When owt gets born there’s blood, sweat and faecal matter.
That’s just a fact.
Giving birth to a workbench is the same.
It’s been a while since I’ve built a bench and I have to say I’ve been twitching for quite some time to do one. Building this hasn’t scratched that itch, actually this has made the itch worse….
My Rough French Bench
This workbench is for myself so that means that it’s had to be knocked up out of bits and bobs that have been kicking around the workshop for years. Sadly I don’t have the luxury of a fancy hardwood bench.
The top ended up being made from some old joists that came from one of our old barn roofs. The legs are some left over redwood, and the rails are a mismatch of pine and poplar.
And of course the vice is that big old beauty that Arnold gave me, so it’s definitely my bench.
I’ve built it only six foot long, and it’s very narrow, under 19 inch I think.
I really like the size, and next to the big thing behind it, it looks tiny.
I choose to go this small as I want to film at it, and I find a shorter workbench looks better on camera. Plus it’s more realistic to what most people have.
Putting It To Use
I’ve got about a day left to finish up on it, and I have to say I’m feeling really excited to put it to use. It’s been a good few years now since I’ve used a bench in this style.
I’ll talk about some of the main differences in use between this French style workbench and my usual English one shortly.
There are a few, and they’re well worth thinking about before you decide which to build.
Ow, and we’ve filmed the build. It should be ready to pre-order next week.
We’ve got plenty more stuff on here about workbenches if you’re planning a build… here’s a couple more articles:
– Why Your Workbench Needs One Vice (Or Less)
– The Best Wood For Your Workbench Build
