Daniel's European work bench (WIP)
I'm completely new to woodwork, having only made a kinda-temporary book shelf from MDF (yuck!).
I'm building a European-style workbench out of pine, sourced from the (expensive, small range) big green shed. I'm using only hand tools and traditional joinery, since I like that kind of thing. I will use a few screws for the vice, aprons, and bearers, though.
The top is made out of 16 boards laminated together, since all three stores I went to had nothing thicker than 19mm which would have worked. I enjoyed laminating them anyway! Here's the top with one set of legs in the background. I still have to plane and cut it down to length.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/58878254/Pe...2019.43.25.jpg
It will take a lot of planing thanks to wonky boards. I don't mind - I enjoy planing. I've also cut 2 through mortises in each leg, with the top mortises having a haunch recess. The tenons (top ones are haunched) have also been cut and fit, with the exception of the last one which I'm fitting tomorrow. That should let me get the bench top on and have a good look at it for the first time.
Here are two legs and rails already dry-fitted.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/58878254/Pe...2008.52.09.jpg
My mortises and tenons aren't very good. There are gaps, which have occured when the pine I was chiselling (with freshly sharpened chisels) just splintered into little bits. I put it down to my lack of skill. I've gotten a lot better after cutting 8 of them, but I still think the pine is a bit brittle. Would love to try this in a better wood.
There will also be a well board lower than the bench, and aprons recessed into the legs, with a vice mounted in the usual place.
Once made, the bench will sit in the same position where the chip board bench is in the photo, but 90 degrees rotated. I'm also installing a double fluoro light above the bench, and that will be on height-adjustable chains, with a power outlet on it to plug in stuff (the occasional circular saw use) above the work piece.
Here's my current (temporary) work space (I was chiselling away the waste wood on a tenon for one of the rails in the photo).
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/58878254/Pe...2008.53.21.jpg
Hopefully I'll have a photo of the dry fit tomorrow.
Next job will be a tool cabinet under the bench, and then I need to resurface the scratched dining room table.
Thanks for everyone's kind help and awesome inspiration on this forum!
Daniel.