Last night I finished the leg vise, drilled the holdfast holes and installed the shelf.
Now I just have to flatten the top (and yes, tooth it) and tend to some accessories:
1. A drawer to the right of the right leg.
2. A swing-out grease box.
3. A tool rack at the rear.
I hope to flatten the benchtop today because tomorrow this bench is going to work. I have a potential buyer for my 2005 Southern yellow pine bench stopping by early Friday morning.
— Christopher Schwarz
To the relief of my family (“Hey, I didn’t know dad had a beard,”), I’m paring back my teaching schedule with a machete. However, there are several schools I have committed to for the upcoming year. Here is a partial list:
Nov. 2-3, 2013, Wortheffort school of woodworking, San Marcos, Texas
Dutch Tool Chest
This is a new woodworking school in Texas with a strong focus on the community and teaching young woodworkers. I’ll be there teaching a class on the Dutch tool chest to woodworkers of all ages. Shawn Graham tells me the class is full, but it is definitely worth your while to get on the wait list – classes always have churn.
March 17-20, 2014, William Ng Woodworking School, Anaheim, Calif.
Roorkhee Chair
This will be my first time to teach in California. The Roorkhee chair class is probably my favorite class for a couple reasons – the chair teaches you a lot of unusual skill (riveting?) and we always have time to finish and wax the chairs.
March 22-23, William Ng Woodworking School, Anaheim, Calif
Dutch Tool Chest
May 5-9, The Woodworkers Club, Rockville, Md.
The Anarchist’s Tool Chest
Another school (and area of the country) that is new to me.
June 9-13, Marc Adams School of Woodworking, Franklin, Ind.
Build an 18th-century Workbench
This workbench will be the full-on plate 11 Roubo workbench with its sliding dovetail joinery. I’m already working on sourcing some fantastic wood for it. This is the only workbench class I will be teaching until 2015.
And that’s about it. I have a few weekend commitments with clubs in various places – Alabama, Alaska, Michigan etc., but other than that, I’ll be shackled to my keyboard and workbench here in Kentucky.
— Christopher Schwarz
