sweet mary mother of benches

[Craig Salisbury]

This is a beautiful thing, for those with a spare 40 minutes ish. some nice innovative ideas also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvVrVdqA9OE

 

[Cabinetman]

This is a beautiful thing, for those with a spare 40 minutes ish. some nice innovative ideas also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvVrVdqA9OE

Thanks Craig, had a quick look will dig into it properly later.
Ian

 

[Lurker]

People seem to be far too precious about benches, I never intentionally damage mine but I unconcerned about the dings that it picks up, but I don’t think after spending time and money on these posh things I would be so flippant. Surely real woodworkers would build nice furniture instead.

I also don’t get this Rubino name thing ((or Moxton for that matter), I can’t believe that a specific person came up with a design that was radically different from everything that preceded it.

 

[Mike G]

People seem to be far too precious about benches, I never intentionally damage mine but I unconcerned about the dings that it picks up, but I don’t think after spending time and money on these posh things I would be so flippant. Surely real woodworkers would build nice furniture instead.....

Absobloodyluptly. I couldn't agree more. A bench is a functional working-place, not an ornament.

 

[Cabinetman]

Well you’re right of course and he does say the same towards the end, but he is using it to showcase his work when clients come visiting so I suppose he does have some justification.
Some interesting ideas, but how will the pop up dogs and other features work in practice? He has an interesting take on a pattern makers vice which he definitely needs with the 3d pieces he makes.
My take is that a lot of the engineering is likely to fail over time, the dovetail slides are very small for instance.
He included a Moxon vice on the end but only the same height as the main bench which loses one of the Moxon vices main features.
He does love his routers doesn’t he! Good work but not done in the ways I would have done it.
Ian

 

[Woodbloke]

People seem to be far too precious about benches, I never intentionally damage mine but I unconcerned about the dings that it picks up, but I don’t think after spending time and money on these posh things I would be so flippant. Surely real woodworkers would build nice furniture instead.....

Absobloodyluptly. I couldn't agree more. A bench is a functional working-place, not an ornament.

And here :text-+1: It's just another, though essential tool to enable us to make stuff and unquestionably not an ornament to be gushed over - Rob

 

[GarF]

Bench dogs powered by Blum. Now why didn't I think of that?!

Conservative estimates how the maple alone would tally up in the UK?

Quite an enjoyable watch, but no more likely to influence my practice than Bake Off or Masterchef. I suppose content creators are trapped in a technical arms race. Going head to head with Norm or St Roy would be algorithmic suicide.
G

 

[Cabinetman]

"Conservative estimates how the maple alone would tally up in the UK?"

The yard that I used has unfortunately stopped doing it, but it was about £35 per ft cube four years ago, timber has gone up a lot so £50? I guess between 8 and 10 cubes so not totally horrendous for something that will give decades of use.
Also it really doesn’t have take as much wood as that, with a little lateral thinking and clever design it could be cut by probably 40%. I will be doing my more utilitarian one in a years time so watch this space!
Ian

 

[johnward]

My bench is covered with dings and cuts, it has a vice and dog holes, it is flat and strong and functions very well.

 

[Dr.Al]

People seem to be far too precious about benches, I never intentionally damage mine but I unconcerned about the dings that it picks up, but I don’t think after spending time and money on these posh things I would be so flippant. Surely real woodworkers would build nice furniture instead.....

Absobloodyluptly. I couldn't agree more. A bench is a functional working-place, not an ornament.

And here :text-+1: It's just another, though essential tool to enable us to make stuff and unquestionably not an ornament to be gushed over - Rob

While I understand the sentiment of a bench being a purely functional thing, you could say the same about a dining table. A bit of MDF clamped onto some trestles would serve the function of a dining table, but most people want something that gives them pleasure to look at. If they are a woodworker then they probably also want that dining table to be something they can feel proud of having made.

If a woodworker gets enjoyment out of the process of designing and making a "posh" bench and then gets pleasure through seeing it and using it in their work environment (in which they might well spend a lot more time than they do their dining room), then why not? Just because they've spent time and money making a bench rather than the supposedly "real woodworking" of making furniture, I don't feel we should criticise.

Admittedly I'm saying all of this from the biased point of view of someone who enjoys making tools, probably more so than I enjoy making "real" stuff like furniture making. I also haven't watched the video, so am arguably commenting without the full background.

 

[Woodbloke]

While I understand the sentiment of a bench being a purely functional thing, you could say the same about a dining table. A bit of MDF clamped onto some trestles would serve the function of a dining table, but most people want something that gives them pleasure to look at. If they are a woodworker then they probably also want that dining table to be something they can feel proud of having made.

That's true enough, but a dining table isn't designed or expected to take the day to day hammering (sometimes literally) of a workbench. Sure, it's great to have a 'nice' looking workbench but it's meant to be used to build stuff, not eat from. As such, as soon as a few dings, dents and saw cuts appear the idea of being too overly 'precious' (guess who's reading LOTR...again) about it rapidly disappears, or ought to - Rob

 

[Craig Salisbury]

To be fair to the guy, he makes some very nice pieces of furniture, and at least he is building something rather than trying to sell me the latest laser cutter, CNC or anything red.

I get its a precious bench but that doesn't mean something functional should not also be a showcase of his work. I will be seeing how he pounds on it over his next videos.

 

[Andy Kev.]

While I agree that a bench obviously has to be first and foremost a functional object, I can't see anything to criticise about a bloke trying to add his own originality to design features and so putting his skills on display. Then there is the pleasure of making the thing and the sense of achievement once it's done.

I only have one "however" and that is marking due to use. There are places on my bench where sawing has gone on just a bit too far, where a chisel has demonstrated its cutting ability etc. It would be a bit of a heartbreaker to do that to a thing like this bench.

Otherwise, good luck to him.

 

[AJB Temple]

I eventually watched the video. Seems to me the reason he built this bench to showcase his skills, is because it was entirely funded by patreon subscribers / donors and the money he makes from youtube. He is very largely a content producer and is doing a great job of it as it both markets and showcases his high quality furniture.

I like his bench a lot and fully get why he showcased it. His workshop looks superb. It's nice to have a good workspace, whether it is an office or a practical shop like this. Great video showcases skills and ideas. Thanks for posting.

 

[Mike G]

.....I only have one "however" and that is marking due to use. There are places on my bench where sawing has gone on just a bit too far, where a chisel has demonstrated its cutting ability etc. It would be a bit of a heartbreaker to do that to a thing like this bench....

Precisely. In other words, it's a bench which can't be used for woodwork. Its primary purpose is attracting Youtube viewers, and it clearly serves that function very well. He'll probably sell the bench at a handsome profit and carry on working on his old bench.

 

[AJB Temple]

Mike, It was funded by patreon mainly and by the look of it quite a few of them are his customers. He says the bench is for use in his shop. When you look at the shop, pretty much all of the cupboards and benches in it are nicely made. I think he's just that kind of guy.

Rob Cosman also did a very fancy bench build (I think originally for a customer and the deal went wrong for some reason). It's a very nice bench and is certainly in use. Derek Cohen's bench is pretty nice too. Beyond my skill / time level to do such things. For the one in this thread two and a half months full time bench making (inc filming) is a lot, but it showcases his skills and design process cleverly.

I suspect he's a bit like Blacktail studios and has found a really good way to advertise what he does and achieve really premium prices. It gives a nice boost to artisan / highly skilled furniture making.

 

[Craig Salisbury]

He doesnt have a tool wall covered in red tools and LEDs, so thats good enough for me as well as being a trained cabinet maker. I'd imagine he is using YT to showcase his furniture and process which obviously costs money and time to produce hence Patreon, but time will tell if he turns into a shill or not.

and some nice photos, needed if you are going to have a global reach i guess

https://pedullastudio.com.au/gallery

 

[TrimTheKing]

Mike, It was funded by patreon mainly and by the look of it quite a few of them are his customers. He says the bench is for use in his shop. When you look at the shop, pretty much all of the cupboards and benches in it are nicely made. I think he's just that kind of guy.

Rob Cosman also did a very fancy bench build (I think originally for a customer and the deal went wrong for some reason). It's a very nice bench and is certainly in use. Derek Cohen's bench is pretty nice too. Beyond my skill / time level to do such things. For the one in this thread two and a half months full time bench making (inc filming) is a lot, but it showcases his skills and design process cleverly.

I suspect he's a bit like Blacktail studios and has found a really good way to advertise what he does and achieve really premium prices. It gives a nice boost to artisan / highly skilled furniture making.

I follow Blacktail, very nice stuff.

 

[TrimTheKing]

He doesnt have a tool wall covered in red tools and LEDs, so thats good enough for me as well as being a trained cabinet maker. I'd imagine he is using YT to showcase his furniture and process which obviously costs money and time to produce hence Patreon, but time will tell if he turns into a shill or not.

and some nice photos, needed if you are going to have a global reach i guess

https://pedullastudio.com.au/gallery

Pedulla also excellent stuff.

 

[chataigner]

Very pretty. I would not dare to use it for fear of marking it.

Mine is VERY solid, made with MDF torsion boxes set on a rough construction timber base. It has cuts and dings everywhere and I'm very happy with it.

 

[thetyreman]

not keen to be honest, although it does look good, it doesn't even have proper square dogs, nor does it have normal dovetails which aren't particularly hard to cut by hand, this looks CNC made to my eye, there was no need to try and change the original design when it already works and has been proven for centuries, it's a slick video though and well produced, I'll take my dirty english/nicholson style bench over it anyday.

 

[StevieB]

Beautiful bench, skilled craftsman - I am sure he will use it and benefit from it and he clearly articulates many of the viewpoints expressed here during the video. Arguments of form over function are almost as old as those over sharpening and as with many things, there is no right answer but rather a spectrum of views with the distance between any two viewpoints leading to classifications of 'agree' and 'disagree' for those who wish to make such distinctions.

Would I use it without making a right mess of it, no. Will he make a mess of it? Given the skill displayed here I doubt it, or at least not to the extent of dripping paint on it, cutting 'too far' through a board and nicking the bench etc etc. It is horses for courses - the bench is no good for the type of woodwork/DIY/rough work I do, but as a showpiece, a video to demonstrate his skills and a talking point, it ticks all the boxes he wanted - free timber, paid for by patreons, excellently shot video complete with plugs to sign up and watch 12 hours of additional content and sketchup plans. I should think he is delighted with it!

 

[Dr.Al]

Beautiful bench, skilled craftsman - I am sure he will use it and benefit from it and he clearly articulates many of the viewpoints expressed here during the video. Arguments of form over function are almost as old as those over sharpening and as with many things, there is no right answer but rather a spectrum of views with the distance between any two viewpoints leading to classifications of 'agree' and 'disagree' for those who wish to make such distinctions.

Would I use it without making a right mess of it, no. Will he make a mess of it? Given the skill displayed here I doubt it, or at least not to the extent of dripping paint on it, cutting 'too far' through a board and nicking the bench etc etc. It is horses for courses - the bench is no good for the type of woodwork/DIY/rough work I do, but as a showpiece, a video to demonstrate his skills and a talking point, it ticks all the boxes he wanted - free timber, paid for by patreons, excellently shot video complete with plugs to sign up and watch 12 hours of additional content and sketchup plans. I should think he is delighted with it!

:text-+1:

 

[derekcohen]

Nick Pedulla is an excellent craftsman. Creative and skilled. He, however, has discovered, like many, that being a YouTuber is financially more rewarding than a custom furniture maker. A pity, as he has won awards for his work. What we shall see in the future are glamorous builds for a YouTube audience.

I think that the bench represents something to show his work on, rather than to build on.

Regards from Perth

Derek