Has anyone on this forum any experience with the "New-Fangled Workbench" as described in Fine Woodworking Mag December 1999?

I too have the remains of an ex-pergola in not-too bad and oh so well seasoned Oregon (Douglas Fir?) and I am tempted by the flexibility that the clamps in lieue of vices may provide, to say nothing of the $$$ which I won't have to spend!

On the other hand if one were going to all the effort of constructing a half-decent bench, one would want to be fairly sure that it would do the job wouldn't one?

(Photo attached without permission from Taunton press)

Thanks,

P

Attached Images

newfangledbench.jpg (7.0 KB, 650 views)

Did you every build this thing? If so, how do you like it?

Just when I thought this was going to be the least popular post in history...


No, I haven't built it....yet.

I was hoping for some feedback before launching headlong into it, but in the light of the overwhelming popularity of it as a project, will probably just go ahead and do it over the next month or two.

It reads pretty well in the original article, and should give a lot of flexibility. If it doesn't work well enough it won't be too hard to pull out the clamps and install "proper" vices, and since the timber is free I have nothing to lose.

Will revitalise this thread when I get going.

Cheers,

P

I didn't realize that had the "least popular" record and were piling up a lead.

Though douglas fir is unavailable (=expensive) in this area, I'll figure some way around that and build a version of it too. Seems like not a bad way to go for a first workbench.

My only real concern with the construction of the bench is that it may end up a bit light?

If I had a ready source of (free!) alternative species, I'd be happy to use anything within reason.

Keep me posted on progress won't you!

Cheers,

P

Like some of you chaps above I am thinking of making one of these, and was wondering if anyone has any first hand experience. I too thought the model looked a bit light, but others may have different ideas. I suppose a bench is not an anvil
Any ideas, Chaps? Cheers, MIke

Have a look here New Fangled Workbench

My original New Fangled Workbench is 2.4 metres long and I don't have any problems with it moving. I didn't have access then to Douglas Fir / Orgeon at the time, so I built it out of 90 x 45 mm structural pine from Bunnings. There is more than 0.13 cubic metres of radiata pine plus all the pipe, clamps, MDF and other fittings to keep it firmly grounded. (Plus the weight of what you are working on.)

Sorry the links to the pictures in my original post have disappeared, but the sketchup model and the video are still working.

Hope this helps, Chris