Wrought iron or stainless steel are popular choices for outdoor furniture like benches due to their natural resistance to decay, strength, and affordability. Cedar is a popular choice for outdoor benches due to its natural oils and durability rating of 2. For a sleek finish, wrought iron or stainless steel is the best bet. For an outdoor bench that can double as dining chairs, lighter materials like wicker or rattan might be the best pick.
The best type of wood for a workbench top depends on how you intend to use it. MDF, plywood, and hardboard are all good options, with MDF being smoother. Timbers used externally need to be selected carefully for their ability to withstand the elements.
Outdoor benches are most commonly made with H3 treated pine in the frame and Marine-grade plywood for the benchtop and sides. Consider what sort of cover might fit over the bench to minimize moisture it receives. Treated wood or rot-resistant hardwood like white oak should be kept a finish and kept out of the sun/rain as much as possible. Hardwoods like maple, beech, or oak are popular choices for workbench tops due to their durability and resistance to wear.
For a softwood top, the ECOply 2400 x 1200 x 19mm CD Structural Plywood would be functional and close to your required thickness. To assemble the top, set a 2×8 from your table saw to the workbench as a straight platform that’s long enough to support it. The bench has a solid top laminated from milled reclaimed boards, which is three inches thick and has top measurements of about 68″ x 20″.
To maintain the bench, use an oil finish of your choice on the top and plan for yearly maintenance. The bench has a welded frame (25x25mm square tubes) which was sent for galvanizing. The work top is made of the kind of ply used on the bench. 1/2″ plywood will be used to enclose the sides of the workbench and for the construction of doors located at each end.
📹 How to Choose a Woodworking Workbench
Build the Quick-Stack Workbench My most recent bench design is portable! The Quick-Stack bench breaks down into 6 …
What is the best surface for a workshop bench?
The best material options for a garage workbench include laminate, butcher block, and medium density fiberboard (MDF). Laminate is known for its durability and resistance, while butcher block is a common material for both indoor and outdoor workbenches. Fiberboard, also known as MDF, is a good option for those on a tighter budget.
When choosing a workbench material, consider factors such as location, size, intended purpose, and budget. Factors to consider include durability, job types, and budget. Premium workbench surfaces may not be suitable for those who don’t plan to use them frequently.
The material should be able to withstand regular wear and tear, ranging temperature conditions, and be easy to clean, as garages tend to collect dust, dirt, and cobwebs quickly. For example, laminate is suitable for indoor and outdoor use, butcher block is suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
In summary, the best material options for a garage workbench depend on factors such as durability, location, size, and intended purpose.
What is the best type of bench?
Flat benches are simple, sturdy benches suitable for exercises like bench presses and dumbbell rows. They offer a stable platform for heavy lifting but lack adjustability. Adjustable benches allow for more versatility by adjusting the backrest angle, allowing for flat bench press and incline exercises. Competition benches are designed to meet powerlifting competition standards, featuring thicker, more supportive padding and safety racks or spotter platforms. Their height, width, and length are regulated to match IPF specifications, making them ideal for powerlifters training for competition.
Can you use plywood for benchtops?
The benchtop was chosen for its durability and cost-effectiveness, after considering the time and time issues of concrete. A Resene paint expert recommended using a coat of paint and sealing it with Resene’s Uracryl GraffitiShield. A new sink and gooseneck tap were sourced from a local demo yard. A splashback was created using cheaper tiles in a brick pattern with classic white grout. The kitchen was re-painted and all cupboards were prepared.
Repurposing vintage items can be more practical than pretty, as they can be found in op shops, garage sales, and relatives’ cupboards. If you’re looking to install a simple splashback in your kitchen, you may be able to do it yourself. Tiling comes down to precision, so measure, measure, and measure again.
What type of wood for workbench top?
The author prefers oak timber for bench building due to its workability and simplicity. They believe that simple fundamentals make a workbench work, and should not be overly designed. They advise not to be special in design but to build the bench to your desired level. They also mention a personal experience where they were asked to build a bench from ebony, which they didn’t take on due to their lack of preparedness. The author emphasizes the importance of being reasonable and not overly ambitious in bench building.
What is the best fabric for a bench?
Acrylic fabrics like Sunbrella, Tempotest, Outdura, and Bella Dura are popular for their versatility and durability, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. These fabrics are made by solution-dyed individual yarns, resulting in colorfastness, water resistance, and durability. They also offer unmatched softness, making them comfortable for seating. Although initially used for outdoor purposes, they are now found in living, family, and bedrooms due to their easy maintenance and durability. RSH Decor offers a vast selection of acrylic fabrics to match any project’s needs.
What are outdoor benches made of?
Wood, metal, concrete, stone, plastic/resin, and recycled materials are commonly used to construct sturdy park benches for public outdoor spaces. Wooden benches with backrests are comfortable and warm, but require more maintenance to maintain their pristine appearance. Common wood types for outdoor benches include pine, cedar, and hardwood. These materials offer a variety of options for outdoor seating and durability.
What material should I use for workbench?
Plywood is a medium-durability workbench top that offers durability and is less likely to warp. It can be layered to a minimum of 3/4 inches thick for a sturdy surface. Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) is an economical choice with similar advantages to plywood but is lightweight and sturdy enough for overhang designs. Combining a hardwood base with an MDF or plywood top can provide durability and affordability, making it easy to replace in the long term.
What is the best bench top surface?
Engineered stone is the most commonly used kitchen benchtop material, offering durability and a variety of styles and colors. It shares many attributes with natural stone and has become the most popular choice for renovators. Historically, kitchen benchtops were made from tile, but the 1950s revolution of high pressure laminates made laminate the most popular material.
Laminate is one of the cheapest countertop options, offering a vast range of styles and colors. It can even mimic other materials for those who want a natural stone look without the budget. It weighs less than most benchtop materials and is easier to install, saving on labor costs. High pressure laminate benchtops are heat, stain, and scratch resistant and easy to clean.
In summary, there are various materials available for kitchen benchtops, with engineered stone being the most popular choice due to its durability and variety. However, new trends and trends are emerging, with Australian kitchen design trends focusing on creating a unique Australian identity through different benchtop materials.
What are bench tops made of?
Kitchen benchtop materials include engineered stone, porcelain, natural stone, solid surface, stainless steel, concrete, timber, and laminate. These materials can be used to create the largest horizontal surface in a kitchen and can be the main visual feature. When choosing a benchtop material, it is important to consider factors such as color, texture, and material. To make the best choice, it is essential to get clear on your priorities and narrow down your options based on what is most relevant for you, your family, and your cooking style. Additionally, consider factors like durability, longevity, and aesthetic appeal.
How to choose a bench top?
When choosing a kitchen benchtop, consider three key factors: price, durability, and aesthetics. A kitchen benchtop can transform your kitchen and enhance the overall appearance of your home. Factors to consider include affordability, durability, and aesthetics. Made In Stone offers a range of engineered stone and porcelain, suitable for various design and style themes such as contemporary, class, modern, rustic, and avant-garde.
By considering these factors, you can choose the best material for your kitchen benchtop and achieve long-lasting and durable results. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to choose the best material for your kitchen benchtop.
What are work bench tops made of?
Stainless steel is a durable and easy-to-clean material commonly used in industrial and laboratory settings due to its resistance to corrosion, staining, and heat damage. It is also non-porous, making it resistant to bacteria and microorganisms. However, it can be expensive and may not be comfortable for long periods of work due to its hardness. To clean a stainless steel worktop, wipe it down with a soft or microfibre cloth, use mild detergent and warm water to gently scrub it, avoid using steel wool or abrasive sponges, and use the correct cleaning and disinfecting solutions for medical or food preparation environments.
Wipe thoroughly with a clean damp cloth to remove detergent, and dry the surface to prevent water spots and streak marks. Stainless steel workbenches are manufactured for various applications, including health, medical, food preparation, and veterinary.
📹 Outdoor Workbench Build From Reclaimed Materials
I have been gathering wood this past winter and spring for some projects. Here I build an outdoor workbench / potting bench for …
As a total beginner who threw together the low work bench in two afternoons based on Rex’s article I can absolutely vouch for it being worth it. It was very approachable, I made a few mistakes but that’s fine because I learned a lot. It really built my confidence for my projects since and I use it all the time! Thanks for another great article Rex.
I build a Moravian Bench during the first lockdown. I build it with hand tools only, in my flat and I can’t be happier. The Top was build out of two big construction lumber posts joint with 5 big MaschineScrews and nuts. A year later I made a nicer top with a wagon vise build in. I think I was lucky, to have picked the perfekt bench for me without knowing much before… Time will tell. Thanks rex for all the top information.
I built Rex’s English workbench as my first woodworking project last year during the lockdown. It was very straightforward and everything went according to plan. It’s pretty difficult to screw up. Definitely a good “general” sturdy workbench for a beginner to make. I literally built mine on the kitchen table then moved the parts into the spare bedroom (which then became a workshop) to assemble it.
I built my bench 20+ years ago. I don’t know that I was inspired by any particular design, I just had an idea in my head of what I wanted that would fit in my space at the time. The very simple frame is made from 2x4s and 2x6s, held together with carriage bolts and construction screws. The front side of the top frame is three layers of 1×6 oak with spaces for dog holes in the middle layer down the length. I have a shelf at the bottom that leaves space for my shop vac at the end under the top. The top is 3/4″ plywood with 1/4″ hardboard on top, resting in a rabbit on the inside edge of the top frame. The hardboard isn’t glued down, I figured that way I could replace it if it got too chewed up. I haven’t replaced it yet. This has served me quite well over all this time. I’m in the process of adding a moxon-style vise to the front using 2×6, wheel handles from plywood, and some acme thread I salvaged from a kitchen trash compactor. Thanks for this overview. I never realized there were so many classical options out there. Thanks for sharing!
I have been in design limbo for my 1st bench for months and today (just now) I have finally decided on the dimensions of the mortise & tenon joints. And literally 15 seconds after finally coming up with those dimensions, this article comes on.. lol.. The real reason I was stalled for months was my learning how to use my hand planes to get all the 4×4 & 4×6 stock true and dimensionally square along with a few side projects I used as prerequisite builds leading up to my bench (mallet, wooden mortise gauge & a heavy duty 18″x24″ table I plan to turn into a sharpening station if I ever finish this bench… Rex your content has been a huge help and has taught me so much along the way. Thanks for being here for us woodworking Newbs!! Cheers my friend!!!!
I’ve built two Moravian benches — one out of 2x6s laminated together for the top and 2×4 laminated together for the legs, the other 2×4 all the way through. The first one is a little over built for woodworking, so I mostly use it for workshop stuff, especially working on heavy cast iron equipment. The other one I did a little closer to Will’s design, with the tool tray and overall smaller top. Both frames are built from laminating 2x4s to create the joinery, so I skipped the 1/2 lap dovetail for a through mortise with full size tenon, same with the middle brace, and the bridle joint just had a full size 2×4 glued into and planed down to the angle. This system was way more beginner friendly and used a compound sliding miter saw for everything but the angled through mortise for the long stretchers and wedges.
Excellent advice. My first bench was made from a kitchen remodel. The top was 3 layers of laminated 3/4 fir plywood and old fir framing for the edging. It measured 27 x 63 because that was the size of the plywood. The legs and stretchers were made of old framing 2×4’s laminated together. It had no vises. It looked like your first bench. it worked. When I got more experience I built a better bench and passed the old one on to someone who was remodeling and building a shop.
I built the low bench first, then followed Rex’s YT articles to build the English joiner’s bench on the low bench. I still use it for every project, big and small, even after more power tools have crept into my shop. At the same time I learnt a lot building these benches since I was a complete rookie at the time
So I built a low bench first, and then did a 2×4 roubo variant with 8 mortise and tenons, 4 for legs and 4 for stretchers. I just glued the top and legs with holes in them already. And for the other 2 stretchers I just did a half lap and bolted it on. I want to say it was about 20 2x4s. Basically Rex’s 30$ bench a bit wider on roubo legs from laminated 2x4s
I think an overlooked quality of the built-in bench (as it was described in this article) is that your workbench is RIGHT UNDER your tool wall, if you have such a wall installed. With the potential for shelving too, the potential tool access provided by the built-in w/ a wall contributes to really nice workflow.
a great article for those getting started and needing a bench. my first major project when getting back into woodworking was my scandinavian bench built using the tage frid plans in fine woodworking magazine. it was a very early issue of the magazine, back when it was just in black and white! the vise screws came from lee valley, i believe they are english made. that bench has served me well for 25 years and just as solid today as it was when i built it. i did add an old castiron convertional vise on the back side
I agree with the mentality of just getting what you need to get going and figuring out what you really need from your experience using it. I’m not a wood worker, though I find it interesting, but I’ve gotten into hobbies with that mentality. When I got into backpacking I didn’t stress about getting the best, low weight, expensive tent. I bought a cheap tent(amongst other gear) that would get me out there enjoying the trail. That tent was stupid cheap, and I learned a few things that I would change when I got another tent. However I don’t for a minute regret getting that tent. It taught me what I liked, what I didn’t, as well as what I needed and what I didn’t
One of the things I most appreciate about Rex is he understands that perfection is a process. If you want to be a “Maker” then start making something! Due to economic and space issues I got by with a Black and Decker Workmate and hand tools for many years, and I previously had a full shop. Find some info on craftsmen from poor countries who produce masterworks with next to nothing, tool wise, they will inspire you!
My first exposure to workbenches was, as for many, my father’s and grandfather’s built-in benches. As my own experiences grew, mostly on jobsites, whatever heavy, straight-ish boards that could be clamped or screwed to saw horses had to suffice. Then I converted my 2 car garage into a dediczted woodshop and the process began in reversed order from saw horse to modified gorilla rack shelves with a thick top serving to help me build a Woodsmith version of a Scandinavian workbench (which I have modified twice) from construction lumber and repurposed oak flooring. Then I bult a smaller version of your English workbench for my office/project space. Often I’ll work in my driveway under pop-up canopies when I need more space. So now I’ll build either a Moravian or a Roman low bench that I can pull out when needed. So if you can’t make up your mind follow my path and build them all.
Rex’s English joiner’s bench is an EXCELLENT starter bench if you’ve never built a bench before. It’s super easy to do with basically no skills, there’s no complicated joinery to get stuck on. You might mess up a piece or two, but all you need to do is remake that piece and keep going. Edit: the thing that makes the English joiners bench so good is Rex himself. He walks you through step by step and he’s a great teacher.
The most important message of this entire article (in my humble opinion) is to purchase at lease one of the books that Rex has mentioned. If you are prepared to invest one, two, or even eight hundred dollars on a bench, what is the cost of a fifty dollar book and the knowledge it contains. Outstanding work Rex, merci!
I needed something ultra portable for a bunch of reasons. I wound up buying Jay Bates’ Workhorse plans, and found it PERFECT for what I need. I can put it away out of the rain (my shop is outdoors when in use), and I can take it to craft shows without an issue. When I get a place with some indoor space for a shop, I’ll probably move to Rex’s English bench at first, and will probably ultimately upgrade to a Timber Frame style. I have Schwarz’s Workbench book (the blue one, not just the free one) for that time.
Great article, I am in the process of figuring out making my first built bench. I was given a lightweight bench that was designed to be taken apart with everything is lag/bolted together with the benchtop being flat 2×4’s not glued together (long treaded rods through it). It worked well enough for a total newbie but it isn’t that heavy, the top moves a lot with seasonal changes, and really isn’t that flat at the best of times. I may just take the leg frames, made up of 3×3 pine, and add better jointing but honestly I am now leaning towards keeping it all together and building new from the ground up with the old bench helping. I can give it away or throw in the corner as another work surface later. I would love a Scandinavian and have ever since first seeing one on Rob Cosman’s website but I think it is beyond my budget and abilities right now, and be too large for my work space. I recently went to the lumber store to get pricing, which is all very high even for pine, so I need to cost out my options. I’ll probably end up going with a Paul Sellers English style bench (pushed against the wall) with dog-holes and no shoulder vice as I tend to work with bench hooks in the vice for hand-planing and sawing. Funny enough a laminated plywood top may be the most economical option!
My woodshop is in our basement, which is only 1,75m (5’9″) high. So I had to be creative to fit a workbench there. I made a low bench, with a Roubo-like structure and added the convenient Nicholson apron to it. No wise! I just use two holdfasts and a bunch of bench dogs. Not to big, still portable and very enjoyable. And what did I use to build this bench ? Just a couple of beer crates!
I also subscribe to the idea of building a bench and working with it but then rather than building another, have a think about modifiying the bench, adding features. There is a lot of snobbery about only using a bench of one style. I reckon if you think the tool well of a Scandinavian bench works and you like the apron of the English bench stick them together and make it work for what you do
Great article! And it’s really refreshing to hear someone on YouTube recommending books without using it as a segue into a sponsored ad for an audiobook service. Just signed up as a supporter! BTW I don’t really mind the fact that other YouTubers use sponsorships and it allows lots of them to make great content, but I’ll admit I just skip past 99% of the ad parts.
It just so happens that I started this very day on a Moravian workbench. Crazy, right? What drew me to it is the fact that I can knock it down. My shop is in the basement and should we ever move I would be able to take it with me. Plus, I love its modularity. You see, I’m left-handed and wanted to build a workbench to my needs. Will Myers gives great tips and hints on how to build a left-handed version, by the way. The original plan had been to build the one from King’s Sketchup tutorial but that would never have been able to leave my shop in one piece so I had to find something new. Don’t hold your breath for me finishing the workbench, though since I decided to get rough lumber and mill it myself. Wood prices are still through the roof over here, so I had to look elsewhere. Plus, with two kids there’s not much time. Anyways, great article as always! This should help anybody who‘s unsure what to build.
My first workbench (and still the only) is the inexpensive black and decker’s “workmate 125”, i got it for 60-70USD bundled with a same brand jigsaw, its very handy for chiseling some tenons and do so some stuff, those clamps are amazing. But right now i just cannot keep doing things on that as i want to build bigger things, thats why i bought a moravian workbench plans and even tho you say it’s challenging on the angles, i think i can do it, wish me luck uncle Rex
My bench evolved out of Rob Cosman’s Cosman bench, which in turn is a Scandinavian design. Its main asset is its massive, flat MDF top. The trestle is made from laminated Baltic birch held together with long bolts. If I do it over I will skip the bolts and do joinery via lamination. I did not have the money to purchase the Sjoberg vise that Rob recommends so went with dog holes and holdfasrs. I also left the front edge of the top proud of the trestle and added an apron and a crochet. Later I built a Moxon vise. This design has served me well. Using holdfasts, bench dogs, and a planing stop I have been able to hold every workpiece that I have dealt with. Recently I added an 9″ Eclipse vise to the end. The idea is that you can mix and match elements of various bench designs to meet your needs and budget. Sti
Have made a roubeaux knockoff using pine. 44x67mm An old oak diner table, cut down to 160 x 80 cm Also used some of that oak for the legvise, but I broke it in half at my 2nd try to use it. Also made a sliding oak apron so I can support all kinds of boards. This was my first build. Using a Japanese saw and some Aldi chisels. Trying to make some mortise and tenants. Overall it worked out pretty well.
Good article. I also agree, once you have a bench that holds the wood in the ways it needs to be held, you really are done. I lost interest in thinking of alternates for my workbench once that happened. The only one that you left out that I think is important is to mention the free YouTube articles is Paul Sellers and the English bench (which you do have represented in this article). I figure if Paul has used it for 50+ years making fine furniture, it must be a solid design as well.
Great article as usual. Love all your content. The only major woodworking bench builder you didn’t mention was Paul Sellers. He has three different article series of detailed instructions on building his version of an English woodworking bench. I highly recommend all the people you already mentioned as well as Paul. Thanks again for the great content.
I adapted your Joiner’s bench to suit my budget and space, so it’s narrower and made of white pine. Have been using it frequently for 7 months with heavy planing, axe carving and sawing. Also used for power tool work. Still going strong with some reinforcement here and there. But what you said about building the second bench is definitely through, as I have already identified multiple areas for improvement. This bench is good, but my next will have to be better. Great articles as always Rex!
I built a timber frame workbench two years ago, and can say that it has one major downside: it is HEAVY! If you plan on moving your workbench from place to place, this is not the one. Also, Rex’s comment about having an extra hand is spot on. Even doing something as simple as flipping the top of the workbench over so you can work on the bottom side is best done with two people. Mine is simple construction lumber (Douglas fir), but it still weighs around 150-200 pounds.
My decade-old Steve Ramsey inspired bench still works well enough to play for me to prioritize my next bench as “make a 4×8 assembly/cutting/craft table for the wife”. 300 lbs of plywood and MDF and a great chance to learn a bit of cabinetry (and I haven’t even gotten to building drawers yet). Still not sure what I want to do long-term for my own bench but I’m still making my way through Ingenious Mechanicks and hope to come up with something great for the hand tools I love but maybe with a few modern additions as well.
I’m glad I found your pages. Alot of great advice and ideas. Wish I would have found you sooner because I just took off on my own and rednecked up a workbench from an old kitchen table top (I used the legs when I made an Old Farm House Table). It’s worked out great for the 3 tables and 2 shelves I’ve made so far. But with all your shows I’m finding all kinds of new stuff I can add to the table and do it cheaper than normal. THANK YOU REX!!! Please keep on with the articles!!!
Wholeheartedly agree with the Landis book recommendation. Pretty comprehensive article. I’m a personal shill for the Scandinavian workbench but I think which workbench is “best” really depends on what you intend to make. “Best” tends to be a pretty loaded word. Best for what? Best can mean versatile, best can mean cheapest, best can mean more efficient for whatever items you intend to craft. This isn’t always something the beginning wood worker is going to know. So I think I agree with you that the best bench for a beginner is the one that you can build now and gets you going the fastest so that you can start figuring out what work you enjoy doing and what bench is going to be best for that. I built 4 workbenches on the way to figuring out what I liked best and now I’m pretty happy with my 4th choice. I still use all four benches for other things.
Thank you, Rex! My frist workbench, just a beefy high table really, is about to fall apart. It’s done a great job for years, but has a lot of shortcomings. I also inherited a scaled down Scandinavian workbench from my grandfather that’s been just great, but it’s a bit too small. So, I’ve done what you said NOT to do: Agonizing about what and how to build. You gave me the answer: A Roubo workbench, but I’m going to add an end vice which I just love in my Scandinavian workbench. I’ll probably also add some drawers or cabinets underneath, since storage space has a high value in my way-too-small workshop. Also, your reference to the Anarchist’s Workbench by Christopher Schwarz basically answered all my questions on dimmentions, mortises, construction etc. Again: Thank you very much for this article – and for all your other great content!
Paul Seller’s workbench was my first to build and my current workbench. I really enjoy it, however the front vise is not flush with the apron so you have to do some improvising to hold long pieces. I also made a couple of dog holes that are not on his bench. But the inconveniences are small and it was a great first project as a beginning hand tool wood worker. The only tools I had were a Kobalt no 4 plane, harbor freight set of chisels and two cheap saws. I learned a lot from the experience. I’ve been using the bench for over a year now. Sellers has the complete article series free on YouTube.
What a fantastic article. I really wish I’d had Rex when I was getting started. I started woodworking on a plastic folding table, the absolute worst workbench conceivable. When I built my first bench, I spent all my money to get the wood and hardware for a real roubo. The build took me about 3 months start to finish, as I was only 11 at the time and had to work around school. That bench has been the core of my workshop for almost 7 years now, and has helped me start and grow my woodworking business. Hands down the best part about it is that I left it bare. I simply built a framework, put on 1 vise, and started work. It’s had all manner of different work holding and tool storage devices screwed, glued, and ripped off of it in that time, and at least 6 different vises. Someday I will build it again out of nice hardwoods, with only my favorite features, but it has been the perfect bench for me.
Rex, brilliant as you are at simplifying the seemingly inscrutable, please consider that the traditional Franz Klaus/James Krenov style shoulder vise is not the only shoulder vise design. If neophyte me, can build a simple hollow box with $40 worth of threaded rod and shoulder vise hardware using a single bolt through it and a bench apron (i.e., no 5th leg and no trestle foot), anyone can. It’s really just a heavy duty C-clamp horizontally mounted to the end of the apron. Mounting a cast iron front vise and a Veritas top of the line quick release front vise, were both harder. A leg vise with floor resting wedge instead of a parallel guide was easier, but not by much. While this shoulder vise was the hardest to learn to use because of how much it racks, once figured out, I love using it more than all the others and even as much as you do, your leg vise!
My bench is simply a hardwood sideboard (three drawers, three cupboards) which I got secondhand for £40, with a solid beech kitchen island top (£70) screwed to it. Take out drawers and you have room for pony bench hooks and get a screw to make a Nicholson style vise. The whole thing (including the workholding and vise) cost less than £200 and you end up with a rock solid bench with tones of storage (adding to the mass of the bench) and the ability to hold anything.
Nice article, built a Roubo style bench out of cheap construction lumber and it works. Not sure I want to build something nice as I would be bothered using it and banging it up. No burning desire to redo, though considered doing some mods like T track and such. People need to learn to be happy with what they have and not always moving to the new.
My situation is this: my work area is one end of a living room that I use as a classroom to teach English to my neighborhood kids and sometimes their families. I’m thinking about the low bench. I’m thinking it could serve the dual purpose work bench and seating bench. I’m going to have a look at the article for it again. However, the legs seem spindly for a seating bench. I’ll have another look at the article.
As always a great article. I have grown to love your work on YouTube and want more. Like all your other articles this was beautiful and exquisitely produced. Unfortunately you have made lots of great articles on benches and plane’s. As of now I personally want to see you show me how to make something else that’s simple. Those articles are the one’s I rewatch and really enjoy. Your best articles I know are the best because I can watch them once for entertainment, and rewatch them to get notes and a deeper understanding. I will not be re-watching this and I almost didn’t watch it once.
Rex excellent article. Showing the positive and negative of each bench is very helpful and honest. Enough information to guide in making a choice while leaving the decision to the individual. I looked for the free download of Christopher Schwarz workbench series. Lost Art shows it as 30.00. Do you have a link for the download?
For the Scandinavian bench, there was a version put together by Norm Abrams from the New Yankee Workshop for his show a few years ago-I’ve seen the full episode & parts of it floating around on youtube. For an interesting and elegant take on the Roubo (or really, a combo of the Roubo, the Nicholson, & the Scandinavian), check out Samurai Carpenter’s ‘Samurai Workbench’.
15 years ago I was lucky to get Viggo’s (my late grandfather’s) small høvlebænk (“Scandinavian bench”) after my dad died, and he got it after Viggo died about 40 years ago, and knowing my grandfather, I’m sure he got it used from someone else! After Viggo retired, he moved to the center of Copenhagen and in a tiny, tiny room in the cellar under an old apartment building, he made the most wonderful and very detailed things, using this bench and very limited hand tools only and often from scrap wood. (Just another reminder that a large shop filled with all kinds of tools, shop vac. etc, etc. isn’t needed or any guarantee better things or more stuff will be made) The bench is like the drawing at 2:34 (just smaller) and has 2 wises, both with 3-4 inch wooden threats! And it still works, but the legs are very wobbely, and as it is original, I don’t like to change anything to make it more solid and useful as a workbench, and I might have to retire it, and use it, just as it is, for flowers, picture frames, etc. in my living room. Most of my furniture is very old Danish or Swedish of solid pine or oak, with old paint and lack remove decades ago, and you can see they have been and are used. Just like Viggo’s høvlebænk.:D Greetings from a new woodworker in Denmark /Pia (age 59, just to add to the “I don’t have enough space and/or tools” the “I’m too old to get started”, that is ALSO not a valid excuse!! 😀
I would also recommend Paul Seller’s variation on the english joiners bench. He has a series on building the bench without a bench. I built mine about two years ago and I’ve built everything from small projects to eight foot dining tables and king size bed from using just that bench, and it’s holding up great.
I have James Krenov’s first bench he bought when in Sweden. He ordered a larger one and sold his bench to another American in Sweden who eventually moved to the US near me. This person ordered another larger bench from Sweden and I bought his (Krenov’s) bench from him. . By necessity, I lifted the base of the bench 3 ” as Krenov was shorter than I. The bench includes his original deliver/order tag. I also have an upper end Sjoberg which my wife uses for her mosaic art. Another useful bench is self made from plywood and 4X4s. Strong, large. Disassembles with bolts and screws in the event it needs to be moved.
Thank you so much for your article. I have already built an adapted version of your low bench, using an incredibly hard hardwood. It’s stinky, super-hard, heavy and no insect or fungus can bother it. Dinizia excelsa, I think. Believe it or not, it’s cheaper than good pine here in the middle of Brazil. The bench is ugly, it’s not really straight and has already cost my wife a toenail. Man, I love the little bastard, it has been my faithful helper for almost two years and I have no plans to get rid of it, even after I build a real bench.
The first bench I built consisted of 2-4×4 for legs (each cut in half), 5-2×4 (for the framing, skirt, and stretchers), and 4-5/4 tongue and groove wall paneling (for the top). I made it 6′ long and 2′ wide, so an 8′ board would give me a side and end. The whole thing is held together with screws and lag bolts. Later I put a sheet of plywood on the lower stretchers to act as a shelf and bolted a machinist vise to one end. The bench has been sitting outside under my awning for over ten years and I still use it all the time. I don’t only do woodwork, I do mechanics work, some metal fabrication and light blacksmithing, and just about everything else on that bench. It’s not pretty anymore (though it never really was a looker) but it is still sturdy.
I had a nice combination bench that I’d built with “free” cast off lumber that I’d gotten from the shipping department of a place I used to work. Was partially a “built in”, and partially a timber bench. I say this, and the top, and stringers were all 4×4 lumber. The two front legs, where found in the rafters of the old farmhouse I was in, they were true 2×2, with 12×12 pad feet, with 4 gussets, and steel dowel drilled center on the ends. I was able to use the dowels into blind holes in the underside of the top, the leg glued/and braced with straps to the face of the front stringer. The rear stringer was set shallow to allow the rear of the bench to rest on a piece of strapping that was lagged into the brick wall of the house. It was heavy, solid, and cost me only the hardware to assemble it.
You’re so right about the mindset that prevents us from making things. Whenever my “I want it to be perfect” kicks in, I go to your articles and watch, you show us that it is okay to make mistakes. Whenever I want to buy an expensive tool, I remember you doing stuffs with limited and not so expensive tools and everything worked just fine. Thank you Rex! I’m sure your website made a lot of people not to quit and enjoy woodworking.
What amazes me is that the woodwork benches we had at school (UK) look like a combination of all of these benches. I tried posting a link but it got deleted so drop the text underneath into Google if you are interested. “British made by the EMIR company of Kent England – these various vintage woodworking school / carpenters work benches are well constructed and super practical. “
My workbench is a repurposed set of shelves or high Coffee table (I’m really not sure what it was intended as as it was an in-between height). I built a frame on top out of 2×4’s and used that to make an improvised vice that uses two threaded rods, then put a top on that, also out of constuction lumber. this left it at about the right work height for me. The work surface is 12 inches wide and has a tool caddy behind it.
I made the English joiner’s bench in a few hours a year or so ago and love it. I didn’t even have a vice for a while and that never slowed me down, now I’ve got a leg vice and an end vice. Even though I wouldn’t rule out making another sort of bench, I like the idea behind the English joiner’s bench. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. If you know how to make that style of bench, you can put one together anywhere and at least manage anything the others can do. I added another 2×10 to the apron to make doors and cabinets even more convenient, as well as a tool tray at the back and one of those length-ways pop out stop boards down the middle. The first and last of those helped especially when I was only working with a crochet in the beginning. Thanks for the vids!
I built Rex’s English wood workers bench ……… out of scrap wood which included, part of a car port, an old bed and some wood my wife was planning on cutting up for firewood. And it’s brilliant, and yes I did use a thin top, supported by a lot of stretchers. And I don’t see myself building another as this meets all my needs.
I have been woodworking for over 40 years and I find your shows informative and entertaining. You are a great presenter and do a terrific job on content and layout. I am almost done with my last workbench. I have seen all the various types and am just building one that suits my needs while utilizing features from various other designs. I am lucky enough to have two Emmert Pattern Makers vises which I have acquired over the years for free and am incorporating them into it. The biggest mistake I see most make in the articles is that they are trying to combine a work bench with an assembly table. To me they are two separate benches and not a good thing when combined.
huh, look at that, I had already sourced all my 2×4’s and a couple 4×4’s and I’m currently in the process of planing them all to stick them together to make ‘my version’ of the Roman Low Bench. My plan was to make the top the same way you did but wider, and use 4×4’s and mortise and tenon joinery to build a heavy duty base that should be nice and heavy. I already drew out my design and everything, only to now realize that “my design” that I worked so hard on, already exists and has a name lol I’m apparently building a Roubo Bench, except without the fancy dovetails, just plain tenons lol
Hey Rex, way back you bought a cheapo chinese plane from ebay/alibaba/amazon/somewhere and then for a while you used a japanese saw in a lot of your articles. I think it would be cool if you could shed more light on japanese, chinese, and korean woodworking. These regions have produced some of the best woodworking ever and their tools, techniques, and styles are almost completely missing from most of the bigger youtube woodworking websites. There is a lot of cool stuff in there like the yari-kana (spear plane) that is used to plane an interesting finish into wood surfaces, or kumiko – the art of making a lot of fiddly bits of wood look like magic wood crystals. Thanks for this awesome tour of european and american workbenches and how to navigate them.
Great article Rex. I’m surprised that you didn’t note that Paul Sellers has several builds of workbenches over the last 10 years available on YouTube and plans on his websites. They are based on what has worked for him over 50 years and in response to feedback from his students and followers. I’m building one of his versions.
Great and thorough presentation, Rex. The bench I build and finished last week ended up as a hybrid. It is a laminated slab-top timber-frame with a Nicholson-style apron on one side and a open Roubo-style on the other. My thinking is it’ll leave an opening to add vises down the road. Right now it’s viseless and with holdfasts. Made it all with hand tools and reclaimed lumber. Who needs the gym anyways. Edit: And I made it on a 100+ year old rickity Scandinavian 😅
2:10 bench envy kicks in. But seriously, advice around 16:00 is the best thing ever: just build something. I’m still learning how to use the one I built (based on Rex’s Traveller’s), and I’m constantly making modifications, but it is so gratifying and useful to have a proper bench. Maybe I’ll build something higher/bigger at some point; maybe I won’t. But getting past the bench let me start doing actual furniture again. And that’s the best part.
Well, don’t know where I fit, but I liked the idea of a nice thick top that I could plane down to resurface when needed, that also made it heavy and sturdy, but I also wanted to be able to move it by myself. So I built the top out of 2″x4″s and it weighed about 100lbs+, so then I had to be able to have the legs separate and so I built my version of the Moravian legs and I’m very happy with it. Total weight including vice is about 160lbs+, which I could never lift and move by myself, but being able to remove the vice and top from the legs makes it just manageable.
I built my first workbench about 7 years ago. It’s structure is made from 2×4 lumber and has a 2x22mm OSB top. It is like a built in bench but it is not. After 7 years i see a bounch of flaws about it. I will design my new workbench in the future considering the many things i had learned from your articles.. Thank you.
Hi Rex, nice job. I wanted proper workbench in the firts minute, when I tried some handtool woodworking on old machinist workbench. So I dig and as my firts real project I built a nice Moravian with just hand tools and little help of friend with planer and thickness planer for preparing and gluing laminated top. And Moravian was my clear choice, because I am a Moravian, cheers from Moravia, part of Czech republic 🙂
Downsides on the timber frame workbench – You mention one repeatedly, in the need for help with building it 😉 It’s also going to be very challenging to move if you should relocate your shop (and it might as well be a built in if you assembled it in your basement, for example 😉 ) I’m not for a moment arguing against the style, I’ve attempted one in the past and have every intention of making another, better, attempt in the future. But if we’re going to talk about things like mobility as advantages/disadvantages – the timber frame is effectively a permanent installation, for both good and bad 😉
I’m building my bench timber frame style, it’s taken me 2 years so far, because other than the glue and vice I’m not spending money on it. I’m doing this by using pallets, and the pallets I’m using have to be pretty specific, I’m only using pallets made of red/white oak and hickory, that way I have a nice sturdy hardwood bench. Now if I just wanted to use the standard available pallet that is made of pine I would have Ben done 18 months ago. Oh well can’t complain about a bench that is only costing me the $17.50 for glue- the vice was a Christmas gift so no money there. Now I kind of feel like I have to say this: I do currently have 2 makeshift benches that I got for free that are the rickety thin top Nicholson type that I added 2×4 to the underside of for support and those get me by for now- I really can’t wait to finish my bench
I have a question and Rex seems like the person who would do a article on this. Do you need a ‘workbench’? So let me expand on this. Heavy power tool orientated workshops have dedicated stations for all the operations to happen at. All they need after that is an assembly area or table. So sawhorses and clamps could accomplish this. Hand tools users. So in Japan they work on the floor and in china they traditionally work on a narrow bench, just like a Roman work bench. Your Roman work bench is essentially a low normal bench which ia used like a saw horse. Further small portable work tops with clamping exist and could be fixed to many tables or saw horses. Added to this saw horses have been made with vices and such. So is a workbench just an over engineered assembly table/overgrown saw horse, or is it an essential piece of kit that any woodworker would need even if only occasionally? Powertool integeated workbenches also exist. But this is a workshop choice to have tools in the centre integrated onto what is essentially an assembly table. A person could just have all the tools around the outside and a collapsable assembly table brought to the middle when needed. Thinking hard on this, can all woodworking needs be met with a workshop that does not have a ‘workbench’?
This was a great article Rex. It was tremendously helpful. I’ve need to build a bench for along time and I am considering your bench. I have the plans and am calculating how much it will cost. It may end up costing a lot less than I think because I can get all kinds of free lumber from where I work. Thanks for taking the time to put all this info together. Take care.
Just what I needed, more ‘food’ for thought…. My first bench was pretty ‘rustic’….. I still use it. Top was 2 layers of MDF and edge trimmed in bubinga. It doubled as a table saw infeed table. I have taken to getting restaurant grade maple tops, which come in kind of standard 25 inch widths, but are available in widths up to over 4 feet, and lengths varying up to 8 foot. I have a 3 foot wide one that will be my next bench. These preformed table tops are great. If you have enough frame under them, they don’t bounce. Just finishing a bench/table for my chisels, planes, and marking/lay out tools. It was a ‘learning’ experience….. Not a cabinet maker, but each project does get better than the one before….
I came across your article on idea to make my door bench operable and be able to knock it down your dowel idea was very interesting. It baffled me that you added that half dowel to the post. I’ve had a much simpler approach by drilling the holes for the dowels about 3/8 of a inch from the edge of the outside post and used a half dowel tapered and it does the same thing thanks for the vid
4:18 – nope, “bench slave” is fine. It describes perfectly what it does. Don’t mess with the proper wording just because of the contemporary “sensitivities” 😊. The word “slave” denotes a certain state of being and that’s that. Acting as if by using it one does “support” slavery is ridiculous. Rest easy—”bench slave” won’t get offended 😋😁
Such a great overview, Rex! My first bench was an MDF top one from a Fine Woodworking article and article series (I’m eternally grateful to Asa Christiana for getting me started in my woodworking hobby with that bench). I quickly outgrew it and built an English-style bench to replace it, but I just could not get used to working with those aprons and the construction lumber I used wasn’t the best. Then I read Chris Schwarz’s Workbench book and set out to build a Roubo… It literally took me three summers to complete, using only hand tools, in my unheated New England garage (you’re not kidding when you say you need a buddy – maneuvering a 300 pound white ash laminated slab to cut the leg joints was no joke!) but I can honestly say it’s the best and last workbench I’ll ever need. The Roubo design was a complete revelation for me and I encourage everyone to build one!
Great article mate, I’m with you, read Schwarz’ books back to back, watched Seller’s English bench(which I believe is one of the best bench build articles around, and seattled on a roubo version with laminated Doug fir. But at the end, seatled into something I though I could build and complete without taking a year. So happy with it, couple of small things I could change or improve, and that will happen in due course, but it remains one of my most prized possessions, because I just got on with it rather than perturbate over the minutia. Just. Freaking. Build. The. Ba$£@€d. You’ll thank yourself for it.
Thank you Rex for just putting it out there to stop perusal youtube once in a while and stop optimizing every detail before diving into some actual WORK! 🙏 As a testimony for simplyfying things being helpful: your articles got me started in hand sharpening within a week when I was stuck on ‘which stones are absolutely perfect and which grits, fluids or whatever are perfect, and which technique… etc etc.’ – and you did that by simplyfying the topic for me 👍
My main bench is currently a heavily modified Sjoberg Swedish bench. The modifications have made it more like a Nicholsen bench. A few weeks ago I built a low workbench based off Rex’s article (I used yellow pine stair treads glued together as the top though) and use it quite a bit at home and traveling. Next I will build a small Moravian bench for traveling. So far I’m finding 2 yellow pine stair treads glued together to make them thicker create a nice work surface that’s sturdy and stable. A full year or more of use may convince me otherwise.
Hey rex! Great article! I wanted to ask you something. My father and I we’ve built our own kind of bench, a hybrid in between a ruobo and an English joiners bench. Since this is a dull size bench,I was thinking we could build some kind of “miniature” or small size bench in one of the ways you just show in the article. What kind of bench should we choose for the next one? 😉
Well said!! I’ve been using two wood saw horses, an 8′ solid core door, and a tool shelf supported by two 8′ 2×4’s. Some simple notches in the right places and it locks into place. It’s need my main bench for 5 it years and it has served me very well. It is time to build one that has a few more features and a little more stable. Love the information,.
I started with the low Roman and I decided to experiment. I added Roubo style legs and an apron on one side for holdfasts. I also added a handmade wooden Moxon vise on the opposite side for dovetailing. Now I have a stocky low Roman that I really like. Thanks to Rex’s articles and Chris Schwartz’s books. Perhaps I should post it on the forum
Question for Rex… I LOVE your articles, btw, and have watch a lot of them. I use a very basic bench, what makes it special is that its dimensions are tailored to my height and arm reach. 60 inches in length by 21 inches wide by 35 inches to the worktop. The top is made from 4 edge jointed pine 2×6 and the base is made with peg jointed pine 4×4. The top is joined to the base with 1inch pine dowel pegs driven into cross beams. Very basic, very strong. But limited joinery options, so I built various clamp on vices and holds for doing edge and end work. Space is limited, but not cramped. I build beautiful things on it, mostly crafty gift stuff like frames, cutting boards, birdhouse/feeder kits, Coaster sets, and the like. But after a few resurfacings, the worktop is starting to get thin… Time for a new bench. I was going to copy the design, but use laminated maple for the top and legs instead of pine construction lumber. But after perusal this article… Which style would you recommend for me to upgrade my apprentice grade work bench to a real carpentry bench?
This is what the internet is for. Very good work. I’ve inherited my father’s pattern maker’s bench from a foundry in the English midlands. It takes two of us to move it, but that’s kind of the point. I have never been limited by it, but still Rex has ideas I might add and then they’ll get passed on in turn.
I think you’re absolutely correct about the experience issue Rex: Last year I refurbished a workbench (essentially rebuilt the rotted top by duplicating it with 25mm plywood slabs), have been using it ever since, and through doing so have learned so much about ways of working and the limitations of that design (or of how I rebuilt it at any rate – putting both vices on the face was actually a bit of an accidental masterstroke). Will be moving to a new house in the not too distant future, and I have every intention of building a new bench when setting up the new workshop – and all of those lessons of experience (and yes, all of your tutorials and all the other resources I’ve found) will be going into that process.
Built a Moravian Workbench already and it’s fantastic don’t be scared do it if you want it do it!!! Next I will build a Rubo style from two 8 foot sections of a 150+ year old white oak I have waiting for me to process.🥰💚💪🪵Great article Rex, get yourself some time on a Moravian and you won’t be disappointed👍
Excellent article. I’m a lazy cabinetmaker so I made my main bench out of 2×4 and 3/4 ply, and 2-3/4 coated screws (T-25). It’s 36″ wide, 8ft long, and 32″ high. The frame for the plywood top is a ladder style construction, and I made a second skirt to go around the legs about 2″ off the ground (for strength), and the plywood top overhangs frame 2″ all the way around (for clamping). It is also my table saw out feed table. There is no shelf so there is tons of open storage underneath. I also cut small 45’s at all four corners of top for safety. For me…it’s perfect.
I’ve been working on ‘built in’ style benches since I was a kid. When the Roubo fad hit, I could see the possibilities but…complex (esp. if I design it). When I saw your Nicholson bench article, a light went on…and I built one out of (pre-COVID) 8ft SYP 2X12s (track saw, chop saw, biscuit joiner, #26 Stanley transitional Jack, #8 Jointer and a drill/driver). Of course, I re-designed it for myself. Two layer 18″ wide top, two layer skirts (3″ of thickness top and skirts), an extra 8ft center board…and a 6″ tool well. Massive Record 52-1/2 vise and a Hovarter wagon vise. Very heavy, very stable, and would have been very quick to build, had I not kept re-designing it on the fly. Thank you for your excellent and entertaining articles.
Very well done as always! You’re of one the greats! I’m thinking the roubo for my 1st full sized bench. I built a smaller version similar to your first real woodworking bench, but I did a single tooth box joint apron, which the box joint wasn’t needed but I wanted to practice those cuts and it looks nice.
My wood working bench cost under $10. I bought the few pieces of lumber from Home Depot un the Cult section. 2x10x 48″ few 2x4x48″ I simply cut the leg with double compound saw 5° to 7° (double compound angles). Attached them with screws and no cross beam from one end to another for added strength since it needs to be clear for storage. I build stuff occasionally in the summer time. The bench serves as sitting as well as wood working. LOL. 18 years later, still standing strong. It far exceeded my expectation for longevity. I only used 3″ long #8 or #10 screws. Now that I’m looking back, I should’ve used at least 1/4″ x 4″ lag bolts. LOL.
I’m building my first real workbench right now, and it’s a Moravian although I’m adapting your tilted leg vise for it. I’m taking my time as I started at the end of July but between my inexperience, summer activities and studying I haven’t finished it yet. I already built the slab top, the vise chop and most of the leg assembly, I only need to cut the tusk tenons, bore the peg holes for the top and build the tool well (but for this last part I am waiting to have the rest of the bench done so I can use the vise to make the work easier). Although it didn’t come out perfectly the joinery wasn’t that hard so far, I think the very big tusk tenons will be a little more challenging but I think I’ll be able to cut all the tenons in the time I can make in a single day, same for the big mortises and probably I will be able to cut two of the small mortises a day (they definitely require more precision). But I am waiting right now because when I resawed the long stretchers they drastically bowed out so I’m considering building a basic steam box to try and straighten them a bit. I found a simple design for the box itself so now I want to find a safe and inexpensive option for the steam boiler before proceding.
7:00 English bench plus mountable stretcher bearers provide sash clamp pass under & side clamping points job done with a little extra removable parts & thought. Best of all worlds, light weight low cost sturdy bench. I’ve got to make mine up, it’s going to be hidden as a coffee table storage box that I can put my Stanley Fat Max wheeled chest under plus Mac PAC Makita box at the end & store more on the chest (so we can get in the cupboards & down the corridor 🤤) Door blank fire door top with pivot down legs of its own so it can stand alone outside the base box if needed? I have bespoke small house needs, once done all my tools will be accessible in there open box position under the table in bench configuration, lots of design work to do on a wheeled 19mm ply base box with dovetail corners for strength softwood U base frame to guide the Stanley box in & provide open lid pivot clearance all around & lock clasp access room to get in the bloody thing lol. Leg support hard points bolted or plate screwed for working rigidity possible leveling points if I can endure the concept 🧠 ache 🤤. Lots can go wrong but I have faith 🙏🏻 it will all come together like a giant wooden wheelbarrow in the end if I can kiss (keep it simple stupid) Rudimentary for its use with no vice but house tidying functional storage potential as a transformer coffee table. Ark of the covenant handles to lift it out lol. (now that’s just silly 👀) I have a piece of 12mm toughened glass on cardboard boxes as a rabbit run at the moment in the middle of my front room slowly collapsing under the weight at shin height.
My workbench is 2×4’s, laid flat, on a pair of steel legs I bought 30 years ago. It has a small Craftsman wood vise. I built it in the shed on the back of my mobile home, the corner of the benchtop was whacked off at a weird angle so that the door would open, it immediately got piled high with junk and I worked on sawhorses in the driveway. The bench “followed” me to my new house and is screwed to the interior basement wall. My entire winter shop measures 9.75 ft square. I did gain enough extra room to fix the benchtop’s weird angle but my new shop is also “cozy”. I’ve been restoring a few planes, and just noticed that I now have a lot of Bailey Pattern planes. Your website is always super informative and I liked YOUR book, too.
My workbench is like none of these. I built the top like a house wall laid on the floor: 2×4 studs and cross bracing with 3/4 inch plywood “sheating” for the top. Notched laminated double 2×4 legs, and a smaller “wall” with “studs” and cross bracing with 3/4 ply top for the bottom shelf, and 3/4 plywood “sheeting” for the back. It weighs quite a lot and with spans of less than 1 foot between “studs”, that 3/4 ply top has almost inverse deflection with only one sheet of expensive 3/4 ply. If I had used bolts or* rated structural screws instead of regular construction screws, it would more than likely hold safely 5 actual tons and up to over 15 tons to breaking (static load, evenly distributed). 48Lx36Wx38H inches.
100% great stuff. I concur wholeheartedly about Chris Schwarz. I was so blown away by his free downloads I sprung open my wallet and boought stuff. I now have a signed copy of The Anarchist Design book and the plans for a stick chair. The Moravian bench is in my immediate future. And you’re right too, about his expertise and his writing style. Very well done. And thanks for your generosity and sharing the hard won knowledge.