What do you think of Paul Sellers workbench?

[jnesmith]

I don't understand the allure of photobucket. Every time I see an error message where an image should be displayed, the image was hosted on photobucket.

I have had very good luck with google. I use Picasa to edit images, and you can directly upload them from the software, then easily view them online to post or insert anywhere.

[bugbear]

west2 said:

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Can I just compliment you on some nicely planed endgrain?

BugBear

[west2]

BugBear, I did not plane the end grain of the bench top, after glue up I trimmed the ends with a compound miter saw then hand sanded it. Thank you for the kind compliment even if it is not deserved.

[FarRed]

This is a little off topic since Paul doesn't use a tail vise, but does anyone know why there is always a long end cap on tail vises? The don't seem to serve any purpose. A counter-weight to the weight of the main body?

[iclark]

FarRed said:

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This is a little off topic since Paul doesn't use a tail vise, but does anyone know why there is always a long end cap on tail vises? The don't seem to serve any purpose. A counter-weight to the weight of the main body?

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Bump for retention
and in hope for an answer to the question above.

[PaulC]

See this blog post by Joel from Tools for Working Wood for a good explanation (with pictures!)

Blog

[toolemera]

adamcherubini said:

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attitude completely understandable. But just for sake of ful disclosure, Frank's full quote was "because that's they way you do it. You're problem is you've been listening too much to (Ian ) Kirby"

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I love this quote! And take it to heart. Too much over thinking, too much over the top precision and too much sticking to the myths instead of thinking a problem through. I've held to the notion that it was not so much that Old Ways Are Better but that in looking at a time period when every cent count, every hour of the day related to some necessary chore and hand work was the norm instead of a goal... people concentrated on the task and the tools needed to complete the task instead of on the tangential and often extraneous matters of which thing is better than another thing.

This is not to say that choosing to build an X type workbench is not a fun project. It is to say that the X type workbench or tool chest had little relation to the quality of the work produced and that is where, at times, I see people becoming absorbed by the mythology of doing and losing sight of the pleasure of doing.

Long time ago when I worked in an architectural millwork shop, a couple of sawhorses, sandbags and some dimensional lumber served as the onsite workbench for forming and fitting expensive stock and moldings. The shop workbenches were thick layers of ply with a masonite top, mounted on dimensioned lumber stands which were lag screwed to the wall. We turned out high end walnut and mahogany interiors for uppity banks and law offices. It was the product that pleased.

Hi Adam! Long time...

[Window Guy]

I must say after all most 2 years I am so glad I built this bench, I love it. It is fairly cheap to build with common Borg 2 X 4's, solid as a rock and having a bad back I love the recommended height, no more back pain when I work at my bench.

I was lucky enough to have bought many years ago a Record vise and lined the jaws with leather which grips like no tomorrow. I wish I could have built mine it a little longer, like 72" or so in lieu of 59 1/2" but didn't have the space.

I would defiantly build this bench again if I ever have to replace it. It is not a pretty bench but very functional.

Steve

[Ricky]

I like Wrangler stars videos on building the Paul Sellers bench. He made the top and legs a little beefier, but like Sellers built it all with simple hand tools. It's more like a split top roubo/English bench hybrid.

Building ther "Poor man's carpenter bench."

[Bartee]

West2

That is a beautiful bench. Nice Job !