One of the best reasons to build a workbench at a school is to take advantage of the industrial-scale machinery and the strong backs of your fellow students. Oh, and your workbench is done in just a week.
In 2015, I am teaching two workbench classes: A knockdown Nicholson workbench July 20-24 at the New English Workshop at Warwickshire College. And a French workbench class Aug. 10-14 at the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking.
There are still spaces available in both classes.
The knockdown Nicholson bench is a fantastic bench I built during the summer using some principles swiped from Mike Siemsen, Caleb James and Peter Nicholson. The bench assembles in minutes and once together, you would be hard-pressed to say it could ever come apart. The thing is solid.
And the whole thing knocks down flat for transport or for when guests come over. It’s the ideal bench for an apartment, a temporary workspace or if you ever plan to move.
The massive and classic French bench we’re building in Connecticut will be made with the super-primo ash from Horizon Wood Products that we used to build benches at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in 2014.
Bench classes are physically taxing, but they are like an Amish barn-raising. Everyone has to pull together to get all the workbenches complete. It’s a team sport, which is something rare and wonderful in the world of furniture-making.
— Christopher Schwarz
Hey, pretty off-topic, but the stool shown on the New English Workshop page is awesome looking. I’m tempted to try to make one of those at some point, though looking closely the curved top intimidates me. Is that done with a draw knife?
http://www.newenglishworkshop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/NEW_Stool1-copy.jpg
What I think is more intimidating is getting someone to accurately trace your butt in a sitting position so as to have a proper seat
Hmm. I’m perfectly fine with someone tracing my butt. It’s the tracing of someone else’s that I might find bothersome.
Of course, as far as paying for and traveling to take a woodworking course, the bench building classes are a far better idea. I suspect you learn a lot more, and you have a fantastic bench to work on when you’re done. I just really like that stool.
Try this: http://furnituremaking.com/workshophome.html
That’s the stool alright. Took me a while to figure it out, but I think the classes are offered in the Chicago area. Ultimately I am far too cheap. $1200 for a class to build that stool. Chris’ Roubo bench class is about $800 for tuition, and another $800 for materials. After that, you have a Roubo bench that you’ll use the rest of your life. I am sure the $1200 is a fair price for the instruction you’ll receive, and if I really wanted to I have enough money to do it. There’s just something at a near physical level, learned behavior or genetic predisposition, that blocks me from being able to do it.
why is it that everyone seems to be making these benches with no tool well. I made mine by coping Roy Underhills . I really like the15″ work top and a 9 ” tool tray and 5 feet long. is this a style that is out of fashion? I was planning on making 4 more for my woodworking school. should I rethink this style of bench?
If you like tool wells, by all means put them on your benches. My first bench (my grandfather’s) had one. I found it only gathered waste and tools. It’s definitely a matter of personal preference and always has been.
My first woodworking bench was a Veritas Workbench that I built using plans from LeeValley.com. The bench top is made of two slabs approximately 11 inches wide by about 6 feet long, separated by a 4 inch tool will in the middle. I still use the bench in my basement workshop. Recently, I built a Nicholson bench for my garage, which has no tool well. My experience with the tool well confirms Chris’s comment. The tool well tends to gather tools, junk, nails, screws, and various kinds of detritus. I find that I have to periodically clear out all the junk and tools that have accumulated and figure out what to do with it all. I think tool wells are alright if you clear them out at the end of each day, but I found that I never do that and the junk keeps accumulating until I just can’t stand it anymore. I have come to the conclusion that, for me, a tool well is more trouble than it its worth.
Simple, for the brave, smoke your butt with a candle, have a seat!
Watch out for flash fires!