and the planks were (actual size) 300 mm (12") x something between 50-55 mm (2") x 3500 mm (13'). After to move them a few times I discovered I am not in a so good fitness as I believed so I called my son to help me at some handling. He is at his early 20s...
I spent time examining each plank and deciding what part I would use for each part of the workbench considering sap, grain direction and thickness of each part of the planks. I used my power (hand) saw to break the planks with some excess for future trim.
I took my selected pieces for bench top and I used my LN jack plane to create a reference true plane. The wood accepted well hand planning, better than I was expecting, if I respect its grain direction and work with very sharp blade and thin slices. It made me work very hard as I had to cut in a region from one of the planks up to 4 mm! It was the first time I was working so big pieces (1700 mm x 300 mm) of very hard wood. After to get a reference surface I went to my (power) thickness plane to finish the job. It looks I have the pieces for my bench top just ready for trim as the thickness and flatness look me very good.
Tomorrow I will continue my adventure as I just stopped, took a shower, one beer and I am currently waiting for the lunch.
As I purchased my current workbench almost 30 years ago, so it is actually the first time I am constructing one workbench. I never was challenged to construct one by myself as I considered it as a "minor project". I was wrong, very wrong: I just felt the challenges to construct a decent workbench is very demanded. I am sure I will learn a lot with it.