Due to my semi-retirement this course is no longer offered.
However, you may find the series of free to watch online instructional videos below helpful.
Make your own workbench.
This was a cracking course! Not only did the student leave with a robust bench with front and tail vices and bench dogs they also learnt many woodworking skills in the making. Such as use of domino and biscuit jointers, accurate marking out and cutting, cutting through wedged mortice and tenon joints, cutting BIG dovetails and managing a big project.
The work bench is possibly the woodworker’s most important tool, so it is important that it is well made; flat, stable and capable of holding your work firmly. There is also a certain buzz from working at a bench you have made yourself.
Bruce's completed bench at home in his workshop
Dave and finished bench, perfect dovetails on that tail vice Dave!
Marking mortices on legs of woodwork bench
Front vice fitted with front facing applied, back facing still to fit.
Cutting tail vice pins using jig on band saw.
Dave belt sanding bench top.
Clamping end cleats of woodwork bench
Marking tail vice pins from the previously cut dovetails.
Mike and his finished bench. Mike's an engineer and it showed in the crispness of his work on this bench.
You will go home with a very fine workbench at a fraction of the retail price and lots of new skills learned in the making.
Sorry this course no longer runs however you may find some of these free to watch instructional videos helpful
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This is one of my most challenging courses, both physically and technically. You will be working with large heavy pieces and cutting big joints, some of which, like dovetails and wedged mortice and tenon, you may not have tackled before. However Chris is present throughout the course to offer advice and help when the going gets tough.
The aim of the course is not just to make the bench but also to introduce you to new woodworking techniques such as cutting dovetails on the band saw, using a vacuum press and cutting through wedged mortice and tenon. During the course we will be using a number of jigs to aid accuracy when machining and drilling. Making and using jigs is a key skill when using machines and power tools.
Chris will give full instruction on all new skills and techniques and also advise on more basic skills where he spots an issue.
As this is an improvers course you should already have some woodworking skills and experience. This intensive six day course will help you to reinforce some of these basic skills other skills introduced during the course include
- Marking out through mortice and tenon joints
- Cutting through mortice and tenon joints using router and band saw
- Assembling and wedging through mortice and tenon joints
- Marking out large scale dovetails
- Cutting large dovetails using band saw and jig
- Edge jointing narrow boards and gluing up using masking tape
- Gluing laminates using a vacuum press
- Deep drilling using a pillar drill
- Importance of precision when fitting
- Management and control of a large project
- Use of domino jointer
- Use of router jig and collar for routing recesses.
The bench is very heavy, stable and robust. It can be tailored to your requirements. One of the first things you will do on the course is to establish the optimum height for your bench and cut the legs appropriately. You can chose to make it with or without a tool well.
The standard bench is 1565mm long and 620mm deep but these dimensions can be changed to suit your workshop space.
The 85mm thick top has a very stable core of moisture resistant mdf covered with 5mm thick beech facings. The front and ends have a 65mm wide beech lipping.
The front is drilled with a line of dog holes, these continue through the dovetailed tail vice to aid holding pieces on the bench top. The bench dogs are an invaluable feature, you don’t know what you are missing if your bench doesn’t have dogs. The other holding device is Record 52 ½ or Parkinsons No. 15 vice is fitted to the front. All in all an invaluable tool that will last many lifetimes.
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Thankyou, Chris.
