Really like your post . I am still in the choice of design . It will probably be a Moravian …because I like the style :) and mostly it will be one that might come with me sometimes .
Yes Ed, Lie Nielsen hand planes are quite wonderful both aesthetically and functionally, and I do enjoy using the ones I own. I am curious to know which ones of your LN planes are your favorites.
I’m building my “final” bench right now. Kinda stuck on it for a bit as I suss how to finish the tail vice installation. It’s the same Benchcrafted item you’ve got, I believe. I didn’t begin the build with it in mind, however, and so I’m having to go back and make space for it in a five-inch thick Southern Yellow Pine (yeah, that Schwarz guy had something to do with that choice!) bench top, and I’ve already made a key mistake I’m trying to recover from. But that’s another story, as they say.
I’m also installing a leg vice (by now you’ve noticed, I’m sure, that I’m following local custom, as it were, regarding the vise v. vice decision), and it’ll have a planing stop and some carefully arranged dog holes (or dogholes? I’m not sure, but my spellchecker wants me to use the former). And it’s here that I was interested to see what you did and how well it’s working for you. For such a seemingly minor matter, dog hole positioning seems to take on great importance for anyone building a bench, especially if said person is planning on doing lots of handwork.
Which brings us to the Lie-Nielsen planes. I understand the inclination to burial, when the time comes, with an array of them surrounding the deceased, but…please, if you go the cremation route, don’t burn them. Please. Instead, box ‘em up. I’ll send you the address to which they should be shipped.
Oh, and if you do go the burial route, let me know the location of the plot, and what security measures the cemetery might have. Just out of curiosity, of course.
That's a beautiful bench. I read Chris Schwarz's Workbench and bought another by Scott Landis because it had examples of a range of designs. Then I stumbled across Fitzgerald's Pop. Wood. article on making a workbench entirely out of LVL. I also found a brief comment published a year or two later about what was good and what was bad about an all LVL workbench. I was looking for wood to make a Roubo bench for about a year after that when I went to the local building supply store (locally owned) for some formica and as I went in, sitting out in front of the building were several pallets with different kinds of lumber stacked on them. One of them had a bunch of 3-1/2" X 14" X 8' beams of LVL on them. A sign above them simply said "$20." I wondered, was that each, per foot, per board foot? After I ordered the formica I asked about the LVL and found they were $20 each. Right then & there I decided that my Roubo workbench would have an LVL top. Since I had never tried making such a workbench nor ever worked with LVL I bought four, two spare beams just in case I screwed it up totally with the first try. It took me another year to find affordably priced lumber for legs and stringers. It uses mortice & tenon joinery with drawbored dowels, has a leg vise and a wagon vise for a tail vise. I'm using it to work on and I'm still learning how to make the most of it.
I highly recommend Chris Schwarz's book, which I bought shortly before I started, and reaffirmed many of the design choices I had made, and brought to my attention details I hadn't thought about, thereby saving me from a few, but not all, mistakes.
Nice, you built what I am going to! at some point maybe, without the tail vice though. I think the vice I have is a 53 (been sitting in corner for a while) American ash? Pfft.. big chunks of whatever the heck the posts and salvaged timber I have sitting waiting are. American ash looks nice though. Then I saw the price and know why I wanted to use the salvaged stuff. 9 x 3 inches about ten foot $418 aus plus shipping. Ow.. I know it is something of a lifetime investment but my butt is hurting too much to bear it. Mind you, buying some of the Australian hardwoods in other countries probably provides a similar uncomfortable experience.
I morticed a slot to take the flange with a long cutter in the router, just behind the row of dog holes. I can’t quite recall, but I think I then had to deepen the hole with a mortice chisel. Then it’s bolted on with four big coach screws. This approach does lose 2-3” or so off the maximum possible capacity, but I’ve yet to find it wanting.
Ed, that is quite a wonderful bench with both beauty and functionality. I too prefer face vices instead of leg vises. I have an original 9”,quick release, Rockler vise ( they were then very well made) on my 25 year old first bench from a Woodsmith plan, and a face vise on my newer Moravian Workbench built in a class at Roy Underhill’s under the instruction of Will Myers. I am just not a leg vise fan. The Rocker face vise works unfailingly with its wide opening of 12”. Someday soon I am going to build a “ final workbench” similar in size and function to yours.
Great craftsmanship you show there. Thanks for sharing.
So I have been planning to build myself a new bench for......awhile now.
I was tending towards the 8’ length but you helped me decide for sure.
Right now I’m building a pass through door for a bedroom I remodeled and my current bench is a few feet short.
I have another dozen to make so the extra length is in my future.
I never gave a thought to wood movement on the top which is embarrassing, why do I forget about wood movement?
Oh, I did buy a Hovarter Vise (Vice), I think it’s really cool technology, I’m tired of acme screw threads and “quick release”vice (vises ) that won’t engage the screw when you need it the most.
Did I ever mention that new technology that makes sense to me is one of my vices? Yes it extends to woodworking vises.
Are woodworking Vises your Vice? Or are woodworking Vices your Vice? How can you tell? This language barrier thing is confusing and we are all supposedly speaking the same language.
Really like your post . I am still in the choice of design . It will probably be a Moravian …because I like the style :) and mostly it will be one that might come with me sometimes .
Cheers !
Yes Ed, Lie Nielsen hand planes are quite wonderful both aesthetically and functionally, and I do enjoy using the ones I own. I am curious to know which ones of your LN planes are your favorites.
Cheers,
Michael
Well I love all of them like children, but I’ll pick three:
1. The bronze 102 block plane. Fits so nicely in the hand and I love that little sucker.
2. The steel No.4 with a York pitch frog. A really capable smoother for tricky grain.
3. The No.7 jointer. My accurate stock prep relies on this bad boy.
Thank you Ed. Those are all great. I do not have a LN 7, but a very vintage Stanley 8 with a Hock iron. The 102 block is so sweet to use. Cheers.
Interesting post, Ed. For me, very interesting.
I’m building my “final” bench right now. Kinda stuck on it for a bit as I suss how to finish the tail vice installation. It’s the same Benchcrafted item you’ve got, I believe. I didn’t begin the build with it in mind, however, and so I’m having to go back and make space for it in a five-inch thick Southern Yellow Pine (yeah, that Schwarz guy had something to do with that choice!) bench top, and I’ve already made a key mistake I’m trying to recover from. But that’s another story, as they say.
I’m also installing a leg vice (by now you’ve noticed, I’m sure, that I’m following local custom, as it were, regarding the vise v. vice decision), and it’ll have a planing stop and some carefully arranged dog holes (or dogholes? I’m not sure, but my spellchecker wants me to use the former). And it’s here that I was interested to see what you did and how well it’s working for you. For such a seemingly minor matter, dog hole positioning seems to take on great importance for anyone building a bench, especially if said person is planning on doing lots of handwork.
Which brings us to the Lie-Nielsen planes. I understand the inclination to burial, when the time comes, with an array of them surrounding the deceased, but…please, if you go the cremation route, don’t burn them. Please. Instead, box ‘em up. I’ll send you the address to which they should be shipped.
Oh, and if you do go the burial route, let me know the location of the plot, and what security measures the cemetery might have. Just out of curiosity, of course.
Hopefully neither burial nor cremation is imminent 🤞
And I don’t mean to imply I’m hoping that changes! But if it does….
That's a beautiful bench. I read Chris Schwarz's Workbench and bought another by Scott Landis because it had examples of a range of designs. Then I stumbled across Fitzgerald's Pop. Wood. article on making a workbench entirely out of LVL. I also found a brief comment published a year or two later about what was good and what was bad about an all LVL workbench. I was looking for wood to make a Roubo bench for about a year after that when I went to the local building supply store (locally owned) for some formica and as I went in, sitting out in front of the building were several pallets with different kinds of lumber stacked on them. One of them had a bunch of 3-1/2" X 14" X 8' beams of LVL on them. A sign above them simply said "$20." I wondered, was that each, per foot, per board foot? After I ordered the formica I asked about the LVL and found they were $20 each. Right then & there I decided that my Roubo workbench would have an LVL top. Since I had never tried making such a workbench nor ever worked with LVL I bought four, two spare beams just in case I screwed it up totally with the first try. It took me another year to find affordably priced lumber for legs and stringers. It uses mortice & tenon joinery with drawbored dowels, has a leg vise and a wagon vise for a tail vise. I'm using it to work on and I'm still learning how to make the most of it.
I highly recommend Chris Schwarz's book, which I bought shortly before I started, and reaffirmed many of the design choices I had made, and brought to my attention details I hadn't thought about, thereby saving me from a few, but not all, mistakes.
Nice, you built what I am going to! at some point maybe, without the tail vice though. I think the vice I have is a 53 (been sitting in corner for a while) American ash? Pfft.. big chunks of whatever the heck the posts and salvaged timber I have sitting waiting are. American ash looks nice though. Then I saw the price and know why I wanted to use the salvaged stuff. 9 x 3 inches about ten foot $418 aus plus shipping. Ow.. I know it is something of a lifetime investment but my butt is hurting too much to bear it. Mind you, buying some of the Australian hardwoods in other countries probably provides a similar uncomfortable experience.
Curious - how did you install the record vise? Mortise it in or cut out a home and then glue on the front piece?
I morticed a slot to take the flange with a long cutter in the router, just behind the row of dog holes. I can’t quite recall, but I think I then had to deepen the hole with a mortice chisel. Then it’s bolted on with four big coach screws. This approach does lose 2-3” or so off the maximum possible capacity, but I’ve yet to find it wanting.
It is because that vice has generally two metal parts ?
Ed, that is quite a wonderful bench with both beauty and functionality. I too prefer face vices instead of leg vises. I have an original 9”,quick release, Rockler vise ( they were then very well made) on my 25 year old first bench from a Woodsmith plan, and a face vise on my newer Moravian Workbench built in a class at Roy Underhill’s under the instruction of Will Myers. I am just not a leg vise fan. The Rocker face vise works unfailingly with its wide opening of 12”. Someday soon I am going to build a “ final workbench” similar in size and function to yours.
Great craftsmanship you show there. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Michael
Thank you Michael 😊
Correction. I meant leg vise/vice on the Moravian workbench.
My original thought was burial at sea in my sailboat but had to sell it. Love the bench cremation idea.
Or burial at sea with my workbench maybe. That sucker is definitely going to sink.
So I have been planning to build myself a new bench for......awhile now.
I was tending towards the 8’ length but you helped me decide for sure.
Right now I’m building a pass through door for a bedroom I remodeled and my current bench is a few feet short.
I have another dozen to make so the extra length is in my future.
I never gave a thought to wood movement on the top which is embarrassing, why do I forget about wood movement?
Oh, I did buy a Hovarter Vise (Vice), I think it’s really cool technology, I’m tired of acme screw threads and “quick release”vice (vises ) that won’t engage the screw when you need it the most.
Did I ever mention that new technology that makes sense to me is one of my vices? Yes it extends to woodworking vises.
Are woodworking Vises your Vice? Or are woodworking Vices your Vice? How can you tell? This language barrier thing is confusing and we are all supposedly speaking the same language.
Two nations divided by a common language. 😊
8 foot is (in my opinion) the ideal workbench length.