It is currently 29 Mar 2024, 15:50

Swedish style bench from reclaimed softwood (mostly)

This is where we don't want anything but evidence of your finest wood butchering in all its glorious, and photograph laden glory. Bring your finished products or WIP's, we love them all, so long as there's pictures, and plenty of 'em!

Swedish style bench from reclaimed softwood (mostly)

Postby Father William » 01 Apr 2021, 17:31

IMG_20201109_130600195.jpg
(323.35 KiB)

I was fitting out a new workshop last October and needed a bench. I went to a well-known purveyor of tools and equipment, to find that a piece of lightweight wobbly nonsense (that was six inches too low) would set me back £385. Off to the local timber recycling project.

They had some 3x4 and 6x4 from a demolition site, much of it covered in cement, but cheap, and they had enough to do the top and base. I fancied trying a Swedish style because in the past I always seemed to be running into the vice screws with regular vices. Also wanted some dogholes for workholding. Knockdown construction for the base, because I'll be moving lock, stock in a year or two. I'm going to make some musical instruments, small cabinets and some bits and pieces for the house, nothing too large or heavy, so figured that softwood would do the trick.

The design came from Sam Allen's 'Making Workbenches', available here but I changed all the dimensions as I was going along to suit the stock I had. It's turned out a bit beefier than the plans (because softwood). The vice hardware came from Axminster and is fine, but if fitting a tail vice like this, double-check the hole positions for the screw and guides. I did, but still managed to get them slightly off. Maybe it's just me. The top has several coats of finishing oil, so glue doesn't stick. The base has been left unfinished 'cos life's too short.

I kept a rough track of the time spent and it owes me about 45 hours. Would have been quite a bit quicker if I had a planer/thicknesser. (I've got one on order now, but it's stuck somewhere behind the Ever Given.) The materials cost me about £140 including the vice hardware and a fiver for glue. I'm retired, so my time's my own. It's been good to work on, but a bit wobbly at the skinny end; the top twists surprisingly easily with sideways pressure.

I originally finished it in November, and have just now replaced the stretchers in the base with a storage cabinet. That has stiffened it up considerably and, once I have put some heavy stuff in there, it's going nowhere. Also added a tool tray (for shavings, obvs). Storage cabinet from CLS and ply from Wickes, with birch ply offcuts for the doors. Surprised to find the CLS had gone up 50% in price since the end of last year.


IMG_20210331_152352745.jpg
(297.79 KiB)


IMG_20210331_153336152.jpg
(256.5 KiB)
Pete
Father William
Seedling
 
Posts: 7
Joined: 19 Jan 2021, 21:22
Location: Southampton
Name: Pete

Re: Swedish style bench from reclaimed softwood (mostly)

Postby Malc2098 » 01 Apr 2021, 18:10

Nice.
Malcolm
User avatar
Malc2098
Sequoia
 
Posts: 7209
Joined: 03 Jul 2016, 11:10
Location: Tiverton
Name: Malcolm

Re: Swedish style bench from reclaimed softwood (mostly)

Postby RogerS » 01 Apr 2021, 18:15

That's very elegant and I like your economical approach to it! Bioth in times of effort and dosh. Looks to be a very smart workshop. Far too clean 'an'all. Nice floor...am I jealous ? :mrgreen:
If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.
User avatar
RogerS
Petrified Pine
 
Posts: 13292
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 21:07
Location: Nearly finished. OK OK...call me Pinocchio.
Name:

Re: Swedish style bench from reclaimed softwood (mostly)

Postby DaveL » 01 Apr 2021, 18:25

Very nice. Filling the cabinet with stuff will make a lot more stable.
Regards,
Dave
My tool kit is almost complete, only a few more to get.
User avatar
DaveL
Old Oak
 
Posts: 1918
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 21:07
Location: Sudbury, Suffolk
Name: Dave

Re: Swedish style bench from reclaimed softwood (mostly)

Postby Mike G » 01 Apr 2021, 18:47

Nice to see some chunky dovetails there. I'd love to stand at a bench like this for an hour, just to see how it worked for me, because it is so radically different to mine that I haven't a clue how it would be. I picture myself bashing my left hip on the sticky-outy vice thingy whilst planing, but the Swedes plane, so it must work.
User avatar
Mike G
Sequoia
 
Posts: 9838
Joined: 30 Jul 2014, 22:36
Location: Suffolk
Name:

Re: Swedish style bench from reclaimed softwood (mostly)

Postby Lons » 01 Apr 2021, 22:16

Like it, great result from cement encrusted timber. :eusa-clap:
I have a degree in faffing about (It must be true, my wife says so)
Lons
Old Oak
 
Posts: 1688
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 21:48
Location: Northumberland
Name: Bob

Re: Swedish style bench from reclaimed softwood (mostly)

Postby Woodbloke » 01 Apr 2021, 22:47

Nice bench and what appears to be a genuine Swedish design. I'm with Mike though and would worry about the left hand vice thingie. That said, I've never used one so it's a bit unfair to judge; good build though none the less - Rob
I no longer work for Axminster Tools & Machinery.
User avatar
Woodbloke
Sequoia
 
Posts: 5867
Joined: 22 Jul 2014, 10:06
Location: Salisbury, UK
Name:

Re: Swedish style bench from reclaimed softwood (mostly)

Postby Cabinetman » 02 Apr 2021, 11:55

Most impressed, like others I’ve never tried one of these, I suspect it’s stick with what you know works for you. Yes very clean and tidy workshop a lovely working environment. Ian
Cabinetman
Old Oak
 
Posts: 3197
Joined: 11 Oct 2020, 07:32
Location: Lincolnshire Wolds + Pennsylvania
Name: Ian

Re: Swedish style bench from reclaimed softwood (mostly)

Postby Just4fun » 02 Apr 2021, 15:46

Woodbloke wrote:I'm with Mike though and would worry about the left hand vice thingie. That said, I've never used one so it's a bit unfair to judge

I have a bench in a similar design. I don't have any problems with the vice being in the way when planing, but I do dislike the vice for other reasons. A work-piece held in the vice is simply too far away and access is obstructed, especially if you want to drop your hand when using a saw. Consider how you would cut the pins on a half-blind dovetail for example. You have to raise the work piece higher in the vice than you would with a Record-style vice, and I don't like that. That vice is better than nothing, but not ideal. I ended up making a moxon-style vice to sit in that vice, and that helps a lot.
Just4fun
New Shoots
 
Posts: 221
Joined: 26 Nov 2020, 11:07
Location: Finland
Name:

Re: Swedish style bench from reclaimed softwood (mostly)

Postby Woodbloke » 02 Apr 2021, 17:44

Just4fun wrote:
Woodbloke wrote:I'm with Mike though and would worry about the left hand vice thingie. That said, I've never used one so it's a bit unfair to judge

Consider how you would cut the pins on a half-blind dovetail for example. You have to raise the work piece higher in the vice than you would with a Record-style vice, and I don't like that. That vice is better than nothing, but not ideal. I ended up making a moxon-style vice to sit in that vice, and that helps a lot.


Yep, a nice Moxon is the way forward. I made one using the Benchcraft components from CHT and put a 45deg chamfer (with 'lambs foot' stopped ends) so that the saw can be tilted properly without it fouling and woodwork - Rob
I no longer work for Axminster Tools & Machinery.
User avatar
Woodbloke
Sequoia
 
Posts: 5867
Joined: 22 Jul 2014, 10:06
Location: Salisbury, UK
Name:


Return to Projects & WIP

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 22 guests