English Workbench - Aprons

English Workbench - Aprons

The rigidity of an English workbench is provided by aprons: the legs fit inside housings in the apron preventing the bench from twisting. A possible disadvantage of this design is that the joints can become loose over time and a suggested improvement – from Paul Sellers – is the addition of wedges: When I have made benches...
The rigidity of an English workbench is provided by aprons: the legs fit inside housings in the apron preventing the...
English Workbench - vice clean up

English Workbench - vice clean up

The final two things I did over the weekend were to attach the top bearers to the legs and also to clean up my vice, which I bought last April. Once I removed all the crud, paint, dried oil etc and applied some lubricant it works very well and there does not seem to be...
The final two things I did over the weekend were to attach the top bearers to the legs and also...
English Workbench - leg brace

English Workbench - leg brace

I finished the leg brace, and the result is a rather complex looking set of recesses on the front RHS leg – it is not as complex as it looks to do, since you are just doing a series of simple half lap dovetails. I managed to avoid any major cock-ups today, but to make up...
I finished the leg brace, and the result is a rather complex looking set of recesses on the front RHS...
English Workbench Legs - v2

English Workbench Legs - v2

Although the legs looked passable when dry fitted the poor quality timber I used for the legs meant they split as soon as I tried to nail the aprons on. Following some sage advice on the ukworkshop.co.uk forum I gave it up as a bad job and have started again with decent redwood....
Although the legs looked passable when dry fitted the poor quality timber I used for the legs meant they split...
English Workbench legs

English Workbench legs

I prepared the wood needed for the workbench legs – the fence posts were very ropey, and this contributed to my first major cock up. I am gradually getting more confident using a plane to get a board square and straight and this part went okay.  Richard Maquire is good at explaining which surfaces need to...
I prepared the wood needed for the workbench legs – the fence posts were very ropey, and this contributed to my...
The English Workbench

The English Workbench

I am making what has become known as an English workbench.  I’m not sure why this term became popular, possibly it is down to Chris Schwartz in his Workbench book where he identifies three broad traditions in bench design: French (oblong table with a heavy top); English (thin planks on top, one or more...
I am making what has become known as an English workbench.  I’m not sure why this term became popular,...