Thanks for touching on the basics sir. Lots of wood working videos show people making pieces made using complex tools and setups sometimes with expensive machines. Going to the basics is amazing, so thank you very much for giving us you time on this. Would you be so kind as to show making a splayed leg saw horse? The american channels show split top saw horses, and I've seen some spayed leg builds, but the legs are attached like a stool's legs or a Roman workbench style. Have you ever seen these?
I didn’t have enough tools to build a bench at the beginning, and that was a blessing in disguise: I bought a used one for about 100 Euros - and that bench got me started and taught me what I want and what I need, as well as the correct height. I think I would have spent and wasted more money if I had built one straight away.
Thanks for sharing. I've been working on an English workbench for a great while now based on Paul Sellers design. Age finally got the best of me since I started woodworking very late in life. I accumulated basic tools by refurbishing Stanley equipment and Disston saws and discovered I really enjoyed the process of restoring ole rust buckets. Rust is pernicious and thorough and requires constant monitoring to keep it at bay on these old pieces of woodworking tools. Fortunately my shop is temp and humidity controlled and that helps. I have several of your books and thanks for those works of art. Keep up the good work
If your bench is too low or too high, add spacers under the legs or put as many 1 inch rubber machinist mats on your floor as required. Standing on concrete for long periods is not a good idea as it is.
When I build a field bench I sight across the horses like you do with winding sticks to make sure the top rails are parallel. Then I load on 2x’s and plywood for a top. Even power tool work benefits from a bench that doesn’t wind! I’ve seen some 2 board wide topped saw horses with a slot down the middle for ripping
Hi Graham. Your videos are always interesting to watch, thank you for making and posting them. What is your view on the more modern benches, with a grid of holes (3/4 inch or 20 mm) and made out of MDF?
Sorry, the amerikan bench does not exist. The Amerkans uses european benches. The bench you uses has a so called French face vise, Rob Cosman uses a " German face vise". Both kind of vises seem to be build in Germany, cause older french benches had a leg vise. I want to say thanks for your videos, because there are not so much chanels explaining and using handtools. I'm from Germany and the german chanels are a catastrophie in this. Some of the people are masters of the trade, but they do not know how to handel a plane or use a saw, even the tradional european framesaws. It's realy a shame how much of the tradional knowledge is missing. Now they talk about the great japanese tools and craftmanship, not knowing that most of the joints also has exist in Europe before the machines gets into the workshop. So again a great thank to you for your work. Greets from Germany.
Agreed and can I just make a plug for the Moravian bench ( it’s brilliant) which was bought to America in the late 17 th and resurrected by America in the 2000’s.
Don’t take advice from anyone for the correct height of your bench - instead, figure it out for yourself. I had a bench that conformed to the “rule” and it gave me a back ache within minutes of planing a piece of wood, I needed a much higher bench.
Agreed. It depends so much on what you will use it for and with what tools. To take the extreme, somebody regularly working 1/8" stocks with bailey style planes has their hands almost at bench height; contrast somebody regularly working 2" stock with wooden bodied planes: their hands might be 6" above the bench. Hence the value of separate benches or supplementary benchtop aids for certain tasks. (Also looks like Master Blackburn has shrunk, as we do: that saw horse would be fine as one of a pair, but used as a saw _bench_ it looks very high. I have no doubt he has forgooten more than I will ever know, but...)
Thank you. I had a similar holdfast that was cast iron and it broke in half. I now have Gramacy hold fasts. I spent 50 years in the workforce in maintenance shops, foundries, machine shops and all the benches were along a wall with a metal working vice attached. Some had wood tops and others had steel tops. A walk around woodworking bench is foreign to me but I have gotten used to it. I would rather have a bench that is too low and add to the height than a bench too tall and I have to stand on something. I made a sawhorse in FFA shop that rocked and they called it a pony horse. Looking forward to the next video.
Thanks for touching on the basics sir.
Lots of wood working videos show people making pieces made using complex tools and setups sometimes with expensive machines.
Going to the basics is amazing, so thank you very much for giving us you time on this.
Would you be so kind as to show making a splayed leg saw horse? The american channels show split top saw horses, and I've seen some spayed leg builds, but the legs are attached like a stool's legs or a Roman workbench style. Have you ever seen these?
Thank you very.much Sir.🎉
Most welcome
Don't let the anxiety of the perfect bench stop you from making your bench to get you woodworking now. Your best bench is the one you'll build next.
This comment should be the first one all new woodworkers see. Well said Anthony.
You're absolutely right.
I didn’t have enough tools to build a bench at the beginning, and that was a blessing in disguise: I bought a used one for about 100 Euros - and that bench got me started and taught me what I want and what I need, as well as the correct height. I think I would have spent and wasted more money if I had built one straight away.
Brilliant Mr. Blackburn. Thank you very much. Greetings from Spain.
Very welcome!
Great lesson on work benches.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for another lesson, Graham! Really valuable information!!! 😃
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Thanks!
I also have and love a Roman workbench/saw horse. Thanks for sharing.
Very welcome!
Your knowledge is very valuable, thank you.
Very welcome!
Thanks Graham
My pleasure!
Great episode, sir. Thank you very much.
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks for sharing. I've been working on an English workbench for a great while now based on Paul Sellers design. Age finally got the best of me since I started woodworking very late in life. I accumulated basic tools by refurbishing Stanley equipment and Disston saws and discovered I really enjoyed the process of restoring ole rust buckets. Rust is pernicious and thorough and requires constant monitoring to keep it at bay on these old pieces of woodworking tools. Fortunately my shop is temp and humidity controlled and that helps. I have several of your books and thanks for those works of art. Keep up the good work
Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm sure your workbench is a beauty.
I like the design of your bench. The tail vice looks quite useful. Thanks
It's a very versatile design.
I just received your book on jigs, a very nice and thoughtful collection of tips!
Glad you like them!
If your bench is too low or too high, add spacers under the legs or put as many 1 inch rubber machinist mats on your floor as required. Standing on concrete for long periods is not a good idea as it is.
Of course!
Giving back!👍🏻
Yep, whatever works is best!
Nice
Thanks
When I build a field bench I sight across the horses like you do with winding sticks to make sure the top rails are parallel. Then I load on 2x’s and plywood for a top. Even power tool work benefits from a bench that doesn’t wind! I’ve seen some 2 board wide topped saw horses with a slot down the middle for ripping
A very useful approach!
its a beautfuil workbench . im needing to rebuild mine i like building my own sawhorses to. Thanks for shareing your knowlage with us.
Glad to help
Thank you and I’m working on my bench at the moment!
Good luck with it!
@ thank you again! Curious what the purpose of the angled tool tray is? Ease of cleaning?
Hi Graham. Your videos are always interesting to watch, thank you for making and posting them. What is your view on the more modern benches, with a grid of holes (3/4 inch or 20 mm) and made out of MDF?
Somewhat illogically I don't like MDF, but if it works....
Height of the bench is a challenge in my workshop…the floor slopes and the bench is two inches higher at the bottom end than the top
Hmmmm!
Hmm. According to your windingstick, your bench is not perfectly flat 😮
Sorry, the amerikan bench does not exist. The Amerkans uses european benches. The bench you uses has a so called French face vise, Rob Cosman uses a " German face vise". Both kind of vises seem to be build in Germany, cause older french benches had a leg vise.
I want to say thanks for your videos, because there are not so much chanels explaining and using handtools. I'm from Germany and the german chanels are a catastrophie in this. Some of the people are masters of the trade, but they do not know how to handel a plane or use a saw, even the tradional european framesaws. It's realy a shame how much of the tradional knowledge is missing. Now they talk about the great japanese tools and craftmanship, not knowing that most of the joints also has exist in Europe before the machines gets into the workshop.
So again a great thank to you for your work.
Greets from Germany.
Agreed and can I just make a plug for the Moravian bench ( it’s brilliant) which was bought to America in the late 17 th and resurrected by America in the 2000’s.
Not too common but useful...
Don’t take advice from anyone for the correct height of your bench - instead, figure it out for yourself. I had a bench that conformed to the “rule” and it gave me a back ache within minutes of planing a piece of wood, I needed a much higher bench.
Yes,, me too. That one would be far too low for me. Oh, and my English (Marples) vice is a parallel vice, it doesn't rack at all
Agreed. It depends so much on what you will use it for and with what tools. To take the extreme, somebody regularly working 1/8" stocks with bailey style planes has their hands almost at bench height; contrast somebody regularly working 2" stock with wooden bodied planes: their hands might be 6" above the bench. Hence the value of separate benches or supplementary benchtop aids for certain tasks.
(Also looks like Master Blackburn has shrunk, as we do: that saw horse would be fine as one of a pair, but used as a saw _bench_ it looks very high. I have no doubt he has forgooten more than I will ever know, but...)
Thank you. I had a similar holdfast that was cast iron and it broke in half. I now have Gramacy hold fasts. I spent 50 years in the workforce in maintenance shops, foundries, machine shops and all the benches were along a wall with a metal working vice attached. Some had wood tops and others had steel tops. A walk around woodworking bench is foreign to me but I have gotten used to it. I would rather have a bench that is too low and add to the height than a bench too tall and I have to stand on something. I made a sawhorse in FFA shop that rocked and they called it a pony horse. Looking forward to the next video.
There are always exceptions....
Mi scusi se non parlo inglese
Le faccio i miei complimenti per i suoi video molto istruttivi
Molto grazie!
Thanks Graham
Very welcome!