Really lovely to see the children engaged in craftwork, WORKING with their HANDS. In the UK, craftwork has been abandoned in schools and my husband really resents this. Actually MAKING has been replaced by those damn mobile 'phones. We often clean wooden items using a weak but fairly hot solution of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) rather than paint stripper. Gloves and eye protection are needed. Oak and elm are very forgiving. Love the bench! Best wishes from England, Veronique
I have this same Hammacher Schlemmer bench. It was already an antique when my father bought it about 60 years ago. I followed a similar procedure to refurbish mine. I built a huge router sled jig to flatten the top accurately and took about a quarter of an inch off to remove a crown. It's still covered with battle scars, but it functions as well as it did when it was brand new.
I have a bench just like it I restored mine , it has a brass tag C Christianson Chicago ,I mean exactly like it.these benches are worth Money.great job ,video and wonderful grand children . Thanks mike
The Auction Business has been busy the last few weeks, so I am late to the party. Glad to see Your Grandkids, never to young to young to help. You made a real find there. It came out Great!
I don't often comment of UA-cam videos, but I really have enjoyed watching you work on your restoration projects. You have a great energy and an infectious work ethic. You obviously love what you do. Thanks for taking us along on the journey.
Wow you ought to be proud Larry that's a nice bench.! and as always you did a great job, and kudos to your helper's. Preston did a great job on that glue up he's a natural-I see a great future for him in woodoworking. with some thanks from his grandad for sure. another good project. Thanks again Larry.
I am just restoring a similar bench, C. Christiansen Co., Chicago Ill. Same configuration as yours... Face Vice, Tail Vise, rear Tool Well, square dog holes along the front. Mine was pretty roached out from years of use as well. I had to strip it down to the nuts and bolts, reset one of the face vice guide legs (it was not parallel nor square with the face of the Jaw.) Your video was very helpful. You did a great job with it. Cheers
What a beautiful workbench, reminds me of my dad's. It was great that you included your grand kids, you're a good grandpa. I have learned alot from your videos.... keep teaching.
Great work, I appreciate the fact that you kept it original with no modifications. The next owner will appreciate that. I'm looking forward to more videos
Both your grand kids did a great job, and the fact they enjoyed working with you, and with you keeping their attention for so long, speaks well of you.
Just imagining the history of that work bench and all that has been created on it by craftsmen. I'm sure they'd be proud of how you've restored it and will continue to use and care for it. Great find, great restoration, great video. It's already looking like you'll have some future craftsmen to pass it down to Grandpa. Thanks for sharing!
Supper great find Larry i found one many years ago and let it go when we sold the house and property mad at my self all the time you bet if i find another one it will be going home with me yours looks good and hope you get many good years of service congratulations
Thank you, Ed. I am right now taking a break from a total reorganization of the shop so I can fit this bench and a Shopsmith into the work flow. The Shopsmith was a gift I wasn't expecting and the two pieces together are presenting a bit of a challenge for me space-wise. I'm about 3/4 done in the shop and then I have a full truck load going to the dump. I guess every once in awhile, a purge is necessary. Thanks for your comment and for watching. Best regards.
Great work on the bench. I’m from Sydney Australia and I bought a similar bench from an old cabinetmaker in Greenacre, Sydney about 10 years ago. He was closing his business and was selling all his equipment. I am thinking of restoring it like you have. Thanks for the invaluable information and know how.
Awesome find and awesome restore. Cute grand kids, I try to involve my two older boys (6 and 4) in my workshop as much as possible. Realy enjoyed that video
Beautiful piece, lovingly restored, and pride in ownership! Hopefully your grandson and granddaughter will give it the TLC that you did in another 60 years. BZ!
Larry Im glad I found your channel. Im in the process of doing a full restoration / preservation video of a 1800s workbench similar to yours and was wondering where you got the info om the finish. Im not going to be staining my but I want to do a traditional finish like you, and just want to make sure it period correct. Any info you can point me to would be great.
It's a finish I learned of somewhere along the line. I can't say if it's period correct or not. I can tell you that it has worked out great for my bench and I even put a second coat on one day and it blended right in. I'm very happy with it so far. Good luck with yours!
My husband has a workbench very similar, a little larger, than yours. It came out of an old machine shop in Waynesboro, VA. It has the wooden screw vices, but one of the vice handles is missing. Love your finished product - maybe my husband should do the same with ours!
This is great! There's one for sale locally for $5 I am champing at the bit to get it. Seems like it's going to completely worth it if I can manage to snap it up before anyone else.
Oil stains will usually come out if you soak the wood in acetone. I use it to clean up hammer handles from garages and it does quite well. Good luck and great video
Larry, What a Treasure, Sooooo Very Happy for You, ONCE in a life time find and it could not have come into better hands, Write down the provinance (History) of the piece so it can be passed on when its time to pass it along. Congrats.
Thank you. I almost passed out when I saw this out in the rain, partially under a tarp. The gentleman was downsizing and seemed a bit sad to finally be letting this go, but it was in such sad shape. I hope he (and his Dad) appreciate how it looks now. Thanks for watching!
I would have held my breath just a bit too long too seeing this, Sure there isn't room for it inside?....I assume that you have by now gone back to his house and shown him pictures of the finished project? I have my cherished finds too, nothing quite this big but what a Jewel it turned into, May you get many years of use and admiration from others for it.
I feel so lucky to have found your video and channel. I just acquired the same make of bench in Chicago. Do you have any advice for the type of wax to help lubricate the wood-on wood vice screw? Your video has been a lifesaver in my journey to restore this historic piece!
I enjoy watching your videos. They're very informative. I'm just starting out in this type of work. Right now it's more of a hobby. Any tips for people just starting out? Like what are good begginer projects and what is easier or more difficult for begginers?
I started out with low quality pieces which I repaired and/or restored then re-sold. I did literally hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces this way. With a large volume of disparate projects you will be able to dial in your techniques and quickly identify what needs to be done and how to best do it. Color matching was the most difficult task for me to wrap my head around. As far as difficult projects go, I would stay away from higher priced items until you are comfortable with your skills and abilities. Antiques and treasured pieces from clients should wait until you have built your skills. Table tops can be pretty tricky to do correctly as are hand rubbed gloss finishes. A network of trusted resources is invaluable. Try to identify skilled wood workers and refinishers who can give you advice and guidance when you need it. Start small and work your way up. Good luck.
Wow love your skills and videos. Just discovered your channel and will be enjoying seeing all your projects. I just took a restoration and finishing class where I was introduced to many of the techniques you use. So great to see many examples of the practice. Question - what brand / where did you find andover maple stain? Thanks Adam
Larry sometimes I think I'm watching myself. We do the same work but I always pick up something new. I even ride a 2000 factory custom low rider FAT BOY and at 73 I don't plan on stopping any time soon. Riding or repairing furniture. Ride Safe Bro.
I didn't want any kind of hard finish what would scratch. This wax finish protects the wood and can be re-applied anytime it's needed. It's a very nice option. Thanks for watching!
Thanks. Yes, I see that. I will avoid my reflexive sarcastic retort towards the Nanny State. Here's hoping someone comes up with something that works as well. I have added a notice that I will no longer show the use of MC products in any of my videos filmed after the date of the ban, 3/15/19. I appreciate your comment.
Bwahahahah. That is hillarious. I put on the coveralls because they are the junkiest clothes I have and I knew I'd be a dusty mess after sanding all day. When I saw the video, I thought I looked a bit ridiculous but couldn't place it. The Minion reference is perfect! I guess I need to get back to having my wife dress me in the morning!!
This was amazing to watch, and we would love to feature part of it on our Instagram and Facebook pages. May we get permission to do so? We would give your UA-cam page credit in the post of course. Thank you so much, and thank you for bringing an antique Hammacher Schlemmer bench back to life!
Ugh...this seemed to be an exceptionally nit-picky job getting all the ick out of all those little corners...but boy-oh-boy, the labor of love that you ended up with!
It was a bit of a mess, wasn't it? When I saw it, I have to admit, I never saw the grime, just what was under it. Sometimes I get like a kid in a candy store. Maybe someday I'll grow up, but probably not! LOL. Thanks for watching!
ON 3/15/19, THE EPA BANNED NON-COMMERCIAL USE OF METHYLENE CHLORIDE. PLEASE DO NOT USE ANY METHYLENE CHLORIDE-BASED PRODUCT UNLESS YOU ARE AUTHORIZED TO DO SO. I WILL NO LONGER USE OR SHOW THE USE OF ANY MC-BASED PRODUCTS IN ANY OF MY VIDEOS FILMED AFTER 3/15/19. YOUR SAFETY IS PARAMONT - PROTECT IT.
Larry -- it is a Christiansen Workbench. Here are two links about a similar restoration: ua-cam.com/video/A5leo3dvYgM/v-deo.html, and ua-cam.com/video/bFETcKiJ4F8/v-deo.html. I'm in the middle of restoring the one I've had for 50 years -- I've had to plane down the top to get it level, and will have to patch a number of gouges, and the entire front edge which is rough with deep saw kerfs. Your video will be very helpful as I try to repair the end vise. Since I couldn't keep the lovely old patina I will, like you, have to refinish -- what stain did you use? It looks about right. Thanks much.
I sure wish people used hide glue for anything older than they are. This aliphatic resin is going to be the doom of many of the you tube rebuild wood items.
Really lovely to see the children engaged in craftwork, WORKING with their HANDS. In the UK, craftwork has been abandoned in schools and my husband really resents this. Actually MAKING has been replaced by those damn mobile 'phones. We often clean wooden items using a weak but fairly hot solution of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) rather than paint stripper. Gloves and eye protection are needed. Oak and elm are very forgiving. Love the bench! Best wishes from England, Veronique
I have this same Hammacher Schlemmer bench. It was already an antique when my father bought it about 60 years ago. I followed a similar procedure to refurbish mine. I built a huge router sled jig to flatten the top accurately and took about a quarter of an inch off to remove a crown. It's still covered with battle scars, but it functions as well as it did when it was brand new.
I have a bench just like it I restored mine , it has a brass tag C Christianson Chicago ,I mean exactly like it.these benches are worth
Money.great job ,video and wonderful grand children . Thanks mike
Just bought the same wood bench Thank you for the video
Adorable grandchildren! Thank YOU for doing that!
You are so kind
The Auction Business has been busy the last few weeks, so I am late to the party. Glad to see Your Grandkids, never to young to young to help. You made a real find there. It came out Great!
Thank you. I had a lot of fun when I worked with the local auction house. I wish you the best of success there.
I am so glad that you get to keep one of your treasures; after all the devoted work you do!
Thank you.
I don't often comment of UA-cam videos, but I really have enjoyed watching you work on your restoration projects. You have a great energy and an infectious work ethic. You obviously love what you do. Thanks for taking us along on the journey.
Thank you so much!
Wow you ought to be proud Larry that's a nice bench.! and as always you did a great job, and kudos to your helper's. Preston did a great job on that glue up he's a natural-I see a great future for him in woodoworking. with some thanks from his grandad for sure. another good project. Thanks again Larry.
Thank you! We'll see where his interests take him, but it sure is fun to have him in the shop with me. Best regards!
Awesome workbench a lucky find indeed.
I am just restoring a similar bench, C. Christiansen Co., Chicago Ill. Same configuration as yours... Face Vice, Tail Vise, rear Tool Well, square dog holes along the front. Mine was pretty roached out from years of use as well. I had to strip it down to the nuts and bolts, reset one of the face vice guide legs (it was not parallel nor square with the face of the Jaw.) Your video was very helpful. You did a great job with it. Cheers
Thank you!
What a beautiful workbench, reminds me of my dad's. It was great that you included your grand kids, you're a good grandpa. I have learned alot from your videos.... keep teaching.
How very kind of you to say. Those kids are the apples of my eye. Thank you for commenting.
What a jewel of a find. I’m glad someone who appreciated it found it.
Thank you! I love it!
What would you charge for a restore of a table like that?
Good to see the grandkids being involved.
Great work, I appreciate the fact that you kept it original with no modifications. The next owner will appreciate that. I'm looking forward to more videos
Thanks! 👍
That color is perfect. Really nice work.
Thank you!
Both your grand kids did a great job, and the fact they enjoyed working with you, and with you keeping their attention for so long, speaks well of you.
Lovely restoration, great job
Thank you! Cheers!
Great job grand dad with your grand kids. The stock of your channel went up many many points. Keep up the great videos.
Those two are the second pure joy of my life. Raising my two daughters was the first. Thank you.
Looks like a Christiansen Cabinet Makers Workbench from the early 1900s. Nice job. I'm starting a resto on one here soon.
Just imagining the history of that work bench and all that has been created on it by craftsmen. I'm sure they'd be proud of how you've restored it and will continue to use and care for it. Great find, great restoration, great video. It's already looking like you'll have some future craftsmen to pass it down to Grandpa. Thanks for sharing!
Working on one right now with a friend. Nice piece !
Awesome bench!!
What a great project. This bench is deserving of your attention to detail.
What a great video, I have the exact same bench which also needs some love, thank you for the inspiration and advice.
Supper great find Larry i found one many years ago and let it go when we sold the house and property mad at my self all the time you bet if i find another one it will be going home with me yours looks good and hope you get many good years of service congratulations
Thank you, Ed. I am right now taking a break from a total reorganization of the shop so I can fit this bench and a Shopsmith into the work flow. The Shopsmith was a gift I wasn't expecting and the two pieces together are presenting a bit of a challenge for me space-wise. I'm about 3/4 done in the shop and then I have a full truck load going to the dump. I guess every once in awhile, a purge is necessary. Thanks for your comment and for watching. Best regards.
Great work on the bench. I’m from Sydney Australia and I bought a similar bench from an old cabinetmaker in Greenacre, Sydney about 10 years ago. He was closing his business and was selling all his equipment. I am thinking of restoring it like you have. Thanks for the invaluable information and know how.
Thank you. Good luck on your project. I used my bench again today. I love it!
The grandkids are your best project nice to see that love for old things getting passed down. Greetings from Illinois!
Great job! I would have pressure washed it
great find and beautiful job!
Looks really good I'd be proud to have a bench like that too
Awesome find and awesome restore. Cute grand kids, I try to involve my two older boys (6 and 4) in my workshop as much as possible. Realy enjoyed that video
Thank you. I love doing things with the kids. Their world is too virtual and I am quite happy when we can engage them in real-life activities.
Beautiful piece, lovingly restored, and pride in ownership! Hopefully your grandson and granddaughter will give it the TLC that you did in another 60 years. BZ!
I hope so too!
Nice job on the restore!! Have fun using it
Thanks! Will do!
I enjoyed seeing your grand children getting involved 👍👍👍💙❤💜
That was some excellent help you had there 👍🏻
Really great find and superb restoration. I am I envious? Too right I am 🤔
You were brave! Children with glue. :-) Great job.
Looks like that workbench found a great home!
This is my favorite one so far!
Thank you!
Nice job, Larry!!
Larry Im glad I found your channel. Im in the process of doing a full restoration / preservation video of a 1800s workbench similar to yours and was wondering where you got the info om the finish. Im not going to be staining my but I want to do a traditional finish like you, and just want to make sure it period correct. Any info you can point me to would be great.
It's a finish I learned of somewhere along the line. I can't say if it's period correct or not. I can tell you that it has worked out great for my bench and I even put a second coat on one day and it blended right in. I'm very happy with it so far. Good luck with yours!
My husband has a workbench very similar, a little larger, than yours. It came out of an old machine shop in Waynesboro, VA. It has the wooden screw vices, but one of the vice handles is missing. Love your finished product - maybe my husband should do the same with ours!
He's lucky to have it!!
Feeling happy for you. Good job and thank you for sharing your journey.
Always nice to get the grandkids involved! 😊
Wow! What a lucky find! I'd have to keep it too but would really struggle finding a place for it. Thanks as always for sharing!
I'm in serious trouble space-wise. I think I may need professional help! LOL
That is awesome. I’m jealous.
Very nice my friend! Thank you.
Iooks great. Nice job
Thank you.
This is great! There's one for sale locally for $5 I am champing at the bit to get it. Seems like it's going to completely worth it if I can manage to snap it up before anyone else.
Oil stains will usually come out if you soak the wood in acetone. I use it to clean up hammer handles from garages and it does quite well. Good luck and great video
Thanks for the info!
Fantastic!
Looks like a great works bench. Just found your channel in garage flips group.
Awesome job! Never seen a bench like that.
Great work mate, good on you, from Sydney / Australia
Thank you!
Great job Dude! Congrats from Brazil.
Wow-I would Love to have that! Great job (as usual)!
very nice!!!!!!!
Thanks!!
Looks great, I have one similar, bought from some German guys at Newark antique fair Lincoln UK 10 years ago .
Larry, What a Treasure, Sooooo Very Happy for You, ONCE in a life time find and it could not have come into better hands, Write down the provinance (History) of the piece so it can be passed on when its time to pass it along. Congrats.
Thank you. I almost passed out when I saw this out in the rain, partially under a tarp. The gentleman was downsizing and seemed a bit sad to finally be letting this go, but it was in such sad shape. I hope he (and his Dad) appreciate how it looks now. Thanks for watching!
I would have held my breath just a bit too long too seeing this, Sure there isn't room for it inside?....I assume that you have by now gone back to his house and shown him pictures of the finished project? I have my cherished finds too, nothing quite this big but what a Jewel it turned into, May you get many years of use and admiration from others for it.
Thank you.
I just found one in a basement in bayonne! Thanks
I am currently restoring a somewhat similar workbench (more recent bench by the dutch firm Nooitgedagt) and love some of the tips you have! :)
Good luck!
I love the bench 👍
I feel so lucky to have found your video and channel. I just acquired the same make of bench in Chicago. Do you have any advice for the type of wax to help lubricate the wood-on wood vice screw? Your video has been a lifesaver in my journey to restore this historic piece!
I enjoy watching your videos. They're very informative. I'm just starting out in this type of work. Right now it's more of a hobby. Any tips for people just starting out? Like what are good begginer projects and what is easier or more difficult for begginers?
I started out with low quality pieces which I repaired and/or restored then re-sold. I did literally hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces this way. With a large volume of disparate projects you will be able to dial in your techniques and quickly identify what needs to be done and how to best do it. Color matching was the most difficult task for me to wrap my head around. As far as difficult projects go, I would stay away from higher priced items until you are comfortable with your skills and abilities. Antiques and treasured pieces from clients should wait until you have built your skills. Table tops can be pretty tricky to do correctly as are hand rubbed gloss finishes. A network of trusted resources is invaluable. Try to identify skilled wood workers and refinishers who can give you advice and guidance when you need it. Start small and work your way up. Good luck.
Wow love your skills and videos. Just discovered your channel and will be enjoying seeing all your projects. I just took a restoration and finishing class where I was introduced to many of the techniques you use. So great to see many examples of the practice.
Question - what brand / where did you find andover maple stain?
Thanks
Adam
Larry sometimes I think I'm watching myself. We do the same work but I always pick up something new. I even ride a 2000 factory custom low rider FAT BOY and at 73 I don't plan on stopping any time soon. Riding or repairing furniture. Ride Safe Bro.
Piękna rzecz. Dobra robota.
Zdrowia życzę
Great video,a nice bench u got now for sure.lil confused why u went with the wax finish n not a hard epoxy type
I didn't want any kind of hard finish what would scratch. This wax finish protects the wood and can be re-applied anytime it's needed. It's a very nice option. Thanks for watching!
@@LostMountainRestoration that makes alot sense so u always got a scratch free surface.always,looking forward to the next video
Such a lucky find! I honestly would be worried about you if you didn't keep it.
Hello Larry-several days ago the EPA banned Methylene Chloride for non commercial use. I'm stocking up.
Thanks. Yes, I see that. I will avoid my reflexive sarcastic retort towards the Nanny State. Here's hoping someone comes up with something that works as well. I have added a notice that I will no longer show the use of MC products in any of my videos filmed after the date of the ban, 3/15/19. I appreciate your comment.
Awsome! I hawe an old Woodworker's bench i want to restore.
They are as rare as "Hens Teeth" they get burned and dumped because no wants to bother doing them up. Can't wait to see how this ends up Thanks Larry
You lucky lucky man.......... The overalls and the yellow T shirt make you look like a bearded "Minion" but apart from that great vid thanks
Bwahahahah. That is hillarious. I put on the coveralls because they are the junkiest clothes I have and I knew I'd be a dusty mess after sanding all day. When I saw the video, I thought I looked a bit ridiculous but couldn't place it. The Minion reference is perfect! I guess I need to get back to having my wife dress me in the morning!!
@@LostMountainRestoration Ha ha aha Laughed like a drain Great vids thanks
I found a bench from the same maker. Really enjoyed your project. What color stain did you use on your restoration?
It was Andover Maple, very close to standard Brown Mahogany. Thanks for watching.
WOW !!!!!!!
That turned out really good! Love the color and that antique look. What color of stain did you use?
It was a custom mix that I had used for another project called "Andover Maple". It was basically a Brown Mahogany. Thanks for watching!
@@LostMountainRestoration Thanks!
A hand plane will give a smoother more level top than a belt sander FWIW...but enjoyed this!
I used one as well. Thanks for watching!
what stain color did you use?
It was called "Andover Maple". Very close to a Brown Mahogany color.
@@LostMountainRestoration thank you very much.
What kind of wood is it?
This was amazing to watch, and we would love to feature part of it on our Instagram and Facebook pages. May we get permission to do so? We would give your UA-cam page credit in the post of course. Thank you so much, and thank you for bringing an antique Hammacher Schlemmer bench back to life!
Yes of course! Thank you for watching and commenting. I enjoyed this project and use the bench daily. Best regards.
Miss your channel. Everything okay?
I guess Larry you're gonna have to move your little tykes car somewhere else. Lol
I have no idea what I'm going to do for space. A few more tools and I'll be working outside.
Ugh...this seemed to be an exceptionally nit-picky job getting all the ick out of all those little corners...but boy-oh-boy, the labor of love that you ended up with!
It was a bit of a mess, wasn't it? When I saw it, I have to admit, I never saw the grime, just what was under it. Sometimes I get like a kid in a candy store. Maybe someday I'll grow up, but probably not! LOL. Thanks for watching!
What happened to the bench dogs?
I have them. I didn't remember to put them in the final shot. In once scene you can see them laying in the tool tray.
ON 3/15/19, THE EPA BANNED NON-COMMERCIAL USE OF METHYLENE CHLORIDE. PLEASE DO NOT USE ANY METHYLENE CHLORIDE-BASED PRODUCT UNLESS YOU ARE AUTHORIZED TO DO SO. I WILL NO LONGER USE OR SHOW THE USE OF ANY MC-BASED PRODUCTS IN ANY OF MY VIDEOS FILMED AFTER 3/15/19. YOUR SAFETY IS PARAMONT - PROTECT IT.
Add a wing to your workshop for the bench...
Can't blame you, I would not let that go either.
perfekter
The plates are called gardens.
Larry -- it is a Christiansen Workbench. Here are two links about a similar restoration: ua-cam.com/video/A5leo3dvYgM/v-deo.html, and ua-cam.com/video/bFETcKiJ4F8/v-deo.html. I'm in the middle of restoring the one I've had for 50 years -- I've had to plane down the top to get it level, and will have to patch a number of gouges, and the entire front edge which is rough with deep saw kerfs. Your video will be very helpful as I try to repair the end vise. Since I couldn't keep the lovely old patina I will, like you, have to refinish -- what stain did you use? It looks about right. Thanks much.
I sure wish people used hide glue for anything older than they are. This aliphatic resin is going to be the doom of many of the you tube rebuild wood items.
Linseed oil the top….please….it needs a drink
I've heard good feedback about the Stodoys plans.